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‘Cause they were on a roll! But you didn’t come to a comedy forum to hear bad jokes. You came here to have your socks knocked off mentos-style, and I am more than happy to oblige. At first I was on the fence about this ICSA having done a bunch of tahini poo poo in the last one, but the more I researched the secret ingredient the more I realized the breadth of options this simple little seed offered. In the main ICSA thread, a comment by Wiggles about cultural appropriation through food and some of the earlier posts had me thinking. Those who know me know I am a bit of a purist, going for authenticity whenever possible. Recently I have had more of an open mind regarding culinary boundaries and I found myself experimenting without a care what cultures I touched or what they might think. In principle, how is the food landscape supposed to evolve if we are constantly concerned about what food belongs to who and the “proper” way of preparing it? (having said that if you put onions and cream in your Carbonara, kill yourself) I did a whole fusion ICSA a long time ago but I must admit I wasn’t really pushing the envelope at the time. So what I present to you today is tenuously held together by the common thread of not giving much of a gently caress about borrowing (or stealing) ingredients, recipes and techniques from a variety of cultures just to create something which may not be truly an homage but tasted drat good. Oh, yeah and sesame seeds, of course. Well, I’m just rambling now, let me show you what I mean. Yes I did say “show you” so you might want to fire up your brand new 33.6 kbit/s modems and keep up. THE INGREDIENT If you go to your local MegamartTM in search of sesame seeds (or tahini or sesame oil, for that matter) you will most likely be very dissatisfied. 1 oz of McCormick sesame seeds sandwiched between the sage and the tarragon? That just won’t do. So get yourself to an ethnic store (Indian, Middle-Eastern, Asian) it really doesn’t matter which one, they will have a respectable selection on hand. Me, I went to my regular Korean store, and boy I wasn’t disappointed, in fact I was a little overwhelmed.  loving choices. Not pictured to the right: the bulk section. I settled on the selection below, mostly from the above mentioned Korean supermarket with the addition of Halva, which I have kicking around my house at all times:  Clockwise from the left; roasted white sesame seeds, wild sesame, black sesame, sesame seed oil and Halva. First thing I did as soon as I got home was subject the little ones to a taste test.  The winner was the wild sesame, nutty and earthy. The white sesames where smoky and bold while the black sesame seeds were robust but with a little grass-clippings undertone. Halva tastes like sweet tahini, because that’s what it is. Ok so now that I had the taste palette down it was time to scour the internet for culinary staples to bastardize and boy did I settle on some doozies. THE MENU Cocktail Rum spiked sesame horchata (don’t call it a Rumchata!) Amuse Spicy tuna stuffed Temarizushi with black and white gomashio First course Sesame noodles with grilled kabocha and edamame Poisson Americanized sweet and sour sesame shrimp Main Braised short ribs in wild sesame crêpes Dessert Sea salt halva chocolate bon-bons Yes you counted right, 6 dishes! This thread gives you 20% more product than the leading brand! So with no further ado let’s get this international party started. All the recipes serve 4-5 people depending on how hungry you are. Recipes are approximated, because honestly I don’t do recipes. Sesame Rum Horchata I had a little trouble getting this one off the ground. I first started experimenting by making sesame milk using raw sesame seeds. The results were foul. But after some positive criticism from our very own ICSA chairman I was able to pull together a working formula. For those of you who aren’t in the know, horchata is a refreshing nut or grain beverage popular in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean. I aimed for an island style that would be a suitable mixer for rum, the least refreshing of spirits. It took a little futzing around, but in the end I think I nailed it. Ingredients 1 cup roasted sesame seeds ½ cup long grain rice 1 pint coconut water 1Tbs cinnamon 1tsp vanilla extract 1tsp allspice 1 can sweetened condensed milk Rum  Begin by soaking the rice and sesame seeds in hot water for 2 hours.  Once all the sesame seeds sink, drain the rice and sesame and blend thoroughly with a pint of coconut water. Refrigerate the mash overnight.  The next day strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a purpose built nut (milk) sac.  Make sure you squeeze all the liquid from the solids. Literally milking the bag.  Add the spices, condensed milk and rum to taste (be warned the horchata does an excellent job of masking the flavor of the booze) Refrigerate for a few hours to allow all the flavors to commingle.  