Surf & Turf Gone Asian

Let’s say I ate the Surf and Turf we know, seafood and steak, every, single day. As much as I love this mouth-watering duo, after a few days I’d probably be reaching for that bottle of Pepto-Bismol! But, because I like the idea of this combination so much, I explored the other end of the spectrum of Surf and Turf .

No Lobster and Steak combination, here. We’re talking about something much lighter and much less expensive. Bonito Flakes and Tofu, at your service. That’s right! Bonito is the seafood. Tofu is a curd made from soybeans, and soybeans are often referred to as “the meat of the fields” in Eastern Asia.

Turf – Tofu (豆腐)
How about we keep this segment short and concentrate on the “the meat of the fields” portion. Yeah, meat! Beef! Now, that’s what I’m talking about…whoa!…getting carried away, here! I do apologize, folks. Sometimes I forget that a huge slab of perfectly cooked cow is not conducive to the overall health of this aging body. Ahem! Moving on now, what I meant by short is that I won’t waste your time talking about Tofu or Soybeans, per se. Your on-line resources are bountiful in that regard and will do more justice than what I can do for you in this post.

According to some sources, agricultural scientist/ professor Friedrich Haberlandt (1826-1878) obtained some varieties of soybean seeds at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873, which happens to be the first world exhibition in a German-speaking country, with 35 countries participating, 53,000 exhibitors and attended by over 7.25 million visitors during its 6-month run! I think that’s pretty awesome, even by today’s standards!

It’s not clear if he is the one who coined the phrase “the meat of the fields”, as some claim, but he did seem to refer to the nutrient-rich soybean as a diet source that could nourish a vast amount of humans, including the poor. There are some who say that Prof. Haberlandt may have gotten his hands on a French-language leaflet, on Soy, that was written by a Chinese person (http://www.soyinfocenter.com/). If indeed he did, he may have discovered “the meat of the fields” mentioned in its text, as some claims report that the expression “the meat of the fields” or “the meat with no bones” comes from China, where the soybean was/ is highly regarded.

Now, there are different types of Tofu, but I usually use the water-packed, medium-firm House brand because I’m accustomed to it and it’s readily available where I live. If you can’t find the water-packed (refrigerated) Tofu, there are boxed types like Morinu http://www.morinu.com/ that can be purchased on-line. Follow handling/ cooking instructions carefully, as they seem to differ somewhat to the water-packed type.

Surf – Bonito Flakes (鰹節)
This is a little long-winded, but hop on board and enjoy the journey.

The Fish
I don’t know if this is how it got it’s name, but it sure is a beautiful fish. Although smaller in size, the streamlined figure of this fish resembles its relative, the tuna. With a dark blue back and a silver belly, this Speedy Gonzales of the ocean even has oblique stripes that look like racing decals.

They are, for the most part, called Katsuo (鰹 or カツオ) in Japanese and boy, do they love to cruise. After spending a couple of years in Southern waters, they’re ready to take a road trip.

In January or so, they basically start to head north towards Japan and spend their Spring Break hitting the underwater Sushi bars, enjoying such favorites as cuttlefish, shrimp and other small fish, like sardines. So, it’s generally during Spring and Summer that you start to see this cool guy, at local fish markets, across Japan. Typically referred to as Hatsu-Gatsuo (初鰹), the Japanese are essentially greeted with the start of Summer by the season’s first catch of Katsuo. Hatsu means beginning and the word Katsuo, in this case, is read Gatsuo.

Although some return to southern waters, others head further north, joined by newly arriving cruisers and continue on towards the rally point to enjoy their Summer Break. By August, many make their return trip home, but the hardcore partiers continue northbound and finally reach the rally point – where the northbound Black Tide Highway or Kuroshio Current (Kuro=black and shio=tide or current) collides with the southbound Mother of all Tides or Oyashio Current.


This area of ocean is a hot destination for the cruisers. With the nutrient-rich (vital to the growth of phytoplankton) southbound current joining the mix, it’s the all-you-can-eat Las Vegas buffet for marine creatures. As Oya means parent(s), it’s a virtual nurturing and feeding ground for the underwater ecosystem.

