The Ninja Baker - #sushi

Best of Japan in Boulder, CO

NinjaBaker — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:24:33 +0000

Nestled in the mountain town of Boulder, Colorado nature generously gifts you with awe-inspiring beauty. Surprisingly, this born and bred Tokyoite also found an abundance of the nurturing comforts of Japan.

Mountains are majestic but sometimes they can be treacherous beauties. Before launching into the details and delights of Japan in Boulder, I’d like to ask you to say a prayer, send healing energy to those who lost loved ones in the Mount Ontake eruption in Japan. Thank you.

Although Empress Michiko was born a commoner, an aura of royal grace and gentility always surrounds her. In the ‘60s she played tennis with my mom. Yes, Michiko-sama’s dress was impeccable. But there is something so dignified and deep about Empress Michiko that she has forever been a fascination. So, when I learned that Michiko-sama and Emperor Akihito had dinner at Sushi Zanmai in Boulder, you know this Ninja Baker needed to order at least an appetizer from the same restaurant.

One would assume – all right, I assumed – that an establishment serving the Imperial family would be, er, stuffy. Surprise! Sushi Zanmai buzzes with electricity and energy generated by conversations of bright-eyed University of Colorado students and local Boulderites. Undoubtedly the sushi chefs are a huge influence on the atmosphere. Owner, Nao Kanda has assembled a staff of upbeat and seriously talented sushi artisans.

Sushi Chef Keizo Aoi’s hands are reminiscent of piano maestros whose touch of ivory keys brings to life the compositions of Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. His fingers gently prod rice and veggies into exquisite rolls. When slicing sushi, Keizo-san’s motions are deliberate and swift. I’d say he’s perfected the art of sushi-making but Keizo-san says he is still learning after 18 years of experience.

Sushi Zanmai elevates even the humble futomaki to a gourmet sushi roll filled with daikon radish sprouts, shitake mushrooms, pickled (on the premises) carrots and fresh slices of egg omelet.

Montbell brings Boulderites the best in mountaineering equipment and clothing from Japan. Although Montbell is headquartered in the notoriously money-focused city of Osaka, the company’s philanthropic dedication to nature conservation and education makes them an exception to the rule. Last and not least, Montbell has everything – I mean everything – from collapsible chopsticks, tea kettles, cake pans and comfy clothing to make your camping / hiking trip absolutely amazing!

Peppercorn is enchanted with eclectic and eccentric tchotchke trinkets for home and kitchen. The family owned business also sells exquisite dinner sets and tableware suitable for any upscale soiree. Besides, mulling over the myriads of baking tools and contemplating the piles of cookbooks, the Japanese section with bento boxes, belly-filling donburi bowls and authentic ceramics and crafts consistently catch my time and credit card!

Smooch Mochi Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt. Sigh. I am smitten with their mochi ice creams. Each one is an exquisite jewel. So far I’ve tried their sakura (cherry blossom), azuki red bean and green tea mochi ice creams. The sakura is reminiscent of a light cream filling in a cake with a touch of cherry. Accents in the red bean and green tea mochi are stronger and authentically Japanese. Bravo, Smooch! Oh, their plain tart yogurt is Kosher certified and out-of-this world yummy, too!

Minutes away from the shopping center on 30th and Arapahoe in Boulder picturesque scenes of bales of hay and horses await. I’m so grateful to easily enjoy the countryside and obtain Pocky, Bontan rice candy (and more Japanese products) at King Soopers supermarket. And to top it off, Ripple Yogurt, which sells scrumptious green tea gelato yogurt and Mandarin orange yogurt, is right next door! (I also love that owners Jamie and David are dedicated to using only natural ingredients and opt for organic whenever possible.)

Here are a few more resources for the Best of Japan in Boulder:

Japanese Tea: Ku Cha and Dushanbe Teahouse
Interior Design with a Japanese Accent : Eiko Okura Interior Designs
(P.s. Eiko Okura-san’s sensitivity, warmth and knowledge is priceless. Yes, I speak from experience.)
Japanese food staples….The biggest variety is found in Denver at the Pacific Mercantile Company. Good news: The drive is short and surrounded by spacious skies and snowcapped Rocky Mountains.

Bicycle and walking paths abound in Boulder, CO.

