Ok, I have $130.00 worth of ingredients... now some recipes please!

[metaperl]

Hello, I made an order from the experienced and friendly Discount Natural Foods. I requested a well-rounded starter pack of material. All of it has arrived. Please tell me what dishes you would make with the below ingredients. I have had great luck with udon noodles and kombu with a bit of veggies thrown in, but dont know what in the world to do with the rest of this stuff!

I'm particularly interested in what to do with the Mirin Rice Wine, but all suggestions will be experimented with!!!

I realize it is somewhat impolite to leave the prices listed, but it is not easy to remove them - there are no tabs separating the fields. Not only that, but we can look back in a few years (assuming the progression towards 2012 doesnt have us all cowering in hiding from who or whatever) and note the effect of inflation.

1 Mitoku Organic Onozaki Family Barley Miso 8 oz Glass Jar89023 $4.24 $4.24
1 Mitoku Organic Johsen Shoyu 5 oz Glass Bottle89297 $2.02 $2.02
1 Masu 100% Sea Water Salt 1 lb Bag 99001 $9.89 $9.89
1 Mitoku Ryujin Organic Umeboshi Plums 6 oz Glass Jar89333 $8.69 $8.69
1 Mitoku Kyushu Organic Brown Rice Vinegar 5 oz Glass Bottle89267 $2.02 $2.02
1 Mitoku Ryujin "Yuuki" Ume Vinegar 5 oz Glass Bottle89272 $1.94 $1.94
1 Mitoku Virgin Light Sesame Oil 5 oz Glass Bottle89334 $2.47 $2.47
1 Mitoku Hidaka Wild Kombu 1.76 oz bag 89104 $5.95 $5.95
1 Mitoku Wild Wakame 1.76 oz bag 89086 $3.02 $3.02
1 Mitoku Mizoguchi Snow-Dried Kanten Flakes 1 oz Re-seal bag89129 $3.88 $3.88
1 Lundberg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice 2 lb. Clear Bag95002 $4.45 $4.45
1 Azuki aka Aduki Beans - From USA 1 lb. Clear Bag97001 $2.75 $2.75
1 Mitoku Sakurai Organic Whole-Wheat Udon 7 oz bag88189 $2.70 $2.70
1 Mitoku Organic Ise Wild Arame 1.76 oz bag89113 $2.54 $2.54
1 Mitoku Organic Kukicha 3 oz/Loose Re-seal Foil Bag88136 $3.05 $3.05
1 Suzanne's "Genmai" Organic Brown Rice Syrup 16 oz.98104 $4.19 $4.19
1 Mitoku Organic Wild Kuzu 3.5 oz Bag 89411 $4.48 $4.48
1 Mitoku Sushi Nori Toasted - Fine 7 sheets Re-seal bag88117 $4.24 $4.24
1 Mitoku Donko Shiitake Fine Grade 1.76 oz Bag89420 $4.87 $4.87
1 Lundberg Organic Sweet Brown Rice 2 lb. Clear Bag99772 $4.45 $4.45
1 "Mitoku Ryujin ""Yuuki"" Umeboshi Paste 6 oz Glass Jar"89344 $5.24 $5.24
1 Mitoku Ume-Shiso Sprinkle 1.76 oz. 89371 $1.90 $1.90
1 Mitoku Organic Mikawa Mirin 5 oz Glass Bottle89323 $4.39 $4.39
1 Dried Chestnuts 2 lb. Clear Bag chest-dried-2lb $21.95 $21.95
1 Mitoku Rice-Bran Pickled Takuan 7 oz. 88359 $4.68 $4.68
1 Organic Navy Beans - From USA 1 lb. Clear Bag97069 $1.99 $1.99
1 Suzanne's Organic Barley Malt Extract 16 oz.98108 $3.79 $3.79
1 Mitoku Wild Mugwort Mochi 8.8 oz. 88219 $6.40 $6.40
1 Organic Yellow Millet - From USA 1 lb. Clear Bag97031 $1.83 $1.83
1 Organic Pearled Barley - From USA 1 lb. Clear Bag97025 $1.23 $1.23

[Klara]

Metaperl,

I am sooooooooooo jealous. I'm not in the States so can't get an order in as often as I'd like.

the first thing that jumped at me is the mochi - I don't have any fancy recipes, because I LOVE it simple - a drop of oil (yup, the sesame oil you ordered), when it's warm, put in a cake of mochi (or two if you love it as I do), let it cook til brown (I love it crispy) then turn over, I put on a drop or two of shoyu, let second side brown, then turn it over just for a minute again so shoyu side cooks up a bit. Outside is crunchy and inside wonderfully chewy - I love it. And it's quick to make!!! Don't let it burn!!!!!!!!!!!

