I welcome you once again to Signature Saturdays!
This dish is normally prepared for Chinese New Year in Southeast Asia. It uses raw fish and raw vegetables which are not commonly eaten by people in China, but Singaporean Chinese do. And did you also know that when it is brought to the table, it is the custom for everyone to pick up their chopsticks and help toss it together.
Ingredients:
125 g very fresh tuna, striped bass, or red snapper fillets, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the freezer for 1 hour
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
big pinch of …read more

When you see octopus that looks very red like this in the sashimi bar of a Japanese shop, it usually means that it has been vinegared.  This means that as well as being deliciously chewy and salty it also tastes kind of pickled. 
To make this simple salad all you do is slice the octopus fine, and serve it up on top of fine shredded lettuce, onion and cucumber.  Drizzle some sesame dressing on top of it and you are ready to go.

My crisper had nothing that evening but some lettuce, avocadoes and green onions. So I thought — perfect! We’ll have a green salad! Doesn’t make for a very good picture here as you can see, but it did make for some good eating.
1/4 cup miso of your choice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons yuzu juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons Vegenaise or mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Salad greens and veggies of your choice
Combine everything in a bowl; whisk until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, then pour it on!

Get out your calendars!
WOFEX 2007: World’s Food & Trade Expo at the World Trade Center, Manila – This one’s ongoing RIGHT NOW, so hurry!
Culinary Art 2007 in Sri Lanka, August 25-2007
The Sixth Annual Culinary R&D, September 28 and 29, 2007 in LA, CA – There will be a culinary workshop from 1:00-2:15 on Japanese Cuisine; Elizabeth Andoh, Chef Paul Muller and Chef Gene Kato are on the panel
For your recipe files:
Asian Beef Salad with Lemon Grass Vinaigrette from Mission Food Service
Honeydew Bubble Green Tea from Kikkoman USA — this is their new (to me) product Pearl Soy Milk, which …read more

This Northern Thai salad, known for its main ingredient — papaya — and its heat (those Thai peppers are killer!)…. whoever thought of this combination ought to be sainted. Of course being Asian I’m probably biased, but for years my favorite salad was Caesar Cardini’s, UNTIL I had some Som Tam! These days I still have a special place in my heart for dear Caesar, but when I want crunch and flavors that make my mouth come alive, I fix me up some som tam. The ingredients should be available in most Asian grocers, but Mexican and …read more

I’m not too fond of most Asian-style salads, because I find some things are usually “off” or the combination of tastes just screams WRONG! This is one exception to the rule.
1 package baby spinach, washed and spun dry
2 cups large shrimp, steamed, peeled and deveined
1 large ripe mango (Champagne mango if you can find it is best), peeled, de-seeded and cut into 1/3-inch slices
1/4 cup red onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon grated zest and 3 tablespoons juice from 1 orage
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup canola oil, expeller-pressed preferred
1 …read more