Thanks to the wonderful talents of Goodie Mob, we’re kickin it back old school with Soul Food. I love starting off my days listening to a little music, hope you do too:) Enjoy!!
Peace, Love and Asian Soul
*EVENT* Lantern Festival – Sat, Mar 6
This Saturday, March 6, we’re going to be joined by @DaintyCakes and @Fishlips_Sushi at the Lantern Festival in commemoration of the longest and most important holiday in the Chinese lunar calendar–and that is of course, Chinese New Year. It is going to be quite an eventful day with stunning lantern displays, music, dancing, and cultural crafts. And naturally to top it off, some excellent street food fare.
The Lantern Festival will take place at the Chinese American Museum. We urge everyone to come and experience one of the biggest cultural holidays during the year. And even better, the admission is FREE!! Rain or shine, it’s happening! Experience being a part of one of the most culturally diverse cities in America.
9th Annual Lantern Festival
Saturday, March 6, 2010
12:00p – 7:00p
Chinese American Museum
425 N. Los Angeles (cross street is Arcadia)
Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.camla.org
Our friend Arthur Dong also currently has an exhibit at the Chinese American Museum called Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection that we definitely recommend that you see, especially if you are a cinema buff. It is a collection of memorabilia dating back to the early 1900s of Chinese culture in American cinema. Everything in the exhibit was acquired during the filming of his documentary Hollywod Chinese. The collection is amazing and definitely worth checking out!
More details about the exhibit can be found by clicking on the picture or here
We hope that everyone will come out and celebrate Chinese New Year with us this weekend!
Peace, Love and Asian Soul
Food History: Yakisoba
Yakisoba has been a staple food in Japanese cuisine for centuries. Though it possesses many similarities to another popular Asian dish we all know as chow mein, including its name, Yakisoba translated as fried noodles and Chow Mein translated as sauteed noodles, it enjoys its own set of key differences from its western neighbor.
The most noticeable differences between yakisoba and chow mein lie in the sauce and the noodles. Yakisoba sauce is similar to that of tonkatsu sauce, which is sweeter and has a slight tartness. And though the name suggests use of soba noodles, a type of Japanese noodle made using buckwheat, yakisoba is more commonly found prepared using ramen style noodles. But just as is the case of chow mein, yakisoba can be prepared in an infinite amount of ways using different vegetables and meats and complementary garnishes such as dried seaweed and shredded ginger.
Love, Peace and Asian Soul
Hugh:)
Food History: Korokke
Another popular item that has been a favorite for many who’ve come around the truck is our Salmon Korokke. The origins of the Korokke can be traced back to the early 1900s. Unlike the wordnikujaga, which is derived directly from Japanese, korokke is in essence a Japanese derivation of the word croquette, a popular fried dish originally from France.
The Korokke has seen many variations through time and there isn’t a single, particular way to enjoy this treat. At the very base of the korokke is mashed potatoes that are mixed in with a variety of ingredients from meat to vegetables and even cream. With a crispy panko crust exterior and a warm, soft potato filling, the korokke present a wonderful combination of differing textures.
In Japan, the korokke is enjoyed in various ways. Whether it’s a standalone appetizer, or complemented with rice as a meal or even mashed between two pieces of bread in a sandwich, its versatility is perhaps why we still enjoy the korokke so much to this day.
Peace, Love and Asian Soul
Hughh
Food History: Nikujaga
As part of our effort to educate you on our dishes, today I want to give a little background on our one of our most popular winter dishes–our Nikujaga.
Nikujaga, directly translated as meat-potato, is a hearty stew of potato, onions and meat in a light broth. Commonly found in Nikujaga are also ito konyaku noodles as well as a variety of mixed vegetables such as carrots and peas. It may be no surprise that this warm stew is most commonly enjoyed during the cold winters in Japan, but what many may not realize is that Nikujaga is actually a form of Japanese comfort food.
Nikujaga is a dish that has been around since the 19th Century and was invented by Imperial Japanese naval chefs. The story goes that famous Naval Admiral, Togo Heihachiro, wanted a stew similar to that of the beef stews consumed by the British Royal Navy. The creation of this dish served two purposes: to promote the city of Maizuru in Kyoto and to tackle a problem of Vitamin B deficiency in the Imperial Navy’s diet at the time.
Today, we hope that we can continue spreading what Togo Heihachiro had started and familiarize LA culture with Japanese comfort food that has been enjoyed for centuries.
Peace, Love and Asian Soul
Hugh:)
FUNNY!!! Ten…Ten…One
This video brought a bit of humor to my Monday morning:-) A group of Japanese comedians are asked to sit in a classroom to watch a video on speaking English. But the real challenge lies in whether or not they can watch the whole video without laughing. What happens when they laugh, then? Well you’ll just have to watch and find out:-)
Peace, Love and Asian Soul
H
