I Was The Little Seed That Could...

Recall this pretty papaya from my last post... I mean look at it! How rare of a sight, it has to metaphor something right? What could this germinating seed be trying to tell me? It took a while to make the connection, but when I did make sense of it, everything unfolded like a flower blooming 🌸- literally 😊.

First, a little about myself to give you a back story. The time I spoke in front of 1500 people at my largest event ever- a noteable 2015 Food Revolution cooking event with the entire Northview high school body with Mr.Jamie Oliver himself connecting in live...

You see presenting was one of my biggest fears 😬... All my life I shied away from speaking to any crowd if I could. At school, at work, I'd rehearse my lines over and over again, and I'll get super stressed out as presentation day nears. I was to kick-start this huge food event; even though I only had two paragraphs to sound off, I grew anxious as peeps trickled into the jam-packed cafeteria. It went without a hitch; it was that pivotal moment I knew I conquered my fear 🙂. I mean I was speaking in front of strangers- 1500 students, teachers, principals, VIP guests, the police and heck I was on live TV!! Our moment with Jamie was short and sweet. But OMG! I did it 🤗!!!

For all the event details, check out my Post.

Fast forward to the last two years... how blessed am I to have the opportunities to speak in front of crowds regularly, to let my passion for cooking, health & wellness and food education be my VoiCe! Because speaking from the heart is as authentic and un-rehearsed as you can get 😊. Times a-changed and the potential to grow and expand feels real and liberating. So finally back to the papaya... a couple days after new year I cut open the papaya to find this germinating seed. As a person who looks for meaning in everything, I pondered what this conveyed. I know I figured it out... it has to be... Bloom 🌸! 

Brings me back to the magazine Bloom- for women when I was Food Editor at the start of my food career 20 years ago. A reminder in #2020- I was the little seed that could! Nourished with love and passion for food, flourished and is still blooming. And if it can't get more symbolic... my birthdate is also a 20 😯❤. 2020 for a 20!

Grateful for moments experienced, lessons learnt, and the new opps that lay ahead. If we are not a little bit uncomfortable everyday, we're not growing. All the good stuff is outside our comfort zone. I see and hear acts of heroism, strength, courage and wisdom in women I encounter all the time! 

Let it be this year for us to shine and bloom together 🌸🌸!

Furthermore, somethings that never change. I said it then (at 30) and I say it again... 

Life is to be lived now. Live. Love. Learn. Be All You Can Be. Now. Not Later.

Every sunset is an opportunity to reset. 

"Each morning we are born again. 

What we do today is what matters most"-- Buddha

It really has been 360 for me- the seed that wants to help others suc-seed.

Truthfully, isn't that what we are all doing here, planting seeds? For our future? For the next generation?

Five Spiced Soy Sauce Duck Gizzards...

Duck gizzards for the Asian in me!! One can usually enjoy these sliced up in a stir-fry at Chinese restaurants but nowadays, they can be ordered prepared whole thanks to Chinese mom and pop shops selling all-parts canard like Kung-Fu Duck and similar take-out counters. Think neck, tongue, head and yummy webbed feet :). Gizzard is a small organ, part of the digestive tract in some animals that aid in grinding up hard foods and particles. It is very high in protein- 44g and low in fat with just one cup serving (about 12 pieces). #eateverythingwastenothing

My mother made these while growing up. Her signature style was salting, then drying to cure much like hard jerky. I remember pieces strung together and hung to air-dry like laundry in the basement for days to the horror of my non-Asian friends. My Asian friends didn't notice cause chances were their parents were doing the same thing :D. But undeniably tasty and chewy they were! Not subjecting my kids to hanging offals, I like the saucy kind you cook over the stove for an hour with soy sauce and five spices. Nothing like that beautiful fragrance along with the nose of garlic and ginger wafting in the air. My kids called out the intoxicating aroma walking in the front door from school. Chicken wings they ask? When they found out it was an offal matter, they shrugged and lapped it up with the  same gusto at dinner. The only wish was that I added boiled eggs to the brew. A note for next time, and there'll certainly be a next time. 

Five Spiced Soy Sauce Duck Gizzards

1 lb. duck gizzard, membranes removed (look for fresh, red pieces in packages at Asian supermarkets)

(1/2 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch for cleaning)
1 Tbsp. oil

2 to 3 thinly sliced ginger

1 green onion, cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 pieces of star anise

1/2 tsp. five spiced powder

a few dashes of ground white powder
3 Tbsp. good soy sauce
1 cup water

Rinse and soak the gizzards in a bowl of cool water to cover for 1/2 hour to an hour. This will help soften the membranes which will be removed before cooking. You won't want to have rubbery stringy membranes in the way of the delectable organ grinding. 

Drain the water. Pull and rub off the membranes. Add salt and cornstarch to the gizzards and mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow impurities to be released and eradicate some of the offal smell. Rinse well in cold water several times, until water runs clear. Drain well.

I like to use a soy sauce brew that is slightly sweet and a rich umami soy flavour. Japanese brands Yamasa and Kikkoman has these attributes. Use a soy sauce to impart the flavours you enjoy. Add a little sugar for sweetness if needed for balance.