Here you have it: a sweet, nutty, and refreshing drink. I was very pleased with how this finally turned out, but if I had to do it over I would just mull whole spices in the mixture to avoid the little specks in the drink. But this is only a cosmetic criticism. Of all the dishes I would say this was my second favorite. Especially by the third glass. Spicy tuna sesame rice balls You might think this one isn’t very inventive as the flavors are pretty commonplace in Japan. The execution lies in how the sesame flavors are layered within the dish, from the intense coating to the balanced sesame rice all the way down to the tuna middle and its mellow sesame oil undertones. That and the fact the Japanese generally don’t like their stuff hosed with. So let’s make Nippon arancini! Ingredients 2 Cups cooked sushi rice Nori sheets cut in 1”x2” strips ¼ Cup of roasted sesame seeds ½ lb sashimi grade tuna 1 Tbs sesame oil 2 Tbs tamari 1 Tbs mirin 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes Black and white sesame seeds and sea salt for coating  Finely mince the tuna.  Season with the sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, Worcestershire, and pepper. Allow to sit in the fridge for an hour.  Fold the sesame seeds in the cooked sushi rice and leave covered for 30 minutes.  Take a handful of the rice and make a dimple in the middle, place 2 Tbsp of the tuna in the middle of the rice and form a ball around the tuna. Don’t squeeze excessively.  Wrap a nori strip around the ball to give you a spot to hold on to while rolling it in the sesame seed mix.  An amouse bouche doing what an amouse is supposed to, giving you a glimpse of the flavor bouquets to come. Sesame Noodles Deluxe Sesame noodle are a no-brainer in this competition, and I’m actually looking forward to seeing more than a few renditions of this quintessential sesame dish. Problem is, as good as these noodles are, they can be a little boring and mono-dimensional. I decided to use the noodles as a canvas upon which to layer a variety of ingredients with a special affinity to sesame seeds: pumpkin, avocado, soy beans, earthy mushrooms, and of course egg. Ingredients 1 package of udon noodles ½ a kabocha 1 package of shitake mushrooms, rehydrated 1 Cup shelled edamame 2 Tbs roasted sesame seeds 1 Tbs wild sesame seeds 3 Tbs sesame oil plus more for basting 4 Tbs tamari 2Tbs mirin 1 avocado sliced 4 poached eggs Sakura cress or chives for garnish  Thinly slice the kabocha using a machete.  Blanch the edamame for 5 minutes, drain and ice down. Sauté the shitake and season with 2 Tbs of the tamari and the mirin.  Cool the mushrooms and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.  Grill the kabocha slices on a charcoal grill, basting with sesame seed oil once turned once and sprinkling with wild sesame seeds. It doesn’t really matter, cause they’ll fall right off.  If your udon are pre-cooked you can proceed to dressing them right out of the package. Add the sesame seed oil and remaining soy sauce, the edamame…  …and sesame seeds. Mix well and portion between four bowls.  Assemble the dish by layering the remaining ingredients in the proportions your guests like. Garnish with sakura cress and contrasting color sesame seeds. Sweet and sour shrimp This next dish epitomizes how cross cultural influences can redefine an entire cuisine, by taking advantage of what’s available and finally making it more palatable to different people. Nothing is more untraditional, garish and truly American than the early US renditions of Chinese food. And I’ll admit, there is nothing wrong with that. When did we all become such snobs? I am guessing around the time Chinese restaurants started offering sushi, for Chrissakes. There’s a joint up in the Salem Willows that still serves the gem below. Beef in brown sauce on a hamburger bun (you can also order egg-foo-young done the same way). Again, folks in mainland China are probably laughing their asses off, but I assure you it’s an experience. In fact, last time I was there I met a couple that came from out of state just to try this culinary fossil.  I just realized that if I had made this on a sesame bun it would have qualified, oh well… Ingredients 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined Tempura fry mix and water as directed 1 egg Black sesame seeds for coating Sweet and sour sauce 1 Cup water ½ Cup sugar ¼ Cup white vinegar 1 Tbs soy sauce 2 Tbs mirin 1 tsp sesame oil 4-5 drops of red food coloring 1 Tbs corn starch in a slurry 1 Tbs roasted sesame seeds Optional: onions, peppers, mandarin slices, maraschino cherries or pineapple. You know, to make it Chinese.  I prepared the batter as directed but added an egg to get more of a thick consistency once fried.  After dipping the shrimp in the batter I dredged them in the black sesame seeds before deep frying.  The sesame seeds added a nice texture to the shrimp and the black seeds benefitted from the frying to tone down their otherwise raw flavor.  Heat the first seven ingredients of the sauce until the sugar dissolves, thicken with the corn starch and add the sesame seeds. Pour over the shrimp. Say what you want but this was some good poo poo. Braised short ribs in Sesame Crêpes The entrée of this menu is the dish I am most proud of, it came together splendidly allowing each sesame note to shine without being overpowered by the others. I present to you the pièce de résistance.  Ingredients 1 lb beef short ribs 1 inch of ginger root The roots off a cilantro bunch 2 garlic cloves ½ Cup tamari ½ Cup water ½ Cup mirin 2 Tbs sesame oil Half a bag of shredded carrots 1 Tbs sugar ¼ Cup white vinegar 1 Tbs fish sauce 1 Tbs black sesame seeds 1 ¼ Cup of rice flour 1 Cup milk 2 eggs Wild sesame seeds Cilantro and thinly sliced scallions for garnish Gochujang sweetened with honey and a few drops of sesame oil, for dipping  Brown the ribs for 5 minutes on each side until crisped and darkened.  