Sushi, That’s How We Roll.

Ja-Roen's Sushi Area.

 "You know, the kind with seaweed wrapping

I can never seem to get enough,

So get your hands off my sushi man

  Roll it up!

Got chopsticks to hold it up

Dip it in wasabi if you're bold enough

Cuz I love, I love sushi"

The Sushi Song

Song by Romeo Eats and Walk off the Earth ‧ 2021

 

When we hear the term “sushi”, automatically we think of Japan, raw fish, sticky rice, soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.  Well, in the Cokenour household, we do, and when we have a craving for it, it’s to Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi, here in Monticello, that we run to.  But there is more to sushi than the simple items I just mentioned.

While Japan comes to mind immediately, the origin of sushi, or the art of preserving fish in fermented rice, began in the Mekong River region.  “Narezushi” spread to other countries that the river flowed through; China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before reaching Japan by the 8^th century.  The more evolved presentations, that we see in today’s restaurants, developed during the Edo Period (16^th to 19^th centuries).  As England and America began to explore Japan, the cuisine of this mysterious new country was also investigated thoroughly.

Quick, when you hear the word sushi, what do you immediately imagine?  There are many types of sushi, and not all come in a rolled form.

Traditional Sushi Types:

Nigiri: A small oblong of hand-pressed rice topped with a slice of raw fish or other seafood.

Maki (or Makizushi): Sushi rice and fillings rolled in seaweed (nori) and sliced into rounds.

Sashimi: While often served with sushi, it is not technically sushi as it is just thinly sliced raw fish or meat with no rice.

Temaki: A cone-shaped roll with seaweed filled with rice and other ingredients.

Chirashi: A bowl of seasoned rice topped with a variety of scattered ingredients, often including fish and vegetables.

Uramaki: A type of maki roll where the rice is on the outside of the seaweed.

Inarizushi: Sushi rice in a seasoned, deep-fried tofu pouch.

Oshizushi: A type of pressed sushi made by pressing the ingredients into a mold, creating a rectangular block of sushi.

Gunkan: A type of nigiri with a band of seaweed wrapped around the rice to form a cup, which is then filled with soft, loose, or finely chopped ingredients like sea urchin or fish roe.

Temari: A small, ball-shaped sushi that is often made for special occasions.

Is sushi healthy?  Yes and no, and it all depends on, not just any illness you may have, like diabetes or gastrointestinal issues, but also the quality of the ingredients used.

Ah, the rice, it’s a main component when creating sushi, but can any type of rice be used? 

The best rice for sushi is short-grain Japanese (or "japonica") white rice due to its high starch content which makes it sticky enough to be molded into the correct shape.  If short grain is unavailable, medium grain can be used in a pinch, but using long grain rice ensures a total failure.

Master Sushi Chef Dos, and his wife, Fon.

 

Recently, I was honored to be able to take a sushi making lesson with Ja-Roen’s master chef, Dos.  He has been creating his masterpieces for 24 years, and can be seen working alongside his wife, Fon.  Palm, Ja-Roen’s most excellent manager, assisted with my lesson; hey, put a sharp knife in my hand and who knows where it will fly off to!  My hubby, Roy, chose the roll that I would be creating…The Spider Roll.  This is a soft-shelled crab (shipped in from Thailand), done up tempura style, slices of avocado and English style cucumber (less moisture, so holds its shape when cut).  Toppings over the roll are unagi sauce (aka eel sauce) and mayo; along with flying fish roe (bright orange-red color).

Hair tied back, gloves on (a dab of mayo rubbed on them keeps the rice from sticking to the gloves), makisu (the sushi mat) down, and a square of nori (seaweed sheet) on top.  Most important step begins with measuring the rice, 130 grams (approx. 2/3 cup), and using a food scale will get the perfect measurement.  It is placed on the center of the nori and stretched out to the left and right edges; half the rice is then spread upwards, till about a half inch from the edge, and a couple of bits of rice are mashed to the edge to create a type of “glue”.  The other half of the rice is spread downwards, again, about a half inch from the edge.  The rice should be spread that none of the nori is visible underneath without mashing the rice.  The crab, which was cut in half lengthwise, is placed in the center, and the legs should stick outside the end of the nori.  Two slices each, of avocado and cucumber, end to end, on top of the crab.

 

Soft Shell Crab

Spreading the rice.

Add Avocado and Cucumber Slices.

Now the scariest parts of all, for me at least, was the rolling and knife cuts.  Dos had already demonstrated each step, and I paid attention like a deer caught in headlights.  When it comes to the rolling, the trickiest part is making sure to do it evenly, and not put too much pressure.  Once rolled, then comes the knife cuts, and while I have very good knife skills, I am no master!  Estimate, as close as possible, the center of the roll, place knife down, begin to cut downward (not too much pressure!), then a sort of see-saw motion quickly.  Now there are two halves; with one half, cut off one section, about a half inch; then cut the remainder of the roll in half, and cut those two halves in half.  Repeat with second half of the original roll, and now there are ten sections, hopefully all evenly cut.  Being a nervous nelly, and being scared I would squash the roll, I sometimes did not cut the nori all the way through. 