Heat a sauce pan with the oil and add ginger slices, onions and garlic; cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the star anise, five-spiced powder and pepper. Mix and cook for 1 minute with the duck gizzard. Pour in the soy sauce and water. Cover with lid until the mixture boils. Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until the mixture turns syrupy (coating the back of a spoon).

Serve hot or cold with a sprinkle of sliced green onions and with the sauce.

Deliciously aromatic and beautifully lacquered in the thickened sauce with the resulting orbs slightly sticky, flavourful with a springy chew! It was a delectable accompaniment to a meal of Pork Bones and Preserved Egg Congee along with deep-fried dough fritters and Chinese greens.

If you love to eat and experiment with off-cuts, try my Yakitori Grilled Chicken Hearts, Spicy Pork Intestines Stir-Fry and Chieko's Fermented Squid Guts! Happy offal-ling!

Happy Halloween With Grilled Yakitori Chicken Hearts...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN with springy spongy ever-so-tasty impaled chicken hearts on a stick-- yakitori-style!! Nothing to fear, contrary to what people may imagine, fresh chicken hearts are not gritty, rubbery or slimy or have a strong livery, offal taste. When quickly grilled on high heat, they become tender morsels with a hint of red meat taste and a soft springy texture like flash-fried fresh squid. Chicken hearts, are rich in essential B vitamins (including B12, riboflavin and folic acid) and minerals (including zinc, selenium, iron and potassium). Nutritious and Delicious, what's not to 💗?

Sharing an oldie but a goodie!... 

Grilled Yakitori Chicken Hearts

Chieko's Fermented Squid (Ika no shiokara)...

Always happy to hear from my readers, sheer delight ensued when a conversation began from a post comment on an off-the-cuff matter-- offals! This American reader from New Mexico favoured my recipe Spicy Pork Intestine Stir-Fry with Pickled Mustard Greens and expressed her love for nose to tail eating in wicked detail-- just read the comments :D. She tells me Super Walmarts particularly those near Latino communities carry offal, such as tripe, tongue, beef intestines, trotters and even an entire pig's head-- who knew? Half-Japanese, Chieko talks about her adoration of pickling, brining, and curing meats like pork liver, beef and salmon. She makes this amazing Japanese raw squid that was featured as squid guts on the show Fear Factor... Fear what? She says she would have guzzled it-- lol. Hearing this, a light bulb lit up.. Halloween is just around the corner and how timely is a potentially scary recipe post on squid guts :D. This fermented squid dish was lauded by my brother as a must try when I first visited Japan way back when-- and I absolutely loved it! Easy with just two ingredients, the squid cleaning is really not that difficult and the results well worth it! And so, it is with great pleasure to have Chieko as my guest to break it all down, and show us there's really nothing to fear... Take it away my offal friend!

Chieko Thompson

When I was four, during lunch one rainy day in Massachusetts, out of nowhere I asked my mother if I could peel an onion. She just gave me a quizzical look and said, "I guess." It had always fascinated me when I'd watch her peel onions with the nakiri knife she'd brought with her from Japan. She actually let me use that knife and I successfully peeled an onion that afternoon. I think that's when I became interested in cooking. Scary to think a four year-old was handling a sharp Japanese knife! 

I went on to become a photographer, water skier, skydiver, pilot, and mother. Despite all those activities, I still always loved to cook and experiment with food. Luckily, I got to spend a lot of my adult life along the coast of Florida so had access to some super-fresh seafood often times right off the boat. Other times I'd go harvest my own oysters, mussels, blue crabs, and of course go fishing. I miss those days. 

The first time my mother made ika no shiokara "food fit for the gods" from some squishy tentacled things, I thought she was the most talented person on Earth that day! Today I share it with you...

In Japan ika no shiokara is known as a hangover cure, eaten with a bowl of hot rice and washed down with a cold beer. Yes, hair-of-the-dog, breakfast-of-champions much like ceviche is touted as a hangover cure in South America. 

Ika no shiokara is salted squid. It's been referred to as fermented squid guts. As you'll see with the preparation, most of what's salted is the flesh from the squid tubes and tentacles. This dish is lightly fermented due to the break down of protein by proteases (enzymes) found in the digestive glands of squid. Needless to say, only whole squid can be used. Pre-cleaned squid will not work because the digestive gland will have been removed. I recommend squid with tubes 4" to 6" long (tentacles not included). Large squid have a big digestive gland that tends to be a bit bitter and the flesh tougher. I use frozen squid and leave the skin on for its bespeckled appearance. Squid are not difficult to clean. Preparing the batch for this post took 30 minutes for 1.15 lbs. Make sure your knife is sharp.

Cook's Note: If you can only get squid thawed, soak them in baking soda dissolved in cold water for about 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well. At this point, they can be frozen for later use. If using right away, place in freezer for about 30 minutes. This will make the squid much easier to handle.

