Chinook Salmon Poke

Though I was born in Hawai'i, I didn't have poke (Hawaiian raw fish, pronounce poh-kay) until I was an adult.  By far the two best poke I've ever had was the Costco in Lihue (really!) and the sea asparagus salmon poke at Overland Meat & Seafood in South Lake Tahoe.  Makes me want to go forage in a salt marsh!

Local, wild sustainably caught
Chinook King salmon

When my friend Lenore offered to coordinate a buying coop from a local sustainable fisherman last year, we went in for a whole Chinook King salmon which I filleted myself; i lucked out on getting 15 lbs of everyone else's scrap pieces which included bellies.  The head, collar, and bones made for a nice canh chua (tamarind soup, recipe forthcoming).  We reserved some of the fillet and the belly (toro) for poke.  (Other scrap pieces went to the cats and they were sleek and silky for days!).  

I made poke for the first time last year and it's become my daughter's favorite food; she refuses to eat cooked salmon anymore, more's the shame, so now we cook all salmon rare.  It's April and Chinook King salmon are back in season which means BREAK IT DOWN: STOP, POKE TIME!  

As far as seaweed goes, I prefer sea asparagus (actually a sort of salt marsh succulent)--which can be eaten raw or blanched--and/or wakame.  I happened to have hijiki on hand which works fine; the texture almost as crisp as salicornia, but the taste is a little more "earthy" than other seaweed.  When I buy dried, I go by the picture and choose a seaweed that is in a salad or dry dish over soup seaweed.

Note that "sushi grade" is not a regulated designation.  To avoid contamination, source only fresh wild-caught or sustainably farmed fish from a reputable, sustainable fishmonger and freeze at least 12 hours to kill bacteria and parasites.  Thaw the salmon in the fridge for about 4 hours.  Cut while it is still icy, but pliable.  I've substituted other ocean fish like halibut or swordfish as well.

Ingredients & tools

I picked up fishbone tweezers from Daiso (The Japanese "yen" store where everything's $1.50) to pick out any pinbones   And I eschew our expensive Chicago cutlery knives in favor of my trusty Thai-made Kiwi knife (under $3 at the Asian market) which just stays sharper.  Kiwi knives can be sharpened the old school way using the bottom of a ceramic bowl or with any knife sharpener.  (Also, my aesthetic aspiration is one day, my bowls will all match.)

Ingredients:

I like the briny pops of coarse grey salt.

• 1 fillet of salmon (~1.5 lbs), semi-thawed
• 1 cup kelp (wakame/miyeok, hijiki,etc) or sea asparagus (salicornia)
• 1 large hass avocado
• 3-4 tbs toasted sesame oil
• splash of rice vinegar
• coarse grey or celtic sea salt
• 3 tbs toasted unhulled sesame seeds
• optional 1 tsp kombu powder
• optional splash of gunmaijen sake
• optional kanzuri paste (see comment below)*

If using dried seaweed, soak it for 30 minutes in room temperature water until reconstituted.  If using fresh seaweed, rinse thoroughly.

Use the tweezers to remove any pin bones.  Remove any skin.  I do this my laying the fillet skin side down. I slice down along any whitish tissue (on the left of the fillet pictured above) along the dorsal fin side removing it from the fillet without cutting through the skin.  Then I slice horizontally as close to the skin as I can.  Reserve the salmon skin.  Cube the salmon into 1/2 inch squares and put into a bowl.

Chinook wakame poke for lunch!

Drain the seaweed in a colander, rinse, and squeeze out the water thoroughly.  Add to the salmon bowl.

Cube the avocado and add to the salmon bowl.

Add toasted sesame oil, kombu powder, and 2 tbs of grey sea salt and toss together until mixed.  Cover with a plate and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Just prior to serving, add sesame seeds and another 1-2 tbs of coarse grey salt to taste.  Mix thoroughly.

Serve with kanzuri paste* as a condiment so folks can customize the heat factor.  

Poke can be served over salad.  My daughter likes to roll them up in korean toasted laver (kim) with brown rice and eat them like little kimbap/sushi rolls.

The remaining salmon skin can be cut into strips and lightly brushed with sesame oil and fried til crispy.  Sprinkle with sea salt and eat as you please.

Ăn Ngon Lành | Eat Delectably!

Pokemon slow jam

*Kanzuri (かんずり) is a fermented paste of red chili / chile pepper, rice malt (koji), yuzu and salt produced in Niigata, Japan.  The peppers are harvested, salted and left to begin fermenting in the snow, then they are mixed with the other ingredients and aged for 3 years to produce the finished paste. It's difficult to find stateside and I haven't seen it online at all.  Marukai Market imports it.  It's expensive and a little bit goes a long way.  It adds a bright citrus and japanese pepper note to the dish.  Yuzu paste is easier to source by contrast and would make an acceptable (very citrusy, not spicy) substitute.  Or you can use your choice of chile pepper flakes.  I favor Frontier organic chipotle powder myself, smoky is always a delicious note.   I also use Organic Harvest Foods chipotle habanero hot sauce because I love chipotle.