Once the cruisers have enjoyed their gourmet experience in these cold waters, they start to make their return journey in the Fall. The Katsuo caught during this period is called Modori Katsuo (戻り鰹 or returning Katsuo) and after spending some time in one of the best cold-water dining spots around, these guys are nice and fatty. Oh, yeah…come to daddy!…umm…or to mama! Smile.

So, you can enjoy two, slightly distinctive tastes from the same fish, twice a year in Japan. The Katsuo caught during the Spring/ Summer have some amount of fat and the ones caught in Fall are even fattier. There's often a debate about which tastes better, but...I like both! Ha! If you go to some decent, no-nonsense Sushi bar in Los Angeles, they serve fish flown in straight from Japan. Since Katsuo (in a broad sense – i.e., Skipjack, Katsuwonus pelamis, Eastern Pacific Bonito, Atlantic Bonito, etc.,) is also pretty much caught worldwide, I would guess that most Sushi restaurants just use the locally-supplied ones.

If you think that these Sushi restaurants exist only in large cities, with direct daily flights from Japan, just check out these guys in Denver, Colorado: http://www.sushiden.net/. As they claim on their web site, they go directly to the source! Their staff, in Japan, hand picks the best fish available from the fish markets, and within 22 to 26 hours, the catch is delivered to their restaurant in Denver. You can tell by reading their site, that they take their fish pretty, darn seriously. If you know of such a place, be sure to try the Katsuo-no-Tataki (seared Katsuo).

Katsuo-bushi
But, there’s another way to experience the taste of this swift, bon vivant, bad boy of the sea, anytime of the year. It’s called the Katsuo-bushi (鰹節 or カツオブシ). No, the word “Bushi” used here is not to be mistaken with the Japanese warrior or the Bushi (武士) who lives the Bushi-do (武士 “the warrior’s way”) way of life. But, interestingly enough, they do seem to have a connection. In the late 1500s, it’s said that Katsuo-bushi was used as a ration for battlefield warriors, due to its nutritional and preservative values. In fact, a military treatise, written during the Edo Period (1603-1867), basically suggests that all you need to take into combat are Mochi (sticky rice cake) and Katsuo-bushi.

Not only was Katsuo-bushi an excellent ration, it also served as an auspicious/ good-luck symbol due to its different connotation when written in different Kanji (Chinese Character). Katsuo-bushi (鰹節) can also be written as 勝男武士, which can, basically, be translated into:

(勝/ "Katsu") = Victorious
(男/ "O") = Man
(武士/ “Bushi”) = Warrior

So, what exactly is this Katsuo-bushi? Well, before it's turned into flakes, it looks like a slightly oversized, rotten banana that’s as stiff as a rock. Doesn’t sound too tasty, huh? Well, looks can be deceiving because this baby brings out the flavor in many Japanese dishes, both as an ingredient and a topping, and you wouldn’t be able to fully enjoy many of your favorite Japanese dishes without it. Guanrens Ballbarens (I guarantee)!

No one knows, for sure, how and when it got its name but some claim that the most reasonable explanation, perhaps, comes from it’s processing procedure. It’s been said, by some, that the name derived from such phrases as Katsuo-ibushi, which refers to the smoking action, or as Katsuo-boshi (鰹干し), referring to the drying action.

After chopping off its head and gutting it, the Katsuo is, typically, sliced into 3 major cuts, the 2 sides and the middle portion, which consists of bones and tail. Then, each side is sliced into half, separating the back and stomach portions, basically getting 4 blocks of meat from each fish because, remember, the middle portion is not the real meaty part, mostly the bones and tail. The 4 blocks (from the 2 sides) are, then, carefully boiled at the right temperature and then smoked to eliminate moisture.

After days of smoking action, the dried Katsuo-bushi is somewhat hardened and is called Ara-bushi (荒節). After this stage, to further enhance the dehydration, the planting and removal of a mold culture, to the dried Katsuo, is repeated a few times. This is combined with some sun-drying action during the hot, Summer months. This type of Katsuo-bushi is called the Kare-bushi (枯節). By this time, the blocks of Katsuo become much smaller in size and weigh 1/6 of its original form. The less-fatty Katsuo are said to be more suited for processing Katsuo-bushi.

