Old to New Testament Cuisine.

The month of December holds traditional holidays from various cultures: Bodhi Day (Dec 8^th) when  Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening and became the Buddha; Yule (Dec 21^st or 22^nd) when Pagan paths celebrate the coming of the Winter Solstice: Christmas (Dec 25^th) when Jesus Christ was born in a manger; Hanukkah (dates vary between Nov to Jan, and celebrated for 8 days) when the Jewish people won their religious freedom; Kwanzaa (Dec 26 to Jan 1) created by Dr. Maulana Karenga so African-Americans could celebrate their cultural roots and values; Omisoka (Dec 31^st) when Japanese cleanse and purify their homes in anticipation of the New Year.

Depending on how you were raised, your ancestry, and extended family heritage, you may celebrate one or more of these.  But how?  Are the celebrations based upon family traditions passed on throughout the years?  Or, have you ever done any research to find out the true origins of the day you are celebrating, how they should be celebrated, and what traditional foods were served for the occasion?  In reality, most simply follow the flow of what they know, and go no further.

Living in a borough of New York, Brooklyn, and later on Long Island; I learned about Christmas and Hanukkah, as Christianity and Judaism were the two major religions practiced.  Besides beliefs, I did learn about traditional and non-traditional foods that were served; some having origins in the Bible, old and new testaments.  It was not until I began self-training to become a home chef, and writing food articles, that I actually began deep research behind the food.

Let’s go over some items that were used BCE, still used during ADE, and eventually enhanced as explorers traveled to lands outside of the Middle East.

Chickens originated from the Southeast Asian red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), which was first domesticated around 5,000 years ago in India. They made their way to Asia, Africa and Europe via the trade routes.  Archaeologists trace remains of chickens to the first millennium BCE in Middle Eastern countries. Referred to as “hens”, they were considered "clean" under Jewish dietary laws, like other domesticated birds, based on the “unclean” list in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

Vegetables consumed commonly were onions, leeks, garlic, and legumes like chickpeas, lentils and broad (fava) beans. Other vegetables included cucumbers, gourds, and wild greens like mallow, mustard green and wild spinach (lamb’s quarters). These vegetables were eaten fresh, cooked in stews and soups, or dried for storage.

But here is my favorite listing, herbs used during BCE: myrrh, frankincense, hyssop, mint, cumin, coriander, garlic, saffron, aloes, cinnamon, dill, anise, thyme, rosemary, and bitters (horehound, endive, maror).  These plants served vital roles in daily life, from healing wounds and soothing stomachs to flavoring food, scenting homes, and religious ceremonies (hyssop was used during the Crucifixion of Christ).

Now I am going to jump to ADE, when it comes to herbs, since the Roman Empire was the major culture doing exploring and trading.  During the first century BCE, a spice blend, Baharat, was discovered, and became a very prominent addition to dishes in the Middle East, including Israel.

Baharat is used in various dishes as a dry rub for meat, a seasoning for vegetables and rice, or an addition to soups and stews.  …and yes, I have a recipe for this easy to create, very aromatic, 7-spice blend:

 

2 Tbsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. ground paprika

1 and 1/2Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. dried, crushed coriander (aka cilantro)

1 Tbsp. ground cardamom

1 Tbsp. ground cloves

1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg

So, I wrote about chicken, vegetables and herbs which leads me to a recipe that could have been eaten before or after the time of Christ.  Whether it was served to him for his birthday, there is no written record of that, but, perhaps, you might want to serve it for your Christmas meal this year.  In my recipe, I used Brussel sprouts and potatoes as main vegetables, due to a request by my hubby; he didn’t like the idea of cucumbers or wild greens.  Can’t please everyone, right?

 

Chicken Thighs and Brussel Sprouts Seasoned with Baharat –

Side Dish of Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Onions.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chicken thighs, skin removed

1 lb. Brussel sprouts

Marinade

Baharat (see recipe above)

½ cup lime juice

½ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt

 

Marinade

Potato Side Dish

3 lbs. potatoes (yellow are best to use), cut into chunks and leave on skin

1 medium onion, diced

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

¾ cup olive oil

 

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

 

 

 

Place chicken thighs and Brussel sprouts in separate sealable plastic bags.  In a small bowl, whish together ingredients listed under Marinade.  Spoon 2/3rds of marinade into bag with chicken, remaining 1/3 onto sprouts.  Seal bags, squeezing out excess air, and gently work marinade onto the chicken and sprouts; place in refrigerator to rest.