Hủ Tiếu Bà Năm Sa Đéc | Mrs. Five's Noodle Dish from Sa Dec Recipe

Pork Hủ Tiếu Bà Năm Sà Đẹc no broth

This noodle dish is one of my favorite dishes which harkens from vùng Cửu Long the land of the 9 dragons (aka Mekong Delta) of Hokkien-Khmer origin.  It is a specialty attributed to Bà Năm Sa Đéc|Mrs. Five of Sa Dec.  Who this mythical Bà Năm|Mrs. Five  is, I don't know; it's very common in the South to call people by their birth order rather than their personal/intimate name and when they're married by their spouse's birth order depending on which one you are related to or know (VN is a relational language so the pronouns are not fixed but based on one's relationship).

When I was in my first trimester with my daughter and nothing appealed to me, my parents made Hủ Tiếu Bà Năm Sà Đẹc and my appetite restored.  My stepdad is from the Mekong and was raised in a Buddhist monastery where he learned to cook as a trade.  This is the recipe my parents taught me.  The glass noodles are served with ground pork in a tomato paste base with shrimp and served with a side of pork broth, though chicken or beef broth could be substituted. This is my quickie version without the battered shrimp cakes.  I made two versions in the last few months, one with chicken legs since I was out of my organic hog share and one when I picked up my organic, pasture raised hog share for the year.  I added zucchini to one because we just harvested it from the garden and I'm always looking to boost the veggie content.  Also, my lifelong allergy to onions was recently cured (!!!) by my chiropractor (not just for bad backs, yo!), so onions are back in my pantry for the first time since I moved away from home and started cooking for myself (almost two decades).

Hủ Tiếu Bà Năm Sa Đéc

Ingredients

• 1 lb of sustainably-raised ground pork or 3 chicken leg quarters, deboned & ground
• 1/2 cup of dried shrimp soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and minced in food processor
• 3 tbs of tomato paste
• 1 shallot, minced (or substitute with 1/2 sweet onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Black pepper
• Red Boat fish sauce
• Organic greens of choice
• Zucchini, julienned (optionally added to stir fry or to broth)
• Tiger shrimp, squid or other seafood (frozen without preservatives)
• Korean sweet potato noodles (dang myun)
• pork broth (can substitute chicken or beef broth) served as a side
• chopped green onions for garnish

Directions

Boil water and make noodles according to directions.  Usually about 10 minutes.  Warm up your broth of choice.

Blend ground meat and shrimp in a food processor until just mixed.

Stir fry ground meat & shrimp mixture, add shallots & garlic, several dashes of fish sauce and pepper.  Cook for until the meat starts to brown but is still pink.  Add tomato paste and saute for a few minutes until cooked.  Remove from heat.

If you wanted additional seafood, poach them in the broth at this time.

Serve the glass noodles with the pork-tomato paste, any seafood, and greens and a side of broth garnished with chopped green onions.  The broth can be used to moisten the noodles to taste/consistency you prefer and/or sipped during the meal.

Ăn Ngon Lành|Eat Delectably!

The Source

There's a new sheriff in town (yes, the Whole Foods* mecca is now open in Fremont) so I thought I'd update this list...
 
That old folk wisdom adage "you are what you eat" holds true.  Nowadays we've grown up with industrially produced meat & produce and have no idea what real food tastes like.  Organic foods not only taste better, though not prettier, and are less likely to pollute your body & the earth with carcinogenic toxins or feed into the impending zombie apocalypse.

I get a little more into why eating organic, sustainably-raised food is important to our family here.

Overall, though in our family we eat chicken & fish far more frequently, I prefer pork which I only eat if I can source sustainably-raised/organic at the very least, pasture-raised and corn-free at the best.  Here's my go to's:

PRODUCE

• Our garden!
• Ramirez Pesticide-Free Farm (Cherry-Guardino--Fremont) Pesticide free produce, small selection of staples like kale, cilantro, squashes.
• Perry's Organic Farm (Ardenwood--Fremont) Organic, great selection
  
• Newark Farmer's Market (New Park Mall) Stress-free parking and pesticide-free Asian vegetables
• Whole Foods Market (Fremont) I was pleased to see they carry Perry Farm's produce and it is so beautiful inside.
• Sprouts Market
• Trader Joes
• Costco

