SHABU SHABU

one of my favorite ways to eat food is to cook it as i eat it... doesn't get any fresher than that. my sister and i usually save it for the coldest winter nights here in Pennsylvania which is often.. shabu shabu is what i'm talking about. if you havent tried it.. then you should after you read the blog. shabu shabu is the Japanese name for the dish. but there are many different asian versions of how you eat it and what you call it depending on where you go. the basis is always a hot pot of broth in the center and thinly sliced beef, seafood and veggies that are raw to be cooked in the broth as you consume it. plus an array of dipping sauces that can be customized to your liking. I'll look into where it originated but nonetheless its a fun way to eat with family and friends. 

I've gathered some pictures from flickr since i have yet to take any pictures of my home shabu shabu experience. but there is something about cooking and eating food with your close family together and watching the food cook that makes it a nice experience. hot it goes into your mouth and sometimes too hot, but that's the fun of it. in monterey park, ca there is a place that has outside seating where you can eat it in a large table with your family in a circle. they have Chinese herbs in the broth and that make it taste great perhaps even good for you. the broth as you would imagine gets tastier as you cook more and more different veggies and meats. so in the end drinking the broth with some rice noodles is just a nice treat. some places have split pots with spicy broth and regular, we make that type at home since not everyone can eat as spicy as my sister and i can. but its nice to have options. this is perfect for the picky eater as they can just cook what they want to eat without any worry. we usually have thinly sliced beef, shrimp, squid balls, meat balls, fish balls, napa cabbage, tofu, taro, egg, scallions, mushrooms... and rice noodles.. but sometimes we add more things, it just dependent on how many options you want to give yourself.  i love options... there is just something about sitting in a circle with your friends and family making food together that i think is special. i always end up full and happy. perhaps it takes us back to our ancestral roots of the hunter and gatherer stage of human civilization, were food was a ceremony and part of a community building ritual. 

i hope that everyone tries shabu shabu one point this upcoming year and see how fun it is.. i think it beats out fondue cheese any day. but i like having noodles as an option, which makes me biased on that opinion. don't be scared, if you think the beef isn't cooked all the way through you can just leave it in a bit longer, no pressure, and if you like it a bit medium that works too, there is not right or wrong when it comes to shabu shabu and what you eat. 

eat extraordinary everyday