Love it or hate, my first experience with a Teppanyaki restaurant was in Dallas, TX at a Benihana. It was the 80s and Texas... It was a big deal. Don't get me started on how sushi arrived to Dallas... Anyways, I've always had a haptic hungering for nostalgic nourishments (sometimes more nostalgia, than nourishment - see Taco Bueno), and it's no surprise that I find myself writing out this recipe. I scoured the web for what I think would taste good and keeping an eye out for color and consistency. The following is an amalgam and modification of several recipes.
Ingredients
Liquids: ½ cup peanut oil (I use less) ⅓ cup rice vinegar (I add a little more) 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons ketchup 4 teaspoons soy/tamari sauce (or 3 soy packets) 2 teaspoons lemon juice (½ a lemon juiced)
Chopping: ½ cup onion, minced 2 tablespoons ginger, minced fine (a little bigger than the size of your thumb) 2 tablespoons celery, minced (about 1-2 stalks) ½ teaspoon garlic, minced (2-4 cloves)
Granular: 2 teaspoons sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper (8-10 turns on the mill, large grain)
Prep time: 30 minutes Yield: 1.3 cups
Combine all ingredients in a blender for 45 seconds, or until you approve of the consistency. You can use it on a simple greens mix or as a marinade for meats.