The mirin I've only used for one recipe, a bit complicated one of seitan - and seitan is something I didn't make for a long time when I first started mb - and even now only once in a while as 1) it's not a WHOLE grain and 2) it's very time consuming and 3) it's a baked dish and I prefer not to have baked dishes). But basically to the seitan (maybe you can use something else, tempeh?? I never tried it with that) I add 4 cups sauteed onions, 4 Tbsp sweetener (your brown rice syrup is fine!!!), 6 Tbsp of shoyu, and 2 Tbsp mirin - the original recipe also called for nuts and apples but I haven't done it that way in ages - then it's baked for quite a while (1 1/2 hrs)

Gary has a chestnut puree recipe on this site.

do you have cookbooks? Rice with chestnuts is also delicious!!!!

ume shiso is nice to put on anything that seems to need an umph

ENJOY!!!!!

Klara

[metaperl]

Originally Posted by Klara

do you have cookbooks? Rice with chestnuts is also delicious!!!!

Yes, I have:

• Aveline Kushi and Alex King - "Complete macrobiotic guide to cooking"
• Michio Kushi and Stephen Blauer "The Macrobiotic Way"
• Andrea Bliss-Lerman "Macrobiotic Community Cookbook"
• Jessica Porter "The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics"

Now, rice with chestnuts sounds doable ... I found that in Aveline Kushi's book. Thanks for the tip.

[metaperl]

Originally Posted by Klara

Rice with chestnuts is also delicious!!!!

It tastes basically like chickpeas. I'm eating it as i type. I like chickpeas better. This has a bit of a gummy-sweet mochi-ish type of taste. I dont like sweet tastes unless they are fully separate from all other tastes... save for sweet and sour sauce.

[Klara]

Hi Metaperl,

My first instinct was to tell you to stop typing or stop eating - but who on earth am I to tell you that? - I just know I've also done it and know it's something I need not to do. The ideal is to sit and concentrate on the food, the chewing, how the body feels, relaxing, etc - and not to be dividing one's energy with the computer, the tv, the radio, reading etc. It's one of the most difficult habits to create, but I totally understand the reasoning behind it, about being totally in the NOW of what you're doing and not dividing up your focus.

Having chestnuts, or dried fruits or nuts in a dish is for me bringing it to a festive dish, for holidays or guests - definitely not an everyday way of eating. I also usually prefer not having sweets mixed in, but do like it for variety and like I said, once in a while.

the chestnut puree I mentioned is great all by itself, but also good as part of a dessert, as a topping, or inside as a layer of other great things. (amasake comes to mind!!!!)

the books you mentioned are a great basis. Everybody learns differently - I don't know why I don't spend more energy experimenting with recipes from books - I get a new book, try a couple dishes, and then the book goes on my shelf and I go back to old recipes, or basically no recipes, just make some grain, and water saute whatever vegetables I have.

I realize that's not enough for variety. Fortunately every now and then we have potlucks, so I try to go for something new. And fortunately I have a daughter, tho not mb, she will look through my cookbooks and we will because of her try new recipes.

Last night I made stir fry for my son (almost 16 y.o.) and myself - tho I added brown rice to mine, and added peppers and chicken and egg noodles to his - if you have experience with teenagers, you might be able to envision this - he comes into the kitchen and says "what recipe are you using?" Excuse me, a recipe for stir fry?????, just cut up whatever vegetables I can and throw them in!!!!!

Of course it takes more time to actually go through a book and look for something - and it takes more time to follow a recipe - but what a pity I'm not using all those great resources. So I too could use the encouragement so if You've cooked something from your books, let us know!!!!! Especially if it's a huge success.

Klara