Apply Even Pressure.

 

Begin Rolling.

 

Ready to be Cut.

Lining up the pieces next to each other, the mat is used to “repress” them into the proper shape before plating.  That was fun, making the pieces stand or lean prettily, decorating with the sauces and roe, but the best part of all was…the eating!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut Roll in Half.

Cut 1st Piece off 1st Half.

Cut Pieces Evenly as Possible.

Plating. 

Now for the condiments and sauces.

Begin Plating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickled Ginger and Wasabi in one corner.

 

Unagi Sauce and Mayo.

Sprinkle on Flying Fish Roe.

 

My Spider Roll (front view)

 

My Spider Roll (back view)

 

All in all, what I thought would be a scarily difficult food creation ended up being much easier, and definitely less terrifying, than I thought it would be.  Chef Dos and Palm were very patient, and most excellent instructors.  It made me feel so much more confident to hear Chef Dos say, that, for a first time, I didn’t do too badly.  Oh, the spider roll…this was the most delicious one ever, especially since I had made it.

In the mood for sushi, after reading this; Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi (380 S Main St, Monticello, UT 84535; (435) 587-4000) are open Mon-Wed: 11am-3pm, 4pm-9:30pm, and Thurs-Sat: 11am-9:30pm.  Last seating is at 9pm.

Cucumber Roll pairs nicely with Spider Roll.

 

 

 

 

Cucumber Roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Ja-Roen has extended their drink menus (see photos below) and locals get a 5% discount!

Coffees, Tea, Juice, Water.

Boba(Bubble) Tea, Soft Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Beer.

 

 

When it comes to excellent service, atmosphere and Thai/Japanese cuisines; you MUST check out Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Home Chef Experiences Home Chef.

This is a review of Home Chef, a meal kit and food delivery company.

Several weeks ago, the Kroger company (we know them as City Market around here) offered an online deal for Home Chef.  For those not in the know, Home Chef is one of those companies that provides meal delivery services.  Meals can be premade to be microwaved or cooked in the oven, or come as kits where you do all the prep work and cooking.  Home Chef hit the market in 2013, and was purchased by Kroger in 2018.  Now we know why Kroger pushes the online site, and also offers meals, ready to cook, in their deli departments.

The offer I went for was $80 towards meal purchases plus free shipping on the first order.  To complete the offer, I was required to pick out three meals, with two servings in each. There are categories of: Meal Kits, Family Meals, Express, Oven Ready, Fresh & Fast plus extra categories of: Lunch, Bundle & Save, and Extras (breakfast, soups, snacks, beverages, drinks, pantry and protein).  

 

Alright, my purpose for trying this out was, well, I do not always want to cook, I want convenience.  Shocking, I know.  Looking at the oven ready selections was a bust as they were already recipes created by myself, such as parmesan chicken or lasagna.  Why in the world would I want to buy someone else’s version of it?  Looks like convenience was not on my to-do list, so ended up with three meal kits: Teriyaki Glazed Yellowtail, Bacon Crusted Trout and Creamy Pesto Chicken Flautas.   Roy and I truly enjoy eating seafood, so the first two were a given, and attempting another Mexican dish sounded like fun. 

 

Servings for each kit start around $7.99 and can get very, very pricey if you select anything from the “Culinary Collection”.  The size of each serving is basically what is recommended by dietary practitioners, and eating only that serving, plus exercise, you will be a runway model in no time.  In our household, my husband considered both portions as a single serving (I did get to taste a few forkfuls), and off to work he went.  I, on the other hand, dug through the refrigerator and found leftovers to have for my dinner.   That is our household, so do not judge by our way of eating which is not always in a healthy manner.

Honestly, this kind of meal service is perfect for, say, a single person who might like to cook, but not the time to shop; or is seeking convenience.  Might work for a couple too; definitely not us, as a couple, though.  Price?  First let me get back to the deal I went for.  The first order received $40 credit, out of the initial $80, but was charging for shipping.  I contacted customer service about why no free shipping on the first order.  A very nice gentleman explained it was an error, corrected my bill, so what would have costed me about $75, ended up costing only $30.  However, the $40 credit that should have still been available, well I got some cow patty excuse that the offer was a mistake.  Excuse me, but what? 

Secondly, on price, this is the kind of service that is for, again, convenience, so you are going to pay for that privilege.  Unless you do not mind spending way more for meal ingredients, than you would at your local market or supermarket, this might be a good deal.  For those who have to live within a budget, this type of service is a way to break your personal piggy bank to smithereens.

My Home Chef account is now on “pause”, you cannot cancel the account unless you call customer service and speak with a representative.  This will be an interesting conversation in the future, let me tell you! (Note: as of Feb 1, I was able to cancel the account via email)

Consider what I have just written as the pros and cons of dealing with a meal delivery service. 

Now, I bet you are wondering, after having to prep and cook the meals myself, how did they taste?  Did we just waste $30 on an experiment, or get three good meals for a bargain?

