Final Stop on my Culinary Tour – Japan & Vietnam

I hate when vacations come to an end.  Although I always find comfort when my compass leads me back home, I also am wistful that a wonderful journey has reached its final stop.  That’s how I feel about the completion of this culinary adventure.  My last two stops on the Asian adventure train are Japan and Vietnam, and, while the experience has been a wonderful exploration of Asian cuisine, I’m sorry to see it end…for now.

I realize that the distance between Tokyo, Japan, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is more than 2,500 miles.  However, when you take a trip from the comfort of your own kitchen, the distance can be traveled in seconds.  So, I decided to tackle both countries in one meal.

As luck would have it, we currently have a student from China living with us.  While it would make more sense to cook a Chinese delicacy for her, that prospect was a bit intimidating for me.  So, I decided to prepare the meal from two other Asian countries.  I invited some friends over to make it a true dinner party, and set out to prepare the menu.

For my Vietnamese inspiration, I revisited some wonderful appetizers I created in the early stages of my Asian epicurean exploits.  For a Father’s Day feast last year, I created Vietnamese Avocado and Mint Chutney and Togarashi Goat Cheese.  They were so good that I decided to make them again.  Both dishes are simple to create and full of flavor.  The avocado dip has the appearance of guacamole (one of my all time favorite apps.), but the flavor is much lighter.  The mint combined with a touch of ginger and an ample helping of cilantro merge effortlessly to make this a true crowd pleaser.

Due to the tanginess of the goat cheese, it is more suited for the adults at the party.  The sweetness of the spices mingled with the sharp goat cheese makes for a tasty first course.

(http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2011/05/avocado-and-mint-chutney-and-togarashi-goat-cheese-recipe.html

For the main course, I traveled to the Land of the Rising Sun – Japan.  Because this was my last big meal on this adventure, I created a bold menu.  However, when the day arrived, I quickly realized that I was facing a very busy day with not much time for food prep.  What do I do when faced with this dilemma on an ordinary night?  Turn to the Crock Pot, of course, but would there be any Japanese recipes for a slow cooker?  Happily, there are several, but the one I ran across the most was Niku Jaga (beef stew).  I know the Japanese are well known for their beef dishes, so I picked one of the many recipes I came across and set to work.

The best part about this recipe, other than the fact that you can prepare it first thing in the morning, is that it only has eight ingredients, most of which I already had in my kitchen.  I did have to run out to grab some Japanese Saki, but it came in handy later in the night, anyway.   I tossed all the ingredients into the pot at 11 a.m., and, by 6 p.m., the house smelled wonderful.  For the recipe, visit http://www.food.com/recipe/niku-jaga-japanese-beef-stew-in-the-crock-pot-42722

All the reviews for this recipe say, “flavorful,” “tasty,” “simply delicious.”  All true. However, it was not the amazing last meal I was hoping to create.  This dish is just right for a Tuesday night family meal, but it doesn’t have the impact I desired for a Saturday night dinner party.  Most of the bowls were empty by the end of the night, though, down to the last grain of rice.  So, it’s definitely a dish I will keep in my recipe book.

After enjoying some Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine, our visiting Chinese student was excited to cook us an authentic meal from her country.  So, later in the weekend, we ventured back to the Asian market and came away with a cart full of food.  With her mother on Skype from China to help, and me on hand as the sous chef, our sweet guest put together a mouthwatering spread of veggies, rice and soup.  She carefully wok-seared eggplant, cucumbers and cabbage separately, and created a tasty combination of tomatoes and eggs (her favorite dish).  She even prepared a tofu and pork soup in the same wok, cleaning it after each course.  After holding her computer up to the finished meal, so her mother could view the results, we ate in true Chinese fashion — family style, picking the veggies out of the bowl one at a time with our chopsticks as desired and placing them in individual bowls full of sticky rice.  It was a fun way to eat, and the meal was superb.

So, the train has reached its final destination.  It has been an amazing journey with some savory successes and a few dietary disasters.  It’s been an enjoyable excursion from start to finish, and I plan to continue my culinary adventure.  So watch out family; another train will be leaving the station soon.

To continue learning about Asia and their wonderful cuisine, follow the Pei Wei chefs as they blog about their adventures and the inspirations for their dish creations.  Go to www.peiweimarket.com.

Sayōnara, everyone.