Cold Soba (Zarusoba)
Serves 6
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500g/1 pound dried Soba noodles
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400ml/13.5ozs bottle of Soba dipping sauce
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1/2 cup finely sliced Spring onions/shallots
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2 tablespoons Sesame oil
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1 Dried seaweed sheet (Nori) cut into little matchsticks
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3 tablespoons Sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan until golden
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A small amount of Wasabi according to taste
Step 1 - In a large pot of boiling water (no need to salt), cook soba noodles as directed on the packet (about 4-5 minutes), just al dente, not too soft on a simmer not a rolling boil like pasta). Plunge in a bowl of ice water to cool immediately and once cooled, strain OR just run cold water over them immediately until cold and strain. Ensure that the water runs clear, you may have to rinse this a few times.
Step 2 - When ready to serve, place soba noodles on a dish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced seaweed strips with wasabi on the side. In a separate bowl, place Soba dipping sauce, sesame oil and thinly sliced spring onions. Dip the refreshingly cold soba into the sauce and slurp heartily.
NB the Soba can be cooked ahead of time earlier in the day and chilled until ready to eat (ensure all water is strained). As long as you've washed out the starch it should be ok. Just re-rinse under cold water and drain to refresh.
Ozoni Soup
Recipe makes 4-6 servings if served with an entree
Ingredients
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4-6 teaspoons dashi powder (or stock powder)
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1/4 cup soy sauce
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1.5 litres/1.5 quarts of water
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1 stick of Naruto Maki Fish cake (available at Japanese grocery stores)
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1 packet of Fried Age Fish cake ("Age" means fried not old, available at Japanese grocery stores)
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2 medium carrots sliced into flowers
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18 snow peas
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18 dried shiitake mushrooms
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12 mochi rice cakes (I prefer round for a soup)
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Shallots/spring onions to serve
Directions
Step 1 - Soak shiitake in a bowl of warm water until soft. Reserve soaking liquid.
Step 2 - Slice carrots into a flower shape or whatever shape you wish and top and tail snowpeas. Slice stick of Naruto Maki Fish Cake into thin discs.
Step 3 - Put 1.5 litres/quarts of water to boil and add dashi and shiitake mushrooms and soaking liquid.
Step 4 - Cook carrots and mochi and add fish cake slices. When mochi is soft throughout (about 3 minutes if cooking from frozen), serve soup with a scattering of green onions on top.
Pomegranate Cocktail
One of the very few times that Nigella steered me wrong was with her method of extracting the seeds from the Pomegranate. She suggested cutting it in half, getting a wooden or heavy spoon and thwacking the shell hard to have the seeds rain down. They did rain down - sort of, but some steadfastly refused to leave the relative shelter of the shell and whilst I had some fun whacking at it, when I looked down at my clothes, I saw something similar to what a serial killer looks like after a night out... well, serial killing. My husband has never forgiven me for ruining his favourite tshirt and even now whenever we buy Pomegranates he is hesitant, asking me suspiciously how I'm going to take out the seeds.
The best way I've found is by cutting the Pomegranate in quarters. Then using your fingers or a small teaspoon prise out the seeds. You can bend the shell back and the seeds wil uncover themselves and you can slip them out with your fingers. For this cocktail, try and remove all traces of the cabbagey white folds that the seeds cling onto as it will detract from the rubied drink.
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3 ozs/85ml raspberry vodka
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6 ozs/170ml Pom Wonderful juice, chilled
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6 ozs/170ml lemonade, chilled
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Ice cubes
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Seeds from 1 pomegranate
Step 1 - Combine vodka and juice in a cocktail shaker and shake to combine. Top with lemonade and serve in martini glasses with Pomegranate seeds.