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients listed under Potato Side Dish.  Spread out in a 2-quart baking dish, cover with foil and place in preheated oven for 1 and ½ hours.  Do not lift foil to peek during baking.  After 1 and ½ hours, remove dish from oven, remove foil and gently stir potatoes from bottom up to top to spread out the caramelized ingredients.

 

 

45 minutes after the potatoes have been cooking, take marinating chicken and sprouts out of refrigerator.  Spray a 9”x13” inch baking pan with nonstick spray.  First spread out the sprouts, squeezing out excess marinade over top.  Second, place chicken thighs over sprouts, again squeezing out excess marinade over the chicken.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.

 

Chicken thighs, Brussel sprouts and roasted potatoes will all be ready at the same time for eating.

 

Number of servings depends on how many thighs are in the 3 pounds used (5-8 depending on size of thighs).

 

Whether it is Christmas or Hanukkah, try creating a dish from those ancient times, when these holidays were first being celebrated as well.

Mary Cokenour 

 

A Side Dish Does the Turkey Trot.

I have to admit that, as much as I want to be more versatile, a traditional Thanksgiving meal is what I will make, no matter what “fashionista” celebrity chefs say otherwise.  However, it’s afterwards, with the leftovers, that the adventures begin - turkey pot pie, turkey stew, turkey strata, turkey noodle soup, turkey panini, turkey, turkey, turkey.  Some folks try to use them up immediately, or look forward to sending them away with departing guests. Freezing them, for future turkey cravings, is more my style though.  I have even, when finding turkey breast on sale, portion out and freeze for future use.

Still, the question of what recipe to create still looms, and having an assortment of cookbooks is always helpful, well, sometimes.  For example, one Yule, I received a new cookbook along with a new crock pot which had 3 sizes of ceramic pots – 2-quart, 4 quart and 6-quart.  I will not give the book’s name, as, well, you might have it and love it; and I do not want to diss your faves.  My copy though ended up being donated to the local library.

I will mention that the recipe I was looking at was in a section titled, “Impress Your Guests”.  At first the recipe name sounded interesting, but as I read it, all I could say to myself was, "Huh?".  Rereading it once more only got me to the, "What the...?", stage.  Sadly, I was not very impressed.

…and here is that recipe that seemed to boggle my mind.

Scalloped Tomatoes and Corn

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can cream style corn

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup saltine cracker crumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsps. sugar

3/4 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:

Combine corn, tomatoes with juice, cracker crumbs, egg, sugar and pepper in crock pot; mix well.  Cover; cook on low 4 to 6 hours or until done.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This basically reminds me of those meals, from the 1940s to 1960s, when women began leaving the home to work actual paying jobs.  The slow cooker aka crock pot was introduced to housewives in the 1940s, a boon during the WW2 years. They could start dinner cooking in the morning before going to work, and add finishing touches in the evening, when they came home.

Now back to the recipe…

My first question for the preparation is "What size crock pot?"  For the best cooking medium, a crock pot should be almost full (allowing for liquid produced during cooking); no way the ingredients listed would fill a 6-quart, or even a 4-quart.  Second question, "Why the sugar?"  The cream style corn would release sugar during cooking; isn't that why salt wasn't added, due to the salt in the crackers?  Third question was "How is this scalloped?  Scalloped means a casserole with cream and cheese incorporated; ok, the cream style corn could act as the cream, but where was the cheese?

This is where turkey leftovers come into play, and I just happened to have some in the freezer.

However, if you want to make the recipe, I will give you next, soon after Thanksgiving, fresh is always best.  Oh, another item I like to keep in the freezer, applewood smoked bacon, and we all know that bacon makes everything better!

The cookbook recipe plus a little bit of this, a little bit of that and skip the sugar altogether.  All the ingredients fit inside a 2-quart crock pot, cooked in four hours and created a complete meal, for four, of delicious comfort food.

