Extreme Greens Understanding Seaweeds by Sally McKenna

I was delighted to meet Sally McKenna and her husband John last year when we were interviewed together on the Sue Nunn show on KCLR 96FM. During that interview Sally spoke about her recently published book "Extreme Greens Understanding Seaweeds" so I got to experience first-hand her passion for seaweed and great knowledge of everything about it. According to Darina Allen it is "a book that needed to be written".

 After spending time in Japan as a foreign student many years ago I returned to Ireland completely fascinated by seaweed. I questioned why an island nation such as Ireland didn't use seaweed the same way as Japan. After reading the introduction in Sally's book it appears we somehow lost our knowledge and appreciation of seaweed that our ancestors possessed. Sally mentions in her book that in pre-famine days the order of work for the woman of the house was said to be 1. potatoes (prataí) 2. children (páiste) and 3. seaweed (feamainn). 

In the past few years Ireland has rekindled its love and appreciation for seaweed. Irish seaweed companies are starting to sell this wonderful resource in shops across Ireland so we can use it in our everyday cooking. 

If you have an interest in learning about seaweed then this book is a user friendly guide. While reading Extreme Greens, I felt Sally's close connection to nature and her passion for seaweed and everything it represents.

These are some of the things I like about the book:
- gives you general knowledge on all aspects of seaweed including drying, storing, foraging
- outlines the wonderful health benefits of seaweed
- practical approach to cooking with seaweed (incl tips for using it for children's meals)
- easy to follow instructions on how to make homemade cosmetics using seaweed

Other reviews written about Extreme Greens:

Huffington Post
West Cork Times
Darina Allen

Fiona's Japanese Cooking - cookbook giveaway

Every summer I look forward to all the wonderful food festivals we have around Ireland. Yesterday, I went to my favourite one - the Taste of Dublin. It takes place in the Iveagh Gardens every June to showcase Dublin's best restaurants. There's also a great selection of artisan food stalls, live music and cooking demonstrations by well known celebrity chefs. 

This year I was delighted to meet one of my favourite Irish celebrity chefs, Clodagh McKenna. At the end of June Clodagh will open a new restaurant in Blackrock, Co. Dublin called Clodagh's Kitchen. I had a sneak preview of the restaurant's menu and tasted the crab cakes. I'll definitely order these again at the restaurant they were so fresh and tasty!

For this competition I have a copy of "Fresh from the Sea" by Clodagh McKenna to give away. I love this book as it teaches all the basics about shopping for fish and preparing it at home. It's also an interesting read as Clodagh travels around Ireland and introduces people in the Irish fishing industry.

To enter the competition:

1. Please LIKE Fiona's Japanese Cooking on Facebook or FOLLOW me on Twitter (@fionasjapancook)

AND

2. Share your favourite recipe from Fiona's Japanese Cooking blog on Facebook or Twitter

Here's a pic of me with Clodagh Mckenna at the Taste of Dublin

Terms and conditions:

• The competition will end at midnight on June 30th 2013
• The winner will be announced on my blog on July 1st 2013
• Since I have followers from around the world the competition is open to people outside of Ireland also.
• The prize will be sent by post. 
• The winner will be randomly picked
• There is no cash alternative to this prize

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

 

JAPANESE RAMEN COOKING EXPERIENCE WITH WAGAMAMA

A few weeks ago I was very fortunate to be part of a small group that was invited to a ramen cooking experience with Wagamama's head chef and trainer Juan Carlos Manteca. Juan has developed a great passion for Japanese food through his work in Wagamama's restaurants in Belfast, Cork and Dublin over the last 7 years. 

Juan started off with a very interesting presentation on ramen. Ramen was brought into Japan from China and over time has become one of the most loved dishes in Japan. Throughout Japan you'll find thousands of ramen restaurants (called ramen-ya). Japanese people believe that ramen making is like an art so each ramen-ya closely guards their secret ramen stock recipe and method of preparation. This art of ramen making is portrayed in a Japanese comedy film called "Tampopo" and an American film called "The Ramen Girl". 

