Cooking with Chef Jim Copening | Have breakfast with Chef Jim at the farmers market
Editor's note: This week marks the start of the downtown Bradenton Farmers Market on Old Main Street. The Bradenton Herald has partnered with Realize Bradenton to promote a "Chef at the Market" series, which features the Herald's chef columnists demonstrating dishes at the market. The series kicks off this Saturday, then continues the second Saturday of each month. Next up: Chef Gaetano Cannata of Ortygia, who will demonstrate on Oct. 11.
On Saturday, I'll have the pleasure of shopping at the Bradenton Farmers Market's opening day for ingredients for a cooking demonstration at 9:30 a.m. It's the breakfast hour and the market is filled with a plethora of fresh, organic, local fruits and vegetables.
In the Western world, breakfast is generally limited to muffins, waffles, eggs, bacon, pancakes and toast. In Asian cultures, breakfast staples include noodles, rice, vegetables, fish, lentils and other beans, crepes, fried breads and dumplings.
In China, breakfast often consists of rice with small amounts of vegetables, meat or fish. Dim sum (fried and steamed dumplings) is also popular. Congee, a watery
gruel made of a variety of ingredients, savory or sweet, can include meats, vegetables and herbs. Deep fried devils are dipped into coffee. They're deep fried twisted strips of dough, like cruellers, and can be seen at street markets, according to the web site mrbreakfast.com.
Japanese breakfast consists mostly of rice, as it does in most Asian countries. These days, the most popular breakfast choices are bread, rice, miso soup, yogurt, eggs, jam, seaweed, pickles, cheese and pancakes. The traditional breakfast is rice and miso soup. Miso is a soybean paste and is combined with water, tofu, sesame oil and green onions to make the soup. Natto is also enjoyed at breakfast and consists of fermenting cooked whole soybeans in a bacterial starter. This particular dish would take some getting used to for Westerners due to its flavor which can be described as musty, cheesy with a hint of ammonia.
Koreans love their breakfasts. Centuries ago, Koreans enjoyed a robust breakfast and dinner with lunch as a snack. Traditional Korean breakfast fare consists of kimchi, meat and/or fish, beef rib or pork intestine (tripe) soup, and breads and pastries. Kimchi is a staple of the Korean diet and is very spicy, made by fermenting vegetables with a range of spices that include red pepper, garlic and ginger. If you like spicy food, you'll love kimchi.
In Myanmar (also known as Burma), the national breakfast dish is Mohinga, rice noodles served in a hearty, herbal fish and shallot-based broth. The recipe I'll be demonstrating at the farmers market is my take on an Asian breakfast that I'm calling "Burmese Breakfast."
The recipe below is only a guide. You can include any vegetables, rice or noodle for the stir fry. Try this alternative to your usual breakfast and get creative.
Chef Jim's Burmese Breakfast
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3-5 fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2-3 fresh chiles, chopped (depends on how hot you want the dish to be)
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
2 cups cooked rice (any type)
2-3 cups various vegetables, chopped
Egg (optional), lightly beaten
2-3 teaspoons soy sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil , or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, or to taste
2 tablespoons rice wine (optional)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional)
In a wok or large frying pan, stir fry the ingredients. This isn't a fixed recipe. Use quantities and ingredients according to your taste.
Chef Jim Copening, of Arts & Eats, can be reached at artsandeats@gmail.com. The restaurant is at 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton, in the Village of the Arts. Information: 941-201-6647 or artsandeatsfl.com.
This story was originally published October 1, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Cooking with Chef Jim Copening | Have breakfast with Chef Jim at the farmers market."