*** Quoting Nancy Backus from a message to CAROL SHENKENBERGER ***

-=> Quoting Carol Shenkenberger to Nancy Backus on 01-11-07  15:45 <=-

 CS> Yeah, I stuck to pretty normal things when you get down to it.  Squid
 CS> may have  been a little wierd then (I was in California and long before
 CS> I moved to Japan) but harmless.

NB> We like squid...  :)

We love it.  Learned to cook it just right too so it's not tasteless rubber
¨.

 CS> so tends to show up 3 times a week .  Maybe more because it gets
 CS> added as a  dabble to congee (a rice soup, you may know it as Juk). 

NB> I know congee from having dim sum at Chinese restaurants.  One of my
NB> favorites.  :)  I noticed that your recipe doesn't have any ginger in
NB> it.  That is part of what I always associate with congee.

Many of them do.  I see below your version is more the traditional.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Basic Congee  (Juk)
 Categories: Soups, Asian, Japan
      Yield: 1 servings
 
    1/2 c  Raw rice
      6 c  Water
           Salt
 
  Wash rice.  Place in a large pot, add water, then boil.  Salt to
  taste. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent
  sticking, until rice thickens (about 2 hours).  COMMENTARY:  This can
  be made thick or thin, depending upon the rice/water ration, or by
  using a three part long-grain rice to one part glutinous rice. To
  this basic recipe, many things can be added according to one's taste
  or whatever is available. Pork hash, fishcake, chicken shreds, duck
  meat, ham, fish, turkey, salted eggs, shrimp, and squid come readily
  to mind. Garnishes may include minced green onion, Chinese parsley,
  pickled vegetables, lettuce and won bok. Instead of water, soup stock
  made from poultry carcasses, pork bones, or ham bones improve the
  flavor.
   Jan
  
  From: Janic412{at}aol.Com (Janic412)
 
MMMMM
Now thats the basics.  Ginger, though not listed in either mine nor this
one, ¨is a very common thing to add as well.

 CS> here.  The name doesnt do it justice.  It's great stuff. 

NB> What I've had usually only has one or two things beyond the basic
NB> porridge, the choice is often chicken, shrimp, beef, pork or 1000-year
NB> egg... or some combo of them.  The place we go to locally now has the
NB> last two together.

Awww!  Oh well.  I'm sure it's good, but am used to a much more varied item
¨here.  I couldnt find the Japan 'Rice porridge' anyplace so reverse
engineered ¨it and tested til it tasted right.  There are literally
hundreds of variations ¨on this dish.  At breakfast it tends to be fairly
simple (4-6 things added) but ¨at lunch it's a true smorgasbord.

NB> I still have a box of Dashi powder in my cupboard...  

Perfect time 

 CS> Japan are  different.

NB> I guess I'd never thought of congee as a "scrap" soup before...
NB> although, when I make my own version of it, I usually start with
NB> leftover chicken and rice with added chicken stock as a base.  Basic
NB> version just adds slivers of ginger root (lots of them), and simmers t
NB> a nice thick soup.  If I get fancy, I might add shrimp to it.  I suppo
NB> I should explain that when I make chicken and rice, I cook the chicken
NB> and rice together either in chicken broth or in water with bouillon
NB> added, just enough liquid to the rice that it all cooks into the rice
NB> and makes its own "sauce".  If I'm not planning for congee
next (or ev
NB> sometimes anyway), I add frozen broccoli florets just as the liquid is
NB> almost all absorbed, and I'm taking it from simmer to "stand".  

Grin, well on your way there to true Japanese 'rice porridge' then.  Toss
all ¨that in and add green onion, leftover spinach or lettuce leaves (yes,
lettuce ¨is cookable), and add the brocoli.  Throw it all in and you got
it!

                                       xxcarol

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