Text 2668, 78 rader
Skriven 2006-07-02 20:22:19 av Carol Shenkenberger (6:757/1)
   Kommentar till text 1070 av hap newsom (1:275/311)
Ärende: Re: Home againis the Sail
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*** Quoting hap newsom from a message to CAROL SHENKENBERGER ***

-> Nope, fresh.  Not sure what dried soybeans look like though very well may 
hn> have 
-> eaten them under many names.
-> 
-> I just realized a visual referent for what i think of as 'soybeans'
hn>  They look
-> 
-> a goodly bit like a pine nut though more rounded.  I see pine nuts
hn> in 
-> gormet places and at our commisary when the season is right.
-> 
-> Ayways, aparently edamame is also a 'soybean' and there are some 12 or 
hn> more 
-> types of soybean commonly used.  I know only the common one of Japan 
hn> and the 
-> Edamame (definately say edame here and i have no idea why.  Regional 
hn> dialect?)

Hap, I got to the bottom of this yesterday.  It's a local 'shorthand' for
Edamame.  Why, my friend didnt know but he knew it was a local dialect issue
and the same thing.

hn> pretty much like roasted pine nuts, Edamame is larger but still looks
hn> soybean to me (I've seen em in the field and the pods look "right") As
hn> different varieties, well, I'm not suprised at all ....look at how man
hn> varieties 
hn> we have of just about every bean! 

Yup!  So with htis, you can see why sometimes i am not sure how to MM some of
the stuff i make!  For many things, I have too 'generic' a name to be very
useful.  For example, seaweed.  Umm, sorry but there are hundreds of types
that are regular eating here.  There's even a stall at Tonoo that specializes
in some 50 of them?  They change quite frequently and only a few of them do I
have a handle on how to cook.  Most of them, I've never tried yet!

I got a new one yesterday.  It's a longish thin bladed stock with little lumps
along the way every 6 inches or so.  Those lumps are a bit like an edamame
bean inside and the flavor is mildly nutty/salty with just a hint of fishy
flavor.  The rest of the green was not to my taste perfection but I can see it
would be a great 'wrap' to cook small items in. Finger sized fishes would be
perfect.  It's red in a deep sort of ruby color but there's another one very
very much like it that is dark green and more to my tastes.  (sorry for
calling it a 'green' above but was being generic 'greens' not the actual
color).

There is another one that is wonderful and I had to go to Korea to experience
it but now that i know, can find it there at Tonoo easy.  It's a mottled grey
with brownish splotches, ugly to the eye and a delight to the tounge.  The
'leaf' is easily 1/4 inch thick and very meaty while also being softly
gelatinous in texture inside yet almost crunchy firm on the outside.  Now how
do i MM that one?

If I have to name that seaweed, I'd call it 'umami' if i recall the term right.
That perfect mix which is sublime.  It's way too delicate flavored for making
dashi and too thick for a wrapper.  You steam it with flavorings and serve
just as it is with a little broth.  Comes to mind, serving just opened clams
sitting ontop of this would be perfect.  Add some pimentios for color and you
would get the eye-appeal of Japan.  American fusion would have me consider
some rounded marrow bones with center still there, set gently atop?

Small digression.  Only in this house among us echo folks would have my kid
asking if she can eat my tentacle.  *sigh*  Yes Charlotte, you can have my
octopus.  Growing kids....(grin).  She's off now in her room chewing on my
last bit of octopus having decimated the apple slurry along with her friends
who are now at home, stuffed to the gills.

Anyways back to seaweed cookery.  It's rare to see in the USA but it is there
in a few places.  It's more common in Europe but hits I think the hights in
Japan?  It's my current experiment area so i may be mentioning it more now but
we dont use as much of it as the locals do on a weekly basis. Other than in
Dashi, I use it only 'now and again' and seldom make a whole seaweed dish for
even a side.
                                       xxcarol

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