Gomasio

"Simplicity reveals the truth of taste."

Author unkown

 

There seems to be an eternal struggle within myself, particularly when it comes to cooking. I always feel the urge to prepare something big, even when (especially when) I am just cooking for myself. This blog recounts (in some, albeit incomplete detail) some of those cooking efforts. Those efforts send me on a search for hard-to-find ingredients, reading recipe after recipe for new processes and techniques. I spend a significant amount of time to prepare a dish that, in the end, usually does not look like the picture and does not always leave me satisfied in any or every sense of the term. 

In recent months, I have been trying to break free from that culinary and personal struggle. There are many reasons, beyond the obvious (namely, less stress). The most important of those reasons is my health. I want to prepare dishes and learn cooking techniques that can improve my overall health. And, as I have come to learn (and relearn again and again), the starting point begins with the principle of simplicity.

The concept of simplicity is a core precept of Japanese cuisine. A couple of ingredients, prepared together using basic processes, can be used to create a healthy dish. Rather than layer that dish with sauces or additional proteins, one can use other precepts, like balance, to add carefully ingredients that maintain the minimalist or simplistic approach. 

For me, gomasio represents a starting point for simplicity in cooking. Two ingredients - sesame seeds (goma) and salt (shio) -- are ground together to create a simple condiment. That condiment is packed with protein and calcium, which comes from the sesame seeds. It can then be used when one seeks balance in a dish, providing an earthy and salty flavor to a dish. It can be sprinkled over rice, added to soup dishes, or over sushi.

GOMASIO

Recipe from Elana's Pantry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw sesame seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Roast the sesame seeds.  Place the seeds in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Roast for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the seeds turn golden brown. 

2. Grind the seeds and salt. Place the toasted sesame seeds and salt in a suribachi or mortar and pestle, grind to a coarse meal. Transfer to a glass container. 

PEACE.