Wishing you the best of life in everyday.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

Vegan California Sushi Roll, #International Food Challenge

NinjaBaker — Sat, 31 May 2014 02:01:10 +0000

California sushi rolls allegedly cropped up in LA’s Little Tokyo in the 1960s. The California roll is a made-in-America invention. Avocados with sushi, mayonnaise with tuna, canned Spam on white rice are creations of the West.

The Ninja Baker's California Sushi Rolls

In ‘60s and ‘70s Japan, going to a sushi restaurant was like visiting a 3-Star Michelin restaurant in Paris. Every detail bowed its head to history and tradition. I remember fresh fish smells blending with the clean scent of purified Japanese stone gardens and bamboo. It was a very special outing. Raw fish with a spot of wasabi (a Japanese version of horseradish) was dipped into a soupçon of soy sauce. Today, the sky’s the limit. California rolls, spicy mayo, tempura sushi and all other strains of creativity are served…in creatively designed modern establishments with J-Pop music blaring!

California Sushi Rolls: What's your favorite sushi bar order?

Time has also danced in greater notoriety for sushi. When I arrived in LA, in the early '80s, sushi was the great intrigue of the day. Sushi restaurants were scattered here and there. Now sushi – and California rolls – are just about as ubiquitous in LA as Starbucks!

North America California Cuisine is this month's International Food Challenge.

What started me waltzing down memory lane was this month’s International Food Challenge of North America California Cuisine. The International Food Challenges are a joint effort of sharing passions for all world cuisines started by Sara from Sara’s Yummy Bites and Shobana from Kitchen Secrets and Snippets. Feel free to click on their Facebook Group which announces the events and challenges each month. (The next challenge will be announced on June 1.)

Each month, a different host is assigned; for this challenge, I would like to thank my darling Australian friend, Joanne of What’s On The List? You know how some people light up the room when they walk in? Well, coupled with her propensity for giggle evoking comments, Joanne has an enthusiasm for culinary endeavors which is positively contagious!

Flying around the culinary world with the
International Food Challenge...and taking a bite out of the North America California Cuisine with vegan California sushi!

California sushi rolls are my contribution to the North America California Cuisine challenge. The contrast of the creamy avocado slices and the crunchy cucumbers, the sweet carrots and seasoned rice all combine to make a very happy-making bite! Hope you have fun with this tasty challenge, too.

Vegan California Sushi Roll

A mosaic of flavors and textures are embraced in this vegan California sushi roll. If you like a bit of protein, add crab meat. It plays very well with crunchy veggies and creamy avocado.

Methods for making California sushi rolls may differ but the result is always tasty. Here’s another recipe that could be helpful. You choose.

This recipe is inspired by the Low Fat Vegan Chef.

Ingredients:

For 1 sushi roll:

1½ cups cooked white short grain sushi rice (You'll have lots leftover if you make only one sushi roll.)
1 sheet dried seaweed nori (or soy paper)
¾ tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
(or ¾ tablespoon rice vinegar plus a sprinkling of sugar and pinch of salt)
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced and steamed
1 medium Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced (or an English cucumber)
½ avocado, thinly sliced

Directions:

Tips:

Wrap up your sushi bamboo-rolling mat with plastic wrap.
Keep a small bowl of water available to wet your fingers.

1. Smother a very thin layer of rice onto the mat.
2. Cover with nori.
3. Insert the veggies.
4. Using the plastic wrap, gently roll up the rice, nori and veggies.
5. Slice and do some California dreamn.’

Wishing you challenges which delight your mind and taste buds!

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaking.com Savories on Pinterest.

Tags:

#sushi

#CaliforniaRoll

#International Food Challenge

#Recipe

Shrimp Scampi & Sushi, #SundaySupper, #FamilyDinnerTable

NinjaBaker — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 21:52:14 +0000

This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.

Shrimp scampi and sushi sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it did to me until I discovered the truth: Scampi and sushi are easy to make! Admittedly, they are not the masterpieces made by master chefs Lidia Bastianich and Jiro Ono-sama. But the Ninja Baker’s scampi and sushi are pretty enough and plenty tasty.

Baby Roma tomatoes crown shrimp scampi.

