Comfort Hayashi Rice (Japanese Hashed Beef Rice)...

Have you ever heard of hashed beef rice?...  not to be mixed up with corn beef hash. Basically, it's thin slices of beef cooked with onions and mushrooms in a beef gravy but not so basic as you will read... and it's Japanese 🇯🇵! Well, a yoshoku western-influenced stew called hayashi and after tonight, it will be on rotation especially with fall on the horizon and back-to-school easy weeknight meals... The recipe was replicated from Just One Cookbook, and it turned out beautifully! A must try 👌

I was watching a missed last episode of 2017 series Samurai Gourmet on Netflix, where the lead foodie character searched high and low for a relocated restaurant in Japan to reminisce his beloved childhood dish hayashi rice.

The close camera shots of the succulent glossy demi glace being prepared with a 1-1/2 hours cooked down espagnole sauce (onions, carrots and celery in beef stock and red wine with a bouquet garni of bay leaves, thyme, black peppercorns and parsley sprigs) and then poured to stir and thicken into a 15-minute cooked flour and butter roux to chocolate brown, thus the gorgeous gravy... had me weak at the knees 🤤. A bit of a caramel nose and further seasoned with garlic, tomato paste and juice, worcestershire sauce, catsup simmered with the onions, thinly sliced beef, and white & shimeji mushrooms 🍄🍄.

Use frozen thawed sliced beef for easy convenience.

 Ahhhh.... 15 minutes later, served with hot steamed rice... heaven on a plate 🍛😇!

Celebrating Asian Heritage Everywhere All At Once In May...

 

What a honour it was to speak at Dentsu Canada last week about my Chinese Food and Culture to celebrate Asian Heritage Month 🇨🇳. Denstu is one of the largest media and marketing agencies in the world headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with offices across the globe since the 1960s. This was hosted in their Toronto office with their Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal offices livestreaming in to watch 🇨🇦📽.

I was invited by their Business Resource Group to raise awareness around different immigrant cultures to bring people together through food as part of their second event in this series, with South Asia being the first. The presentation was followed by a Chinese luncheon also in their respective Canadian offices. The menu was extensive and varied including many classic dishes that are beloved catered by the one and only Hong Shing Restaurant on Dundas West. 

I started my presentation on the distinct cuisine flavour characteristics of the various regions in China, then proceeded to talk about my favourite comfort food (wonton soup), special traditional food (zong zi sticky rice ode to my grandma #myfoodhero), what a typical Chinese meal looks like in the day, table etiquette, a soy sauce difference educational piece followed by information on my cookbooks, Chinese food documentary recommendations and recipes to share.

How to Prepare Dumplings

Soy Sauce Differences

As a wrap up, I shared a beautiful quote from the film, A Bite of China-- "A mother instinctly implants flavour into her child's memory. For the child, the flavours becomes kind of like a mother tongue. The memory of the familiar flavours becomes a compass forever pointing to home." 🏮

Catering by Hong Shing Restaurant

Dentsu's organization team was excellent to work with, very approachable and professional. I felt very welcomed and the sense of a great inclusive culture at Dentsu. As one of their staff walked me out to the elevators, I said this was warm hospitality at it's best- thank you all 🙏!

What does Korean chap chae, Filipino adobo chicken, sushi wraps and bubble tea all have in common? Answer: they are all food students @tdsb_communityservices prepared this May to celebrate #asianheritagemonth🏮

Korean Chap Chae and Egg Dumplings

Filipino Adobo Chicken

Japanese Sushi Wraps

Prepared Bubble Tea for Assembly

On a different high note, it's this exuberance I feel when I see young people try a new cuisine for the first time. Korean chap chae and egg dumplings (with noodles) prepared by two male youths new to my newcomer culinary program at JOhn Poilanyi Collegiate- one from Mexico and the other Dominican Republic. Paired with kimchi (another new food), we had a great time eating and chatting with bacchata 🎵🎶 being played in the background. And in the adobo chicken and mango salad session, a new Russian student prepared and tried Filipino food for his first time, and took leftovers home for his parents to sample! 

Talk about cross cultures, cross generations, cross connecting. Gotta ❤ it!! 🤗

And ending the Asian celebrations on an even higher note with my dear friend @lisa.eats and her family here for a BBQ and swim 🍗🥩🥗💦. Yes, it's finally that time again and what an absolutely beaute of a day 🔆🌸!

My darling hubs the King of the Grill for the day

Grilled Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings (adapted by Cakenknife.com)
Serves 6

4 lbs chicken wings, broken down into drummettes and flats with tips
1/3 cup Korean red chili pepper paste (Gochujang)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish: sesame seed, sliced green onion

Add raw chicken wings to a large ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, whisk together chili pepper paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper until combined. Add the marinade to the wings and seal the bag. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat grill to 400°F and remove wings from bag, reserving the marinade. Add wings to the grill and cook until the skin is crispy and they are cooked through, flipping them every 10 to 15 minutes as they cook. This will take about 30 to 40 minutes. 

Brush the finished wings with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve immediately.

On The Menu: Buldak stir-fried noodles, Grilled kalbi ribs,
Szechuan Spicy Cucumber Salad, Gochujang chicken wings,
Okra and Tomato Salad, Grilled shrimps with cilantro lime sauce and Chap chae.

On the Dessert Side: Easy Creme Caramel with Fresh Fruits
and Coconut Tapioca with Taro, Grass Jelly and Jackfruit

And on the friendship side, Lisa and I, my baby with her baby.... So Blessed 🙏! 

How did you celebrate Asian Heritage Month?

We Slayed and Maybe Prayed At The First Ever Asian Food Battle...

Feeding 900+ hungry visitors was no easy feat at this weekend (on Sunday's) first ever Asian Food Battle 2023 at Toronto's JCCC (Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre). Ask this battle kitchen and food service crew who slayed and possibly prayed throughout the day, watching a seemingly never-ending snake of a line finally dissipate 5+ hours later 😯🙏.

We had 300+ 🇯🇵🇹🇼 battle tasting boxes to prepare plus countless savoury and sweet dishes for the hot table to be bought a la carte. Keeping up the pace of demand was mission impossible but the kitchen production and service crew did their very best and at the end of the night we were all high fiving!! Culture, Camaraderie, Community- all under one flippin' roof... the E.P.I.C best 👊💥

With little time to spare, supervising the busy kitchen activities, I had tiny moments to capture tidbits including a selfie with a RedSuns- the infamous midnight Tokyo racing car... a popular showstopper centred in the food and entertainment hall ✌.

There were performances, anime shows, people dressed in cos play costumes, kimonos, toys, snacks and food to buy and lots of fun games with prizes unfortunately with zero captures to share by me :(.

Happy to see @lisa.eats @moochi2000 @foodtravelwynne @chianan721025 and my artist brother Preserved Dragons and his family set up a table to sell his retro cult movie and martial arts character tees and stickers 🥋📽🎞.

Drum roll 🥁🥁🥁... The battle foods in question- the main feature summoning the top favourites of both Japanese 🇯🇵 and Taiwanese 🇹🇼 street foods in three categories for YOU to judge! And the results are in!

Savoury Snack- Japanese Takoyaki 97 votes; Taiwanese Chicken Roll 73 votes.

Winner- Takoyaki 🐙💥

Noodles- Japanese Yakisoba 76 votes; Taiwanese Fried Vermicelli (Mi Fien) 91 votes.
Winner- Mi Fien 🍜💥

Sweets- Japanese Matcha Jelly 75 votes;
Taiwanese Lemon Aiyu Jelly 86 votes.
Winner- Aiyu Lemon Jelly 💥

2/3 Looks like Taiwanese street foods reign supreme- in this first ever food battle round! 🇹🇼🏆

The calm 🌊- casual food and snack media tasting with an intimate group two weeks prior savouring the delectables to come on battle day!

The storm 🌩- frenetic kitchen production and food vendor service to meet the non-stop 5 hours + demand for food, food and more food 🍱🍙🍛🍡🍵🥢🍚🍢🥤!

Lots of interest already coming in from other cultural communities for a next round of food battle. With some logistics to iron out, I know the next event will even be more successful 👊💥. 

Congrats to the Three Headed Dragon in hosting their first battle event, and to all the staff, volunteers and vendors- Arrigato Gozaimasu 🙏🌸🌸🌸

Asian Food Battle Japan VS. Taiwan Event...

 

Announcement: Come join me in a Good Rattle 😉...

Are you ready for an exciting Food Battle of the year? Whose cuisine will reign supreme? Allez Cuisine! 🔪

I am excited to share with all you Asian food and culture lovers out there in Toronto- Asian Food Battle 2023 organized by Three Headed Dragon is a friendly cross-cultural street food competition with the first annual food event of this series- Japanese VS. Taiwanese street foods held on March 12th at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. 

I will be overseeing the kitchen productions on event day and look forward to seeing you with your family/ friends 👩‍🍳!

This unique event will bring together two distinct cultures to create an unforgettable experience 🇯🇵💥🇹🇼. 1 premium admission ticket will give you 2 complementary children admission tickets (18 and under), 1 free game ticket for each child, and a set of 6 tasty food battle dishes (3 Japanese, 3 Taiwanese) for you to vote the winner of each category!

A scene from the Media Tasting event

Can you name these 🇯🇵🇹🇼 foods?

You will also be able to purchase other delicious street food from both countries, all only $6 or less with food vendors on site. Plus there will be many Japanese and Taiwanese festival games, cultural performances and Cosplay/Kimono shows and contests so you can show off your best look! Come dressed up!

We are happy to announce that you will be able to see Japanese Anime on a theater size screen!!

The competition will be fierce; you won't want to miss it!

Follow us on Instagram @asianfoodbattle2023, Facebook asianfoodbattle2023, twitter @asianfoodbattle for more exciting info and updates. 

At the time of this posting, we sold 500 tickets!

So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now at www.showpass.com/asian-food-battle-2023

Note: there is kimono rentals as a pricing option 

For media and vendor inquiry, please contact:  info@asianfoodbattle.com

Location：Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
6 Garamond Ct. (Don Mills & Eglinton Ave. E)
North York, ON
Date：March 12, 2023 from 11am-8pm. 

Sakuras are one of Japan's defining hallmark to welcome Spring. Around late March, Japan's cherry blossom trees burst into the scene with puffy bloom and sweet colour. Event located in TO's JCCC, will we see trees in bloom at the same time (wishful thinking 😉🌸)?

I hope to see you there March 12th! Arrigato🌸

My Hot Pot Cookbook For Beginners Officially Launches Today!...

 ❄ Just in time for hot pot weather ❄!

My cookbook officially launches today on Amazon and is also available online Chapters-Indigo!

From my endorsements on Amazon.

To understand passion, one must find its roots or humble beginnings... I wrote a book Hot Pot Cookbook For Beginners, and it was a tasty omen from yesteryear as my first ever article as a food writer in my first magazine was on hot pots (Bloom 2001).

Hi, everyone, my name is Susan. I am a chef and passionate culinary instructor teaching Asian cuisines in Toronto. I grew up enjoying Chinese hot pot, and to me it is the ultimate comfort food. My most memorable childhood dinners were gathered around the family table (as soon as it got cold out) to feast on a variety of meat and vegetables simmering flavorfully together in a hot pot. The heaping platters of food, the noise of utensils clinking and constant chatter, the aromas, and flavors—these meals always ended with a satisfied full belly and were precious moments of family bonding. My early foray into other hot pot styles were during my travels visiting family, sukiyaki in Japan and lẩu hot pot in Vietnam. I just love how each Asian cuisine has its own unique flavors that tantalize the senses in the universal setting of hot pot 💞.

