Cooking - David Mathre Photography

Three-Years Ago (26-January-2016) — Japan

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 21: Hiroshima.

Our local guide in Hiroshima recommended that we try “Okonomiyaki“, a traditional Japanese savory pancake for dinner. We found a restaurant/grill that had room for a dozen of us to sit on stools facing the grill. With a bit of translation, we selected the toppings for each of our creations (pork, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, oysters, octopus, or vegetarian). The very efficient cook turned preparation of the okonomiyaki into a performance. It started with the pancake, followed by chopped cabbage, sprouts, cheese, the selected meat or tofu, noodles, another pancake with fried egg on the top. Finally, some chopped green onions. Everyone’s eyes were wide-open realizing how big a meal each one of the creations had become. While enjoying the meal, the cook picked up a guitar and did a Elvis serenade for the students at the far end of the grill.

Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.

Wednesday (07-March-2018) — New Jersey

Home Cooking. Hearty Whole Wheat & Rye Bread.

Whole Wheat Bread Recipe: Whole Wheat Flour (1 cup); Bread Flour (1 cup); Sprouted Wheat Flour (1 cup); brown sugar (2 1/3 tbs); dry milk (1/4 cup); salt (2 tsp); egg (1 medium); unsalted butter (1/4 cup cubed); water (1 1/4 cup). Above ingredients added to Panasonic Bread Bakery. Yeast (2 tsp) added to yeast hopper and the unit set for Whole Wheat Bread (Rapid) and started. Three hours later, the loaf of bread was removed and allowed to cool. Probably need to cut back on the yeast or sugar a bit since the loaf totally filled the bread maker.

Hearty Whole Wheat & Rye Bread Recipe: Whole Wheat Flour (1 cup); Bread Flour (1 cup); Sprouted Wheat Flour (1 cup); Rye Flour (1 cup); brown sugar (2 tbs); dry milk (1/4 cup); caraway seed (1 tbs); fennel seed (1 tbs); anise seed (1 tbs), dill seed (1 tbs); salt (1 tsp); instant coffee (1 tbs); cocoa powder (1 tbs); egg (1 large); flax oil (2 tbs); water (1 1/2 cup); molasses (1/4 cup). Above ingredients minus the molasses added to Panasonic Bread Bakery. Yeast (2 tsp) added to yeast hopper and the unit set for Whole Wheat Bread (Rapid) and started. Once the unit started mixing the ingredients the molasses was slowly added. Three hours later, the loaf of bread was removed and allowed to cool.

Loaves of Hearty Whole Wheat & Rye Bread. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 1000, 18 mm, f/2.8, 1/50 sec). (David J Mathre)

Compare with the bread recipe I was using five years ago (06-March-2013).

Two-Years Ago (26-January-2016) — Japan

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 21: Hiroshima.

Our local guide in Hiroshima recommended that we try “Okonomiyaki“, a traditional Japanese savory pancake for dinner. We found a restaurant/grill that had room for a dozen of us to sit on stools facing the grill. With a bit of translation, we selected the toppings for each of our creations (pork, beef, chicken, fish, shrimp, oysters, octopus, or vegetarian). The very efficient cook made the preparation of the okonomiyaki into a performance. It started with the pancake, followed by chopped cabbage, sprouts, cheese, the selected meat or tofu, noodles, another pancake with fried egg on the top. Finally, some chopped green onions. Everyone’s eyes were wide-open realizing how big a meal each one of the creations had become. When we were eating, the cook picked up a guitar and did a Elvis serenade for the woman at the far end of the grill.

Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.

Friday (09-November-2012) — New Jersey

Home Cooking: Ramen Noodles with Beef and Red Onion.

There is a new food program “The Mind of a Chef” on the local PBS Station (WHYY) that premiered tonight. In the first episode the Chef David Chang featured Ramen noodles. I am glad that they are quick to cook, and was able to prepare a bowl of Ramen noodles with beef and raw red onions during the program break before the next episode started.

Ramen Noodle Soup with Beef and Red Onion. Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 30 camera. (David J Mathre)

Monday (05-November-2012) — New Jersey

Hurricane Sandy Aftermath: Day Seven — Halloween and a Home Cooked Meal.

Last week the Gubernator canceled Halloween due to Hurricane Sandy. By Gubernator order Halloween was rescheduled for today in Montgomery Township. No one came by, even though I had my Habanero pepper surprises ready to give out. For several years the local trick-or-treat folks stopped by for my hot peppers.

Day 8: ANPAT 12 Day 1 - Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (David J Mathre) — Day 8: ANPAT 12 Day 1 – Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (David J Mathre)

I normally don’t do food reviews, but was intrigued by something that I saw at the local grocery store today. The fish department was pretty sparse with fresh fish post Hurricane Sandy, but I did see a Cedar Planked Atlantic Salmon in their frozen display. I took one home (orange & ginger flavored) to try it out. I’ve done salmon on cedar before and liked the taste that cedar smoke can add. I defrosted the salmon on the cedar plank and removed it from its shrink wrapped plastic packaging (image below). I cooked it in my oven per the directions (preheated oven at 425 °F for ~15 minutes). The house filled with the smell of the cedar burning — some smoke, but not enough to set the smoke detectors off. When I took the plank out of the oven, the cedar plank was noticeably burnt/black — but the salmon looked good (image below). The salmon did have a good smoked taste, but was a bit too sweet. When I went back to check the list of ingredients, sugar was #2 after Atlantic Salmon.

Cedar Bay Salmon (before cooking). Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 30 camera. (David J Mathre)

Cedar Bay Salmon (after cooking). Image taken with a Leica V-Lux 30 camera. (David J Mathre)