OT - I Gave my Wife a Vacuum for Christmas and Survived

[Suzuki4evr]

I meant to say hamd vacuum not blower

 

[savarin]

We had both agreed on no presents this year which I fully complied with (Danger Will Robinson))
She relented a got me a bottle of brandy so I relented and put a little in her coffee.
Christmas was a quiet laid back affair with hardly any cooking.
I prepared Shabu Shabu so everyone had to cook their own, about all I cooked was the brandy sauce for the Christmas pud.

recipe if interested

Shabu Shabu Recipe (Video)しゃぶしゃぶ

Shabu Shabu is a popular Japanese-style hot pot everyone at the table cooks the meat and vegetables in a flavorful broth called kombu dashi.

www.justonecookbook.com

 

[hman]

Yes ... and you decorated the mushies!

 

[Downunder Bob]

Shabu Shabu, Yum, double yum.

 

[savarin]

If you have never tried a shabu shabu give it a go with a group of you.
Its a fun way to eat (and drink)
Tips
Dont use too many bitter tasting green vegetables or vegetables that will soggily fall apart else anything goes.
European type cabbage has a strange taste this way and in my opinion destroys the stock so use the nappa cabbage..
Some of the asian greens are very very bitter but I forget which ones, so dont use too many.
any edible fungus is fine

Keep the stock on the weak tasting side else by the end of the meal it can get very strong.
I only used beef and pork but chicken, lamb, some shell fish also works (dont think they are classical though)
The dipping sauces are very strong on their own but dont worry as the stock thins down the taste as you dip and eat.

 

[savarin]

And the flaming pud.
I should of added this with the first pic.

St Remy VSOP an awesomely smooth Brandy

 

[Downunder Bob]

If you have never tried a shabu shabu give it a go with a group of you.
Its a fun way to eat (and drink)
Tips
Dont use too many bitter tasting green vegetables or vegetables that will soggily fall apart else anything goes.
European type cabbage has a strange taste this way and in my opinion destroys the stock so use the nappa cabbage..
Some of the asian greens are very very bitter but I forget which ones, so dont use too many.
any edible fungus is fine

Keep the stock on the weak tasting side else by the end of the meal it can get very strong.
I only used beef and pork but chicken, lamb, some shell fish also works (dont think they are classical though)
The dipping sauces are very strong on their own but dont worry as the stock thins down the taste as you dip and eat.

Thanks Charles, you're right I should I used to cook Sukiyaki quite a bit, but somehow got out of the habit, Other things became new favourites. From the look of it its pretty similar to sukiyaki. You mention nappa cabbage is that what I could call chinese cabbage, I guess Bok Choy would also work.

 

[savarin]

Hi Bob, not too much bok choy it makes the stock bitter, yes, chinese cabbage/wombok/nappa cabbage. its a lot milder and doesnt go bitter.

 

[Downunder Bob]

Hi Bob, not too much bok choy it makes the stock bitter, yes, chinese cabbage/wombok/nappa cabbage. its a lot milder and doesnt go bitter.

thanks Charles, I just checked my recipes, I have one for sukiyaki but not for shabu shabu, which is probably why I've never cooked it before. From the look of your table set up it looks pretty similar, so what are the differences/. I normally just use finely sliced beef onions ch. cabbage, spring onions, tofu, mushrooms, pref dried Ch. carrot, glass noodles, dashi stock. soy and mirin, Raw egg to serve, and steamed rice

 

[savarin]

Usually shabu shabu uses udon noodles, thick and chewy. I forgot to buy the tofu this time.
I buy spring onions and cut the root with about 10mm of stem left on and plant them in my aquaponics where they re grow to about 20mm dia and use those.
Lets be honest you can really use what ever you like but I'm not keen on egg addition.
If you want a real challenge try this one, https://blog.themalamarket.com/sichuan-mala-hot-pot-from-scratch-mala-huo-guo/
This is the closest recipe to what we ate in Chengdu that I've found.
It really sorts the men from the boys. I was the only one on our tour who could eat it and have also cooked it here for some Korean friends who enjoyed it. I do two pots of stock, one dashi and chicken and the other the red liquid laver. It tastes way better than you think it might.
I like the copper yin-yang pot but the stainless ones from the asian store are way cheaper but the two sides mat leak into each other. Maybe a touch of tig required. (just to keep it in the metal forum)
If I'm not carefull this will turn into a food blog.