Now come see what I have created in my lab...umm, kitchen, I meant kitchen. 

 

Scalloped Turkey with Bacon

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked turkey breast, chopped

½ cup diced celery

4 slices applewood smoked bacon, cut into on- inch pieces

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 (15 oz.) can cream style sweet corn

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 cup crumbled saltine crackers

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. crushed dried thyme leaves

Preparation:

Spray inside of a 2-quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Layer the turkey, celery, bacon; cover with the Swiss cheese slices.

Turkey and Celery Layers.

 

Bacon and Swiss Cheese Layers.

 

 

Liquid Mixture Over All.

   

In a medium mixing bowl, gently mix together corn, tomatoes, crackers, egg, black pepper and thyme so as to not break up the crackers any further.  Spread over ingredients inside the crock pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover, set on low, and cook for four hours.

 

Makes four servings. 

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

After 4 hours on low.

 

Holiday Spices Elicit Memories of Comfort.

Comfort foods remind us of the innocence of childhood, and the wonders of all.  All?  Yes, the taste, texture, sight and smell, especially during the “Ber” months are filled with it.  A warm bowl of buttery mashed potatoes slowly moves along the tongue, down the throat and into the belly.  The feeling of fullness, the taste of the butter, milk and potatoes surrounds us like a warm blanket cloaked over our shoulders, while we gaze into a wood burning fire.

Then there are the spices that make their ways into drinks, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.  These aromatic spices elicit memories of warmth, feeling safe, loving times with friends and family, and pure comfort and joy. 

Cinnamon: The most common spice, with a warm, sweet, and woody flavor that is central to many holiday recipes.

Nutmeg: Frequently used in drinks like eggnog and in baked goods, offering a sweet, warm, and slightly spicy taste.

Ginger: Provides a tangy, warm, and spicy kick, perfect for gingerbread cookies and other holiday treats.  (I mistakenly added some to banana bread I recently made.  Oh, it brought the overall flavor up to a whole new, delicious level.)

Cloves: A classic holiday staple with a slightly bitter and peppery flavor, often used in both sweet and savory holiday dishes. (gives a lively kick to baked goods)

Allspice: Combines the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, adding a warm and sweet profile to dishes like mulled wine and baked goods. (often found in apple pie or pumpkin pie mixes)

Cardamom: Known for its complex, floral, and sweet flavor, it is a popular ingredient in many European and Middle Eastern holiday recipes. (wonderful in apple cider donuts and carrot cake)

Star Anise: Features a smoky, woodsy flavor and a star shape, making it a popular addition to mulled wine and other spiced beverages.

Vanilla: Adds a sweet and rich flavor, essential for many holiday desserts. Make sure to use pure vanilla, not imitation.

Go back into the San Juan Record, or my food blog, archives to November 2, 2016 and you will find recipes for Snickerdoodle cookies, their origin history, and another recipe for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle cookies.  Cinnamon is the main spice used in snickerdoodles, but I don’t believe in settling; not even with my own recipes.

For this “Ber” month of November, I umpped up the recipe to make muffins filled with, not just cinnamon, but nutmeg and cloves.  They are sweet, the cloves giving a hint of a kick to the taste buds, and the sugar-cinnamon topping is slightly crispy while the muffin texture is tender.  Delicious as is, but warm up one, split it in half, place in a bowl and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  A taste of heaven without going there.

 

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. cream of tartar

3/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

1 and 1/4 cups sour cream

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (+1/4 cup for high altitude)

1/3 cup + 1/8 cup (6 tsps.) sugar (or equivalent sugar substitute) and 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, mixed together for topping.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, place paper liners in muffin tins (18 cups).

 

 

Cream the butter and sugar until soft and golden colored, stir in vanilla. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until each is well incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar and spices.  Add half flour mixture plus half sour cream to butter mixture, fold in until flour is all incorporated.  Repeat with other half of flour and sour cream. Batter will be moist, but not overly dense.

 

 

 

 

Using a 2-inch-wide ice cream scoop, scoop out batter into each paper cup.  Sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar-cinnamon mixture over top, and down sides, of batter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown, and toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly.  Let muffins rest for 10 minutes before moving to platter.  For storage, in plastic bag, muffins will last 5 days.  Or, wrap in aluminum foil, place in freezer bag, and store for up to 3 months in a freezer.