Slice the ginger and obtain the roots from the cilantro bunch (cilantro roots impart a subtle flavor to braised dishes.)  I like to put the aromatics that may disintegrate in the cooking process in a bouquet garni cheesecloth bag.  Place the browned ribs, tamari, water, mirin, ginger, sesame oil, and b.g. in a pressure cooker.  After 45 minute remove the meat and discard the herbs. Look at this poo poo!  Make an overnight carrot pickle with fish sauce, vinegar and sugar.  The next day add the black sesame seeds.  Blend the crêpe batter ingredients. The usual 1:1:1 (flour, milk, egg) proportion will not work, since the rice flour doesn’t have gluten. So I upped the protein with an extra egg.  Time to bust out the crêpe pan. Of all my single purpose built gadgets, this is the one I use most frequently. Before dipping the inverted pan in the batter sprinkle the surface with wild sesame seeds.  The rice flour the crêpes can become tacky over time so separate the stack with wax paper. Now assemble: shredded rib meat, carrot pickle, cilantro and scallions.  This dish was as amazing as it looks. It was very balanced like I said before. But the question remains: is it Korean? Vietnamese? French? The answer is, it really doesn’t matter. Halva sea salt and chocolate bon-bons By this stage I had realized something crucial. Sesame seeds benefit from salt to bring out their flavor. This isn’t only true of Gomashio and the likes but it extends to the world of sweets as well. So don’t be afraid to use a little on your desserts, it makes a huge difference. A few words about halva: this sesame and sugar confection is usually eaten as is, although a few Nutella-like chocolate spreads have emerged in recent years. It has a tendency to be a little crumbly, keep this in mind when you are attempting the treatment below. Ingredients 1 tub of sesame halva 2 semisweet bars of chocolate Roasted sesame seeds and sea salt for sprinkling  Using a small melon baller scoop out halva balls. Freeze them to help retain the shape.  Build a double boiler using a pot (with a cup of water in the bottom)and a metal mixing bowl. Melt the chocolate on low heat mixing frequently. Don’t overcook or the chocolate will separate.  Roll the frozen halva balls in the chocolate and set aside on parchment paper. Sprinkle with seeds and salt before the chocolate sets.  This is the end result, pretty stunning given the simplicity of preparation.  Close-up of my balls. I am stoked I decided to enter this competition despite my initial apprehensions. Not only did I find a renewed appreciation for the lowly sesame seed but it was a cathartic experience bringing me closer to culinary liberation. I want to thank our Chairman for the wonderful choice of secret ingredient and humbly submit this entry for your enjoyment and critique. You know what to do.
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Oct 12, 2015 16:35
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 09:24 |
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mentos posted:I am stoked I decided to enter this competition despite my initial apprehensions. Not only did I find a renewed appreciation for the lowly sesame seed but it was a cathartic experience bringing me closer to culinary liberation. I want to thank our Chairman for the wonderful choice of secret ingredient and humbly submit this entry for your enjoyment and critique. You know what to do. drat, very nice!
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Oct 12, 2015 22:23
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This was insanely impressive and I would eat all of this gladly. Bonus points for mentioning Salem Willows.
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Oct 12, 2015 22:24
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Totally yum.
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Oct 12, 2015 23:47
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gently caress yes. Would, all of it.
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Oct 12, 2015 23:52
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all very nicely done. love the sesame crepe, I would have never thought of that. nice lookin crepemaker too
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Oct 13, 2015 02:06
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Welcome back dude. Missed your awesome icsa entries.
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Oct 14, 2015 21:52
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Flash Gordon Ramsay posted:Welcome back dude. Missed your awesome icsa entries.
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Oct 15, 2015 03:36
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That crepe looks amazing. Also I love your goofy sole plate.
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Oct 15, 2015 04:08
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 09:24 |
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Nth'ing the praise for those crepes, also I want to steal your crepe pan. That carrot pickle/slaw sounds like an amazing pairing with the beef and I've already added that dish to my "try this out, soon" file. Might well try those halva balls out too! Nice job all around!
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Oct 30, 2015 03:47
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