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New Years 2010 Hibachi Time!
And a Happy New Year to you All!
1/1/10 - It's been another great year, and one with lots to be thankful about! The winds finally kicked-up just in time to blow all the smoke away, and it's been overcast the last couple of days, which is a good thing, actually, as there was more moisture in the air, meaning - less fires. In fact, there was even a sudden and quick deluge for a few minutes, the heavy drops making the Fire Department real happy, that's for sure! As usual, da boyz and girls were over at our place once again, and da spread was unreal! I don't even know where to start!
Mom was busy since morning cooking-up the usual staples of nishime, namasu, kinpira gobo, her famous mac salad, and inari/maki sushi. By the time Kumi and I woke-up, she was already half-way done cooking! A few times a year, she also prepares a killer mochiko chicken, done in the old-school way, marinated in a shoyu/sugar/mochiko flour base, then cooked slowly over a medium heat, as to not burn the sweet batter. Mom's version is always sooo much better than any plate lunch house!
Me, I was busy (from a much later point in the morning than mom, that is!) shelling giant U-12-15 shrimp, prepping veggies and grilled (to be) items, and setting-up tables, chairs, the grill, and everything else. It's just a good-fun time all day - especially with mom doing most of the work! Too bad I didn't get a shot of those giant shrimp from Costco - they're a bit more expensive than most, but it's super-easy de-shelling them, because the backs are already split and veins removed, a huge plus. Kumi stuck them all on skewers, and I brushed them with a mayo/shoyu/chili sauce before grilling 'em up on the hibachi - super ono, like a char-grilled shrimp dynamite! I wouldn't mind getting the lobster-sized U-8's, but they're a lot more expensive, and for some reason, only come in giant packages priced at sixty-something bucks!
But no worries, as Bruddah Nels always pulls through with something just as crazy-expensive, like a fine port wine, other exotic liquors, lobster tails, or King Crab legs! He usually grills the legs whole on the hibachi, then de-shell's 'em with his trusty kitchen scissors, but this time he de-shelled them at home, leaving us only to heat the legs-up, along with shamelessly profuse and ridiculously excessive amounts of buttah is bettah:
Sistah Renee never comes on New Years because she's too worried about her dogs, which get petrified with all the loud bangs, but she did send the hubby, Trace, over with a bunch of bacon mushroom sticks, something she's known for. Like buttah, using bacon is almost cheating, but you ain't gonna hear anyone complaining or crying foul at our place, that's for sure!
In fact, I used a little bacon myself on this particularly wonderful day in Hawaii-nei!
After a complete and thorough browning, until even the transluscent fats turn to a dark, golden hue, I drained the oils and put them on hold for a while. In a separate tray, I arranged successive layers of enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, imitation crab, green onion stalks, and all those crispy bacon pieces above.
Betcha thought I discarded all the bacon oil? Guess again! Actually, I did chuck about half of it, but that still left me with plenty, only, I replaced that chucked half with something almost equally as bad - buttah, buttah, buttah! About a half-stick's worth, to be exact! I spooned the evil mix right over everything, covered with foil, and heated the whole tray on the top shelf of my hibachi. A little sprinkle of salt, liberal doses of fresh-cracked pepper, and voila! Spur of the moment thing, it was, really, but it turned out pretty darn good. I call it a local chop suey!
Another really delicious plate required no cooking at all, just a few slices from a super-sharp knife and a bed of grated daikon. At $31.99 per pound - more than lobster, more than King Crab, more than just about anything - it was actually worth every single ounce!