 

Looking down at the muffins, the tops look just like snickerdoodle cookies.

Makes 18 muffins.

For a Quick Bread

Divide batter into two 8-inch loaf pans, bake for 45-50 minutes; or until tops are golden brown, and toothpick in center comes out cleanly.  Resting and storage are same as for muffins.

Mary Cokenour 

The Jewels of the Holidays.

The months of October, November, December and January bring to us holidays of remembrance, gatherings, gratefulness and love.  However, it is the many meals and desserts that bring us to that iconic New Year’s Eve promise of eating healthier, aka going on a diet.

Even though the temperature outdoors has gotten colder, there are certain fruits that put holiday spirit into our bodies.  They are available year-round, due to import and export, but why are they more holiday related than seasonal?

Oranges, and other citrus fruits, are naturally in peak season during the winter months in North America, with harvests occurring from late fall into early spring in warm regions like California and Florida. The chilly nights and sunny days during this period concentrate the fruits' natural sugars, resulting in a sweeter, juicier flavor.  Whenever we would travel to Florida, it was always late January/early February, and coming home with a case of blood oranges was a treat; the sweetest orange by far.   Cranberries are harvested in North America from mid-September through early November, making them abundant and fresh just in time for the major winter holidays.

Healthwise, both fruits are rich in vitamin C which helps produce white blood cells, necessary for fighting infections.  They also contain antioxidants that protect cells from damage, and have anti-inflammatory properties.  Oranges contain about a half cup of water, so it helps to keep you hydrated on dry, cold wintery days.

However, we think more towards holiday traditions when it comes to oranges and cranberries. 

Cranberries have been a part of American winter holidays for centuries, providing a tart side of balance to holiday foods like roasted turkey and sweet desserts. Historically, Indigenous peoples also ate cranberries fresh, dried, or as part of pemmican during winter for sustenance.  Pemmican? Pemmican is made of dried and pounded meat, rendered fat (like tallow or suet), and dried berries. The meat is from bison, beef cattle, elk or venison, dried until it is hard and then ground into a powder. The fat is mixed with the ground powder, dried berries, and other seasonings, for added flavoring.

For Yule/Winter Solstice and Christmas, cranberries, dried orange slices and popcorn are used to make garlands and wreaths for decorations.  Oranges are used to create pomanders by studding them with cloves. The orange itself is a symbol of the sun, celebrating its eventual return during the darkest time of the year.  Placing an orange in a Christmas stocking is a tradition relating to Saint Nicholas. Secretly, he left bags of gold for poor families, and over time, oranges came to symbolize the golden gift, representing charity and prosperity. For those in colder climates, an orange is seen as a rare and luxurious treat, making it a precious gift.

Chinese New Year occurs either in January or February.  Oranges are given as gifts as they are symbols of good luck, prosperity, and wealth. Their golden color resembles gold, and their names in Chinese sound similar to words for "luck," "wealth," and "success".

 

So, why entitle this article as “jewels of the holidays”?  For the very reasons I have given, they are rich in color, taste, usage and meaning…and my gift to you all, for this holiday season, Orange Cranberry Bread.  Oh, it’s the recipe of course, you’ll have to do all the baking yourselves.

 

Orange Cranberry Bread

Ingredients:

4 and ½ cups flour (+ ½ cup for high altitude)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. grated orange zest (fresh or rehydrated)

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar, or sugar substitute

2 large eggs

1 and ½ cups fresh squeezed, or thawed concentrate, orange juice

 

For the Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray three 8-inch aluminum loaf pans with baking spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beat butter, sugar, and eggs together in a large bowl until smooth; stir in orange juice until well incorporated.  Stir in flour until mixture is moist, dense and sticky; spoon into prepared pans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in oven until toothpick comes out clean and tops are browned, about 45-50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; take bread out of pan and wrap in plastic, or keep in pan, wrap in aluminum foil and store in freezer up to 3 months.

Makes 3 loaves.

