Archives: how to

HOW TO USE KITCHEN TOOLS TO MAKE FRESH PASTA

OMG YOU GUYS HAVE TO TRY THIS OUT!

Inspired by @miyukiadachi, a Japanese pasta chef in Toronto who creates beautiful pasta with self-made pasta boards or even vegetable grater! It made me wonder what kind of pasta shapes I could potentially create in my own home without spending an extra dime, and after testing with what I have in my kitchen drawer, I’m amazed at how many different and beautiful fresh pasta shapes that came out from simple kitchen tools like tongs! Like rice spatula! Or even from making my own pasta board simply with wooden skewers!

Here, three types of fresh pasta doughs that could be used interchangeably with each different method. Really!? Do you really want to hear me say another word at this point?! Go! Run! Make it now!

MUSHROOM WATER PASTA DOUGH:

Yields 2 servings

1 1/2 cup (195 grams) tipo 00 flour, or all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolk
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp mushroom water (the water you use to soak dry mushrooms)

Mix flour, egg yolk, salt and mushroom water in a large bowl with a fork until it come into a shaggy dough. Transfer onto a working surface and knead vigorously for at least 5~6 min, until the dough is very smooth and silky. The dough should feel soft but not sticky. If it feels sticky, knead in a bit more flour. If it feels crackly and dry, wet your hands with water and knead it into the dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1 hour. Shape into fresh pasta according to video instruction.

*NOTE: DO NOT add egg whites into this type of chubby pasta, or else it would become really tough!

FRESH BASIL PASTA DOUGH:

Yields 2 servings

2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup (195 grams) tipo 00 flour, or all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolk
4 1/2 tbsp water

In a mortar, grind fresh basil leaves and salt together until it become a fine paste. Mix the basil paste, flour, egg yolk and water in a large bowl with a fork until it come into a shaggy dough. Transfer onto a working surface and knead vigorously for at least 5~6 min, until the dough is very smooth and silky. The dough should feel soft but not sticky. If it feels sticky, knead in a bit more flour. If it feels crackly and dry, wet your hands with water and knead it into the dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1 hour. Shape into fresh pasta according to video instruction.

*NOTE: DO NOT add egg whites into this type of chubby pasta, or else it would become really tough!

WOODEN SKEWER PASTA BOARD:

Find a small rectangle of a sturdy material as your foundation (I used a cork pad, but you can use wood board or anything you have on hand). Cut the wooden skewers into the same length as your board, then line them on top of the board using all-purpose glue (don’t use too much! just enough to stick!). Leave wider gap between each skewer if you want a deeper ridge. After you’re done, press the board down with something heavy (like cast-iron skillet) until it’s completely dried. Clean the ridges on the board with a toothpick if they are stuck with excess flour after using.

PAPRIKA PASTA DOUGH:

Yields 2 servings

1 1/2 cup (195 grams) tipo 00 flour, or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp paprika powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 large egg yolk
5 tbsp water

Mix the flour, paprika powder, salt, egg yolk and water in a large bowl with a fork until it come into a shaggy dough. Transfer onto a working surface and knead vigorously for at least 5~6 min, until the dough is very smooth and silky. The dough should feel soft but not sticky. If it feels sticky, knead in a bit more flour. If it feels crackly and dry, wet your hands with water and knead it into the dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 1 hour. Shape into fresh pasta according to video instruction.

*NOTE: DO NOT add egg whites into this type of chubby pasta, or else it would become really tough!

July 26, 2016

In All recipes, Noodle/Pasta/Rice, Techniques

HOW TO WRAP ONIGIRI LIKE JAPANESE CONVENIENCE STORE

change the video setting to HD for better details

Hi, here’s a random video on how to wrap onigiri, aka rice balls, like those Japanese convenience stores. The easy-to-pull-away wrapper separates the rice and the seaweed, keeping the seaweed crispy until serving. This technique will make beautifully wrapped onigiri, perfect for your next picnic, work lunch, or as a gift! A few notes on how to do it right:

Use freshly cooked rice, never day-old, but wait until it’s completely cooled (so the steam doesn’t make the seaweed soggy).
Use triangle-moulds to make the onigiri.
Cut the seaweed and allow enough width to cover the sides of the onigiri.
Cut a piece of parchment that is at least 2X the width of the seaweed.
The parchment in the video didn’t actually cover the entire inner surface of the seaweed because it wasn’t wide enough. Don’t make the same mistake.
Label the onigiri and they’re going to be your newest edible gift.

NOW THAT’S A WRAP.

September 16, 2015

In All recipes, Seafood

HOW TO KILL AN OYSTER

Behold, the months marked with the letter “R” are already upon us, and as you may have been once told in stories, that this is the time a particular… defiant kind of sea monsters roam wild and await the braves who dare to challenge. Enlightened by ancient (probably also desperately hungry) wisdoms who discovered that there are briny, delicious glories hidden inside these ugly and unseemly creatures with tough shells, courageous heroes have charged fearlessly to claim the price (literally charged for it), while the most and rest of us timidly standing on the sideline, too daunted by their impossible presence (and being charged for it). But this year, this year the fear stops. This year, this year we stop feeling belittled. Grab the swords (sort of), and with the help of a mighty hammer (non-lightening charged), we are going to defeat these monsters once and for all, and feast on their flesh. Because you know what, the difficulty is all but myth, and the deliciousness is not.

You don’t need a professional or a demi-god for that matter. Because this, this is how mortals kill a sea monsters.