Artisan Tetsubin

Tetsubin are Japanese cast iron pots having pouring spout and handle crossing over the top, used for boiling and pouring hot water for drinking purposes, such as for making tea. Because iron is released into the water, the water is appreciated as a dietary source of iron.

Tetsubin traditionally are heated over a charcoal fire. In the Japanese art of chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony), the special portable brazier for this is the binkake.

Tetsubin are often elaborately decorated with relief designs on the outside. They range widely in size, and many have unusual shapes, making them popular with collectors. A relatively small tetsubin may hold around .5 litres of water; large ones may hold around 5 litres.
Tetsubin can be found in many colors with various designs and patterns such as this red one that has symbols depicting each of the four seasons for good luck.

The historical origin of the tetsubin is not certain. At last one authoritative Japanese source states that it developed from the spouted and handled water kettle called tedorigama that was already being used in chanoyu (Japanese tea ceremony) in the era of Sen no Rikyū (1522-91). During the 19th century infused tea became more popular, and tetsubin were considered primarily status symbols, rather than functional kitchen items.


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Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a large family of sweet, cheese-based tarts. Cheesecakes are generally made with soft, fresh cheeses. Other ingredients such as sugar, eggs, flour, liquids are often mixed in as well. Typically, the filling covers a crust, which may be pastry, cookie, or digestive biscuitor any other biscuit like that.
-Wikipedia


Cheesecake is a sort of foodie desert, even though it has lost a bit of it's charm and glamor by being featured on every buffet line in America. Real Cheesecake is dense and sweet and leaves the mouth a bit dry as it spreads across the tongue. They almost always have a graham cracker crust and come in an amazing array of flavors.

Cheesecake is not all that hard to make either, you just need a springform pan and bit of time. As with waffles and pancakes, half the fun of making cheesecake is deciding what your going to put on top. I tend to like a bit of whipped cream and some raspberry sauce.

Of course I am not above making cheesecakes the quick and easy way-like with Jell-O No Bake Cheesecake Dessert.

New York Style Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs


Filling:

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eight ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Grease sides of a springform pan or use a 9-inch round pan, ungreased.

Crust Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter and graham cracker crumbs. Press into bottom of pan and freeze.

Filling Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

2. Blend in cream. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg is added.

3. Mix in sour cream , flour and vanilla until smooth. Pour the filling batter over the crust.

4. Bake for one hour in preheated oven. Turn oven off and let cake cool in oven for about 5 hours.

5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Seafood Gumbo

A Creole stew, Gumbo is usually made with tomatoes, okra, and other vegetables and meats. Gumbo usually starts with a roux as the thickener, and filé powder is often added just before serving.
-Menu Dining

Gumbo is okra, one of those slightly slimy foods that you refuse to eat when your a child and may wonder why people like to eat once they grow up. Fresh okra is not slimy at all, it has kind of a furry texture, and if left in the field too long, a very woody texture. Gumbo is a stew made with okra, and usually sausage and tomatoes and this and that. Great stuff Gumbo.

One of the best Gumbos I ever had was from a tiny restaurant in a corner of a gas station off of I-45 in Houston, Texas. A bit pricey, but very rich and a wonderful taste of fresh seafood and okra. I like my Gumbo to have a bit of kick and if it isn't spicy enough a couple of shakes of Tabasco sauce always adds that Louisiana flavor.

Like Chowder, there are several different kinds of Gumbo, though I don't think that any gumbo made without orka is real gumbo. Of course, the best way to get gumbo exactly as you like it is to make it yourself.

Seafood Gumbo

Roux (see recipe below)
1 pound okra, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined*
1 jar oysters (check for shells)
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon chopped green bell pepper
1 can (10 1/2 ounces ) tomatoes
2 sprigs parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
2 teaspoons Cavender's Greek Seasoning**
2 quarts water or fish stock
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 pound crabmeat or 1 dozen crabs***
Salt and pepper
Hot cooked long-grain white rice
Crackers
1 teaspoon File, optional****

* In New Orleans they sell what are called "gumbo shrimp." They are not the big shrimp that you use in a "stand alone" shrimp dish. They are used more for flavor than texture. I guess you could put some of the shrimp in early for the simmering and some later for the presentation. Some people in New Orleans even boil the shells and heads to get that serious shrimp flavor. I don't care for it myself; it has that "low tide" taste!

** If you can't find Cavender's seasoning, you can substitute another brand of seasoning salt - but Cavender's is the best.