 

 

Cooled, Ready to Glaze

 

 

Glazed, Ready to Enjoy

 

 

Note: Do not use orange juice from a bottle or cardboard carton.  This product contains water, and while your cake, bread or muffins may look lovely on the outside; inside will be a sunken mess of unbaked goo.

Mary Cokenour

 

The Mandela Effect and How Food is Remembered.

Before every food company converted their frozen meals to be microwaveable; the containers were aluminum and the plastic or cardboard covers needed to be removed first before heating. One of my very favorites was Stouffer's "Escalloped Chicken and Noodles"; chunks of white meat chicken, veggies and egg noodles in a luscious, creamy sauce. Alas, Stouffer's went the microwave route also; the containers became thin plastic with plastic wrap covers that stayed on, and the food stuck to. Not only that, the portions became smaller, but the prices almost doubled, and by now they have tripled.  What the heck is that all about!?!

I decided I'd had enough of this nonsense, and set upon making a copycat version of my own.  I purchased one more entree, heated it up and then analyzed it...the taste, textures, smell, what ingredients I could readily see or taste.  I'm sure if I was a scientist in a lab, I could have come up with an almost perfect copycat recipe; but I'm not and I'm still happy with the end result.

Using canned creamed soups saved me the trouble of using heavy cream which could break in a sauce if not cooked properly.  Adding chicken broth provided extra moisture for the egg noodles, so they did not harden up during the baking process.   I used fresh onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms, so their flavors are prominent in the dish now instead of just hinted at.

 

After making the recipe, and being very satisfied with the result, it was then that I took a look at the ingredient list on the box.  I wanted to see how close I was in my taste, texture and smell assessments.  Hmm, strange, but red bell peppers were not listed, but in the microwave entrée, I could see the tiny slivers of red.  There were also tiny bits of green, so I presumed that was celery diced to microscopic bits.  But no, what I took for peppers were “2% or less of carrots”, peas were listed, but where they were was a mystery to me.

Throughout the years of buying the boxed product, the predominant ingredients were “noodles, chicken, slivers of red, bits of green, loads of chopped mushrooms, toasted topping, and a very lickable creamy sauce.  But the box ingredient list states I am totally wrong, “Tender white meat chicken, freshly made fettuccini noodles, mushrooms, peas, celery, and carrots in a creamy sauce.”.  Listen, I know what I was eating, I saw what I was eating, tasted and smelled it, and the photo on the box did not show peas and carrots; not like it does nowadays.

Asking a question at the Stouffer’s site got me this result, “No, Stouffer’s did not use red bell peppers in the Escalloped Chicken and Noodles.    If you recall eating Stouffer's Escalloped Chicken and Noodles with red bell peppers, it's possible you are remembering a limited edition or regional version of the recipe.”.

Now I do not believe in coincidence, but right after this, Roy came in and started to ask me questions in the line of, “Do you remember this food having this name?”, or “Do you remember this food having this ingredient?”  Depending on the item, I could give a definite “yes”, “no”, or “never tried it, so don’t know”, and that’s when he began to explain “The Mandela Effect”.

The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people collectively misremembers an event or detail. The term was coined by Fiona Broome after she discovered many people shared her false memory that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s, when he actually passed away in 2013, and had been a freed man since 1990.

This principal is explained in two ways:

Collective false memory: It's a situation where many people share the same incorrect memory about something, such as an event, a phrase, or an image.

Psychological phenomenon: Psychologists explain the Mandela Effect as a demonstration of how imperfect and suggestible human memory can be. Memories can change over time and be influenced by external information.

When it comes to food, here are two perfect examples:

1 - Jif peanut butter was never called Jiffy; it has always been Jif since it was founded in 1958.

The name Jiffy may have been confused with the brand due to a tagline referring to making a sandwich "in a jiffy”; or by mixing the name with Skippy, another popular peanut butter brand. 

2 - Oscar Mayer: This brand is sometimes recalled as "Oscar Meyer".  This commercial jingle debuted in 1974.

"My Bologna has a first name,

It's O-S-C-A-R.

My bologna has a second name,

It's M-A-Y-E-R.

Oh, I love to eat it every day,

And if you ask me why I'll say,

Cause' Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!!"

Previously, "The Wiener Song" debuted in 1962, but the lyrics only said the name, and did not spell it out as it was sung.

"Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,

That is what I'd truly like to be-ee-ee.

Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener,

Everyone would be in love with me."

With this information, now I had to wonder if my memory of a favorite frozen dish was actually false, or just mixed up with another item I used to eat often.

So back to Escalloped Chicken and Noodles, and the development of the recipe during the Depression Era.  It became such an easy, and cheap in cost, recipe to make; with its popularity escalating once Stouffer’s began to sell prepackaged meals in the frozen food section of local markets and supermarkets.

Here is my version of this dish, sans the peas and carrots, but if you want to try the recipe, and add them (1 and ½ cups frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed), be my guest.

 

Escalloped Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ cup diced onion

Chicken Breasts are boiled in salted water.

½ cup diced red bell pepper

4 Tbsp. flour

4 cups cooked and shredded white meat chicken

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of celery soup

1 (8 oz.) package medium width egg noodles, cooked

1/2 cup plain, fine bread crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F. and spray a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

 

 

 

In 10-inch skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, onion and red bell pepper until softened, but not browned; add flour and mix well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In large mixing bowl, combine sautéed vegetables, chicken, pepper, broth, creamed soups and noodles.

 

 

Spread mixture into casserole dish; sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake 30-35 minutes; until sauce is bubbling and bread crumbs are golden brown.

 

Sprinkle bread crumbs over all.

Makes 8 servings.

Remembering something from the past, and you are positive, but facts say otherwise, maybe you are experiencing The Mandela Effect.

Mary Cokenour 

 

Sushi, That’s How We Roll.

Ja-Roen's Sushi Area.

 "You know, the kind with seaweed wrapping

I can never seem to get enough,

So get your hands off my sushi man

  Roll it up!

Got chopsticks to hold it up

Dip it in wasabi if you're bold enough

Cuz I love, I love sushi"

The Sushi Song

Song by Romeo Eats and Walk off the Earth ‧ 2021

 

When we hear the term “sushi”, automatically we think of Japan, raw fish, sticky rice, soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.  Well, in the Cokenour household, we do, and when we have a craving for it, it’s to Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi, here in Monticello, that we run to.  But there is more to sushi than the simple items I just mentioned.

While Japan comes to mind immediately, the origin of sushi, or the art of preserving fish in fermented rice, began in the Mekong River region.  “Narezushi” spread to other countries that the river flowed through; China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before reaching Japan by the 8^th century.  The more evolved presentations, that we see in today’s restaurants, developed during the Edo Period (16^th to 19^th centuries).  As England and America began to explore Japan, the cuisine of this mysterious new country was also investigated thoroughly.

Quick, when you hear the word sushi, what do you immediately imagine?  There are many types of sushi, and not all come in a rolled form.

Traditional Sushi Types:

Nigiri: A small oblong of hand-pressed rice topped with a slice of raw fish or other seafood.

Maki (or Makizushi): Sushi rice and fillings rolled in seaweed (nori) and sliced into rounds.

Sashimi: While often served with sushi, it is not technically sushi as it is just thinly sliced raw fish or meat with no rice.

Temaki: A cone-shaped roll with seaweed filled with rice and other ingredients.

Chirashi: A bowl of seasoned rice topped with a variety of scattered ingredients, often including fish and vegetables.

Uramaki: A type of maki roll where the rice is on the outside of the seaweed.

Inarizushi: Sushi rice in a seasoned, deep-fried tofu pouch.

Oshizushi: A type of pressed sushi made by pressing the ingredients into a mold, creating a rectangular block of sushi.

Gunkan: A type of nigiri with a band of seaweed wrapped around the rice to form a cup, which is then filled with soft, loose, or finely chopped ingredients like sea urchin or fish roe.

Temari: A small, ball-shaped sushi that is often made for special occasions.

Is sushi healthy?  Yes and no, and it all depends on, not just any illness you may have, like diabetes or gastrointestinal issues, but also the quality of the ingredients used.

Ah, the rice, it’s a main component when creating sushi, but can any type of rice be used? 

The best rice for sushi is short-grain Japanese (or "japonica") white rice due to its high starch content which makes it sticky enough to be molded into the correct shape.  If short grain is unavailable, medium grain can be used in a pinch, but using long grain rice ensures a total failure.

