.: evil jungle prince :.

Lunch today was gammodoki, or deep fried tofu balls filled with carrot, shitake mushroom, black sesame seeds, green beans, egg, and a little salt, soy sauce, and mirin. These are pressed into a palm-shaped ball and fried in oil. To my surprise (it was my first time making them), the taste turned out really well even if my gammodoki-sculpting skills still need some work.

I couldn't decide which type of dipping sauce would work better, Korean (with chili, sesame oil, sesame seeds) or a simple soy sauce infused with some fresh lemon juice from the garden. So, I made both. The clear winner was the lemon-soy sauce dip because it helped cut through the grease so well and also did not distract from the gammodoki tastes. (Sorry Fishy, you didn't win.)

Last night I made ube and haupia pie, so I broke that out for dessert. (My version uses ube instead of Okinawan sweet potatoes like Reid's original recipe, but I'm sure the taste is relatively the same. I use Filipino sweet potatoes instead as the Okinawan type cannot be purchased locally.) I enjoyed this with a cup of mango flavored black tea with honey and cream. A nice way to spend the afternoon before returning to work tomorrow...

Note to self: must remember to take photos before eating the food!