Fabulous Hibachi Experience

While visiting with my dad's family during Christmas vacation, we went to a Japanese Steakhouse. The restaurant was named Shang Hai Ichiban located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their are 3 sections to the restaurant, each a different kind of food. Japanese, Chinese, and Sushi. We went to the Japanese part of the restaurant. It is a Hibachi style restaurant. Hibachi is when you get your personal chef and they cook your food right in front of your eyes. There is large griddle in the center of the table, and that is were the chef cooks your food. The griddle is big enough for you to make dozens of pancakes. The link below will lead you right to the home page of the Shang Hai Ichiban restaurant.

We were seated at a table which was a half square and the chef and the stove was in the middle. I think the best spot to sit was in the front of the chef because he gave out tastes and extra samplings of food. Our chef threw in a couple of pranks. The chef threw out pieces of leftover shrimp for us to catch in our mouthes. I had a very bad but funny experience trying to catch a piece of shrimp in my mouth. While trying to catch a piece of shrimp, I leaned too far back in my chair and fell right over. I didn't even get the piece of shrimp. While cooking our food, the chef really showed off his knife skills. I wonder if he had tons of safety training for that. Our meal started off with a very good bowl of soup and then our chef started cooking our dinner right in front of your eyes. I had a very fun time with my family there. Hibachi style restaurants can be found really anywhere. I would go back to that Hibachi restaurant anytime I was able.

http://www.shanghaiichiban.com/

Caramelized Pear Upside-Down Cake

This is a great dessert for when pears are in season or grown locally. My mom made this cake for a dinner with some guests. If you are really hoping for a good cake that does not look like a birthday cake. Once you put the pears on the cake the top will look like a palm tree on the coast of Hawaii. This cake would go perfectly with a couple teaspoons of whipped cream. Homemade not store bought. You can find millions of recipes for whipped cream on the internet. The cake is so good that you might catch yourself eating it for breakfast. You might think that a little ice cream would also be good with this but I would choose whipped cream other ice cream for this dessert.

Softened unsalted butter for the pan

For the topping
2 medium firm-ripe Bosc pears (about 1 lb.)
1 recipe Basic Caramel
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the cake
6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs

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Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x2-inch round cake pan (don't use a springform pan, as the caramel might leak out during baking). Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment and butter the top of the paper.

Make the topping
Peel, core, and cut the pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices on the bottom of the pan in a circle around the edge, overlapping them slightly, with the pointed ends towards the center. If necessary, cut a little off the pointed ends to make the slices fit better. Or if the pear slices don't reach all the way to the middle, arrange a few of the shorter slices in the center to cover the bottom of the pan.
Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 4 Tbs. of butter one piece at a time, until they are completely melted. Carefully pour the hot caramel evenly over the pears (it should spread over the pears and onto the bottom of the pan).

Make the cake batter
Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the brown sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix until lightened in texture and color, 2 to 3 minutes total. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture in five additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix each addition just enough to incorporate, as overmixing will lead to a tougher cake. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and mix briefly to blend well.

Bake the cake
Spoon the batter in large dollops over the pears and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn a cake plate upside down on top of the cake pan and, using pot holders, carefully invert the cake pan onto the plate.

West African Peanut Soup With Chicken

My mom made this soup one night and it was amazing. This soup is a great winter dinner for the family. This soup can be eaten during the whole year. Even summer. When you take a sip of the soup you will feel so good. One thing they do not list in the recipe is bread. Bread and soups are a great combination. If you dip the bread into the soup for about 15 seconds it will be come soft. You might want to use the bread like a sponge to soak up this delicious soup. One strange ingredient that is in this soup is peanut butter. You might not think of peanut butter being a good soup ingredient but it does add an incredible flavor.
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken (about 2 thighs or breasts) cut into chunks
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups stock or water
2 sweet potatoes or yams (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thick slices
8 plum tomatoes, cored and halved (canned are fine; drain and reserve liquid for another use)
1/2 pound collards or kale, washed and cut into wide ribbons
1/4 to 1/2 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth.
1. Chop peanuts, or crush them with the side of a knife, or pulse them in a food processor to chop roughly.
2. Put oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat; a minute later, add onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes, until just coloring. Add 1/2 cup peanuts and the cayenne and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the stock and the sweet potatoes, bring to a boil, and turn heat down to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently. Stir in tomatoes and collards, then cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter. Taste, adjust seasoning (you may want to add more peanut butter at this point) and serve, garnished with remaining peanuts.