Master Sushi Chef Dos, and his wife, Fon.

 

Recently, I was honored to be able to take a sushi making lesson with Ja-Roen’s master chef, Dos.  He has been creating his masterpieces for 24 years, and can be seen working alongside his wife, Fon.  Palm, Ja-Roen’s most excellent manager, assisted with my lesson; hey, put a sharp knife in my hand and who knows where it will fly off to!  My hubby, Roy, chose the roll that I would be creating…The Spider Roll.  This is a soft-shelled crab (shipped in from Thailand), done up tempura style, slices of avocado and English style cucumber (less moisture, so holds its shape when cut).  Toppings over the roll are unagi sauce (aka eel sauce) and mayo; along with flying fish roe (bright orange-red color).

Hair tied back, gloves on (a dab of mayo rubbed on them keeps the rice from sticking to the gloves), makisu (the sushi mat) down, and a square of nori (seaweed sheet) on top.  Most important step begins with measuring the rice, 130 grams (approx. 2/3 cup), and using a food scale will get the perfect measurement.  It is placed on the center of the nori and stretched out to the left and right edges; half the rice is then spread upwards, till about a half inch from the edge, and a couple of bits of rice are mashed to the edge to create a type of “glue”.  The other half of the rice is spread downwards, again, about a half inch from the edge.  The rice should be spread that none of the nori is visible underneath without mashing the rice.  The crab, which was cut in half lengthwise, is placed in the center, and the legs should stick outside the end of the nori.  Two slices each, of avocado and cucumber, end to end, on top of the crab.

 

Soft Shell Crab

Spreading the rice.

Add Avocado and Cucumber Slices.

Now the scariest parts of all, for me at least, was the rolling and knife cuts.  Dos had already demonstrated each step, and I paid attention like a deer caught in headlights.  When it comes to the rolling, the trickiest part is making sure to do it evenly, and not put too much pressure.  Once rolled, then comes the knife cuts, and while I have very good knife skills, I am no master!  Estimate, as close as possible, the center of the roll, place knife down, begin to cut downward (not too much pressure!), then a sort of see-saw motion quickly.  Now there are two halves; with one half, cut off one section, about a half inch; then cut the remainder of the roll in half, and cut those two halves in half.  Repeat with second half of the original roll, and now there are ten sections, hopefully all evenly cut.  Being a nervous nelly, and being scared I would squash the roll, I sometimes did not cut the nori all the way through. 

Apply Even Pressure.

 

Begin Rolling.

 

Ready to be Cut.

Lining up the pieces next to each other, the mat is used to “repress” them into the proper shape before plating.  That was fun, making the pieces stand or lean prettily, decorating with the sauces and roe, but the best part of all was…the eating!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut Roll in Half.

Cut 1st Piece off 1st Half.

Cut Pieces Evenly as Possible.

Plating. 

Now for the condiments and sauces.

Begin Plating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickled Ginger and Wasabi in one corner.

 

Unagi Sauce and Mayo.

Sprinkle on Flying Fish Roe.

 

My Spider Roll (front view)

 

My Spider Roll (back view)

 

All in all, what I thought would be a scarily difficult food creation ended up being much easier, and definitely less terrifying, than I thought it would be.  Chef Dos and Palm were very patient, and most excellent instructors.  It made me feel so much more confident to hear Chef Dos say, that, for a first time, I didn’t do too badly.  Oh, the spider roll…this was the most delicious one ever, especially since I had made it.

In the mood for sushi, after reading this; Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi (380 S Main St, Monticello, UT 84535; (435) 587-4000) are open Mon-Wed: 11am-3pm, 4pm-9:30pm, and Thurs-Sat: 11am-9:30pm.  Last seating is at 9pm.

Cucumber Roll pairs nicely with Spider Roll.

 

 

 

 

Cucumber Roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Ja-Roen has extended their drink menus (see photos below) and locals get a 5% discount!

Coffees, Tea, Juice, Water.

Boba(Bubble) Tea, Soft Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Beer.

 

 

When it comes to excellent service, atmosphere and Thai/Japanese cuisines; you MUST check out Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi.

Mary Cokenour