CHICKEN

• Indian Market (Central Fremont) organic, halal chicken (whole, breast, quarters, livers)
• Maiwand Market (Centerville--Fremont) organic, halal chicken (whole, breast, quarters, livers) 
• Holistic Moms Network Tri-City Chapter buying coop for organic, grain-free, pasture-raised chickens & eggs from Early Bird Ranch (Pescadero, CA)
• Whole Foods Market (Fremont)
• Sprouts Market
• Trader Joes
• Costco 

EGGS

• Azure Standard has organic, pasture-raised eggs for a great price
• Local Farmers market
• GoodEggs.com
• RealFoodBayArea.com

DUCK

• Fremont BARF Coop (Northgate--Fremont) Sustainably raised duck leg quarters, hearts & livers & fat from Sonoma County Poultry Liberty Ducks
• Whole Foods Market (Fremont) 

FISH

• Fremont BARF Coop (Northgate--Fremont)Sustainably caught whole fish (seasonal) from EcoPawz
• Holistic Moms Network Tri-City Chapter Sustainably caught seafood from Lummis Island
• Whole Foods Market (Fremont) 
• Marina Poultry & Seafood (San Leandro/Newark) Sustainable seafood!  Locally caught!  Technically the physical storefront is not in the Tri-City area, however rumor is they have a booth at the Newark New Park Mall Farmers Market on Sundays.  HMN TC recently did a Chinook salmon buy through them and it was excellent!
  
  
• Costco 
• Trader Joes

PORK

• Heritage Foods USA Food hub.  organic heritage hogs--red wattle is the most succulent
• Clark Summit Farm organic heritage hogs, offal & fat
• Holistic Moms Network Tri-City Chapter buying coop for organic, mostly grain-free, forest-raised/forage-fed hogs from Early Bird Ranch (Pescadero, CA)

BEEF

• Pampero Ranch raises free range, grass fed longhorn steer (might not be organic).  Their headquarters are based in Sunol.  The steer are raised in Modesto. 

• Backyard CSA sources organic, pasture-raised beef soup bones, liver & shanks from Mendocino County with delivery in the Tri-City area.
• Whole Foods Market (Fremont)
• Sprouts Market
• Maiwand Market has a full service butcher stall with halal, grain-fed lamb & beef.

ORGANIC COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE (CSA) & GREEN BUYING COOPS

• Holistic Moms Network Tri-City Chapter Buying coops for organic/green products from Azure Standard, Frontier Wholesale, Red Boat Fish Sauce (me), among other things...
• Dig Deep Farms CSA this is a locally grown, affordable social enterprise of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriff's Activities League
• Azure Standard this Oregon based farm & buying coop is a fantastic source for organic grains, and many many other consumer goods at wholesale prices.  They have drop points all over the West Coast with drops in Newark and one in Warm Springs/Fremont.
• Frontier Coop a great organic wholesale buying coop.  I have access through HMN but you could set up your own local coop.

RANDOM ORGANIC PRODUCTS

• Grocery Outlet Bargain Market (Newark, Fremont & Milpitas) In our household, we call it GrocOut.  They have organic eggs, and random assortment of grocery items ranging from organic olive oil, salad mix, soy milk, etc.

Ăn Ngon Lành|Eat Delectably!

*Full disclosure: I am a Whole Foods Fremont Foodie Ambassador.  What does that mean? I have no idea.  This is a new unpaid pilot program that was launched to tie into the Fremont opening.  WF gathered a select group of foodies who represent the diversity in Fremont as well as diverse dietary needs.  We got to have a nice little wine & gnosh get together & swag before the grand opening in exchange for social media promotion.  But nothing has happened since.  Don't expect this to go to my head.

Leilani’s Gỏi Cuốn|Vietnamese Spring Rolls recipe

This is the third of four recipes that feature my favorite fish sauce Red Boat.

Leilani’s Gỏi Cuốn|Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Makes 16-18 rolls.

Chicken spring rolls with Rustic Almond Sauce

Poached shrimp and pork are the traditional proteins used in goi cuon, but can be substituted with grilled meats or tofu. Different herbs can be added, such as basil and Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), choose your favorite ones. The rolls are best when served immediately after rolling. Traditionally the ingredients are served family style onto the table and everyone assembles their own according to their preference.  In our family, we like to eat Gỏi Cuốn with whatever meat is handy including bulgogi, kalbi, grilled fish, rotisserie chicken, sai ooa|Laotian sausages, etc--which makes this a nice leftovers meal.  I have found brown rice vermicelli at a local Asian market, but I can't remember which one!

When I'm in a hurry to make a meal in under 30 minutes, I like to use Bánh Hỏi Tươi | Rice vermicelli which only needs to be soaked in hot water for a few minutes in a bowl, is conveniently portioned, and there is no pot to wash afterwards!  I also prefer the lighter noodle texture on the palate.