Ramen is a noodle dish served in a flavoured soup with toppings such as bamboo shoots, boiled egg and seaweed. The four main categories of ramen include:

1. Shio - yellow coloured soup usually made from chicken stock

2. Tonkotsu - cloudy white coloured soup made from pork stock

3. Shoyu - clear brown soup made from chicken/vegetable stock and soya sauce

4. Miso -  miso paste mixed with one of the other flavoured stocks

After learning about ramen we got ready to start cooking in Wagamama's South King St kitchen in Dublin. We were each presented with our own Wagamama hat and apron. Juan explained that we'd have a ramen cook-off where each one of us would make our own ramen and then we'd rate each person's ramen.

It felt surreal to be at the other side of the counter as a chef rather than a customer. We had a quick tour around the kitchen and then started to make our own ramen. I made a salmon ramen with vegetables using pork stock (which Juan had been up the night before preparing) and miso paste.

Here's my Salmon Miso Ramen

My Wagamama pose which believe it or not was not a pose (I was tasting Wagamama's ramen stock)!

Wagamama's cooking experience has been enjoyed by the Irish Rugby team and the Irish Olympic team. I had so much fun with Juan and all the staff there. Thanks so much it's an experience that I'll always treasure.

Patrick Hanlon from RTE Food also attended this, click here to see his article on the ramen experience. 

View Wagamama's selection of ramen dishes at www.wagamama.ie.

JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL CALLED HANAMI FESTIVAL

If I ever get a chance to return to Japan I'd love to go during the cherry blossom season. Cherry blossom is called "sakura" in Japanese and is the national flower of Japan. Every spring cherry blossom festivals take place in Japan and around the world to celebrate Japanese culture and the beauty of cherry blossoms.

During the cherry blossom season Japanese people participate in a Japanese custom called "hanami" which means flower viewing. They sit under cherry blossom trees and admire the beauty of the blooming flowers while enjoying their packed bentos. 

When I was a student in Japan I lived in a beautiful town called Kanazawa. During the spring of that year I visited a park in Kanazawa called Kenrokuen to view the cherry blossoms. I'll never forget how amazed I was by the beauty of the cherry blossoms. It was only later I learnt that Kenrokuen is one of the most beautiful places in all of Japan to view cherry blossoms. 

You should see if there is a cherry blossom festival near you this year as it's a great way to celebrate the coming of the spring. 

 

In Ireland, we have a Cherry Blossom Festival on Sunday April 7th 2013 in Farmleigh House & Estate in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. This is a great festival with family-friendly Japanese activities, demonstrations and workshops. There are also various other Japanese culture related activities taking place around Dublin in the first 2 weeks of April (further details can be seen on www.experiencejapan.ie). 

You can also view cherry blossoms in the Japanese Gardens in the Irish National Stud in Co Kildare.

 

All of the photos in this post were taken by my husband and I during our time in Japan. They were taken in various places around Japan.

JAPANESE FOOD REVIEW: WAGAMAMA JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Wagamama's Japanese casual dining experience has definitely proven a success with restaurants dotted around the world including four restaurants in Ireland. They have their own cookbook and a selection of merchandise including t-shirts. 
 

 
Their restaurants are laid out in a fuss-free style with long wooden benches and a spotless open kitchen so customers can watch while their dishes are being freshly prepared and cooked. 

There is always a great buzz in their restaurants with customers clearly enjoying the food they've been served by their well trained staff. 

During my recent visit to Wagamama in Dundrum Shopping Centre, Co Dublin I was thrilled to hear that their miso ramen which was taken off the menu a while ago is making a comeback and will be on their new menu which starts on Monday March 25th 2013. 

Wagamama offer a very reasonable Monday to Friday (12-3) lunch deal for €9.95 which includes a drink. You can also order one of three starters for an additional €3. 