Shrimp are admittedly pricey for many families. However, if you make scampi you can stretch your treasured purchase into two meals. With the leftovers of the Italian-American born scampi, you can create Japanese sired shrimp sushi. Toss in a rainbow of veggies with the shrimp; even fussy eaters will fill themselves on greens and good-for-you stuff. After all the scampi base starts with a base of olive oil, butter, garlic and onions. Who can resist that flavor combo? Plus, if you serve scampi over steaming rice, the olive oil and butter also gently coats the grains.

Shrimp sushi made from leftover scampi.

Both the rice and scampi shrimp and vegetables can be used the next day for sushi. Although the buttery, olive oil grains are tasty, I was compelled to stay true to traditional sushi roll making. So, I sprinkled in rice vinegar, sugar and salt. My fantabulous cooking friend, Takako-san recommends for every 1 cup of rice, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, ¾ tablespoon sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt. The butter in the scampi rice already makes it sweet, so I added only ¾ teaspoon sugar. As in all cooking, season to make your own taste buds smile.

Shrimp Scampi

The white wine provides a symphony of sweetness that combines well with the shrimp. Alcohol content does reduce when cooking. But, if you do have concerns, use white grape juice with a squeeze of lemon as a substitute.

Also, fiery red pepper flakes add heat to the scampi. However, if you and your family prefer tear-watering spices, add more.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup baby Roma tomatoes
½ of a large yellow pepper, sliced thin
6 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound shelled, deveined, pre-cooked shrimp
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
2 or 3 sprinkles of Kosher salt
A dash or 2 of black pepper
Steamed rice

Directions:

On the stovetop, in a large skillet melt the butter with the oil.
Add the tomatoes, sliced peppers, scallions, and garlic, red pepper flakes. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined.
Add the shrimp, wine and parsley flakes. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over hot rice.

Here’s the sushi how-to:

As pictured, on a plastic wrap covered bamboo sushi mat, spread rice on top of dried seawood (nori) at the top of the mat. Scatter shrimp and veggies from the scampi recipe onto the rice.

Wrapping your sushi in soy paper is a great alternative to dried seaweed.

Roll and press into a log.

With a gentle pressure, roll from the top of the sushi mat.

Cut into little sushi.

Scrumptious shrimp sushi!

Other yummy sushi roll fillers and budget stretchers are leftover Sunday Supper meals such as Gomoku Treasure Rice and Quick ‘n Easy Asian-Style Quinoa. What's your favorite filling for a sushi roll? By the way, if you happen to have a few extra shrimp, you can always make shrimp curry. And then make curry shrimp sushi from those leftovers!

My guess it that you also have a creative way to use leftovers. Or a dish that your family repeatedly requests. American Family Insurance is offering an opportunity to publish your recipe in an e-book along with $100 Williams-Sonoma gift certificates. They are encouraging families to gather together for meals with a Back to the Table campaign. Perhaps your winning recipe will be the one to draw a family back to the dinner table.

American Family Insurance is having a “Share Your Recipe” sweepstakes for 6 weeks with a weekly prize is a $100 Williams-Sonoma gift card plus a grand prize of a $500 Williams-Sonoma gift card. For details visit: https://contests.amfam.com/familydinnertable/

Further information about the good people at American Family Insurance can be found at their website, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

For more delicious ways to eat up those leftovers, scroll down to see recipes from other members of the #SundaySupper family:

Apple Cider Braised Pork Roast by Magnolia Days
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf by girlichef
Baked Barbecue Chicken by Alida's Kitchen
Brined and Roasted Turkey by Growin Up Gabel
Chicken Cacciatore by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Cider Braised Pork Belly by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs with Homemade Tomato Sauce by Neighborfood
Coffee Rubbed Ham by Curious Cuisiniere
Glazed Ham with Bonus Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes & Ham by The Foodie Army Wife
Herb Crusted Roast Beef by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Herbed Pork Loin on Spaetzle by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Picadillo-Stuffed Chiles Rellenos by Foxes Love Lemons
Pork Tinga by Juanita's Cocina
Roast Psycho Chicken by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Shrimp Scampi & Sushi by NinjaBaking.com
Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken by In The Kitchen With KP
Slow-Cooker BBQ-Rubbed Turkey Breast by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Spicy Turkey Meatloaf by Runner's Tales
Sunday Supper Spicy Portuguese Pulled Pork by Family Foodie

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

Wishing you dishes and conversations with family and friends that warm your heart – and tummy!

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags: