turning japanese

For lunch today, I had the Pinoy version of sukiyaki. That is, sukiyaki minus the sake (Japanese Rice Wine).

And I dare say it didn't taste as good. I was expecting that sweet tang with a kick and was disappointed when all I got was the oh so familiar taste of soy sauce. It was like eating a soupier version of our sotanghon. *sigh*

This got me into thinking. Andre's birthday is coming up soon and I was planning on treating him to a day of pigging out at DAD's. Now, I'm toying with the idea of cooking him tempura (shrimp coated in batter) and sukiyaki instead (para mas tipid, LOL).

In case I do, this will be the first time I'll be preparing these dishes. I'm still not sure if I will though 'cause my confidence in my cooking prowess is still shot. That's because I made a boo-boo the last time I cooked for somebody else.

It was last December 30, when my friend Emma asked me to cook Carbonara for our get together... a total disaster! Although my friends were kind enough to say it wasn't so, I knew otherwise. My carbonara sauce was too thick.

Anyways, I've googled the recipes and here's what I got:

Sukiyaki:

INGREDIENTS (4 servings):
1 pound of thinly sliced beef ** It tastes better if the beef is cut very thin.
A handful of shirataki noodles (made from yam cakes) or cellophane noodles
7-8 shiitake mushrooms
1 enoki mushrooms
1 medium size leek
1 Chinese cabbage
1 block of yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)

For sukiyaki sauce: (** You can also buy sukiyaki sauce in a bottle).
3 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine)
3 tbsps sugar
1 cup soup stock for dipping
4 eggs

How to Cook and Eat Sukiyaki:

1. Cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
2. Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and place the plate at the table.
3. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and soup stock to make sukiyaki sauce.
4. Set a hot plate or gas grill at the table. ** After this point, everything is done at the table as you eat.
5. Heat a little oil in a shallow skillet (can be a fry pan or a hot plate) at the
   table.
6. Fry meat, then add sukiyaki sauce.
7. Add other ingredients when the sauce starts to boil.
8. Simmer until all ingredients are softened.
9. Dip the cooked sukiyaki into the raw, beaten eggs and begin to eat!
10. As the liquid boils away, add more sukiyaki sauce. If you are not able to obtain the above ingredients, you can use any meat and vegetables. It's ok to create you own sukiyaki.

Tempura:

INGREDIENTS:

12 large shrimps
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
Vegetable oil for frying

PREPARATION:

1. Peel shrimps.
2. Make a couple incisions on the stomach side of each shrimp so that it stays straight.
3. Put flour in a bowl Pour cold water over the flour and add an egg.
4. Mix the batter lightly.
5. Heat the oil to 350 degree.
6. Then, pick the shrimp up by the tail and dip the body part in the batter.
7. Fry the shrimps for a few minutes

* Recipes courtesy of about.com which incidentally has a couple or so articles from my batch mate, Shai.