The Super H Mart, an Unbeatable Eastern Market

Looking for inspiration? The Super H Mart (or Han Ah Reum) is an exciting resource for the adventurous cook who wants to explore the diverse world of Asian cuisine or anyone who simply enjoys wandering a food market full of fresh surprises. In this massive Korean Supermarket, you'll find a wide array of imported Asian produce, fish, meat and dry goods. This unique food emporium started out as a small neighborhood grocery in Woodside Queens, NY, in 1982. Today there are multiple locations in the United States and Canada. In Chicago you'll find one in both Niles and Naperville.

When you visit Han Ah Reum, be sure to set aside plenty of time. You won't want to hurry when you peruse the produce section with its plentiful stock of exotic fruits, vegetables and Asian herbs. And the fish counter is a fantastic sight. Every day there is a plethora of sea life sold at hard-to-beat prices.

For someone relatively new to Asian foods and cuisine, the Super H can be a little overwhelming. So don't hesitate to ask for help. The staff is friendly and you can always find someone who speaks English. And here's a fun suggestion to help give structure to your shopping adventure: bring along your ingredient list for authentic Ozoni. What is Ozoni, you ask? Super H customer and Tastybeat's good friend Lance Toma has generously shared his grandmother's recipe for Ozoni, a traditional Japanese soup for the New Year. According to Lance, the Japanese believe that strength, power and prosperity will be infused into the lives of those who eat Ozoni in the New Year. Lance recounts, "I remember observing my grandmother making the soup, from beginning to end. It was such a critical ingredient of my childhood, and one that I have now passed on to my partner, son, and all of our friends who know to drop by our home every new year's day to join in this special meal."

Now Tastybeat passes this good luck, warm-hearted recipe along to you, our readers. And with it, many good wishes for a prosperous 2008!

Happy New Year!

Tastybeat

Super H Mart
Niles (map)
801 Civic Center Dr.
Niles, IL 60714
Tel: (847) 581-1212
8 a.m.-11 p.m. daily

Naperville
1295 E. Ogden Ave. (map)
Naperville, IL 60563
Tel: (630) 778-9800
8 a.m. -10 p.m. daily

Grandmother Toma's Ozoni

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. boneless chicken
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium daikon (white Japanese or Chinese radish)
• 1 bunch mizuna
  Mizuna is a Japanese green mostly found in Asian supermarkets at New Year's, but can be found at some Japanese/Asian markets year-round.
• 1 1/4 tsp. dashi no moto
  There are quite a bit of options when buying dashi no moto. The easiest to find is Hondashi.
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 package/roll of kamaboko
  Kamaboko is a prepared fish cake about 6 in. long, most often white and pink. At New Year's, more elaborate kamaboko appear in markets with beautiful designs.
• 5 large dried shiitake mushrooms
• 5-10 mochi (or "komochi," 2-3 inch white pounded rice balls)
  Mochi is the one essential and non-negotiable ingredient for Ozoni. You can get mochi frozen, but freshly pounded mochi is the best. It's warm and slightly sweet.

Instructions

Slice chicken diagonally into thin pieces and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place in boiling water until just cooked and tender. Drain.

Slice carrots and daikon about one quarter inch thick. Parboil about ten minutes or until almost tender. Set aside.

Cut off bottoms of the mizuna. Parboil the entire bunch of mizuna, about 2 minutes, until it starts to turn a dark green. Remove quickly. Once cooled, squeeze out the water and shape into a log. Cut the log into 2-3 inch sections. Set aside.

In a soup pot, bring about 5 cups of water to a boil and add dashi no moto. Turn down to a simmer and add the salt and shoyu, stir, and adjust seasoning to taste.

Thinly slice the kamaboko. Set aside. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water until soft (about 10-15 minutes), cut off the stems, and slice thin.

To the soup pot, add the chicken, carrots, daikon, mizuna, kamaboko, and shiitake. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

While the broth is simmering, toast the mochi in an oven broiler. Turn the mochi to make sure it does not burn. The mochi will puff up in fun shapes. The outside of the mochi should be crisp and light brown.

Place the mochi in individual soup bowls, and carefully ladle the soup mixture on top, making sure each bowl contains all of the ingredients.