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UnRecipe: Asian Creature of Habit
by
Denise Sakaki
Calificación: 4.0
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%20I'm%20sure%20I've%20cooked%20other%20things!%20I%20thought%20about%20it%20for%20a%20bit%20and%20realized,%20jeeze,%20it%20really%20has%20been%20a%20while%20since%20I've%20cooked%20a%20meat%20loaf%20or%20anything%20the%20average%20American/Western%20European%20would%20consider%20%22dinner.%22%20Not%20that%20cooking%20primarily%20Asian%20cuisine%20is%20a%20bad%20thing%20--%201.3%20billion%20Chinese%20can't%20be%20wrong%20--%20it's%20just%20interesting%20to%20get%20an%20outsider's%20perspective%20of%20what's%20cookin',%20if%20all%20you%20saw%20was%20a%20social%20media%20feed%20of%20what's%20on%20the%20menu.%20So%20the%20unsurprising%20truth%20is%20OUT:%20I'm%20totally%20an%20Asian%20Creature%20of%20Habit%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20cooking.%20Apologies%20to%20Mr.%20Wasabi,%20who%20probably%20just%20wants%20a%20grilled%20cheese%20sandwich%20now%20and%20then.Even%20when%20it's%20not%20Asian%20food,%20it%20looks%20like%20fried%20rice%20or%20stir%20fry%20-%20Photo%20by%20Wasabi%20PrimeI%20certainly%20don't%20apologize%20for%20cooking%20within%20a%20cuisine%20comfort%20zone.%20I%20think%20something%20as%20simple%20as%20a%20stir%20fry%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20%22use%20everything%20in%20your%20fridge%22%20meals%20you%20can%20make,%20since%20it's%20just%20a%20mish-mash%20of%20vegetables%20and%20protein,%20cooked%20quickly,%20and%20served%20on%20its%20own%20or%20atop%20rice.%20You%20don't%20need%20to%20get%20fussy%20with%20the%20flavoring,%20just%20a%20bit%20of%20soy%20sauce,%20and%20some%20sugar%20and%20vinegar%20to%20balance%20out%20the%20sweet-savory%20ratio.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBut%20yeah,%20looking%20at%20just%20a%20random%20snapshot%20of%20my%20Flickr%20account,%20I%20was%20like,%20holy%20crap,%20I%20guess%20I%20do%20cook%20a%20lot%20of%20Asian-looking%20food.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo,%20I%20thought,%20OK,%20let's%20try%20and%20be%20more%20mindful%20about%20changing%20things%20up%20for%20quick%20weeknight%20meals%20when%20I'd%20normally%20hit%20the%20%22Stir%20Fry%22%20button.%20One%20of%20my%20new%20quickie%20meals%20is%20seared%20vegetables%20with%20sausage%20over%20toasted%20barley.%20Which%20I%20call%20Euro-Fried%20Rice.%20Because,%20yeah,%20it%20looks%20like%20fried%20rice.%20Maybe%20not%20so%20far%20from%20the%20Asian%20hemisphere%20of%20cooking.%20But%20no%20soy%20sauce%20is%20present,%20I%20swear.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20will%20say%20I've%20been%20trying%20to%20get%20to%20know%20different%20whole%20grains.%20Quinoa%20and%20bulgur%20have%20become%20new%20favorites,%20and%20I'd%20always%20hovered%20around%20the%20dry%20pearl%20barley%20in%20the%20grocery%20store.%20I've%20had%20it%20at%20restaurants,%20usually%20accompanying%20heavier%20proteins%20like%20slow-cooked%20beef%20short%20ribs,%20or%20anything%20meaty%20with%20a%20gravy%20that%20needed%20sopping-up.%20Even%20without%20a%20roast%20beast%20to%20accompany,%20pearl%20barley%20is%20a%20nice%20toothy%20grain,%20with%20a%20nutty%20flavor.%20My%20favorite%20way%20of%20preparing%20it%20is%20to%20follow%20the%20package%20directions,which%20is%20like%20cooking%20rice%20on%20a%20stove,%20let%20it%20dry%20a%20bit%20in%20the%20fridge%20to%20remove%20excess%20surface%20moisture,%20and%20then%20spreading%20it%20out%20on%20a%20sheet%20tray%20and%20toasting%20it%20in%20the%20oven.%20It%20just%20adds%20a%20slight%20dry%20crispness%20to%20the%20outside.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20take%20whatever%20vegetables%20I%20have%20in%20the%20crisper,%20saute%20them%20in%20a%20pan%20with%20some%20olive%20oil,%20salt%20and%20pepper,%20and%20top%20the%20cooked/toasted%20barley%20with%20the%20vegetables.