bikkuri breakfast sushi
“bikkuri” means surprise (please don’t mistake it for that other, similar-sounding japanese word).
these bukkuri sushi pieces are called thus named because there’s more to them than meets the eye!
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yup, you guessed it. these nigiri aren’t sushi at all! they’re actually some of our favorite american-style breakfast foods in disguise. why? you might recall that last week, i was lucky enough to attend naomi moriyama’s lecture on why japanese women don’t get old or fat. one particularly good technique she taught us is that we can trick ourselves into eating healthier portions just by using smaller plates, like the japanese do. in the time it takes us to stand up, walk to the kitchen and refill our bowls, we might decide that we’re already full. those of us that are just too lazy to get up can finally use it to our advantage!
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although i didn’t use a tiny plate for these sushi, i’m applying a related principal. now i know that breakfast is the most important meal, but i noticed that when i go to ihop or the diner for my bacon and eggs, i end up wolfing down everything in sight. everything just tastes so good and there is nothing healthy or low calorie to slow you down. japanese people often use rice to slow down our eating. we end up consuming only a little bit of the really fatty stuff and get full on rice which is a carb, but one cooked with no fat or oil.
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you can make your own bikkuri sushi using makunouchi rice molds like the ones above, but you can avoid having to purchase one by lining a rectangular tupperware box like this one:
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with plastic wrap and cooling it for an hour or so. then, just flip the rice onto a plate or cutting board, sprinkle with a little salt and cut into 1 1/2″ x 2″ rectangles.
i used scrambled egg, grilled low fat turkey spam (low calorie and so flavorful and light), toast with olive oil, peas with a little mayonnaise and a tomato mozzarella sandwich, but you can use whatever favorite breakfast foods or leftovers you’d like. the wasabi and ginger you see in the background are actually mashed wasabi-flavored peas and salmon lox. drool.
these are great to take for lunch too, and are quite filling - probably because you eat them with your eyes too!
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super simple somen
we are officially recessed. and i don’t mean in a good way like when class is over. although that’s a pretty clever play on words when you consider that many of us are going to have to give up many of the finer things in life and rough it for a bit. don’t fret - somen is an elegant white noodle similar to angel hair that’ll help you maintain your class through these hard times. plus it’s cheap. don’t you just love that?
super simple somen recipe:
for noodles:
3 bundles of somen (for 2 people)
for mentsuyu dipping sauce:
1 tsp hon dashi granules (this is what the package looks like)
1 tbsp hot water
3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
soy sauce to taste (about 1 1/2 tbsp)
- bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil.
- add the noodles and cook according to the instructions on the packet. if the instructions are in japanese, just cook the noodles for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
- drain the somen in a colander and (unlike for italian pasta) run cold water over the somen, rubbing and washing it gingerly.
- for the mentsuyu, dissolve the hon dashi granules and sugar using the hot water in a small bowl. then, mix in the soy sauce and warm water.
- serve the noodles in ice water with the mentsuyu in small bowls on the side, or for a fancier presentation, place the noodles in wine goblets with any leftovers you might have in your fridge (spinach, cooked carrots, and scrambled eggs are good choices) and pour the mentsuyu over the noodles.
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seafood selector
first eggs were good for you, then they had too much cholesterol, then they were incredible and edible, after that they were a great source of protein.
now we’re in the same boat (haha, reaching, i know) about fish. which tuna is kosher to eat and how much? is it all a conspiracy to keep fish down as some japanese fish advocates suggest? who knows, but to be on the safe side, especially if you are an expectant mommy, the environmental defense fund created this easy, cut and fold pocket guide that you can fish out (okay, i’m stopping after that one) of your bag or wallet at the market or in a restaurant and consult when you’re unsure about which type of seafood to pick.
great way to impress a date too.
get it here: pdf version
you can get it sent to your mobile too: mobile version
many thanks to naomi moriyama for showing us this nifty guide. She is the author of “Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother’s Tokyo Kitchen,” and i had the honor of meeting last night at japan-c. more on this later…
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does this city make me look fat?
as an urban piggy, it’s nice to see that our city (nyc) is so serious about helping us cut back on our calories. not only is the city’s dept. of mental health and hygiene requiring chain restaurants and fast food spots to prominently display calorie counts on those beckoning, backlit menuboards, they’ve gone a step further and have now launched a three-month subway ad campaign designed to remind us to moderate our intake. the ads, which feature calorie counts for favorites like huge apple bran muffins and chicken burritos, are in about 20% of city subway cars.
but wait, is it me, or is our city the least in need of such measures? overall, i think we’re a pretty skinny bunch, no?
apparently, we’re not even on the cnnmoney.com’s top 25 skinniest places to live list! the winner of that race is marin county, ca. i also clicked on most singles to no avail, although a shoutout to hoboken, nj is in order, youngest which we’re not on either, but congratulations for nabbing 25th place manhattan, ks, and hottest (don’t be fooled).
i’m just afraid that the ads will make me crave a burrito rather than worry about how many calories it is. anyone want to bet whether or not burrito and apple bran muffin sales go up this month?
