|
|
|
Greetings!
Today is Veterans Day and the auspicious 11/11/11. Often I have just thought of it as a great day off (that was when I worked for the State of WA) but today I am more aware of our armed forces and the true gift of their service to us as citizens. Especially I want to highlight the veterans of World War II's 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service.
Two weeks ago, they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian award in Washington DC and many of our local heroes were there.
 | |
Click the picture to see the NBC News clip of the medal ceremony.
|
The men in these units, comprised almost entirely of Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans), fought with bravery against our nation's enemies on the battlefields in Europe and Asia, even while many of their parents and kin were incarerated behind barbed wire in internment camps in America. The 442nd's motto is "Go For Broke." They fought against our enemies abroad, and against prejudice back home. They are a source of strength for us all.
These men are close to my heart as my family have been active in a local organization, The Nisei Veterans Committee which is an organization of our local veterans. Some of you have attended NuCulinary cooking classes in the clubhouse's beautiful kitchen. if you are incined, please join them today for a
Veterans Day Observance
Friday, November 11, 1-3 PM
NVC Memorial Hall, 1212 S King Street
Join us for an Open House celebration as we
honor all those who have served or
are currently serving in the U.S. military.
Building Community through Cuisine,
Naomi
Naomi Kakiuchi, RD, CD, CCP
|
|
How-to: Gravy
|
 | |
|
Once at a dinner party, I found that making a good, smooth gravy was a desired skill. My friends were clustered about to discover the magic of no lumps! Well gravies are not as common any more but pan sauces and stir fry sauces are so let's learn some basic techniques that will serve you well for many dishes. Today we will focus on the Thanksgiving gravy or pan sauce.
There are two main techniques, a pan gravy and a kettle gravy. We'll be using turkey drippings of course, but the same process will work for any roasted cut of meat. The kettle gravy method is quite similar to how you make a Chinese stir-fry sauce.
Kettle Gravy
- For each 1 cup of liquid (drippings or broth)
- Mix together in a small bowl, 1/4 cup COLD water and 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Bring the drippings from your roasted turkey to a boil. (Either pour the into a saucepan or use the roasting pan itself, which should have some nice crusted on bits that will add delicious flavor.) If you don't have a lot of drippings, you can supplement with canned broth.
- Give the flour and water a stir and then mix it into the drippings. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the gravy is bubbly and flour is cooked (it doesn't taste raw).
Pan Gravy
- For each cup of gravy desired--in a saucepan, mix with a wire whip 2 tablespoons of fat and 2 tablespoons of flour together until smooth.
- Heat over low heat until bubbly and slightly browned. Add your liquid (drippings/broth) and stir. Boil for 1 minute, season and serve.
|
Food for Thought
Book Recommendations by Marlene Bosanko
| |  Lunch in Paris:
A Love Story with Recipes
Little Brown and Company, 2010
By Elizabeth Bard
Like most women of a certain age, I was weaned on Hollywood movies and grew up fantasizing about a rich, handsome bachelor with a private jet whisking me away for a romantic lunch along the Champs Élysées. It never happened, so when I saw Elizabeth Bard's Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes on a bookstand, it was in my cart in a beat of my romantic heart.
The story didn't disappoint, although I could do without the bedroom romp. Bard goes to Paris for a conference and meets a handsome Frenchman named Gwendal with whom she has a brief email exchange after she returns to her home base in England. Under a ruse, she goes back to Paris and meets Gwendal for lunch. Over the menu at Bouillon Chartier, she falls madly, passionately in love with him and French cuisine. In short, Bard returns to her U.S. home, packs her belongings, and heads back to Paris to marry Gwendal. This is where Bard's story takes off and becomes both a humorous account of trying to fit into French culture and her new family, as well as a genuine cookbook of luscious French recipes with instructions any home cook can manage. Bard's book received the 2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best First Cookbook. I'm off now to make Moelleux au Chocolat 'Kitu' (a pun meaning, "it kills").
|
|
Happy 83rd Anniversary Uwajimaya!
| |
 | |
Uwajimaya sign from earlier days
|
Did you know Seattle's Uwajimaya grocery store had its start over 80 years ago, when Fujimatsu Moriguchi began selling kamaboko (fish cakes) from his truck to Japanese laborers? Recently, the Nisei Veterans Committee invited Moriguchi's son Tomio to speak about his life growing up part of this Seattle institution. Read more...
|
|
Community Calendar
|
|
 Book Reading with Sushi Chef, Shiro
Time: Sat., Nov 19 at 4:30p
Location: Wing Luke Museum: 719 South King Street, Seattle, WA 98104
Shiro Kashiba helped spark a food revolution nearly 50 years ago by bringing sushi to the Pacific Northwest. Today he promotes another dietary change by advocating fresh, local fare over expensive imports. His new cookbook/memoir tracks his rise from Ginza apprentice to the godfather of Seattle's sushi scene.
Join Shiro at the Wing Luke Museum for a reading from his memoir, Shiro: Wit, Wisdom and Recipes from a Sushi Pioneer and get a taste of Shiro's sushi.
Tickets are $15 for members, and $20 for general admission: reserve by November 12th by calling 206-623-5124
Ayame Kai Craft Fair
Time: Sat., Nov 19, 10am - 4pm
Location: Blaine Memorial UMC: 3001 24th Ave S, Seattle, 98144
Unique handmade Japanese and Japanese-inspired gifts.
Antique/vintage Asian items!
50 crafters from Washington, California, Hawaii and Oregon.
Delicious home-baked traditional and Asian goodies.
|
|
|
