Last year's Birthday cake

Made from Cookies and cream icecream, from a local shop!

Dry Red Peppers

In reference to the Tonno recipe,
If you have a hot dry red pepper, the thing that makes it hot are the SEEDS.
Take out the seeds to gain the warmth that is easier for everyone to eat.
Softening up the skin to slice also makes it easier to eat, instead of having the hard crinkly shaker peppers, common as a topping for Pizza.

So, if you want it mild, take out the seeds, and soften the skin before cooking with it.

Spaghetti Tonno

INGREDIENTS:
400g spagettini (thin spagetti)
180g canned tuna in OIL (1 can)
4 tsp. capers (small ones are milder)
16 black olives
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
1 dry red chili (no seeds)
1 large can whole italian tomatoes
salt
dry parsley to garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Mince garlic,
Place dry red chili (no seeds) into hot water to soften 5 minutes, then slice into rings.
Use a deep frypan on medium heat.
Add the OIL from the tuna can.
Add garlic and red chili rings cook slightly until fragrant.
Add can of tomatoes, cut tomatoes with kitchen scissors or knife.

Boil the pasta in salted water, and KEEP 1/3 cup of PASTA WATER.

Add 1/3 cup of PASTA WATER to the tomato mixture.
Add the tuna, Capers and Olives. Stir gently.
Top over spagettini, and garnish with parsley sprinkles.

NOTES:
This is a great light tomato based spaghetti for summer.
The original recipe is only for two people so I've made some adjustments.
I recommend continued use of the oil from the tuna can, and also the pasta water.
Serves 4
Time: 20 minutes
632 cal / person
salt 3.5g
Source: Orange Page Cooking 1992 Summer.

Gulden Draak (#6 testing)

The final beer test.

Well, this beer comes in a 'pint' like pitcher, that is ivory in color, with a drawing of a Viking ship on it.
It's a Belgian Strong beer @ 10.5% alcohol.

- it came out as a deep fluffy head, with the color of a rootbeer float.
-color is somewhere between amber and dark, but not muddy.
- Vikings deffinately come to mind.
- it has a strong taste, kind of bitter midway in mouth on sides,
- a different type of deeper pepper style spicy, more old fashioned bitter.
- Seasoned Beer Festival Vetrans would possibly enjoy this beer.
- Eating smoked meats, Barvarian smokies, with saurkraut and onions comes to mind, and don't forget the mustard.
This beer would blend in well with those foods.

Happy factor: 80%

Lobcowicz 'D' (#5 testing)

The Czech answer to a Pale Ale, medium color.
Good, goes down smooth.
If you are in Europe, craving a Pale Ale, this would be it.
A bit better than a Pale Ale, I think.

Happy factor: 70% (a bit 'normal').

Tsuyu Noodle stock

KANTO TSUYU:
Konbu 1 piece (10 cm square)
Katsuo tuna fish flakes 30g
Sake 1/2 cup
Mirin 1/2 cup
Soy sauce 1 cup
Sugar 2 TBS

** Makes 1.5 cups.
- 1.5 cups for TSUKE tsuyu, dipping sauce.
- 9 cups for KAKE tsuyu, topping over noodles.

Directions:
1. Cut konbu into 1cm strips. In a pot, add sake and mirin, medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil to rid of alcohol.
Turn off if necessary.
2. Reheat to medium, add sugar and soy sauce.
3. Add konbu and fish flakes. Mix once and stop heat.
Wait 40 minutes.
4. Place 2 layers of paper towel in a colander, strain to get Tsuyu stock.
5. Squeeze the remaining Konbu and Fish flakes.
Place Tsuyu in a clean jar, LASTS 1 WEEK.

When using for TSUYU,
TSUKE.TSUYU = MEN.TSUYU 1 part : 2 parts water.
KAKE.TSUYU = Men.Tsuyu 1 part : 5 parts water.
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**NOTE: With the remaining Konbu and Fish flakes:
TSUKUDA.NII:
Cut konbu with kitchen scissors thinly.
In a pot, add konbu and fish flakes with 1/3 cup mirin, on Medium heat.
Mix and cook 6-7 minutes with chop sticks.
Serve over rice, or put into onigiri rice balls.

---------------------------------------
KANSAI TSUYU:
Water 2 litres
Konbu 1 piece (10x20cm)
Katsuo tuna fish flakes 50g
Usukuchi Light Soy sauce 1/2 cup (not light salt green bottle, but light COLOR)
Salt , about 2 tsp.

** Makes 8 cups,
- 8 cups KAKE tsuyu, topping over noodles.
Directions:
1. Cut Konbu into 3 pieces, then cut 'fingers' into the sides.
Let sit in pot with water for 30 minutes.
Then turn onto medium heat, and cook until Konbu softens and flexes gently in the water.
Take out the Konbu and turn to high heat.
2. Bring to boil, then add Katsuo fish flakes, and turn heat off.
Do not stir. Let sit a while to make the dashi stock.
Use a colander with small holes to drain.
3. Reheat drained soup dashi on medium heat.
Once at a boil, add the light color soy sauce.
Check the taste and slowly add 2 tsp salt. Stop the heat.

STAYS FRESH ONLY 1-2 Days !!!
**REFRIGERATE**

Somen

Bacon and Vegetable Topped Somen

This is one of my favorite summer recipes!

----------------------------------------------------

Not exactly COLD noodles, but close enough!
Serves 4: The hardest part is finished, when ingredients are cut to a visually appealing size.

Ingredients: *Keep items about the same size when cutting : medium *
Somen (thick type) 320g
KAKE Tsuyu (soy dashi, for topping over noodles) 5 cups (*Note: Make your own...)
Bacon 3 slices -- cut to 4cm slices
Tomatoes 3 -- minced 1.5cm pieces
Eggplant small 2 -- cut to 1.5 cm pieces
green pepper small 2 -- seeded, chopped larger pieces
yellow pepper 1/2 -- seeded, chopped larger pieces
round onion 1/2 -- minced 1cm pieces
garlic 2 cloves -- halfed, center stem taken out, thin sliced
Dry red pepper 1 -- deseeded, slice rings
Olive oil 2 TBS
salt, pepper.
Optional basil to garnish.

Directions:
1. Boil water on high. Add somen, quickly add 1/2 cup water, when water reboils, noodles are done.
Drain and rinse in cold water quickly. Drain again. Set on 4 deep plates.

2. Cut bacon, onion, tomato, eggplant, peppers, garlic as above.

3. In frypan, place oil, on low heat, add garlic, cook till browned and crisp. Drain all onto paper towel. Keep frypan as is, unwiped.

4. On half of the frypan, cook dry red pepper slices. When it starts to be fragrant, add bacon, cook to crisp.
Then add Onion, eggplant, peppers, stir. Finally add Tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix.

5. Serve over somen. Top with Tsuyu. Garnish with optional basil.

(I've updated the Hiyashi Chuuka Noodle recipe in a previous post to include Sesame dressing. )