Kaiseki at Sugiyama New York City

Delimilli had a kaiseki adventure in New York City at Sugiyama.

Waiting in anticipation.

First Course: A cold plate consisting of cooked shrimp, a slice of sweet omelette, crispy whole baby crab, a delicate slice of fishcake, jellied plum, preserved plum, dried and crispy anchovies and edamame.

Second Course: Sashimi platter along with a succulent oyster.

Third course: Light broth with soy sheet and a sakura shaped fish cake.

Fourth course: Grilled seafood over hot stone.

Fifth course: Braised seafood tofu.

Final course: Japanese seafood sticky rice with a side of delicious clam miso.

Hari Raya 2013

Delimilli had a Hari Raya party recently and cooked up a storm in the kitchen! Hari Raya staples include Sayur Lodeh, Rendang and Lontong, using recipes from James Oseland's fantastic cookbook: Cradle of Flavors and supplemented with Ros' mom's family secrets. (Photo Credit: Regina K)

Sayur Lodeh

Rendang

Lontong

Josephine's Mushroom Flan

Josephine's Mushroom Flan

Soak the dried mushrooms.

Panfrying sliced ginger.

Break eggs and add sauces.

Ready for the steamer.

Cover before steaming.

Beef Rendang ('Rendang Daging')

Beef Rendang is one of the most exquisite of Indonesian dishes. The ingredients used boast the best that South East Asia has to offer... Ginger, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, coconut. Below are the pictures we took in preparation of this special dish.

Ingredients: Shallots, ginger, fresh chillies, tumeric, lemon grass.

All chopped up for blending in the food processor.

A lovely puree.

Toasting shredded coconut.

Toasted until golden brown then blended in the food processor.

Preparing olive oil on the pan.

Lemongrass gets pounded a little, friend in hot oil to give fragrance. The spice puree is then added, releasing a lovely aroma of spices.

Sliced beef (chuck) is added.

Add the coconut milk in, and left to cook for 1-2 hrs. in James Oseland's words, an amazing transformation begins. I was fascinated.

The liquids start to reduce. Add kaffir lime leaves.

A delicious reward at the end of the process.

Malay Yellow Rice ('Nasi Kunyit')

'Nasi Kunyit' means 'yellow rice' in Malay. It is a very special dish in the Malay custom as it is often cooked to commemorate an occasion of thanksgiving such as a special anniversary, a religious occasion or the completion of the milestone in one's life such as the completion of a course of studies. It is usually served along another very special Malay dish called 'rendang' which I will feature on the next post.

Nasi Kunyit is usually cooked in the confines of one's home; then wrapped in fresh banana leaves along with a serving of beef rendang, fresh sliced cucumbers and a hard boiled egg. These packets are usually distributed to friends and family - who receive this offering with much happiness; for this is such a special treat as it is truly a dying art. (See previous post - how it was done in Singapore for me.)

My mom cooked this dish for me in Singapore as our thanksgiving on the occasion of the completion of my MSF degree in Chicago. It was truly very special for me; as it took special effort on my 74-year old mom. (Thank you Mak! I love you very much.) 

I decided to make some for myself and Connie in Chicago; partly for our own thanksgiving occasion - but partly also to make sure that this tradition is kept alive.

The most formal version of this dish uses glutinous rice ('sticky' rice as it is called in North America). Unfortunately, we were unable to source glutinous rice and had used calrose rice instead. Nonetheless, the end result certainly did not disappoint and we are happy to share the recipe below with you. Stay tuned to Part II of this series, as we share with you a complex yet delicate authentic Beef Rendang dish that will showcase the beautiful spices of South East Asia! - Ros

Ingredients

- 2 cups of rice

- 1 tin of light coconut milk

- 1 tbsp turmeric powder

- Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Clean the rice with water. 

2. Soak the rice in sufficient water as below. Add in 1 tbsp of turmeric powder to the water and stir. Let it soak for about 6 hours.

3. Drain the water. The rice should be nice and yellow in color as per below.
4. Place the rice on fresh banana leaves if available. If not, wax paper is a good replacement. This is then placed on a flat dish; ready for steaming.
5. Steam the rice. 

6. When the rice is 75% cooked, take the rice out and place it it a deep bowl.
7. Add a dash of salt to the coconut milk, then mix the salt in. (Adjust salt to taste)
8. Pour the salted coconut milk onto the rice, then mix.

9. Place the rice back on the banana leaves / wax paper and put it back in the steamer.
10. Continue steaming the rice until it is completely cooked.