Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza)



Oh the humanity!

To have eaten okonomiyaki only for the first time in New Zealand is quite disturbing. HOW could I have overlooked such an important and delicious morsel of food in Japan, I can only guess, but I'm glad it was introduced by someone who has been and will always be an important part of my life.

That feeling is reciprocated with the okonomiyaki pie.

Okonomiyaki (New Zealand style)

2 cups shredded savoy cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
5 thinly sliced reconstituted shitake mushrooms, save 1 tbsp of mushroom broth
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced rings
5 thinly sliced white button mushrooms
2 tbsp dashi
3 tbsp of grated nagaimo (should be pretty slimy)
3 eggs
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp round white pepper

Heat nonstick frying pan or flat grill on medium low heat. Season surface with light layer of vegetable oil

Mix seasonings and wet ingredients together. Dashi should be room temperature. Beat eggs until smooth and then add nagaimo and wet seasoning to beaten eggs and mix. Set aside.




Toss the vegetables and mushrooms together in large bowl, making sure everything is mixed uniformly. Then, add wet egg mixture and mix together thoroughly. Using ladle, place a scoop of mixture onto hot, flat surface of pan/grill. Then, using spatula, press egg/veggie mixture flat, creating a round.



Leave on pan/grill until cooked side down starts getting brown and crisped, and then carefully flip the pizza without breaking the round form. Cook on other side until browned and slightly crisped.

Serve with okonomiyaki sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise. I like to put Sriracha, pickled ginger and kimchi on the side, but you can pretty much eat it with anything (even ketchup).

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

The Coffee Eclair From Heaven

If you ever find yourself in Motueka, down on the northern tip of the South Island in New Zealand, you must stop into this bakery/patisserie with a red and white sign that states simply "German Bakery" and try this coffee-flavored eclair. It is something out of this world. I think I ate it in 4 bites total.

Oh The Food In NZ! Part Quatre





More Eats From New Zealand, Part Tres





What I Ate In New Zealand, Part Deux





What I Ate In New Zealand

Holy meat and dairy products, Batman!

New Zealand is a gorgeously indulgent land where grass-fed cows and sheep lull gently through lush pastures and where everything tastes fresh-from-the-farm. Below are a few photos of what I ate.