THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Get into the spirit of Japanese festival
THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN
Hawaiian Electric Co.
BRING the family to enjoy nonstop Japanese cultural entertainment at the 55th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival "Unity in Spirit" Heritage Fair Saturday at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.
This annual event features taiko performances, martial arts demonstrations, enka (traditional Japanese music), mochi pounding and an anime costume contest.
Educational booths will feature traditional Japanese arts and crafts, including calligraphy, gyotaku (fish prints), origami, anime drawing and hachi maki (headband) making. And of course, there'll be craft booths and food vendors, so bring your appetite! The 54th Cherry Blossom Festival Court and this year's contestants will also make an appearance.
The Cherry Blossom Festival, sponsored by the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, is one of the longest-running ethnic celebrations in the state. The annual springtime festival kicked off in January and there's more to come: a Contestant Reception March 18 and the Festival Ball March 31. Call the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, 949-2255, or visit the Web site, www.cbfhawaii.com.
We're sharing these recipes from our files to get you in the mood for things Japanese!
Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes)
1-1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 pound grated imo (mountain yam)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 pound squid (body only), thinly sliced
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
1/4 pound belly pork, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons slivered pickled red ginger
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup okonomiyaki sauce (Japanese vegetable and fruit sauce, see notes)
1/2 cup dried bonito flakes
1/4 cup dried seaweed flakes
In a bowl, whisk together flour, water, imo, and salt. Add eggs and mix lightly. Add squid, cabbage and onions; mix well. Divide ingredients into 4 portions.
Lightly oil griddle. Sauté pork until done; separate into 4 portions and pour 1/4 of batter over each portion. Sprinkle each with ginger. When surface bubbles and bottom is golden brown, turn pancakes and brown other side.
To serve, spread with mayonnaise and brush with sauce. Top with bonito and seaweed flakes. Makes 4 pancakes.
Notes: Tonkatsu sauce can be substituted for the okonomiyaki sauce. Other meat, seafood, and vegetables can be substituted for squid, cabbage, onions and pork.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 650 calories, 40 g total fat, 9 g saturated fat, 300 mg cholesterol, 1100 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 25 g protein.
Cocoa Mochi
2 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour)
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons ground cocoa
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 can (12 ounces) frozen coconut milk, thawed
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan.
In large bowl of electric mixer, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour. Cool before cutting. Serves 24.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 160 calories, 7 g total fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 275 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 16 g sugar, 3 g protein.
Yakitori
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Bamboo skewers
» Marinade:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small piece ginger root, crushed
Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Thread 3 pieces chicken on each skewer.
Combine marinade ingredients; marinate chicken 30 minutes.
Place skewers on rack of broiler pan and broil 3 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Turn and broil 3 more minutes. Makes about 16 skewers.
Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 50 calories, 1 g total fat, no saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 3 g sugar, 6 g protein.
Hawaiian Electric Co. presents this weekly collection of recipes as a public service. Many are drawn from HECO's database of recipes, accessible online at
www.heco.com.