kitty: Let the World Food Cup Begin - JP 2 vs NZL 1 - Fifa Women's World Cup Germany 2011

Wow... another 4 years has passed and it is time for the Women's FIFA World Cup of Football to begin. Some of you may remember that in years past M and I have done the World Cup of Food to correspond to the winner each day in the past. Well we are off to a bad start already, we forgot it started yesterday. So our batting average is already not that great, but we are not going to let that stop us in our culinary delights. Let the Games Begin.... Winner Japan 2 vs New Zealand 1 Tan Tan Mein and Onsen Tamago Tan Tan Mein is technically a Chinese dish but I was inspired to cook this since we have seen it so many times on one of our favorite Japanese cooking shows, Saturday Night Chubaw!(Catch it on youtube) Onsen Tamago though is most certainly a Japanese treat. Basically it is an egg cooked slowly in water from a hot spring. The egg whites are soft and the yokes are only slightly hard.

Tan Tan Mein

1 Medium Spanish Onion 2-3 Garlic Cloves 8 Dried Shiitake Mushroom and soaking water 1/2 lb. Black Pork 1/4 cup of aged Shiitake Mushroom Soy Sauce 1/2 Teaspoon of Pepper Small Handful of MSG (Optional) Cooking oil Thin Sliced Cucumber Bean Sprouts

1) Put Shiitake mushrooms to soak as you chop onions and garlic into small pieces 2) Put a small bit of Cooking Oil to cover the bottom of your Sauce Pan and add the onions and garlic. 3) Sweat the onions and the garlic in the skillet until the onions have just turned translucent. 4) While the onions and garlic are cooking take out the soaking shiitake mushrooms and slice into 1 cm inch thick strips and place back into soaking water.

4) Place mushrooms and ground black pork into the sauce pan and start to mix and break apart the pork bits. 5) Add soy sauce, MSG, and pepper to the rest of the ingredients

6) Cook until the pork has cooked through stirring occasionally.

As the Pork mixture continues to cook it is time to shake shake shake your noodles.

1 packet of Frozen Yaki Soba Noodles per person 1) Boil a large pot of water 2) Place one packet of noodles into a drainer and continue to dip into water and shake until the noodles are done Save your water!!!

When the noodles are done it is time to serve. Place one package of noodles, 2/3 cup of pork mixture, a handful of bean sprouts, and a few pieces of thinly sliced cucumbers.

Onsen Tamago

1 Small Chicken Thigh Debonned 6 slices Japanese Cucumber 4 tablespoons of Tan Tan Mein Pork 2 Egg Splash of Light Soy Sauce or Soba Noodle Sauce if available Fish Flakes (Katsuobushi)

1) Cook One debonned chicken thigh in boiling water until it is cooked through and slice in thin strips

2) From your saved noodle water place 2 raw eggs into the water one on each side and allow to boil in the water. (My Cheap substitute for real Onesen water)

3) Time to plate: 3 Slices of cucumber in each bowl on the bottom 3 Slices of Chicken Thigh 2 Tablespoons of Tan Tan Mein Pork 1 Cooked Egg 1 Hand full of Fish Flakes (Katsuobushi)

Enjoy, I am off to go watch the England vs Mexico game on Tivo!