Let's go to Korean market and cook and eat Asian food together!

Hi, members,

I organize two other cooking groups and I'll cook lots of Asian food tomorrow night and I'm inviting this group to the event, too.

http://cooking.meetup...

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Dear members,

5-1-08

AND MORE FOOD SAMPLES!

Nexon just emailed me that his friend is coming too, and he's going to bring his food products to give away!! Wow, we're so lucky! Thank you so much, Ricardo!!

The item is fruit milk candies, similar to Hi-Chew, the Japanese soft chew candy, but a bit different. He says they really are addictive!

One more recipe:

3. Pork Chowmein

Dried Shiitake...I think I should write about that first. Japanese, Chinese and Korean love mushroom like French people, but Asian cuisine use dried shiitake a lot to make stock.

Here's Wikipedia explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.o....

Although the article says Japanese people use shiitake in miso soup, I don't really think so. If it's Osuimono - clear soup based on katsuo (bonito) and kombu (kelp) stock without miso - we use shiitake a lot, but for regular kind of miso soup, we don't really put shiitake...usually it's vegetables and wakame (dried seaweed) and tofu, any combination..but not much shiitake...I could be wrong, though as the Japanese cuisine differ depending on regions...

Anyways, just like Chinese food holy trinity I wrote about yesterday, in Chinese cuisine they use dried mushroom a lot, and this pork chowmein recipe is no exception.

Something about dried foods like dried sun tamotoes....they bring flavors and make the food taste better...
When you soak dried shiitake in hot water, the liquid is said to have enzyme? that helps lower cholesterol level, and many Yakuzen (sort of remedial cuisine) recipes call for soaked dried shiitake [it's Japanese name, Chinese call them xiānggū (香菇, literally "fragrant mushroom") and dōnggū (Chinese: 冬菇, "winter mushroom") ]

Ideally you should put dried shiitake in hot water and soak more than 30 min, but when you don't have time, you can microwave or add a pinch of sugar. But it always taste better and you get more flavorful liquid when you soak overnight. If you are a serious Asian cook, you should always keep a container of soaked mushroom in water in you fridge just like good Italian cooks always keep tomato sauce in the fridge and the freezer..

Pork Chowmein:

Cook in boiling water for 10 min.
1 lb fresh chowmein noodles (or 1/2 lb dry noodles)
Drain in colander and rinse with cold water.

Add
2 tsp soy sauce
Toss in colander and let stand.

Heat skillet with 1/4-inch oil. Place one-third of noodles in pan and fry until crisp; turn and brown other side. Repeat with remaining noodles; drain on paper towels.

Mix:

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. sugar

Fry

eggs in thin sheets using greased, seasoned skillet and turn eggs.
When cool, cut into thin strips for garnish, set aside.

Cook in oil:

2 lbs. pork steak, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

Add:

1 tsp salt
3 large stalks celery, sliced diagnally
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 med-size bamboo shoots, sliced
6 dried shiitake, soaked and sliced

Cook until tender-crisp.

Add:

1 1/2 lb. bean spourts
1 cup dried shiitake soaking liquid with

chicken or beef stock

Cook until bean sprouts are barely limp.

Mix and add:

2 1/2 TBS cornstarch or preferably Katakuriko
1/4 cup cold water

Cook another 2-3 min.

Add:

fried noodls and mix.

Or you could place fried noodles on a platter and pour meat mixture over the noodles. Your choice.

Garnish:

Green onions, slivered
fried egg strips.

Note:

Stir-frying requires that the wok be heated to a high temperature. It is not hot enough until the wok begins to smoke. Then add the cooking oil and garlic and ginger, if called for. These should sizzle before adding the main ingredients.

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FREE FOOD SAMPLES!

Do you remember that our member, Nexon at SAFCOL made a generous offer for us to give out free samples of their tuna and salmon products?
http://cooking.meetup....

He and I have been talking about creating a meetup featuring the products, but with this meetup he's coming, too and WILL GIVE EVERY PARTICIPANT FREE SAMPLES!!

Wow, that's great!! He's been generous sending me the samples and when I tried them they were really good and handy, very much different from other companies products so I really wanted to have a chance to promote them as theiy are more environmental friendly and natural.

He'll come to both Korean market and my house, so if you come, you can get free samples, too! And I'll try to include a dish using the products. Aaah, this is going to be fun!smile Thank you so much, Nexon!

Where to meet: a bakery located near the entrance of the market