Food Maker, Chef, and Traveling Diner
One 100 degree afternoon, the three Fujitaki children decided that it’s been long overdue that we have lunch. I’m very lucky to be close to my brother and sister— I love them very much, even if we want to kill each other sometimes. We decided …
My boyfriend lives in Ventura pretty close to the beach, which is about 50 miles from where I live; it’s far, but not too far and I don’t mind the drive at all. It’s a nice escape from the triple digit heat and it’s further …
While in Mammoth, I always like to cook dinner for my family at least a couple of nights. Though we’re used to the food up there, it’s not the most amazing cuisine, but it’s pleasant because some of the places we go to, including Giovanni’s, Roberto’s, and Shogun, are places we’ve been going to for years and years. This year I marinated Japanese-style short ribs and grilled them for the family, made a simple salad of shaved cabbage with a sesame, ketchup and mayo based dressing, along with vegetable rice and roasted zucchini and carrot hash; a hearty and delicious meal for anyone to enjoy. Think about using this marinade for your Labor Day BBQ it can be used for meat, chicken or even tofu if you like.
Japanese-Style Short Ribs
2 ½ lbs thin cut cross section short ribs with bone
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons grated ginger
½ cup mirin
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup pineapple juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Salt
Pepper
Take short ribs out of the package and place on paper towel to take off excess blood, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper on both sides.
In a large zipper storage bag, place all ingredients (except short ribs) into the bag, seal the bag, and shake till all ingredients are incorporated.
Place meat into zipper storage bag and shake till the marinade is well dispersed. Place the bag in a large glass tray to prevent spilling.
Refrigerate at least over night for the best flavor.
On a preheated charcoal grill, place the short ribs down and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on how thick your short ribs are.
Be careful of flare-ups if your grill is very hot because of the sugar content in the meat and do not overcrowd the short ribs. Depending on your grill size, you may have to cook them in batches.
Serve with your favorite sides.
When I was a little girl, I waited all year long for the days when I could take a little break away from my brother, sister, and maybe even my mom and dad as well, and spend time with my Bachan in Pasasdena. Bachan (or …
One afternoon this month, a bunch of friends gathered together to share some food and fun for Jabari’s birthday. Jabari is the author of realtalkonsports.com and has been a family friend for ages. I’m so happy and honored to know someone with as much passion …
Something about the versatility of polenta makes for crossing cultures and pops up in my dishes all the time. I love polenta. Its creamy nature of substantial delicious flavor always speaks to me, plus it’s very simple. This polenta was just hanging out in my pantry and one afternoon, I found it and decided that savory polenta pie sounded like a good idea for dinner with the family. You can do this with any base: vegetarian chile recipes, tamale pies, meaty cheesy Tex-Mex ideas, etc. It all works. Put it in a simple casserole dish, then cover it with polenta, and broil; it makes for a delicious substitute for pasta or rice. In this polenta pie, I used a combination of flavors that would satisfy for a meal that could be made ahead of time and then just heated up when needed. I hope you think about using polenta in one of your next meals.
Polenta Pie with Ground Beef, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach and Red beans
1 lb ground beef (or omit for vegetarian option and add extra vegetables)
2 large sweet potatoes, diced small
2 stalks celery, minced
½ large onion, minced
1 cup frozen spinach or 2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned
1 can unsalted red beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups vegetables broth or beef broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ large can diced tomatoes
1 tube polenta, cut into slices
½ cup parmesan cheese
Optional garnish (arugula on top for freshness)
In a large skillet, place 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add onion, sweet potatoes and celery and sauté for about 5-8 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the pot and cook till meat has become completely browned, about 7-10 minutes. If there is excess grease in the pot, drain it over the sink carefully.
Add tomatoes and spinach, then cook 5 minutes.
Add salt, pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and broth and simmer for 20-25 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. At the last 10 minutes, add rinsed and drained red beans.
Once the sweet potatoes are soft and you’ve tasted for seasoning adjustments, place mixture in a 9×9 baking pan and cover the top of the mixture with the slices of polenta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and broil in the broiler for about 5-7 minutes till warmed and cheese is melted. This may be longer or shorter depending on your broiler power. If you don’t have a broiler, then use the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
Scoop and enjoy
Lavish dinners are always in my repertoire of things I like to do. I think this one takes the cake for best meal or close to best meal of the month so far. I love marinating meats. One of my fortes in cooking is preparing …
I guess I never really understood all the hoopla about Valentine’s Day. Maybe the romantic memo missed me somewhere along the lines. My childhood memories of Valentine’s Day involved receiving some kind of yummy red cupcake from my mom and a card with a box of …
haha I love this picture… Love you little bro!
Hidden amongst eateries of all sorts, though not known for its culinary successes, Mammoth plays host to a few gems along the way; one of these fine places is Roberto’s Cafe. I’ve written about this Mexican food before, but I figured a couple more pictures …