Tag: food

Shabu-Shabu and a New Kovea Stove

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/20 sec, ISO800
 “Shabu Shabu” Cedar Park, 2020

We recently purchased a new portable stove: the Kovea Cube Stove. I think it has a really cool, compact design, which is nice because it should stay cleaner from drips and splatters than our older, wider stove. Mariko says it’s a popular stove with lots of accessories, for instance, you can replace the know with a stylish wooden version. I was unable to actually find any accessories other than a carrying bag, but I’m guessing the market in Asia is larger.

One thing to note is that the burner sits higher than other stoves, so the pot is elevated an inch or two more than you may be used to. I could see the higher design of the Kovea Cube Stove being more convenient for camping, where you might not have a regular table to use. Honestly, though, I didn’t really notice the difference when we used it at the dinner table.

Our first meal using the stove was shabu-shabu, and it was delicious! In the afternoon, I used our Waring Pro Professional Food Slicer to prep the pork slices for the dinner. Buying pre-sliced meat from H-Mart is convenient, but can be a bit pricey, so we like to buy a large piece of pork butt from HEB, and slice it ourselves which the food slicer makes easy. Pro-tip: freeze the meat before slicing and you can get a nice, thin cut. Since shabu-shabu pork is meant to cook in the hotpot for only a few seconds, a thin cut is best, maybe around 1 or 2 mm thick. For yakiniku, pork belly at 3 or 4 mm and beef at 4 or 5 mm is what we prefer.

Hotpot or yakiniku using the portable stove at the dinner table makes for a fun meal, and everyone can take park in cooking – a great way to bring the family or friends together. I definitely recommend trying it if you haven’t already!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5, 1/13 sec, ISO6400
 “New Burner” Cedar Park, 2020

New Espresso Machine

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5, 1/6 sec, ISO800
 “Life Support Machine” Cedar Park, 2020

Behold! Our new De’Longhi ESAM3300 Super Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine, ready to caffeinate the holiday season! We’ve been enjoying it for a few days now, and we think it is great. It uses either whole beans or ground, so there aren’t any K-cups or Nespresso pods to clog the landfill. It also has a steam/froth feature if you like cappuccinos. So convenient and easy to use!

I still enjoy my regular pour-over coffee in the morning, but the afternoon espresso is really nice. ☕

Bully Beef Sandwiches

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
 “Bully Beef” Cedar Park, 2020

I decided to make some bully beef to take advantage of the abundance of delicious baguettes that Mariko baked. Bully beef is the name used in Jamaica for corned beef (canned) sandwiches, and we used to eat them when we were growing up since my Mom was born and raised in Jamaica.

There are a number of ingredients you can add to the corned beef, but I usually just mix it with mayo, then add some Pickapeppa. You can add onion, tomato, Scotch Bonnet, ketchup, etc. Just do a google search and you can find some good ideas! But for me, just the simple mayo and Pickapeppa was good for a spread to go on the baguette.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
 “Bully Beef Time” Cedar Park, 2020

Why not pick up a can of corned beef from the market and try for yourself? It might just become one of your favorites. 😀

Burger Night

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/35 sec, ISO3200
 “Burger Tower” Cedar Park, 2020

I got the request for burgers, and I was happy to oblige! Like last time, I fried up some bacon as well, but also grilled some onions and jalapeños for Koa and I. (Mariko prefers raw onions and peppers) We also had sliced avocado, so the cheeseburgers had a lot going on. The above photo is Mariko’s sky-high burger, and below is my creation, which turned out to be really messy and fun to eat.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/4, 1/70 sec, ISO3200
 “Deluse Burger” Cedar Park, 2020

Homemade buns were beautiful and delicious and made a huge difference! Over the years, I’ve tweaked my burger recipe and technique: I add salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and Japanese Worcestershire sauce to the 80/20 ground chuck, mixing with a fork.

The most important change I’ve made in cooking the burgers, is when I add the cheese. In the past, I used to add the cheese while the patties were still cooking on the grill. But now, I add the cheese later – when the patties are cooked, I transfer them into a warm casserole dish, add the cheese, and cover with foil while the burgers rest a few minutes. The cheese melts just the same, but the benefit is that the barbecue grill stays cleaner. I really don’t miss that smell of burning cheese the next time I fire up the grill!

🍔❤