It is often said that the Kansai area (Western Japan – where Osaka is) prefers the Ara-bushi and the Kanto area (Eastern Japan – where Tokyo is) prefers the Kare-bushi. Each has its attributes; Ara-bushi being stronger in flavor than the Kare-bushi. Due to its time-consuming process, the latter costs more. Once the Katsuo-bushi is hardened, a tool, similar to a wood plane, is used to shave the bonito into flakes.

As a kid, whenever the weather didn’t permit me to play outside, I’d often get stuck doing the shaving chore for my mom. These shaved flakes of Katsuo-bushi, along with Konbu (dried kelp), were typically used to make soup stock, or what is referred to as Dashi, to make Miso (fermented soybean) soup, stews and dips. This is how essential Katsuo-bushi is in preparing Japanese dishes - it’s been said that in the old days, the main chefs at high-end restaurants would always do the shaving, personally, to preserve the consistency and secret in their critical, Dashi-making process.

This chore wasn’t my favorite event of the day, but in return, I’d be rewarded with the fragrant aroma and taste of Katsuo-bushi in my meals. Unfortunately, it was one of those things that you just had to do each and every time. You couldn’t make a pile of flakes, to be used over time, because you’d lose the aroma, which is everything. Speaking of aroma, as soon as I’d start shaving the Katsuo-bushi, our cat would appear out of nowhere and start making its best moves on me. Yep, cats go crazy over this thing…as you can imagine.

Thanks to their research and development, in 1969, Ninben introduced shaved Katsuo-bushi in a special packet that retained the aroma. Ninben liberated me from shaving Katsuo-bushi and dealing with a selfish cat that only wanted to be buddies with me when I was engaged in this chore. I’m so grateful to them that I continue to use their brand today. Although, high-end Japanese restaurants still shave their own Katsuo-bushi, the average home cook now has the luxury (convenience) of just opening a packet!
It’s even sold on-line.

Surf and Turf
Tofu…check. Bonito (Katsuo-bushi) Flakes…check. Just make sure you get the finely shaved flakes for topping purposes. Some flakes are roughly shaved and often larger and thicker in size. These are, for the most part, used for soup stock and not as a topping. Don’t forget the green onions and ginger (see below)! Let’s see…eggs, flour and cooking oil are participants, as well. Oh, and My Three Musketeers (earlier post) need to be recruited, also...you'll see. Let’s roll!

Hiyayakko - Cold Tofu
Okay, this isn’t really cooking or anything. All you do is cut up the tofu and serve it on a dish, topped with Katsuo-bushi flakes and sliced green onions. Prior to cutting into the tofu, you need to drain the water. Here are a couple of ways I do it: the Old School way and what I call the Desperately Lazy Housewives way.

When going Old School, wrap up the Tofu in a couple of layers of paper towel (or clean kitchen cloth), place on a flat surface like a cutting board and apply a slight weight using another flat surface. Keep the base at a slight angle so the moisture flows downward. Change the paper towel/ kitchen cloth, as needed. How much moisture you want to get rid of depends on how you’re going to use the Tofu, but basically for Hiyayakko, I do about 5 to 10 minutes. Everyone has their own way/ style.

Now, for the Desperately Lazy Housewives version, make a cut just inside of the package, drain as much water as you can and then let it sit on the edge of the sink (the cut-side down). I don’t know if the package was designed with this in mind, but it sure fits and sits perfectly on our sink. Again, depending on the usage, let it sit/ drain for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. I usually pour out the accumulated water after 5 minutes or so, and do another 5 minutes. After the draining action is done, take the Tofu out of the package and wipe off any remaining moisture.

As far as cutting the Tofu, it’s really up to you, but I like bite-sized cubes, myself. I usually serve up the Tofu on a cold plate with some grated Shouga (ginger). Prepared ginger, in a tube, is conveniently available and found in many Japanese grocery stores or on-line. I grate fresh ginger when I can, but this tube sure has me spoiled, I must admit.

I usually use just half a block, for the two of us, and store the other half in an airtight container with enough water covering the surface of the block, and stick it in the fridge. I change the water every day if I’m not going to use the leftover block of Tofu right away (next day). Although, I’ve found that it’s good to use up that Tofu within a couple of days.


