Hālau 'Aha Hui Lānākila

TAMAGOYAKI

3 Eggs (optional +1 yolk for deeper color)

Chopped chives/spring onion
1/4 tsp Mirin
1/4 tsp Soy sauce
Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)
Furikake (optional)

You can also add 1 tsp sesame oil (1/2 tsp if using strong, pure sesame oil) for an interesting taste (normally with sugar). I do this sometimes when I get bored with regular tamagoyaki.

ONIGIRI

1/2 cup Japanese rice

1 cup Water Furikake (any kind)

Do not rinse the rice too much as you’ll want to retain much of the starch for onigiri. Make sure to soak the Japanese rice for ~15 min before cooking. Put your flame on high; once the water starts rapidly boiling, set the flame to low/simmer. Once cooked, put it on high for 10sec, and then kill the flame. Let sit (lid on) for 10 min before opening. Or just use a rice cooker.

You can add 1 tbsp sesame oil (1/2 tbsp if strong sesame oil) to the rice for a change – similar to how some Koreans do their crispy rice balls (jumeokbap?). If you can find small umeboshi (pickled plum), you can stick one inside the onigiri. Japanese umeboshi is best, but are normally pretty large. Chinese pickled plums on the other hand are normally smaller (but more sour, and I’ve never seen one that’s pitted).

TOOLS

The ONIGIRI MOULDS | I use are from Daiso and come in 2 sizes per pack. For bigger onigiri, you can use any other container e.g. a Japanese sandwich mould. Get one online here (https://amzn.to/2RxVQOX)

The TAMAGOYAKI PAN is a simple one I got off Ebay for around A$50 (Japanese brand, made in China, but sturdy). A bit expensive for a small pan, but this one is surprisingly quite thick and from experience distributes heat really well. It is optional and you can use a regular round pan, but obviously a rectangular tamagoyaki pan makes things a whole lot easier. Get a similar one (https://amzn.to/2RAjBpO)

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
1/2 cup katsup
White rice
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup honey
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 To 2 Sazon packets (optional)

7 Fresh garlic cloves, chopped fine

Oil to coat pan

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 Tablespoon Sofrito (if you don’t make sofrito, store bought is fine)

My mother passed down her macaroni and cheese recipe to me about 20 years ago. I have made my own tweaks since then to create what is now known as my Ultimate Five-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese. Made with a blend of sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and parmesan cheeses, this dish has become a favorite of every single person who has tasted it. Yes, this recipe is a little labor intensive, but it is well worth it!

Get the written recipe: http://bit.ly/jeffrogersmacandcheese

I normally cook this dish in glass. For this video, it was cooked in my Lodge 3-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I have also had success with cooking this dish in a regular, ‘well-seasoned’ cast iron skillet. If cooked in glass, increase your temperature to 400 degrees. Also, the deeper your dish, the longer it will take to cook. If your dish is shallow, it will take less time. So, you may want to do a test run to be sure of the appropriate times for your cookware.