Comfort healthy food-peasant/home Asian style

[OakLeaf]

don't think its a wise idea to freeze any vegetables. Wasabi is a root just like carrots. and the water inside the plant may destroy the wasabi when it freezes.

It just breaks the cell walls, is all, doesn't "destroy" anything else - if you plan to grate it before serving, then cell walls aren't necessary. I often use frozen ginger in Indian dishes where it's grated then fried, and don't notice a difference in the flavor. Ginger tends to sit a long, long time between orders in our local grocery, so I like to buy a lot when it's fresh and freeze it.

Reason I ask, is it's a long drive to the Asian market in the "big city" and they don't always have fresh wasabi when I go there. I might be able to get it once or twice a year tops. Eden Foods has powdered dried real wasabi, but obviously fresh is way better.

[Eden]

It just breaks the cell walls, is all, doesn't "destroy" anything else - if you plan to grate it before serving, then cell walls aren't necessary. I often use frozen ginger in Indian dishes where it's grated then fried, and don't notice a difference in the flavor. Ginger tends to sit a long, long time between orders in our local grocery, so I like to buy a lot when it's fresh and freeze it.

Reason I ask, is it's a long drive to the Asian market in the "big city" and they don't always have fresh wasabi when I go there. I might be able to get it once or twice a year tops. Eden Foods has powdered dried real wasabi, but obviously fresh is way better.

The same company that provides the fresh wasabi roots does little tubes of grated wasabi - they sell it frozen, so it sounds like grated at least it will keep OK frozen. It only keeps for 30 days after you open it though. They don't mention if you can re-freeze it. Looking at the site a bit more it looks like they've stopped actually growing wasabi . They used to even sell seeds and wasabi plants along with grow your own instructions. Makes me wonder if I'll even be able to get fresh roots any more.

[shootingstar]

: Ginger tends to sit a long, long time between orders in our local grocery, so I like to buy a lot when it's fresh and freeze it.

Reason I ask, is it's a long drive to the Asian market in the "big city" and they don't always have fresh wasabi when I go there. I might be able to get it once or twice a year tops. Eden Foods has powdered dried real wasabi, but obviously fresh is way better.

It does surprise me at least in many medium-sized or small cities in Canada that fresh ginger root can be found at least in a national/large grocery chain store. But your area may be different.

We've done alot of cycling through different parts of Canada and including a long drawn out car trip across Canada when I moved to Vancouver, where we hit alot of smaller cities. We often go to grocery stores to save some money (or get fresh fruit, etc.) instead of constantly eating out at restaurants /cafes.

Methinks my tastebuds have become overly acclimatized to ginger root. We use it nearly daily for Asian and non-Asian dishes. We buy approx. 1 pound since it's cheap for us locals, which sits on kitchen counter up to over 1 month before getting too dried out. As a teen, I used to slice finely and mince 3-4 slices for a dish serving 8 people since ginger root used to be hardly available. I could really taste the ginger then. Now same amount of ginger for dish serving 1-2 people, I barely taste it.

I seldom use Sezchuan pepper simply because I haven't taken time to explore the whole breadth of Chinese cooking. Parents are from the province southwest of Sezhuan province where cuisine is less spicy/chili hot.

Interesting info bits in this thread ...on some stuff I didn't know what I knew all along.

N.B.: This steamed egg savory custard dish which can be a steamed only chicken breast dish..same steaming technique used for steamed sliced chicken liver, kidney, etc. that I did have as a kid. No, I don't prepare these dishes now.

[Biciclista]

That's one of the great things about my neighborhood. I can be fussy about asian vegetables. My favorite is Gai choy and i use it to make soup. We have giant piles of ginger in all the supermarkets.
I LOVE vegetables. I have to try that custard-thing, Eden the restaurant, it's called Yoshi's? (or is that Yoshi Aoki?)

[Eden]

That's one of the great things about my neighborhood. I can be fussy about asian vegetables. My favorite is Gai choy and i use it to make soup. We have giant piles of ginger in all the supermarkets.
I LOVE vegetables. I have to try that custard-thing, Eden the restaurant, it's called Yoshi's? (or is that Yoshi Aoki?)

the Chef is Yoshi , the restaurant is Hana (on Broadway). We sit at the bar and are regulars - we've gotten to know the chefs (who are also the owners) quite well - and indeed Yoshi does spoil us

[smilingcat]

the Chef is Yoshi , the restaurant is Hana (on Broadway). We sit at the bar and are regulars - we've gotten to know the chefs (who are also the owners) quite well - and indeed Yoshi does spoil us

That's the best way to dine at a sushi restaurant. And have the chef prepare things for you rather than telling him what you want. And you can always ask what's fresh for the day.

Wasabi seeds?? who?? where?? how can I get my little paws on the seeds or seedling?? yes my precious... precious wants seeds yes?? yes?? I'll probably fail but I think it'll be fun to try.

smilingcat

[Eden]

That's the best way to dine at a sushi restaurant. And have the chef prepare things for you rather than telling him what you want. And you can always ask what's fresh for the day.

Wasabi seeds?? who?? where?? how can I get my little paws on the seeds or seedling?? yes my precious... precious wants seeds yes?? yes?? I'll probably fail but I think it'll be fun to try.

smilingcat

We hardly ever ask for anything in particular at the sushi bar - we just let ourselves be fed. We learned early on that it is the best way to go. This place attracts regular customers - though we aren't among those who've been going the longest, we are probably among the most regular.... If you want to find us on a Friday night, its the best place to check.... We've even got our own masu

As far as wasabi plants go - they *used to* sell plants and seeds, but for some reason it appears they've stopped that and stopped even cultivating the plants themselves . They still have the info up about how to grow though - http://www.freshwasabi.com/growing.aspx

Now I did see little yuzu trees down at Uwajimaya the other day - that was pretty tempting.... I know there's no way that citrus can grow outside around here though and I'm pretty bad with house plants....

[smilingcat]

thanks, I'll check out their web site. I should acquire two yuzu trees for my yard. then I have fairly good selection of citrus trees.

pink lemon, meyers lemon, bears lime, washington navel orange, rio red grapefruit, and yuzu for future.

currently growing: shishito (japanese pepper), need to retry shiso both red and green variety, ginger and sansho trees. Shiso should grow in your area provided that the banana slug don't get to them first. Sansho tree should be better in your area too. It grows at my uncle's place in Japan. There, they get snow in the winter time and its very wet just like in coast of Washington. I'm not sure if you are in the shawdow of Olympic mtn range...

Well you may not be able to grow citrus trees. We on the other hand are bit out of luck for really good peach, pear, raspberries, blackberries most all variety of berries with exception of strawberries. Not as good as the Puget sound ?? variety. Its the small strawberry with really intense flavor.

still we are giving a shot at raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.