Chieko's Squid Guts (Ika no shiokara)

Frozen squid, completely thawed
Table or sea salt
(yup no measurements)

Pull the head from the tube (body). Cut to remove tentacles just in front of the eyes. Open tentacles to reveal small black bird-like beak encased in a little sphere. Remove with your fingers and discard. Cut behind the eyes. Discard the remainder of the head.

Cut the innards into pieces and place into a bowl. Now slice the squid tube without slicing all the way through, off the mid-line. Pull apart the flesh and remove the quill that runs the entire length. Slice the squid into roughly 2" x 1/4" strips. Cut the tentacles into individual ones.  Do this for all the squid. 

Collect these parts for discarding.

Salt generously with plain old table salt or regular sea salt. I made a batch from some super expensive sea salt once and it just didn't taste right. Mix well. When it starts to develop a froth and bubbles, you're good to go (enzymes are working). Place into a non-reactive container, cover and refrigerate for four hours, preferably eight or overnight.

NOTE: If you'd like to remove some of the saltiness, rinse well under cold water several times then drain. Sometimes the ika no shiokara may darken after being in the fridge, likely from the ink sac. Just rinse and it will go away.

Cover and refrigerate for four hours, preferably eight or overnight.

Serve in a small bowl (a little goes a long way), garnish with chopped green onion, some chili peppers, and sesame seeds. Don't forget hot steamed rice and wasabi! I prefer lemon juice and/or a fruit vinegar with mine. Cider and rice vinegar are good, too. Just don't let the squid sit too long in acid or it will get tough. 

Ika no shiokara will keep for two to three days in the fridge, even after being rinsed. It can be frozen up to a month (so you'll have some handy for that hangover! LOL).

Susan says, "This is too lovely... I can't wait to make it and savour its fermented salty taste like I did in Japan over a decade ago. I haven't had this since. I really love the dishes and creative plating-- it's so perfectly Japanese :D!

The fish plate and cat dish were originally gifts to my mother from me. When she passed
away, I ended up getting back some of the gifts I'd given her over decades. RIP, Mom!

Creative Suggestions: 

An excellent ceviche can also be made from this. Add lemon or lime juice to onions, cilantro, tomato, garlic and hot peppers first and let marinate 20-30 minutes. Mix in the squid five minutes before serving. Serve on a bed of greens or in fancy martini or margarita glasses!

Toss with olive oil, cracked pepper, some chili flakes, chopped tomato, fresh basil, and some lemon juice. Serve with mozzarella on crusty bread. Calamari Caprese!

You can also use the squid after having rinsed it in any dish that calls for squid such as in a stir-fry, or in marinara sauce, etc. Cook it for a minute. Don't worry, it will continue to cook when removed from the heat, just not overcooked like rubber bands. Just remember the squid is already salted so adjust your additional seasoning accordingly.

Itadakimasu! (bon appétit)

Grilled Yakitori Chicken Hearts...

Get exotic with your ingredients, and I'm talking about chicken hearts... can it get more exciting than that on the family table? I had a package in the freezer my husband had picked up fresh at the Asian supermarket. He often picks up unusual ingredients just because it piqued his curiosity.... which is great for me because I will have to make something out of it and I love experimenting! I didn't know what to do with it at the time, but after thawing it overnight, I thought the best way to introduce this to the family was to serve them grilled- on skewers, Japanese-style. And boy were they a hit with everyone!

Contrary to what people may imagine, fresh chicken hearts are not gritty, rubbery or slimy or have a strong livery, offal taste. When quickly grilled on high heat, they become tender morsels with a hint of red meat taste and a soft springy texture like flash-fried fresh squid. Chicken hearts, are rich in essential B vitamins (including B12, riboflavin and folic acid) and minerals (including zinc, selenium, iron and potassium).

Grilled Yakitori Chicken Hearts
Makes 8 skewers

48 chicken hearts
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. mirin (Japanese rice wine) or substitute 2 tsp. of dry sherry + 1 tsp. sugar
Kosher or sea salt for sprinkling

Combine the soy sauce, garlic, sugar and mirin. Toss chicken hearts in marinade and let sit for 20 minutes before threading onto skewers. I poke six hearts each lengthwise onto eight skewers.

Soak the skewers in water for an hour to prevent them from burning on the grill.

Grill on a barbecue or on a grill pan over the stove. Cook on high heat for a just few minutes each side (overcooking will result in tough hearts). Make sure juice runs blood-free. Serve immediately.

Having made this twice, skewering hearts in lengthwise cooks more evenly and thoroughly.

First attempt-- skewered horizontally. Results best vertically impaled.

My kids couldn't get enough. I had to take the remaining three skewers away else my husband and I wouldn't have any. It didn't phase them when I explained what they were. They were essentially devouring heart by heart, tugging them off the stick, chewing, and smacking their lips with a satisfied look on their faces. More they said, more...

When you're thinking of bringing in a new ingredient to your regular meals, always try to adapt it in a dish or format your family is already enjoying. In my case, my kids can eat anything off a stick; if that didn't work with chicken hearts, then I guess the next bet was stir-fry. The Japanese flavouring really made these savoury and sweet, coupled with the intoxicating aroma of BBQ and fresh chicken essence, the result was lip-smacking succulence!