Japanese cubeFood

I started out my new year’s resolution to try and do a healthy diet and I chose the Japanese Diet. Which I believe is the most healthies diet there is…that’s why they’re only 3% of their population that is overweight, compaired to the U.S.’s 30%…yikes!

 For the past week starting January 1st., I started eating all Japanese food, from sashimi, white rice, miso soup, tofu etc… and limiting my red meat intake. I gotta tell ya, I’ve been feelin’ pretty good! I’ve also been reading Naomi Moriyama’s: Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother’s Tokyo Kitchen which is an excellent book if you’re “turnin’ Japanese”

 

Sushi making isn’t as complicated as everyone would think. All you need is rice, some few good pieces of raw tuna or salmon or whatever fish you prefer, cucumber, nori wraps or sea weed strips, soy sauce and wasabi and you’ve got yourself your own sushi bar…and for the fraction of the cost of what these things actually would cost in Japanese Restaurants…yeouch!

So for people who are too squirmish to eat raw fish…Try making fried Octopus Balls or Takoyaki. Since I live in a place where nothing interesting ever happens, I tried substituting it with squid instead. Seriously…my area, too many rich people that would barf if they see squid or octopus tentacles…ugh!

So here’s the recipe…enjoy and tell me what you think!

 Fried Octopus Balls (Takoyaki)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. squid, cleaned and chopped
• 1/4 cup dried sakura ebi (red shrimp)
• cooking oil
• chopped negi (or scallions) (to taste)
• tenkasu (or rice crispies) (to taste)

[Batter]:

• 2 1/2 cup dashi soup (or fish stock)
• 15g powdered katsuo-bushi (shaved dried bonito)
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs

[Sauce]:

• commercial takoyaki sauce
• or worcestershire sauce
• or mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman’s)

PREPARATION:

Mix flour, dashi soup, and eggs in a bowl to make batter. Thickness of the batter should be like potage soup. Put oil inside cups of a takoyaki grill pan. Pour batter in the cups to the full.  Add chopped squid, and green onion in each hole. Grill takoyaki balls, turning with a pick. When takoyaki become rounds and brown, remove them from the pan and place in a plate. Put sauce and mayonnaise on takoyaki.

**note: Takoyaki pans can be purchaged at specialty asian food stores or at amazon.com 

Cooking time: 10-20 minutes

Servings: 50-60 pieces (4-5 persons)

Wow… starting over

I apologize for not posting anything in this blog. I’ve been so busy at work and preoccupied with my gaming blog that I totally forgot about this food blog that I have. Sorry CubeFood Blog!

 I should update this often from now on… I promise!

 Prepare to see some weird and wacky recipes, articles and everything food.

And the next Iron Chef is…

Chef Michael Symon!

Click here to learn more about Chef Symon

I didn’t watch most of the episodes and never really got to see how and who were eliminated first because I thought the show was a bit dry. Then again I think it’s just me who thought so. I didn’t want to sit through all the episodes on Sunday when Food Network played an entire Marathon of “The next Iron Chef” and just waited until the actual final elimination. Since the begining I always thought Chef Michael Symon was going to win this, he has always executed his food beautifuly since the start of the show. And he has this more laid back personality to him which I think the judges loved. I was really happy to see him win the Next Iron Chef match because I think he would bring some flare into the Iron Chef stage.

Eliminated during the first five episodes of the six-week series were fellow CIA graduate Jill Davie ‘96, Chris Cosentino, Traci Des Jardins, Gavin Kaysen, Morou Ouattara, and Aaron Sanchez. Symon, 38, is the executive chef/owner of Lola and Lolita restaurants in Cleveland. He will join Cora, Flay and Morimoto as an Iron Chef on “Iron Chef America.”

from PoughkeepsieJournal.com

I also found out, or it might be a Food Network rumor that Chef Mario Batalli may not return on the shows future episodes which I’m really upset about because He is one of my favorite Iron Chefs along with Chef Morimoto, one of the original Iron Chef in Japan.

Now I can’t wait to watch Chef Symon’s matches in the show, I’m sure he’ll bring a new twist to the show’s already eclectic line-up of Chefs.

To learn more about the show and learn more about these masters of cooking, go to foodnetwork.com/ironchefamerica

Party Food Cookbook

I went to TJ Maxx today and bought a bunch of cook books for really cheap. I got cookbooks about Japanese cuisines, Tappas, Healthy food, Low Carb, Easy 30 minutes meals and the best part… Exclusively Chocolates…yum! But this book I loved right away and thought I must share it. I read most of it and filled the pages with yellow sticky notes for all the recipes that looks sooo appetizing. Since I’m going into the small home-based catering business, I thought this cook book was pretty good. I’m sure there are other party food cookbooks out there but this one is I think top shelf! Check it out.

You can find this at Barnes and Noble online at: http://www.barnesandnoble.com

and enter this ISBN # in the search area: 1405472480

My work RULEZ!!!

Last week, our Technology Services Director was out for the whole week, so my co-workers decided to re decorate his office:

Hillarious!! So I had to take a picture of it! He came in a day early so we were all bummed because we wanted to add more stuff to it! I wanted to bring my huge Hello Kitty doll along with this huge Helicopter and some Star Wars toys. But he loved it and was laughing histerically.

So basically the photo has a life size R2D2 with his picture in it and a chef’s hat, a wip, a neck tie and a foam finger. Ahhh I love my work!

And oh yeah…the best part is my co-worker is giving me that R2 for free! Since he doesnt have any room in his place anymore…hehe

Cube (Square) food(s)

 So I went to Google’s search engine and typed “cube food” and came across this image. I’m like…talk about “cube food” this photo was located in:
http://www.jupiterimages.com/popup2.aspx?navigationSubType=itemdetails&itemID=22888403

I thought it was an appropriate theme to post in my blog since it is CubeFood. Then again this blog isn’t about Square food. But heck! I can do that too! I can find some interesting food that are square and funny looking…because theyre square! Here’s another funny photo of a square food:

 You can find this photo here: http://www.thegreenhead.com/2004/07/pyramid-square-shaped-watermelons.php

 Pretty interesting eh?

CubeFoodMenu – coming soon

CubeFoodMenu will be launching soon. This blog will have recipes and cooking tips for the not-so-kitchen-savy people. I currently run another blog on a different page, but this blog will be solely about anything that is FOOD. My name is Florence and I’m planning on starting up my small home-based catering business. I wanted to recreate some of the recipes I have grown to love and was passed down from my dear Mom, Soledad… the best cook in the world!! My recipes will be the healthy side (and some not so healthy side) of Filipino, American, Korean, Italian, Spanish fusion… and more! Some recipes you will be familiar of, but jazzed up my way.

 I’m still in the process of planning everything out so please be patient. www.cubefoodmenu.com will be launching soon too! Lots to do…lots to do! Well…better get crackalakin’!

 See ya soon!