Jeanette Lind
Daughters are like flowers, they fill the world with beauty, and sometimes attract pests. ~Author Unknown
Connor Turns Fourteen... Barely
Did you know? - The originator of the teppanyaki-style steakhouse is the Japanese restaurant chain Misono, which introduced the concept of cooking Western-influenced food on a teppan in Japan in 1945. They soon found that the cuisine was more popular with foreigners than with the Japanese, who enjoyed both watching the skilled maneuvers of the chefs preparing the food as well as the cuisine, somewhat more familiar than more traditional Japanese dishes. As the restaurants became popular at tourist spots with non-Japanese, the chain increased the performance aspect of the chef's preparation, such as stacking onion slices to produce a flaming onion volcano.
Another piece of equipment in the same family is a flattop grill, consisting of a flat piece of steel over circular burners and typically smaller and round like a Mongolian barbecue.
Did you know? - Chopsticks are small tapered sticks used in pairs of equal length as the traditional eating utensils of Greater China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Generally believed to have originated in ancient China, they can also be found in some areas of Tibet and Nepal that are close to Han Chinese populations. Chopsticks are most commonly made of bamboo or plastic, but are also made of metal, bone, ivory, and various types of wood. The pair of sticks is maneuvered in one hand, between the thumb and fingers, and used to pick up pieces of food.
Did you know? - The English word "chopstick" seems to have been derived from Chinese Pidgin English, a pidgin in which "chop chop" meant quickly.[1][2] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest published use of the word is in the 1699 book Voyages and descriptions by William Dampier, where it says "they are called by the English seamen Chopsticks"
Did you know? - In North America: The form of teppanyaki most familiar to North Americans consists of steak and other meats, along with vegetable accompaniments, and is often known by the name of hibachi, with the establishments often referred to as "Japanese steakhouses."
In the United States, teppanyaki was made famous by the Benihana restaurant chain which opened its first restaurant in New York in 1964.[2] Benihana and other chains of teppanyaki steakhouses continue to place an emphasis on the chef performing a show for the diners, continuing to introduce new variations and tricks. The chef might juggle utensils, flip a shrimp tail into his/her shirt pocket, catch an egg in his/her hat, toss an egg up in the air and split it with a spatula, flip flattened shrimp pieces into the diners' mouths, or arrange onion rings into fire-shooting volcanoes.
Did you know? - Mongolian barbecue first appeared in Taiwan in the middle to late 20th century. Although the stir-frying of meats on a large, open surface is supposed to evoke Mongolian cuisine, the preparation actually derives from Japanese-style teppanyaki which was popular in Taiwan at the time. "Mongolian" barbecue is not actually Mongolian at all; for examples of genuine Mongolian food, see buuz or khuushuur. A barbecue in Mongolia is prepared quite differently.
Did you know? - A non-alcoholic beverage is a beverage that contains no alcohol. Non-alcoholic mixed drinks (including punches, "virgin cocktails", or "mocktails") are often consumed by people wishing to enjoy flavorful drinks without alcohol, recovering alcoholics, people whose religion restricts alcohol consumption, or children. They are often available as alternative beverages where the norm is to drink alcoholic beverages, such as bars.
Examples include Shirley Temples, Virgin Marys, and virgin-style Piña Coladas. Non-alcoholic beverages contain no more than .5 percent alcohol by volume. The category includes drinks that traditionally have no trace of alcohol such as sodas, juices, and sparkling ciders. It also includes drinks that have undergone an alcohol removal process such as non-alcoholic beers and dealcoholized wines. Non-alcoholic beer can contain a small amount of alcohol (the exact percentage varies by country), so purchasers of non-alcoholic beer in some US states must be at least 21.
Did you know? - The flaming onion volcano is a type of food performance demonstrated by chefs at some teppanyaki restaurants. It consists of a number of slices of onion stacked to look like Mount Fuji, which are set on fire and then doused in liquid that bubbles up like lava.
In the traditional preparation, an onion is sliced into layers, and one layer from the top or bottom of the stack is separated out. This stack is then separated into individual "rings". The largest, outermost, ring is used as the base, with its wider side down. The smaller rings are then stacked on top, forming an open cone. The rings can be stacked because they are wider on the bottom than the top.
After constructing the cone, oil is poured into the center through the open top, then diluted ethyl alcohol, and then the mixture is set on fire. The alcohol burns off in a few seconds, leaving a steam of unburned alcohol streaming out of the top like a smoking volcano. For an added touch, teriyaki sauce can be poured in after the flames die down, and the oil, heated by the grill, will cause it to boil out out of the top like lava.
