Any of you ever called tsukemono "kon kon"? I swear that's what we used to call it in my family, but whenever I would talk about kon kon to my friends they wouldn't know what I was talking about. Then they would go, "Ooooh, ko ko." Hah? No . . . not ko ko, kon kon.
Anyway, I'm still not even sure how to use this thing yet. I think I'll go to Don Quijote at lunch time tomorrow and look for some kind of vegetables to use. Wish me luck!!
13 comments:
Aaahahaha! Kon Kon huh? Haha...I know how you feel! My grandma used to make this bread thing called "Pung". It was awesome! But every time I tell someone about it...they're like.."Pan?" I'm like..no..it's "Pung!". Anyway...since grandma passed...it seems that the recipe is totally lost. =(
Anyone know how to make "Pung"? It's like a bread pancake thing..made in a castiron pot on the stove. It usually takes a few hours, but it's oooohhh soooo delicious!!
Awwww, Yosh, that sounds sooo good. I'd hate to think that dish is lost for good.
we still call it ko ko in our house, but have heard some others call it kon kon...can't wait to see what you make :)
This looks like a chopper. I'd be interested to know how it works.
Thanks Kat, at least now I know it's not just my family that called in kon kon. The instructions that came with the press are in Japanese, so it's useless to me. I haven't been too successful finding anything online except for "salt, press, rinse, serve". I think I have to find me a recipe book.
Betty, I didn't realize it, but yeah if it had blades it would look like a chopper.
So...ur gona try and make some kon-kon insted of takuan? I hope the recipe is a 'quick-and-short version' and will be able to sample some bofore next spring! Ha,ha. But that contraption looks simple enough...kinda.
you could try here:
http://japanesefood.about.com/od/pickle/Pickle.htm or maybe you could look through this book at the library, "tsukemono" by Ikuko Hisamatsu (it is in english).
CQ, I'm posting this e-mail I got from Wendell's friend Steven that explains how the contraption works. I still gotta find me a good recipe.
From Steven:
I've had a similar maker for about 30 years or more. It's simple to use. Traditionally, vegatable were prepared and placed in a container with liquid. A stone or other weight was placed on the vegetables to stop them from floating up. Your maker is a pickling container with a screw-down plate, in place of a
stone, to hold down the vegetables. Simple, huh?
Now all you need are good recipes. There's lots in Hawaii cookbooks. Sorry, I don't remember which recipes were good. The good ones may use konbu, miso, beer, etc.
I read the comment from Yosh808. In Japanese characters, "pan" is a two character word, "pa" and "un" (which sound like "ung"). So, "pan" is pronouced similar to "pung". BTW, you must have eaten a "dorayaki" manju, possibly from Bunmeido, which is like two pancakes with "an" (black bean) filled between them. Could they be similar to his "pung"?
Thanks Kat!! I'll go check it out.
before there were vegetable presses, the weight, itself, to keep the vegetables submerged use to be made by filling a coffee can with concrete, then sticking a handle of sorts into the wet concrete surface. After peeling off the coffee can that was used as a mold, its indentations or rings were transferred onto the sides of the cylindrical weight.
Ron, that's soo neat! I actually thought the press was to squeeze all the liquid out of the vegetables, but you're right I'm finding out that it's to keep the vegetables submerged.
Easy kine Japanese to english translation works thusly: open the japanese script carefully, paying special attention to the orientation. Make sure it is right side up. Fold the instructions following the original creases. Turn paper upside down, then flip it over so it is reversed left to right. Place it into the glove compartment of your car, which is, importantly, on the right side of your car. Drive all night on the wrong side of the road, as Japanese do. In the morning, it should be in english when you open it.
walt
Walt, too funny!
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