*** If using whole crabs, scald live hard-shelled crabs and clean, removing the spongy substance and the "sand bag" on the under part. Break off and crack the claws and cut the body in half.

**** Gumbo is also thickened with File (FEE-lay) powder, made from ground dried leaves of the sassafras tree. File powder must be stirred into gumbo after it's removed from the heat because undue cooking makes the powder tough and stringy.

Start making the Roux. In a large frying pan:, fry okra in 2 tablespoons shortening approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until it ceases to "rope" (slimy strings connecting the okra); remove from heat and set aside. NOTE: Take your time and don't burn it. It's worth the trouble.

In a Gumbo Pot or a large cast-iron Dutch Oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter and fry the onions and celery about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the shrimp, oysters, garlic, and bell pepper; simmer 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, Cavender's Seasoning, water or fish stock, green onion, fried okra, prepared Roux, and crabmeat or crabs. Salt and pepper to taste. Let gumbo simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

Serve with hot rice, crackers, and file on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Roux:
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

In a heavy iron skillet over medium heat, heat shortening until hot; add flour gradually, stirring or whisking to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, about 45 to 60 minutes or until roux is dark brown and has a nutlike odor (it will be very thick and pasty). NOTE: This process takes some time, depending on how high the heat is. The slower, the better, but be ready to remove skillet from heat and stir more rapidly if the roux appears to be burning. Set aside.

Vietnamese Banh mi Sandwich

There are a number of Bubble Tea places near where I live and one of them sells really awesome sandwiches. These are Vietnamese Banh mi Sandwiches-which are made with crunchy French bread and jalapenos and cilantro and all kinds of interesting stuff.

These are cheap Vietnamese sandwiches as well, they cost .99 cents. They have a really interesting flavor, kind of a mix of sweet and sour and tart that is not quite like any other sandwiches I am used to.

These are really a sort of foodie kind of sandwiches, as they are well beyond the realm of the normal Ham and Cheese that is still the all American favorite. Banh mi are one of the tastier things to come out of the French influence on the Vietnamese culture. The flavors mix and mingle and there is that feeling of it being both familiar and foreign at the same time.

The baguette, mayo, and pork may be borrowed from French cuisine, but the addition of jalapeños and cilantro makes this decidedly Vietnamese fare.

Vietnamese Banh mi Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

For the pork:

* 10 cups simmering water
* 1/2 cup kosher salt
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled
* 2 medium serrano chiles, crushed
* 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
* 3 pounds boneless pork butt
*

For the pickled carrots:

* 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 1/2 cups peeled and coarsely shredded carrots
*

To assemble:

* 2 Vietnamese or French baguettes (not sourdough)
* 6 tablespoons Basic Mayonnaise or high-quality store-bought mayonnaise
* 10 ounces pork pâté (optional)
* 1 large English cucumber, halved crosswise and sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
* 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
* 4 jalapeños, sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
* 4 teaspoons light soy sauce
* Toothpicks

INSTRUCTIONS

For the pork:

1. Pour 2 cups of the simmering water into a 6-quart heatproof container with a tightfitting lid, then remove water from heat. Add salt and sugar to the heatproof container and stir until dissolved. Add garlic, chiles, peppercorns, and pork. Top with 8 cups of tepid water to fully cover meat. Submerge meat if necessary by filling a resealable bag with water and placing it on top. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.
2. When pork is ready, remove from liquid, rinse, pat dry with paper towels, and place fat side up in a roasting pan. Allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Roast pork until internal temperature reads 165°F, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, or at least 45 minutes, then slice thinly, about 1/8 inch thick.


For the pickled carrots:

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from heat, add carrots, and stir to coat in pickling mixture. Let stand until carrots have softened, at least 30 minutes or overnight. Drain well and set aside.


To assemble:

1. Slice off top 1/3 of baguettes lengthwise and set aside. Remove enough of bottom interiors so that filling can fit easily.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise on each upper 1/3 of baguette and 2 tablespoons on each bottom. Crumble 1/2 of the pâté (if using) on each bottom section, then top with sliced pork (there may be some left over), cucumber, cilantro leaves, pickled carrots, and jalapeños. Sprinkle each sandwich with soy sauce and close with upper parts of baguettes. Place 10 toothpicks approximately 1 inch apart to secure the sandwiches, and slice into about 10 (1-1/2-inch) pieces. Serve.