The measured portions for each meal come in a little baggy, the protein is in a separate baggy, and the directions on a laminated sheet, that can be inserted into a binder, Home Chef includes.  The ingredients are separated into packets or containers, with their name written, so you know what is what.  Following the easy directions (photos included), prep took little time, cooking time was accurate.  The recipe is also printed on the sheet, so if you collect the sheets, you can make the dish if you purchase ingredients from the market.  Each serving took up the space of a smaller, than standard, sized dinner plate.  However, if you place the serving on a dessert sized plate, well it looks like a king-sized meal to enjoy. 

 

Taste wise, the meals were delicious, the seasonings were spot on, and the sides are perfect accompaniments to the proteins.  With the teriyaki glazed yellowtail (aka snapper), there were four portions of rice to only two portions of fish.  Thankfully, some leftover chicken, from the fridge, helped to create two more meals.  In other words, the amount of rice/veggie mixture was, basically, filler.

 

 

 

 

Saute edamame and Portabello mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pan cook seasoned yellowtail.

 

Enough rice side leftover to make two more meals.

Single serving.

Two servings.

Live a little, learn a lot, and that is how I am grading our experience with Home Chef.

Mary Cokenour

Chinese New Year of the Wood Dragon

For 2024, the lunar cycles have brought the Chinese New Year to fall on Saturday, February 10^th.  In China, this is a special public holiday, so workers will be given off from February 9^th to the 15^th.  There will be colorful festivals, mind blowing fireworks displays, lion and dragon dancers winding their way throughout the throngs of celebrators, and food delicacies as far as the eye can see, and the stomach can fill.

Of the twelve animals of the zodiac, this is the year of the dragon who represents health, strength, and good fortune.  If one is born in a dragon year (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024), it is believed the individual will have the innate qualities of the dragon (leadership, charisma, and boundless enthusiasm).  If conceived and born within the same year, the chances double, in other words, the child is doubly blessed by the zodiac animal.

Besides the zodiac animals, one of the five elements (earth, wood, fire, metal, and water) is assigned to a year.  2024 is the year of the wood dragon and symbolizes humanity’s aspiration to achieve, progress, grow, and expand.  Perhaps the wood dragon can get the world’s nations to finally grow up, stop acting like spoiled brats, and work together for a united/beneficial-to-all world.  We can only hope.  Also, on this note, I would highly recommend making the effort to read the ancient stories and poetry of China.  While many can explain the basis of a warrior nation (and whose nation was not like that at some point in history?), others tell tales of deep emotions full of love, hope and dreams.

During the feasts, red envelopes, called hongbao, are given out as tokens of good wishes.  The red color symbolizes luck, life and happiness.  These are also given out at weddings, and typically, depending on the occasion, there are designated amounts expected to be given.

Now here comes the menu for this year:

§  Fish and seafood: favorite treats of a fire-breathing Dragon.

§  Red meat (pork, beef): for a rich New Year's table.

§  Poultry (turkey, duck, goose): for wealth and luxury.

§  Spices of garlic, hot red pepper, ginger, cloves, and anise to fire up a dragon’s tongue.

§  Fresh fruits which must include tangerines and oranges.

So, to honor the wood dragon, and appease his appetite, here is my offering of a roasted pork rice bowl.

 

Roasted Pork Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless pork roast, or pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

1 Tbsp. smoky paprika

¼ cup sesame oil

¼ cup soy sauce

2 cups bell pepper strips (mixture of red, yellow and green)

2 cups onion strips

Fried Rice or Jasmine Rice

Preparation:

Score top and bottom of pork with diagonal cuts to create diamond pattern.  Mix together salt, pepper and paprika and rub on all sides of pork.  Mix together oil and soy sauce, again rubbing into all sides of pork.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for six hours.

Preheat oven to 425F; set wire rack into small roasting pan. 

Heat medium sized skillet, on high, and sear all sides and edges of the pork.  Place onto wire rack, and roast pork for 50 to 60 minutes; until internal temperature reaches 145F.  Remove from oven and let pork rest 10 minutes before slicing.

 

 

 

For the bell pepper and onion strips, heat stir-fry oil in large skillet, or Wok, on high heat.  Sauté vegetables until softened, but do not brown or burn; about 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

In bowl, place one cup cooked rice, 4-5 thinly cut slices of pork and 2 heaping tablespoons of pepper/onion mixture.

 

Fried Rice

Makes 8 servings.

 

While jasmine rice can be store bought, I have discovered that creating my own version, using jasmine green tea, gives deeper flavoring and scent to the rice.

Jasmine Green Tea Infused Rice

To make rice, in a 3-quart pan, place 8 cups of cold water, ½ tsp. salt, 2 teabags of jasmine green tea.  Set heat to high and bring to a boil.  Remove tea bags and add 4 cups uncooked, medium grain, white rice; stir, reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.  Remove lid, let rice rest for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork.

Makes 8 servings.

Happy Chinese New Year, and may the year of the Wood Dragon bring us all much good luck, health and fortune.

Mary Cokenour