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bento box
food is expensive. those of us who work in the city know that finding a filling lunch for less than 5 bucks can be a near-impossible feat. cheapassfood.com has been an invaluable resource for me, but i’ve decided to take my lunch frugality to the next level. i almost always make too much food for dinner, so packing a bento box is a simple way to save a ton of loot. according to this nifty lunch calculator, i could save $1,250 a year by packing lunch everyday. and that’s if i assume that my packed lunch has a cost of $3.00. if i assume that it has a cost of 0 dollars because it is part of my dinner from the night before, i save $2,000 a year! that’s a vacation to aruba!
yeah, we’re all busy, but the trick is in the planning. if you prepare your tupperware and have it ready for your leftovers, you’ll save a lot more time than you would running downstairs to pick up a salad at pret.
here is a bento box that i made the other night. the contents are somen noodles, broad noodles, bean sprouts sauteed in butter, avocado and lemon tuna salad, chawan mushi and potato salad roll-ups (leftover potato salad wrapped in a slice of store-bought turkey…so easy and soooo good). the garnish is a sliced beet and a piece of turkey leftover from the roll-ups. to serve, just pour some tsuyu (a super low-calorie mixture of dashi, sweetened soy sauce and mirin) over the noodles.
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it don’t hurt that people who pack their lunch usually consume less calories because they know what is going into their food. and think about all the containers you’ll be saving! no brainer, if you ask me.
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crunchy eggs with salmorejo
crunchy eggs are perfect for a mid-afternoon or late night snack and salmorejo is a guilt-free pleasure.
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for the salmorejo:
3 tomatoes or one can of stewed tomatoes
3 slices of white bread
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
- blend all of the ingredients and serve in a jug.
for the crunchy eggs:
2 eggs and one egg yolk (save the white for a soufflé)
small bag of your favorite potato chips or triscuits if you want to go with a healthier alternative
half an onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
salt & pepper to taste
- heat up a non-stick skillet and pour in a small amount of olive oil.
- sauté the onion on low heat until clear and soft.
- beat the eggs in a medium bowl. stir in half of the crushed potato chips and let stand for 5 minutes. add the remaining chips and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
- pour the egg mixture over the onions that are already in the pan and cook over moderately high heat until the bottom is set and golden, about 3 minutes. then flip the eggs onto a plate and slide back into the pan, uncooked side down. cook for another 2 minutes and serve with salmorejo and some sliced jalapeños.
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insomniacs rejoice!
why is it that the more sleep we need, the less we actually end up getting?
for a long time, i had trouble konking out before 1am. as a welcome side-effect to a trip to europe (one that didn’t involve partying until 5 in the morning every night), the 6 hour time difference reset me perfectly so that falling asleep at 11pm was normal for me when i got back to nyc. nice. but that was a month ago, and the hour of my slumber has gradually gotten later and later. with the dollar so weak, another trip to europe isn’t really an option.
but i’m not worried. i just heard about a new drank in town. yeah, that’s right, i said drank.
drank’s motto, “just slow your roll”, alludes to its hip-hop roots, but unlike it’s drug-laced counterpart, purple drank (see wiki), drank uses legal and natural ingredients like melatonin, valerian root and rosehips to relax the mind and body. does anyone know if the other ingredients are healthy/natural?
drank retails for about $2.50. my experiences to be reported in future posts…
dave chappelle’s views on purple drank
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japanese steamed egg custard (chawan mushi)
chawan mushi means “tea cup steam” and has always been one of my favorite comfort foods because of it’s savory, creamy and smooth texture. it’s surprisingly low in calories too, which is precisely why i always have two portions.
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note: for any chawan mushi purists out there, i know that the addition of the gelatin is a bit kooky, but after trying the sea urchin egg custard at en, i knew i had to take this recipe up a notch. i think that adding the gelatin creates a richer, more luxurious texture on the tongue.
for the custard:
3 eggs (i sometimes use 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk if i want it to be craaazy)
2 1/2 cups dashi soup stock which can be made by dissolving 3 teaspoons full of dashi in 2 1/2 cups of lukewarm water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 packet of unflavored gelatin dissolved in 1 cup of water (follow instructions on the packet)
fillings (optional):
1/2 a hard-boiled egg
3 cubes of mozzarella cheese
1/4 packet of mentai or ikura spaghetti mix (i can’t live without this stuff, you can cop it at JAS Mart or Sunrise Mart) 
whatever else you feel like
1. gently mix all the ingredients for the custard together in a large bowl, taking care not to make it frothy
2. fill 6 ceramic cups or ramekins with your fillings, saving some if you want to top the chawan mushis as they set
3. pour the custard mixture over your fillings
4. fill a large pot with water until it is 1 1/2″ deep
5. arrange the cups in the pot and cook covered over super-low heat for 15 minutes or until they set
6. if you saved any fillings in step 2, sprinkle them on top of the chawan mushi a couple of minutes before they are done so that they sink into the custard a bit, but are still visible
7. inhale chawan mushis liberally (after they cool, please)
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it tastes really good cold too (over ice chips)!
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why is this a site?
swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.
look for stuff
feed yourself