What I do is create a theme for my week off. This means that I cook the food of the country I'm "visiting" and watching movies inspired by or filmed in those countries.
My last week-long staycation was following the Griswolds through National Lampoon's European Vacation. Before that I spent a week following them through the states in National Lampoon's Vacation. I've also spent time in Spain, Jamaica, Iceland, Hawaii, etc.
Next week, I'm spending five days in Asia (or Staysia):
Day 1 -
Country - India
Food - Shrimp in Coconut Cream Sauce
Cookbook - Flavors of India: Authentic Indian Recipes, by Meena Pathak; pp.51
Movies - Outsourced, Swades
Day 2 -
Country - China
Food - Classic Barbecued Spareribs, Vegetable Dumpling and Wonton Filling, Beef Chow Fun
Cookbook - The Chinese Takeout Cookbook by Diana Kuan; pp. 33, 41, 138
Movies - China Syndrome, China Connection, Big Trouble in Little China
Day 3 -
Country - Vietnam
Food - Ga Quay Mat Ong (Honey-Roasted Chicken)
Cookbook - The Food of Vietnam: Authentic Recipes from the Heart of Indochina by
Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isak; p. 106
Movies - Good Morning Vietnam, Apocalypse Now
Day 4 -
Country - Korea
Food - Cabbage Kimchi, Cucumber Kimchi, Glass Noodles with Beef and Vegetables
Cookbook - The Korean Table: From Barbeque to Bibimbap by Taekyung Chung
and Debra Samuels; pp. 67, 141
Movies - MASH, Die Another Day (James Bond 007)
Day 5 -
Country - Japan
Food - Miso Soup, Salmon and Avocado Sushi Roll, Tuna Sushi Roll,
Cucumber Pickles, Green Tea Ice Cream
Cookbook - Japanese Home Cooking by Shunsuke Fukushima; pp. 32, 42-43,44,54,112
Movies - Godzilla (1954), Gamera (MST3K), Gamera vs. Guiron (MST3K)
I think I'm looking forward to Japan the most. I love sushi and the classic Godzilla movie. Sushi is also something I can share with Vivian and she's smitten with Gamera!
Here is the shopping list:
ASIAN STAYCATION SHOPPING LIST
4 cups onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger pulp
2.25 lbs. large shrimp (raw, shelled, deveined)
4.5 tsp. salt
3 tsp. pepper
.75 tsp ground turmeric
8 tbs. vegetable oil
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
1 in. piece cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
.75 tsp. cayenne pepper
.25 cup plain yogurt
1.5 cup coconut milk
3 tbs. honey
6 tbs. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbs. ketchup
1 tbs. hoisin sauce
11 tbs. soy sauce (same as sweet soy sauce?)
11 tsp. sesame oil
4 tbs. minced garlic
.5 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
2.5 lbs. pork spareribs (pref. St. Louis style)
13 shitake mushrooms
2 lbs. baby spinach
10 green onion/scallions
1 pkg. dumpling wrappers
.5 lbs. flank steak
2 tbs. oyster sauce
3 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. black beans (fermented)
1 lbs. wide fresh rice noodles or 12 oz. wide dried rice
noodles
3 tsp. fresh ginger
1 large whole chicken
3 tbs. honey
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tbs. annatto seed oil (or seeds turned into oil)
1 large head green cabbage
5 cup water
2 tbs. sea salt or kosher salt
.5 bunch garlic chives or regular chives
7 tbs. kimchi paste
2 1-gallon plastic zipper bags
8 mini cucumbers
7 oz. daikon radish
.25 lbs. sirloin tips or rib eye steak
5 oz. dried Korean vermicelli noodles
.5 lbs. spinach
2 tbs. canola, sunflower or other neutral oil
1 carrot
1 tbs. dried wood ear mushrooms
2 tbs. sesame seeds
.25 cup shiromiso paste
.5 tsp. instant dashi
1 tbs. wakame seaweed
3 sheet nori
1.75 cup sushi rice (cooked)
2 pinch wasabi paste
.5 medium avocado
2 strips sashimi-grade salmon
4 strips sashimi-grade tuna
1 English cucumber (10 oz.)
4.5 cups vanilla ice cream (high quality)
1 tsp. matcha
Food pictures and recipes will follow.
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