%20I'll%20add%20cooked%20sausage%20for%20protein,%20or%20just%20leave%20it%20as-is%20for%20Meatless%20Mondays.%20If%20I%20have%20Parmesan,%20I'll%20sprinkle%20the%20top%20with%20shavings,%20just%20to%20add%20some%20extra%20flavor%20and%20a%20bit%20of%20a%20flourish.%20Sure%20it%20kind%20of%20looks%20like%20a%20fried%20rice/stir%20fry%20concoction,%20but%20it%20has%20the%20earthy,%20nutty%20flavor%20of%20the%20barley,%20mixed%20with%20all%20your%20favorite%20vegetables,%20lightly%20seasoned.%20Clean,%20simple,%20done!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EQuickie%20Spanish%20stew%20with%20olives,%20chickpeas%20and%20chicken%20-%20Photo%20by%20Wasabi%20PrimeStews%20are%20something%20that%20I%20can%20rely%20on%20that%20won't%20feel%20too%20far%20along%20the%20Asian%20persuasion,%20but%20I%20get%20tired%20of%20the%20same%20old%20beef/root%20vegetable%20stew.%20I%20like%20using%20chicken%20for%20stews%20since%20it's%20a%20quick-cooking%20meat%20and%20doesn't%20require%20all-day%20stewing%20to%20get%20that%20same%20fork-tenderness,%20and%20more%20specifically,%20chicken%20thighs%20for%20its%20richer%20flavor.%20I%20threw%20together%20an%20UnRecipe%20Spanish-inspired%20stew.%20Why%20Spanish?%20I%20had%20leftover%20pimento%20olives%20and%20while%20there's%20really%20nothing%20intensely%20Spanish%20about%20that,%20that's%20what%20I%20called%20this%20dish.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20a%20cast-iron%20stew%20pot,%20I%20seared%20some%20roughly%20chopped%20chicken%20thighs%20seasoned%20with%20salt%20and%20pepper,%20and%20set%20aside,%20then%20seared%20some%20chopped%20vegetables%20like%20carrots,%20onion%20and%20celery%20in%20the%20drippings,%20with%20a%20little%20more%20olive%20oil.%20I%20used%20some%20chicken%20stock%20to%20deglaze,%20added%20canned%20chickpeas%20and%20the%20chicken%20back%20into%20the%20mix,%20and%20let%20it%20simmer%20for%20about%20a%20half%20hour,%20just%20to%20marry%20the%20flavors%20and%20for%20the%20stock%20to%20reduce%20a%20bit.%20I%20added%20dry%20seasonings%20like%20some%20nutmeg,%20cumin,%20dry%20oregano%20and%20thyme%20flakes,%20along%20with%20some%20smoky%20paprika.%20I%20also%20added%20turmeric%20powder,%20which%20doesn't%20add%20a%20ton%20of%20flavor%20so%20much%20as%20giving%20the%20whole%20dish%20an%20intense%20golden%20color.%20The%20chopped%20green%20olives%20were%20added%20towards%20the%20end,%20so%20that%20they%20didn't%20get%20too%20mushy,%20and%20they%20added%20a%20nice%20briny%20finish%20For%20richness,%20I%20added%20plain%20yogurt,%20although%20sour%20cream%20would%20work,%20too.%20It%20gave%20it%20a%20creamy%20thickness.%20It%20was%20good%20on%20its%20own,%20or%20served%20atop%20quinoa.%20A%20Spanish-inspired%20chicken%20stew%20was%20a%20nice%20alternative%20to%20the%20usual%20beer/beef%20stew.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMaking%20stuff%20that%20doesn't%20feel%20like%20it%20has%20to%20be%20eaten%20with%20chopsticks%20-%20harder%20than%20you'd%20think!%20-%20Photos%20by%20Wasabi%20PrimeSo%20consider%20this%20post%20more%20of%20a%20Progress%20Report,%20letting%20you%20know%20that%20I%20am,%20and%20will%20always%20be%20an%20ongoing%20project%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20cooking,%20which%20I%20guess%20is%20the%20point%20of%20having%20a%20blog.%20While%20I'll%20never%20give%20up%20my%20habit%20of%20buying%20tofu%20on%20a%20near-weekly%20basis,%20or%20always%20having%20a%20bulk-sized%20bottle%20of%20soy%20sauce%20and%20rice%20wine%20vinegar,%20I%20do%20want%20to%20say%20I%20try%20now%20and%20then%20to%20make%20food%20that%20doesn't%20have%20to%20be%20eaten%20with%20chopsticks.%20Unless%20you%20want%20to,%20of%20course.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}