I ordered the spicy pork ramen because it's the closest substitute to the miso ramen on the current menu. It's was very tasty and I'd order it again.

Wagamama provides baby seats for the little ones and also have crayons and colouring sheets which is always a nice distraction for the kids! They usually have an area in the restaurant where you can park your buggy while you eat. They also provide free wi-fi and a take out service.  

 

Don't be put off by the queue in the Dublin city centre restaurant on South King St as it moves quickly and I can't remember waiting longer than 5-10 minutes. I've seen Brian O'Driscoll eating there a few times and believe it's very popular among the Irish rugby team players!
   
Website: www.wagamama.com/ www.wagamama.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wagamamaireland
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wagamamaireland

NOTES: All restaurant reviews posted on this blog are written by me without the prior knowledge of the restaurant. I visit the restaurant as an average customer and always pay for the food!

JAPANESE FOOD REVIEW: MICHIE SUSHI

If you like good quality sushi in a casual setting then you'll love Michie Sushi. It's not an easy place to find if you're not familiar with the Ranelagh area so make sure to look up the address before going there. It's located down a narrow lane called 11 Chelmsford Lane just off Ranelagh village. 

I went there for the first time last month with my husband and little boy. We started with the the salmon and tuna combo (€13.80) and miso soup. We enjoyed this so much that we decided to order more sushi!

My husband ordered the Michie Special (€13.80).

And I ordered the Ebi Fry Roll (€11.95). Our little boy tried a bit of everything!

I can honestly say this is one of the best sushi experiences that I've had in Ireland. 

Michie also serve traditional hot Japanese dishes. They provide a takeaway, delivery and catering service and won various awards including "The Bridgestone Best in Ireland 2011 & 2012" and the "Regional Winner Dublin Best Casual Dining 2011". 

I was delighted to hear that they recently opened another restaurant in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin. I've no doubt Michie's new venture will be a success and wish them the best of luck.

Website: www.michiesushi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michiesushi
Twitter: @MichieSushi
Email: info@michiesushi.com
Phone: (01) 497 6438
Location: 11 Chelmsford Lane in Ranelagh, Dublin 6 and Dun Laoghaire 

NOTES: All restaurant reviews posted on this blog are written by me without the prior knowledge of the restaurant. I visit the restaurant as an average customer and always pay for the food! 

JAPANESE FOOD REVIEW: MUSASHI NOODLE AND SUSHI BAR, CAPEL ST, DUBLIN 1

After reading several good reviews about Musashi I was excited to go there and check it out for myself! I popped into Musashi with my husband for a quick lunch on a Friday afternoon. We were greeted by friendly staff and asked to wait for a table as the restaurant was full. While we waited we enjoyed soaking up the bustling atmosphere. We were seated after 5 minutes and given complimentary green tea. When I asked the waitress for a refill she returned with a small pot of Japanese green tea which I thought was a nice touch. At first glance, I wanted to order everything on the menu! Then, I promised myself that if the food was good I'd return and work my way through the menu. Finally, I decided on the bento box special which included Japanese style breaded chicken on a bed of stir fried vegetables, lightly fried squid with a Japanese style salad, 2 pieces of maki sushi and rice (miso soup was served with the bento box). My husband ordered the seafood miso ramen. We love authentic/ traditional Japanese cuisine so this was a big treat and brought us right back to our time in Japan. Our lunch cost just over 20 euro which is more than reasonable for an enjoyable lunch in central Dublin. The whole experience surpassed our expectations and we'll definitely return again soon to try the sushi and sashimi.

BENTO BOX SPECIAL

SEAFOOD MISO RAMEN

Website: http://www.musashidublin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/musashisushibar

Twitter: @musashi_sushi

Phone: 01 5328068

Irish times article on Musashi:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2012/0/1224314064951.html

NOTES: All restaurant reviews posted on this blog are written by me without the prior knowledge of the restaurant. I visit the restaurant as an average customer and always pay for the food!