A good o-toro sashimi, from a bluefin tuna, is, along with foie gras and fatty Kobe beef, part of the Aku's culinary trinity, no other foods comparing to their richness, their exquisite nature, their innate qualities. Actually, there is no real standard separating o-toro from its slightly less valuable chu-toro classification, as it's pretty much left in the hands of a Chef to declare, but as for the piece we picked-up at Marukai market? Hmmm... Some pieces were probably a hair closer to the lower-valued chu toro, while others could possibly have represented an o-toro. Not that every piece wasn't absolutely delicious, but the fattier ones? Obviously day-and-night better, in an unbelievably decadent way! Easily melting away in your mouth, the fatty flesh ever so slowly dissolved on our tongues, the sweet, natural, rich taste lingering gladly and with purpose after each bite:
In fact, we also had a beautiful red ahi sashimi from Costco, as well. Costco always has great stuff - really fresh, never frozen ahi - but after one taste of the toro above? It tasted like cheap, freezer-burned, gassed stuff! Ok, not that bad, but still, you can't touch even a high-grade ahi sashimi after a good toro!
At every hibachi time here, there's always a bunch of kids running to and fro, and tonight was no different. These next few scenes, however, are from just a couple of short weeks ago, at my little nephews' birthday party, Evan-buddy. Soccer is his game right now, but judging by the way he holds the bat, I think a career change could definitely be in order after this night! His younger brother may need a few more years before having any shot at breaking-open this pinada, but the day is coming soon, for sure!
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Evan-buddy's mom baked a few delicious and well-presented cupcakes for the occasion, as well:
One of the strangest crabs found anywhere, but also one of the sweetest, is the red frog crab, or Kona crab, as it's called here in the islands. By the looks of this thing, you can probably see how it gets its name! The leg meat is almost nill, but their large bodies are filled with a super-sweet, super-clean, super-white meat, which is probably due to the fact that they live on sandy ocean bottoms in relatively deep, clean waters.
I hate to say it, but these shown are not even legal-sized, as they were from friends of friends whom we don't even know (promise!), who said they couldn't throw them back because if they did, they wouldn't have survived, anyway! Some die gradually after losing limbs, while most get mauled by fish, sharks, or turtles before making it to the bottom. However, I still don't think it's right. I think they should keep them alive in a trailing cage or even a cooler, then freed a little closer to shore, where they have a better chance at escaping larger predators. But oh, well. Who do I think I am, DLNR?
Any night at our place wouldn't be complete without a good steak, but it was a bit different in that we didn't have any ribeye. Instead, it was all about tenderloins, which are actually the most expensive cut on the cow per pound. Unlike ribeyes, which are available in USDA Prime-grade at Costco, they almost never have Prime-grade tenderloins, only Choice. But no worries. They were still plenty ono! I usually like to drizzle olive oil or melt a little butter on these giant buttons, just to help keep them moister and juicier, seeing that they don't have a whole lotta fat inside. Even without too much fat, though, the obvious reward is the softest red meat on the entire cow.
My brother also brought some self-marinated, self-cut teriyaki flap meat, which was also delicious. Flap, skirt, and other such parts are not the most traditionally-valued cuts around, but they really are coming into the vogue these days. Though tougher and more fibrous than more elegant classifications like ribeye, tenderloin, and New York, they are packed with flavor, and when cooked right, cut right, or even marinated in sake, wine, or other type of alcohol, the meat softens considerably. My brother used to be a butcher, so he's well aquainted with these lesser-known parts of beef.
Come 12am, when the suspense has built-up and the celebrations get hot 'n heavy, something happened tonight that I can't remember ever happening, not since I was in high school! Several friends couldn't make it because of work or other family responsibilities, and by about 11:15, everyone left to be with their own (blood) family's, including both my brothers, who had gone to their wives' parents' places. Actually, my brothers usually leave early every year, but everyone else usually stays until after the new year arrives.
Oh, well. All that was left was mom, Kumi, and myself! But you know what? It was kinda nice, actually! We got to clean-up a little early, then at about a quarter to, I pulled-up three chairs and we relaxed, wound-down, and just watched all the action from everyone else, which was everywhere! The same houses up and down the street were going-off with aerials, fountains, flowers - all kine! With the the conspicuous exception of our own, that is. We had already been lighting it up all night, so really, it turned-out well, being a very pleasant, very enjoyable, albeit very different, New Years celebration!
And with that, gang, just wanted to wish you all
A Happy New Year 2010!!! May you commit to making this coming year the best you've ever had in your life!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
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