I just finished reading two books, back to back. They had absolutely nothing in common yet I was inspired to make a Japanese meal of Buckwheat Noodle Soup and Seaweed Salad.
Allow me to share why I chose these recipes........
The novel follows the lives of best friends, Young-sook and Mi-ja, from the time they meet until Young-sook is an elder and Mi-ja has passed. It jumps from the past to the present and gives you a very clear and precise picture of the life, culture and personality of the Haenyeo. It covers all of the hardships, heartbreaks and turmoil that the Islanders faced during the Korean War and World War II. It also covers the personal lives of Young-sook and Mi-ja. Their joys, their sorrows, their successes and their failures. It is a perfect glimpse into the culture, both past and present.
It is the story of family, friendships and forgiveness. I think these are topics that resonate with everyone regardless of culture and birthplace.
One of the passages that stuck with me was about celebrating the birth of a child. When a child was born the family would celebrate with Buckwheat Noodle Soup. This was the inspiration for my first dish.
The next book I read was a memoir by Stephanie Thornton Plymale called American Daughter. I won this book from The Book Club Cookbook blog.
This story is also about a strong woman who faced many struggles and heartaches. It is also a story of family and forgiveness. That is where any similarities in the stories end. It is also a wonderful read for National Womens Month.
This memoir starts out with Stephanie and her siblings living in a car in a National Forest in California. Her mother is drug addicted and suffers from mental illness. There is often nothing available to eat and that is when her elder brothers, who are themselves only 9 and 11, climb down the cliff to the sea and gather seaweed for them to sustain themselves.
Hence, the second dish I am sharing with you today is a Seaweed Salad.
This memoir is heartbreaking but hopeful. Stephanie is able to survive and be successful while even with suffering all the abuses that come with having a drug addicted, mentally ill mother, a horrendous family court system and a failed foster care system.
Stephanie gives credit to her survival and her success to her husband who she met when she was only 15 years old and who has stood by her and supported her since. It is admirable that her husband offered her strength and unconditional love but I think Stephanie needs to give herself more credit.
This memoir deals mostly with Stephanie coming to terms with her mother and learning why she was so broken and finding forgiveness in her heart and peace in her life. Her mother was also a victim of our warped judicial system and lack of understanding, treatment and care of children who are victimized.
It's a disturbing story and while Stephanie survived and, indeed, became very successful. Her siblings did not fare as well as she. I am raising a daughter who has suffered the failures of a foster system. This memoir makes me want to figure out how and why Stephanie was able to overcome and to use this knowledge to help my own daughter. It did not answer those questions because Stephanie never credits herself for her success.
I am also sharing this post over at Foodies Read where we share the books we are reading and the food they inspire.
Here are the recipes for the meal I served inspired by these reads. I hope you enjoy them and I hope you pick up these books and celebrate the strength of women this month.
Yield: 4 servings
Buckwheat Noodle Soup
Simple, delicious and nutritious this vegetarian soup is ready and on the table in less than half an hour.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Ingredients
- 1 T. olive oil
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 t. ginger paste
- 1/4 c. tamari
- 6 c. vegetable broth
- 6 oz. Soba (Buckwheat) noodles
- Leaves from 1 bunch bok choy, coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot, scraped and shredded
- 3 scallion, white and light green sections, sliced
- 2 hard boiled eggs, halved
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over med high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook one minute longer, until fragrant. Stir in the tamari and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms soften about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and bok choy leaves and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
- Ladle into 4 bowls and garnish each with shredded carrot, scallions and half of a hard boiled egg.
Notes:
Adapted from a recipe found at Diethood
Calories
179.95Fat (grams)
7.25Sat. Fat (grams)
1.49Carbs (grams)
20.51Fiber (grams)
2.56Net carbs
17.96Sugar (grams)
4.87Protein (grams)
10.32Sodium (milligrams)
2086.75Cholesterol (grams)
93.25
Yield: 4 servings
Seaweed Salad
This colorful salad starts with dried seaweed flowers that are rehydrated, spun dry and tossed with a ginger vinaigrette.
Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min
Ingredients
- 1 (20 g) pkg. Dried Seaweed Flowers
- 1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 T. dark sesame oil
- 2 t. ginger paste
Instructions
- Place the seaweed flowers in salad spinner and cover with cold water. Let set for 7-10 minutes and then drain and spin dry. Place into a bowl.
- Whisk together the seasoned rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger. Pour over the seaweed and toss to coat.
Calories
69.63Fat (grams)
7.33Sat. Fat (grams)
1.00Carbs (grams)
0.51Fiber (grams)
0.06Net carbs
0.46Sugar (grams)
0.05Protein (grams)
0.08Sodium (milligrams)
0.96Cholesterol (grams)
0.00
That second book sounds absolutely heart-wrenching. The first I know was a tear-jerker! But, as always, your recipes are inspired and sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, luckily the next book I will be reviewing had me laughing most of the way through.
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