Andrea Nguyen
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Asian Dumplings
(Ten Speed Press, 2009)
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E-book release: 5/11/2011
Recent PostsJapanese Sweet Rice Dumplings with Brown Sugar Syrup Recipe (Shiratama Dango)Homemade Kinako Toasted Soy FlourInstant Feel Good Foods: Deviled Eggs and Kewpie MayonnaiseEnhanced Asian Dumplings eBook and New Book Info!Dashi Carnitas Tacos Recipe2011 Japan Disaster: Elizabeth Andoh’s Experience & RequestsMail Call: Western Ways with Asian Food? Refrigerator Gold: Leftovers Panfried NoodlesReader Contribution: A Vietnamese Waif’s First Mardi Gras Pho Secret Ingredients: Dried Earthworms (Sa Sung)Awards + Praise
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March 25, 2011Instant Feel Good Foods: Deviled Eggs and Kewpie Mayonnaise
The past seven days have been filled with terrific things and uncomfortable inconveniences. Last Saturday, we had a freak storm in Santa Cruz that brought hail and nonstop rain, resulting in a 44-hour power outage in our neighborhood. Our home is on a crazy power grid and we annually lose power but we’d had never been without for more than a day. Things went dark at 10pm on Saturday.
We were not about to complain, especially given what people are enduring in places like Japan and Libya. We went to bed early and the next day, we donned our power outage outfits – multiple sweaters, polar tech, after-ski pants, and wool socks. I made warming foods on the stove (a gas stove proves its merits during an outage) that included soups, a pot roast, and boiled eggs.
My laptop was fully charged so I was able to draft Tuesday's announcement about the new Asian Dumplings enhanced ebook. To ensure that we could do email, we recharged the cell phone whenever we drove the car. Power was finally restored on Monday night around 6pm.
Then on Tuesday night, the wind and rain started up again. Our lights flickered and there were showers of sparks coming off the power lines across the street. I immediately backed up my book manuscript and plugged in all of our mobile devices.
Then I tried to do as much kitchen prep requiring electric appliances as I could. (I am writing the last recipe chapter for the Asian Tofu cookbook.) Rory called the power company and they came out to inspect at around 10pm, clipping a few tree branches that were part of the problem.
Our power was okay until yesterday, when not only did it go out twice but it only came back on at half-speed. Nearby businesses closed for the afternoon. Only half of our home had electricity and what electricity there was came and went in a phantom-like manner. In the midst of all that, the garbage disposal stopped working. I only realized that after dumping a bunch of tofu down the drain. It was not pretty.
I was on the brink of breaking down when I decided to take a time out. It was around 3pm and I stopped trying to be productive. Instead, I made one of my favorite childhood snacks: Deviled eggs.
It was a cinch as I had those boiled eggs in the fridge from the first outage. To make sure that there was plenty of crazy MSG flavor, I used Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise. Sweet pickle relish gave the yolks a nice tangy flavor. A sprinkling of ground chile pepper (ichimi togarashi) added color and zip.
The rain stopped for a while and the sky lightened up. I found a warmish spot in the house to sit at and eat my deviled eggs. I felt so much better.
Do you have an instant feel good food?
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I don't think I have any instant feel good food. Chocolate makes me feel good but I don't think that counts as food.
Next time just come over to my place. We get electricity even during hurricanes.
Posted by:Thuy |March 25, 2011 at 07:33 PMi love this post...crazy how certain foods/flavors can transport us to a particular moment, emotion or place. my "instant feel good food" is pastina with butter. growing up with a full-blood italian mother, we'd always have any array of pasta on hand and whenever we (me or my sister) were under the weather she'd make a pot of those tiny buttered noodles lightly salted and everything would be better as i'd slide my spoon into my bowl filled with love. even now, at 40 years old, you can always find pastina in my cupboard!
thank you for sharing your deviled egg story...and i hope mother nature gives you a break soon.
Hail? That is pretty nuts. Love the combination of flavors here - hard boiled eggs are a comfort.
Posted by:Belinda @zomppa |March 25, 2011 at 08:15 PMThe heck with hail, I hereby hale your sense of patience and expertise to tell me how to boil water --- at least with respect to boiling eggs to make Deviled Eggs.
Yeah---believe it or not, I love D.E. but never learned how to make 'em (gave up after wasting a lot of eggs when I was young).
Will you please gimme a How To for Dummy Me? I'll be truly grateful, Andrea. Thanks!
I love your comment about crazy MSG flavor in Kewpie mayonnaise!!! I guess MSG is synonym to comfort! I know that using my "KUB OR de MAGGI" bouillon cubes, or Maggi seasoning sauce, it all about the MSG bliss. I will try Kewpie mayonnaise as soon as possible:)
Thank you!
How does Kewpie mayo taste? Is it like Best Food salad dressing? Looking for sub. for recipe.
Posted by:Judy |March 26, 2011 at 11:30 AMYesterday, we had torrential rain that made my husband say, "Let's start building the Ark!" Today, it's beautiful. Thank goodness.
Kewpie mayonnaise is a Japanese product that's basically whole egg mayo -- so like Best Foods/Hellman's but there's MSG in it. It's very good and when I was in Japan last year, it was the Kewpie in the sandwiches that made you want to keep eating them. There wasn't much else in there.
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |March 27, 2011 at 02:12 PMI never knew that's why Kewpie just plain tasted BETTER than regular mayo. Luckily I'm not afraid of a little msg.
Posted by:Lisa |March 28, 2011 at 02:04 PMI have never tasted Kewpie Mayonaise but will look for it since I like develed eggs. You mentioned the loss of power and Japan's problem. Recently I took a trip to Thailand and was in the Narita airport during the earthquake. The airport terminal was built for just such earthquakes and stood up very well. Some problems with a few lights dangling and they shut off the air conditioning as they searched for gas leaks. We spent 30 hours waiting for the flights to resume but it was nothing compared to what the people in the suname area went through. Had a great time but am glad to be back.
Posted by:groundhog.judy |March 29, 2011 at 12:20 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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