Asian Cooking Adventures!

I really love mochi; a soft, semi-sweet rice based pastry. I also love red bean paste, and since my mother thinks adzuki beans are super healthy and should be bought in 5 lb. bags it wasn't long before I tried to make mochi with red bean.

YouTube was my friend on this endeavor.

Cookingwithdog is basically my hero. Their zenzai and anko recipe is easy to follow and comes out perfectly. Because of the amount of mochi I was making, I turned all my adzuki beans into anko.




I preferred this mochi video because it didn't use a microwave in the cooking process.




Here is my anko, pre-portioned and ready to wrapped in mochi. The toothpick helps so that you don't mar the mochi whiteness.

Food Is A Fantastic Start

My first food venture of the new year was a smashing success! Pictured here (clockwise from lower left): Spicy Braised Green Beans, Rice with Mango garnish, cabbage and fresh herb salad, Sichuan Eggplant, Sparkling Pomegranate Juice, Sweet and Sour Chicken.



Here's a better shot of the eggplant. The cabbage and fresh herb salad came about because I couldn't find rice wrappers to make Vietnamese spring rolls. I combined Chinese cabbage, cilantro, mint, shredded carrot, and lime with a peanut dressing I made.



I wonder why my close-ups are always blurry.



Sticky coconut rice with mango!



And then there were the caramel apples. This is after the first dipping. The bit that pooled on the bottom easily molded to the apple after being chilled.



Then there was the chocolate and nut dipping. Yum!



I can't get enough of them!



Yay!