Simple Fried Rice

My mom made this fried rice and it was really good. It was also homemade which sometimes makes it better than take-out. I always love making fried rice. Our family bought a wok recently. Fried Rice can be made with any vegetables, meats, and whatever you think of putting in it.

Simple Fried Rice
1 medium onion, halved from pole to pole; each half cut into 6 wedges
4 to 6 ounces meat of choice, cooked or raw, cut into bite-size pieces
4 to 6 ounces vegetable of choice, cooked or raw, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups cooked rice
4 scallions, white and green parts, minced

1. Set a heavy-bottomed 12-inch nonstick or cast iron skillet over low heat while preparing meat, vegetable, garlic, and eggs. Marinate the meat in 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Three to four minutes from making the fried rice, increase the heat to high and turn on the exhaust fan.

2. Put 1 tablespoon of oil and the onion in the skillet; stir-fry until the onion is still crisp but starts to turn brown, about 1 minute. Add the raw meat or vegetable; stir-fry until crisp-tender for vegetables or lightly browned for meat, about 1 minute. Add the cooked meat or vegetable; stir-fry until lightly browned, about 1 minute longer. (If both meat and vegetables are raw or cooked, stir-fry the meat first, giving it a little head start.) Stir in the garlic, then transfer the mixture to a plate; set aside.

3. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in the skillet; heat until shimmering. Add the rice; stir-fry, breaking up clumps, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the egg; stir until scrambled, about 1 minute. Return the meat/vegetable mixture, along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and the scallions, to the pan and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Thanksgiving Meal 2011

This year my mom's family was in town from New Jersey to enjoy Thanksgiving with us. They arrived on Tuesday and left on Saturday. The turkey, which my dad made, was amazing. A lot of people were involved in making the Thanksgiving meal. My dad made the turkey, my mom made the corn pudding, my aunt made the roasted vegetables and salad, my brother and I made the stuffing, My cousin Nell chopped and pealed much of the produce that went into the meal, my uncle made the mashed potatoes, and my uncle made the pies with my mom. The house was full of flavors from the cooking of every dish. The turkey was so juicy. Having one bite of everything, made me feel like I was in heaven of food. The turkey was stuffed with handfuls of herbs. My dad didn't put any stuffing in the bird which made the bird incredibly good with just the herbs. In other blog posts I will post about all of the wonderful sides we had with the turkey. Everybody did something in the kitchen to make the Thanksgiving meal a great one.

The Best donuts Ever!

This donut shop in Grand Marais, Minnesota is the best. They have at least 15 kinds of donuts made at once. It is located right by the water of Lake Superior. This is a small shop but it is worth stopping by there if you are traveling the North Shore in Minnesota. The donut shop is called "The Worlds Best Donuts". They have glazed donuts, dipped donuts, and along with a few more varieties. I have been there twice and I have almost fainted each time when I had my first bite of my donut. The donut shop is right by the Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais MN, which I mentioned in one of my other posts. The link below will get you right to the website of the Worlds Best Donut Shop.

http://www.worldsbestdonutsmn.com/

The Angry Trout Cafe

This cafe is one of the best fish restaurants in Minnesota. The fish is caught right in Lake Superior which is about 25 feet away from the restaurant. There are about 4 docks that you can walk out on and see the boats that they use to catch your meal. This restaurant is in Grand Marais, Minnesota. It is about 110 miles away from Downtown Duluth. The restaurant also gets some of the fish they use to prepare the meals from The Dockside Fish Market next door. The Dockside smokes their own fish and has a little dinning area inside. We happened to try their Whitefish spread that was outstanding on a fresh baguette. The fish market gives some of the fish it catches to the Angry Trout next door. I will post both links one to the Angry Trout and one to The Dockside fish market next door.

http://www.angrytroutcafe.com/

http://www.docksidefishmarket.com/