Ingredients:

• grilled protein (tofu, fish, seafood, chicken, beef) marinaded with lemongrass, garlic, palm or coconut palm sugar and fish sauce (can be prepared in advance)

• 8 ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles (bún or Bánh Hỏi Tươi)

• 1 head butter or red lettuce, washed and ribs removed or a box of organic spring salad mix

• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 English cucumber, persian/armenian or pickle cucumber, julienned into 3-4 inch sticks

• 16-20 garlic chives or Chinese chives

• optional sauteed kale (power greens amped)

• optional pickled leeks or pickled garlic sliced thinly or kimchi/sauerkraut (get salt fermented for a tangy probiotic boost!)

• optional green mango, starfruit, or other sour fruit julienned (not recommended if you are using sauerkraut/kimchi)

• 1 package rice paper (bánh tráng)

• Nước Mấm Pha|Dipping sauce, Original almond sauce or my new Rustic Almond Sauce

Directions:

Marinade meat with minced lemongrass, garlic, sugar and fish sauce. Grill/roast/etc. Once it is cooked, allow to cool then shred into bite size pieces and arrange onto a platter.

ASSEMBLE INGREDIENTS 
Thoroughly wash herbs in a basin of water until the dirt settles on the bottom. Remove the stems and arrange onto a platter.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Using your hands separate rice vermicelli noodles as you drop them in. Boil for 2-3 minutes until tender using chopsticks to separate the noodles. Drain out the water in a colander and rinse the vermicelli in cold water until cool. Arrange in a serving bowl.

Arrange all the ingredients at each end of the table. Everyone should have a plate for the rice paper and a dipping bowl for the Nước Mấm Pha|fish sauce dip or the almond sauce.  

ROLL YOUR OWN

Fill a medium bowl with cold or room temperature water and quickly dip a piece of rice paper into water; make sure to wet the entire piece. Do not soak it! Hot water will soften it quickly, but you may have tearing.  Cold water takes longer to reconstitute the rice paper, but will tear less.

Place on a plate and allow to soften. Place a lettuce leaf at the lower end of the rice paper. Add rice noodles, protein, mint, cucumber, cilantro and chive evenly across the rice paper. You can add any of the sour pickled options as well. Roll the rice paper over the filling and tuck it underneath. Continue rolling while keeping tension on the rice paper for a tight roll. The roll will seal itself.  I personally like the burrito method of folding in the ends which keeps the ingredients inside the roll.

Serve with Nước Mấm Pha or almond dipping sauce.  If we are eating to go, I add the sauce in the roll as I make it and eliminate an extra thing to tote.

Bonus Variation: Bún|Noodle Salad

Bún is the deconstructed version of Gỏi Cuốn.  The noodles are served warm in bowls, heaped with shredded lettuce, herbs, julienned cucumbers, bean sprouts, and topped with warm protein.  The dressing is Nước Mấm Pha with a generous heaping of finely shredded carrots.  We've also used my almond sauce with bún for my daughter.

Ăn Ngon Lành|Eat Delectably!

Gỏi Cá Tái | Ceviche Recipe

Gỏi Cá Tái | Ceviche

Me and my homegirl Tuyền have been bouncing recipes off each other after trying something similar at O3 lounge in SF when we were celebrating Q2's wedding.  This is inspired by love and life.  It is not strictly Vietnamese.

• Any raw seafood (halibut, cod, scallops, langostino, etc.) chopped into small pieces
• Lightly blanched shrimp (or raw) chopped into small pieces
• garlic and/or shallots
• Chopped cilantro leaves
• Keffir lime leaves
• Lemon or lime juice
• (Optional) Fresh coconut water
• Sea salt
• Dash of Red Boat Nước Mấm
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped avocados
• Pomelo or grapefruit sectioned without the skin
• Chipotle habanero sauce (I get this from Azure Standard)
• Bánh Tráng Nướng|Roasted Rice Paper, Bánh Phồng Tôm|Shrimp chips, Tortilla chips or over shredded cabbage.

Blend a little coconut water with garlic, shallots, keffir lime leaves, cilantro, lemon juice, nước mấm, and seasalt.  Pour over raw seafood.  Add tomatoes, avocados, pomelo, and several dashes of chipotle habanero.  Lightly toss and salt to taste.  Garnish with a few whole cilantro leaves.  Let it soak for 30 min.

Eat with Bánh Tráng Nướng--this is a specialty of Central VN which is my dad's quê hương|natal province, shrimp chips, tortilla chips, or over cabbage slaw.

Ăn Ngon Lành|Eat Delectably!