Next week Monday is Chinese New Year’s Day, and according to Taoism, a Chinese religion, pork, chicken, duck, goose, fish, eggs and pig livers are eaten.
A cow helps the farmers in the land, so she is spared.
Many families serve a hot pot with various lucky ingredients such as shrimp for abundance, chickens for wealth, soup broth for “everything better than last year” and long green vegetables for a green year and good harvest.
Long, uncut noodles are for long life, abalone for good fortune and mushrooms for longevity.
Chinese Hot Pot
From Emeril Lagasse
10 cups rich seafood or chicken stock
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
6 green onions, chopped finely
4 ounces dried bean noodles, (long rice) soaked in water
1 pound leafy greens, such as spinach, bok choy, Napa cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
8 sea scallops, sliced
4 small squid, cut into strips
1 (16 ounce) package soft tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
12 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
8 shucked oysters
Place stock, ginger, garlic and green onion in a large pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Soak noodles in warm water until softened, drain.
Arrange noodles, seafood, vegetables and tofu on a large platter.
Cover and chill until ready to cook. Reheat broth to simmering.
Set a Mongolian hot pot or electric wok in the center of the tables.
Pour the broth into the pot and adjust heat to a gentle simmer. Guests use chopsticks or Chinese wire strainers to cook the seafood, vegetables and tofu slices in the boiling broth, and then dip into sauce of their choice.
Garlic mustard
Makes: 1 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup dried mustard powder
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
Place garlic in a mortar. Mash with the heel of a cleaver or pestle. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add water, mustard powder, oils and vinegar, stirring between each addition.
Ginger
Soy Sauce
Makes: 1 cup
1/4 cup ginger, minced
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
In a small mixing bowl, combine ginger and honey and stir until combined. Add the sesame oil and soy sauce, stirring between each addition.
Foodie bites
The Noodle Club in Waimea:
The Noodle Club, in the Parker Ranch Center, opened late last year by award-winning chef Edwin Goto of Village Burgers. It is the perfect meal for the cool weather in Waimea, with “steaming broth enveloping chewy noodles, garnished with taste morsels of char siu pork, oyster mushrooms, fresh pea tendrils and soft cooked egg.”
Chef Goto says, “All of our stocks — pork, beef and vegetable — are made from scratch each day. We add seasonings, herbs, mushrooms for maximum umami in each broth.”
“Big Pho King Bone” with rice noodles consists of a huge beef bone with marrow, bean sprouts, oyster mushrooms and pea tendrils is quite impressive.
“All Things Pork Ramen” combines the flavors of rich pork stock with bacon, shoyu braised pork and chicharon.
“Bowl of Seoul” features a striking chili pepper red beef broth, beef brisket, leeks and daikon. “Garden Ramen” is a vegan, gluten-free dish with daikon noodles and “#22” is reminiscent of fried cake noodles smothered in a savory pesto.
In addition to noodles, Noodle Club’s menu includes “Crispy Baby Back Ribs” tossed with ginger, garlic, and scallion; “Big Island Sticks” is a locally grown rib eye in teriyaki sauce; “Bao Buns” is pork belly and pickled vegetables; and “Gyoza” is the traditional gyoza with ponzu sauce.
The dessert selection includes “Yuzu Pudding Cake and “Almond Milk Panna Cotta.”
“Great taste, flavor, texture — that’s what I’m after,” says Goto, who has been planning this project for a few years.
I remember meeting Chef Goto for coffee a couple of years ago and he talked to me about his plan for a ramen shop.
Chef Goto was chef at Manele Bay, Koele Lodge on Lanai and The Mauna Lani Bay and Bungalow before opening Village Burgers, also located in the Parker Ranch Center.
Noodle Club is open for lunch 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Friday and Saturday, The Noodle Club is open for dinner. Call 885-8825.
Waipio Cookhouse:
One and a half miles before the Waipio lookout is Waipio Cookhouse, the first-in-the-state AG certified restaurant on ag land, serving its own production of lamb, beef, bananas, produce and herbs. Owners Larry Vidlak and Colleen Gold have a certified imu and a Southern-style BBQ to prepare Lloyd Case’s domesticated wild pigs and fire them up on the first and third Saturday of each month.
They are open for breakfast and lunch, until 7 p.m., seven days a week.
Seating is outdoor dining for up to 40 people. Call 775-1814 for reservations or information, or the cookhouse kitchen at 775-1443.
Hawaii Community College:
This week at The Bamboo Hale, operated by Hawaii Community College’s Culinary Program, are the foods of Italy. Make reservations by calling 934-2591.
Email me at
audreywilson808@gmail.com.
