So what did YOU have to eat for Christmas

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PhilinYuma

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I think that I did a topic like this last year, but I've already forgotten what we prepared! This year Sunny and her entire family, except for Grandma and I, are on insane diets, so we settled on Sushi, particularly since I had gotten Sunny a new sushi dish set and some nice (Japanese) chopsticks. She made a variety of sushi (though no rolls) with tuna and shrimp and a desert of watashitachi, those little dumplings made from flavored mochiko. But frying is now a Cardinal Sin and deep frying even more so, so she flavored the balls with maple syrup, microwaved them so that they were still soft inside, and chilled them in the freezer. They were very good, but we forgot the green tea. I was the sushi sous chef (try saying that three times, quickly!) so I got to cool the sticky rice with a hair dryer on "cool" and likewise, the mochiko, which has to be the stickiest stuff known to man. Everyone had a good time, and at no additional cost, here's Sunny in her "serious apron", looking as cute as ever:

P1060364.JPG


 
I Sadly was taking care of an injured chameleon named Splat.

He was such a daredevil that I always worried that he would kill himself one day.

Sadly he passed away today from a broken back.

So it was just a frozen diner for me and no family.

On the eve I was at my brother in law's house.

It was traditional fish night. So I had some fried tilapia, scallops, shrimp, baked clams, spaghetti with tomato based crab sauce (the blue claws were out of this world), and much love from my family and all the foster kids we treat as our own.

Here is to a happier new year for all.

Harry

 
Nice Phil. Did you get some wasabi along with all the sushi? :D
I just love that wasabi stuff, especially when someone new to japanese food thinks it is some kind of guacamole. :lol: I also like the look on their faces when they find out that the ginger is not sliced ham. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 
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I'm sure the kids would've rather I made sushi than dragged them all out of the house to the in-laws (whom they have never "melded" with since moving here a few years ago) for ham, turkey & the traditional Oklahoma (Southern) fattening foods. If it had been like last year (we got snowed in), I would have! Beats the heck out of freezing your arse off!

I haven't made mochi in a long time...sounds good! Do you not fill the mochi with adzuki bean paste? And, I've never heard of fried mochi...except those Chinese "butchi buns" which are basically the same stuff, rolled in sesame seeds & deep fried (oh, how I love those!)

God, you're making me want to make Japanese food now! (But, ironically, I just bought stuff last night to make egg rolls & fried rice for dinner tonight!) Well, maybe we can have a "fusion" night & I'll make mochi for dessert!

Thanks, Phil! (For making me have to do MORE work!) :p

 
Who says that we mantis keepers aren't a versatile lot? I have never seen dango, little fried dumplings on a stick, in the U.S. but having worked with mochiko, I am amazed at how round they are! Some look like traffic lights, and the red ones would be anko, covered with bean paste. You may be thinking of yomogi daifuko (hope I got that right!) though, rice cakes stuffed with bean paste.

If you don't mind paying her fare, I could ask Sunny to come and help. Don't let her take over, though. As sous chef, it was my job to clean things, and she told me, "When I say clean, I mean Sunny clean, not Phil clean!" :lol:

A thought on wasabi. I and everyone I know, buy green tinted horseradish, calling itself "wasabi". I think that this is a better deal, though, than paying a higher price for Chinese "real wasabi" that is easily proven to be heavily adulterated with starch. The price is the give away. You can spend 10,000 yen on 30G of the real stuff, which is around $100/oz American.

 

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