The seduction of hot pot boils down to the broth. In this book, I cover popular hot pot broth flavors from an array of East and Southeast Asian cuisines. I have also included some signature soups that can easily be turned into a hot pot broth base 🍲🥣.

With each cultural influence, there are certain ingredients that are best enjoyed in those broths, which you will find in the straightforward recipes. Hot pot caters to everyone’s tastes. I encourage you to have fun, try new foods, and customize the experience to your preferences.

The adventure all lies in the experimenting! 

 

The foundation of hot potting boils down to the broth. #hotpotcookbookforbeginners My cookbook format is paperback, 8 x 8 handy and practical for easy flipping and keeping opened. It is not meant to be glamourous or sitting unused on the coffee table. Pages should be splattered on and cooked from in the kitchen 🔪📖💢.

I have collaborated with Rockridge Press, a US Publisher that has over 4000 educational books in the market. They operate on the foundation that knowledge should be made accessible to all who seeks it regardless of socio-economic status, and thus their affordable pricing. Aligned with my food education and 'Knowledge is Power' for all, this was a coming together of a beautiful relationship 🙏. Just an incredible team from the numerous copy editors, foodstylist, photographer and marketing coordinator who got me through seamlessly to the finish line.

This beginner’s guide will teach you how to properly shop for, cook, and share delicious hot pot recipes from all over Asia. In my Asian Cooking Program we made Filipino Fish Sinigang Hot Pot, a tangy and savoury brew over the stove with layers of vegetables and bite sized pieces of salmon. 

One recent weekend my best friend's family was here for her early birthday celeb, and we had a duo split hot pot of soup goodness- Spicy Ma La vegetarian broth on one side and Chicken (all-purpose) broth with Chinese herbs goji berries and dried red dates in the other enjoyed communal-style 💞.

What is your favourite broth for hot pot 🥘? Spicy🌶 or Non-spicy?

PAIRING TIP: Counter the spiciness with a tall glass of icy iced tea. For a popular drink pairing with Chinese hot pot, look for Wong Lo Kat or Jia Duo Bao herbal teas sold in cans in the beverage section of Asian supermarkets. Herbal tea is noncaffeinated and sweet, made of traditional Chinese medicine dating from the Qing dynasty that brings down the internal body heat and refreshes, especially during a spicy meal.

Hot Pot with 7UP 🥤? Yup, you saw right...

In this unique Vietnamese hot pot style, Bò nhúng dẩm translates to “beef vinegar dip,” but also used to cook veggies that is irresistibly appetite-whetting! The dining experience is likened to Japanese sukiyaki, in that you cook ingredients in liquid meant to flavour the ingredients, not enjoyed like a soup. This tangy and sweet profile is the go-to hot pot my husband’s Vietnamese family makes to enjoy with beef. It’s simply water (variations can include fresh coconut juice or even beer), rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and some aromatics. My father-in-law liked to use 7UP instead of sugar, and it was always a hit 👍! 

I love adding sweet pineapple chunks as a counterpoint to the tang. So reminiscent of sweet and sour dishes, all rolled in one bite 🍍! The finale lesson to my TDSB Asian Cooking Program with seniors this Fall term, and perfect for the cold weather to come ❄🥘!

Chopsticks are used to cook instead of ladles. The fun part is wrapping the cooked beef, noodles, accompanying vegetables and herbs in rice paper and lettuce into parcels, then dipping in seasoned fish sauce. All other hot pot items are eaten on the side.

Visit Asia from your kitchen with my easy and delicious hot pot recipes from 11 Asian Countries in Hot Pot Cookbook For Beginners.

"Hot pot cooking is enjoyed all over Asia (and the world) for its unique flavors, hearty broths, and the way it brings friends and family together. Hot pot newcomers will love the Hot Pot Cookbook for Beginners and its accessible introduction to this traditional cooking method. Discover a melting pot of Asian cuisines and how to properly prepare them at home."- Amazon

I will be sharing some pages from my book in the weeks to come. Stay Tuned 💥!