Back in September I posted a blog about Omu-Rice: the omelet, rice & ketchup popular Yoshoku (洋食) dish. In japanese Yoshoku means western style food. Today I bring the dish back to the West and voilà my version commanded by the leftovers available in my fridge. One can think of many other ingredients like: peppers, broccolis, zucchinis,  cheese, etc. Make your own version & please post it in the comment section.

Recipe:
2 tomatoes —my very first ones of the season—
1/4 of red onion,
1 egg
1 cup leftover of rice brown rice
I tablespoon of persillade
1 dash of Melinda hot sauce
Salt & pepper

Sauté the onions in olive oil, keep them crunchy. Add diced tomatoes, persillade, salt, pepper and Melinda’s hot sauce. Mix thoroughly and sauté until very hot. Reserve & keep warm.
In a wok heat one tablespoon of olive oil really hot, meanwhile with a fork beat egg hard, add salt & pepper.
Pour the egg batter on the wok spread it around. The trick here is to keep the omelet as flat as possible to later cover the rice nicely. Cook for a few minutes and flip to the other side. Do not overcook, your omelet needs to be moist.
Shape the rice mixture oblong on a plate and cover it up with the omelet. Garnish with a slice of tomato and a sprig of parsley.
It is a solid and satisfying lunch. Bon Ap!

Cabbage Roll with Gingko Nuts

“Chose promise, chose due”, voilà the cabbage rolls with ginkgo nuts recipe. I have had stuffed cabbage or chou farci in many ways but the *japanese* cabbage roll became one of my favorite versions. I suspect this dish being part of the yoshuku tradition, but I haven’t yet found much info on it, even in the very good book by Katarzyna J. Cwiertka “Modern Japanese Cuisine: Food Power & National Identity”. This book was recommended by one of the members of the ASFS list server (Association for the Study of Food & Society). I have posted a new inquiry to the list server about cabbage rolls in Japanese cooking and about ginkgo nuts.

On that topic: I have been instructed by my daughter-in-law‘s mother not to eat more than 4/6 ginkgo nuts a day. When I asked why, the answer was: “That’s the way it is”. I insisted and was told that I should just accept it. Moi!? Curious as I am? Though this made me think that I too grew up with similar beliefs that I never questioned and do apply all the time! Among them, passed on by my grand mother, grand father & mother:
“Pèle la poire à ton ami, pèle la pêche à ton ennemi.”
“Peel a pear for your friend, peel a peach for your foe”.
“L’Orange le matin c’est de l’or, à midi de l’agent et le soir du bronze”
“Orange in the morning: gold; mid-day: silver; evening: bronze”
I do peel my pears and rarely eat oranges after 3pm! That will join the list “to be investigated”.

Meanwhile lets make the promised rolls with the right amount of gingko nuts! (My recipe is a variation from this internet recipe)
Ingredients:
8 to 10 savoy cabbage leaves
1 lb ground pork
about 40 ginkgo nuts
4 to 8 shitake mushrooms
1 small onion
1 carrot
Salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 cups chicken or beef or veal stock
1 tbsp soy sauce

Remove core of cabbage leave and parboil the leaves for a few minutes in simmering water. Drain and reserve.

Roast the gingko nuts in a medium hot a skillet until skin detaches. Let cool and rub off the skin.

Dice onions, shitake mushrooms & grate carrot.

Mix all the ingredients with the ground pork. Salt & pepper to taste.

Divide stuffing for 8 or 10 leaves and fold carefully into each leave.

Warm up stock and soy sauce in pan, place the rolls and simmer gently until cooked (20/30mn).
Serve with brown or white rice & poor some broth over. This makes a light, delicious, heart warming dish that freezes well. If you make it let me know.
Bon Appetit!