pizza saladry

Someone told me that living in Japan I would eat the weirdest things like seafood pizza pancakes (mmm, delicious).



However, no one told me I would find one of my most favorite pizzas in the world at Las Chicas in Omotesando. This place is impossible to find, like all things in Tokyo, which was built to confuse invaders and has ultimately confused both tourists and regular Tokyo-dwellers for centuries.

I want to say if you find Muji-Rushi turn the corner and keep going straight down until you see a California styled building. Forget it, just e-mail me if you need the directions.

Anyway, at Las Chicas I discovered smoked salmon and fresh mozzarella pizza. Disgusting, you say? Delicious, I say!

Fresh Mozz & Smoked Salmon Pizza

Pizza dough
Pizza Sauce
1 Ball of Fresh Mozz
1 oz of smoked salmon
Fresh Herb Salad (or mesclun and add in fresh parsley, dill, and basil)
Japanese Mayonaisse

Preheat oven to 350 F

Roll out dough in whatever shape you can. (Dough is very difficult to get into shape). Add sauce and 1/4 inch thick slices of fresh mozzarella. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The key is making sure the crust is finished baking up.

Then cool the pizza and add small bits of smoked salmon, and then add sald until it makes a nice mountain and drizzle with Japanese Mayonaisse.

As a friend pointed you, often you can buy pizza dough from pizza places for very little. I admit that I use tinned pizza sauce, but in other less American friendly environs, I have used a mixture of half Tomato sauce with basil and garlic tomato paste to some success.

If you're interested in the other fabulous pizza I love to eat, it involves regular mozz, but includes strips of doner kebab, chili and yogurty garlic sauce.

Come visit me in Stockholm and I'll take you.

a food blog without a recipe is like ...

A foodblog without a recipe is like ...

... a recipe posting without a picture.

Actually, I've been sitting on this news for awhile since everything has been in production, but I am releasing five Food TV shows both on TV (in Northwest Arkansas), and over the 'net (being able to download the episodes) and we might even have some DVDs to distribute.

Featured on the "Cooking with Joy" series is well, a heck of a lot of Asian cuisines, and some fusion tossed in there for good measure. In these episodes I teach everyone how to find ingredients at local Asian groceries and help you navigate and find the best snacks too! You'll be able to find all the recipes here on this website, and of course I'll be entertaining offers to make more TV shows (hopefully!).

Predicted release is going to be late May to June 2006. I'll certainly post any more updates as it goes along.

So far we've filmed:

Korean Food: Soon du bu (Spicy Tofu Soup), Korean Vegetable Pancakes with Kim Chi and mayonaisse
Japanese Food: Miso Glazed Salmon, Age-dashi Tofu (Soft Tofu in Tempura Broth), Edamame, and Pumpkin Miso Soup with Ground beef and Shrimp
Thai/American Food; Curry Chicken Tea Rolls, Baked Banana and Mango with Fresh Coconut Desert
Burmese Food: Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup, Red Snapper Wrapped in Banana Leaves, Golden Raisin Basmati Rice

The last I'm planning for a Vietnamese show featuring some summer rolls and other dishes.

I'm excited and I hope you are too!

roasted eggplant ... garlic

What is a blog entry without a picture?

Probably a recipe posting of mashed roasted eggplant which is extremely tasty, but mushed eggplant just doesn't photograph well. Besides, it's already been eaten.

The way you pick an eggplant is to pick one with a rich dark purple color with taut shiny skin. The more wrinkly it is, the older it is. Also the older it is the more the seeds become prominent.

Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant Salad (of sorts)

1 large eggplant
1 head of garlic
2 t lemon juice (or to taste)
1/2 t red pepper flakes
some drizzles of olive oil

Take head of garlic and drizzle oil on it and wrap it in foil twice.

Set oven to 450 F and set eggplant in a dish or on foil and place the garlic in there too. Poke the eggplant all over with a sharp object. Wait until one side is charred and then make it roll over and then keep charring. At some point the eggplant will start to get saggy and look deflated. Take it out of the oven and let it cool. By this time, the garlic will be roasted as well (this all takes about 45 minutes).

Incise the eggplant and remove and discard all the seeds. Cut off the top and discard as well. Mash. In a bowl include two of the roasted garlic cloves and continue the mashing process. At this point include the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and drizzle the entire thing with oil.

This tastes fabulous on a cold plate or maybe a great 'sauce' over some cold pasta on a sunny day.