Katsuo-bushi Coated Fried Tofu: To Dip or… version 1 (of 2)
For this dish, I spend a little more time draining the Tofu (more than the Hiyayakko). I slice up a whole Tofu block into 4 pieces and then use paper towels to suck those pieces dry.

Next, you need to make the Katsuo-bushi coating. Heat up a saucepan and get it really hot. Turn off the heat and pour Bonito flakes into the pan. Immediately, you’ll be greeted with the smoke and aroma of the Katsuo-bushi. Stir and mix so the flakes don’t stick to the saucepan. The idea is to get the flakes a little crispy, but not to burn them. You’ll be done in a matter of minutes. Let the flakes cool on a flat surface. I generally use 3 to 4 packs of flakes.

Now, beat up some eggs (about 3) like you’re going to make an omelet. I add a pinch each of salt and pepper, but that’s up to you. Get some flour into a separate bowl and you’re just about ready for the frying action. The star of this production, Tofu, is going to get some make-up done first, starting with the powder base. Place a piece of Tofu into the flour bowl and give her plenty of powder on every side. Be gentle, yet thorough; we don’t need to deal with a Diva tantrum at this stage.

After the powdering, she needs her egg treatment. Let her soak in the egg mix on all sides but be careful, she’s going to get very slippery and we don’t want any raw, egg-coated Tofu flying around the kitchen. Once she’s done with this, she needs to go into wardrobe. Cover her with the Katsuo-bushi and make sure she’s evenly coated, and comes out well-dressed. You’ll hear from her later, if she’s not.

Once all the girls are prepped, have them stand by for action on the set. Preheat (on medium) a pan with enough frying oil to cover the actresses. Slide a couple of them into the pan and let them do their part. Just let them fry for a while, turning them over on all sides until they turn a nice, dark-golden brown. Place them on a cooling rack and they’re ready!

Garnish with some sliced, green onions and grated ginger. You can use your favorite Shoyu (Soy Sauce) for dipping. I typically use Tamari Shoyu for my Tofu dishes, because unlike other types of Shoyu, Tamari has less or no soybean in its production
process (see Got Soy Sauce? post).

You can also make a sauce/ dip called Wari-Jyoyu, which is usually made with Shoyu, Dashi and Sake, to give the Shoyu a milder character, but for starters, there's other soy sauce-based seasoning available. One of them, which happens to be the wife's favorite, is called Ajipon, by Mitsukan. This citrus-seasoned soy sauce can be used in a wide variety of dishes. The wife goes absolutely berserk when we run out of this stuff. She uses it on just about everything. It goes especially well with Tofu dishes and...is available on-line, as well.


Katsuo-bushi Coated Fried Tofu: …or Not to Dip version 2 (of 2)
As many of us know, Tofu can be quite tasteless. People eating Tofu, for the first time, may scratch their heads and question the sanity of those who just love it. They may not succeed in making Tofu palatable, and thus lose interest in this wonderfully, nutritious and can-be-tasty food.

Of course there are tons of recipes out there, that make Tofu palatable and delicious. I’ll just share with you a version, of the above fried tofu dish, that gives the girls a little more flavor from the get-go.

This is NOT a traditional or authentic Japanese-food-preparation method. This is just something I came up with. I soak the Tofu in a marinade after it’s been drained. My Three Musketeers have a role to play, here.

The marinade? – Equal proportions of Shoyu and water. But, for those of you who’ve been following this blog, you know that I’m not going to settle…I mean about the water. I usually replace the water with Sake. I’m not trying to make a Teriyaki marinade, here, but I even add a tiny bit of Mirin. This may be a good way to give first-timers a taste of Japanese cooking flavors. So, after marinating the Tofu for about 30 minutes, let the girls go through the make-up process and the rest is the same.


You’ll definitely end up with fried Tofu that has some taste to it. Let me tell you, the wife doesn’t dip when I make it this way. The green onions, and especially the ginger, give it all the flavor it needs…or is she just getting old? Oh, by the way, if you end up with some leftover egg mix, scramble it up for a side dish. We try not to waste anything here at survival home cooking.


Now, I’m not saying that you should, but I think I’ll just relegate that bottle of Pepto-Bismol to the back of my medicine cabinet, until a steak and lobster combo comes calling my name.