Japanese Cuisine - Cooking Japanese Food at Home

February Seasonal Japanese Seafood ２月旬の魚

2012-01-31T23:12:00.001+09:00

FebruaryJapanese Seasonal Seafood

As it is cold throughout most of Japan, February is a wonderful time for hot pots (nabe). Monkfish (ankou) is one of Shinji's favorite nabes. We always save the liver and serve it separately. It's very easy to steam - see a simple recipe here. Wakasagi or shirauo are both lovely when lightly battered and deep-fried. As for sashimi, we love kinmedai, hirame, kanburi and tairagai. If you get a fresh kawahagi for sashimi, save the liver, mash it in a mortar and pestle, and add it to some ponzu for a creamy dipping sauce. Shijimi miso soup is a wonderful way to start any day. And sazae are perfect for grilling in their shells. Best of all may be all the succulent crabs that are in season like tarabagani and zuwaigani.

If you clickon the Japanese name of the seafood you should be directed to a link with aphoto.

Ankou – 鮟鱇 monkfish (Lophiomus setigerus)

Aoyagi- 青柳 surf clam (Mactra chinensis)

Buri – 鰤 Japanese amberjack(Seriola quinqueradiata)

Fugu - 真河豚 blowfish or pufferfish (Takifuguporphyreus)

Hamaguri- 浜栗 commonOrient clam (Meretrix lusoria)

Hirame - 鮃 olive flounder (Paralichthysolivaceus)

Honmaguro – 本鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

* also called kuromaguro

Ishigarei – 石鰈 stone flounder (Kareius bicoloratus)

Itoyori - 糸縒鯛 golden threadfin-bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kanburi – 寒鰤 winterJapanese amberjack (see buri) (Seriola quinqueradiata)

* The port of Himi in Toyama is famous for its kanburi.

Kasago - 笠子scorpionfish (Sebastiscus marmoratus)

Kawahagi - 皮剥thread-sail filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer)

Kinki - 黄血魚thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kinmedai– 金目鯛 (sometimes called kinme) splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

Madai - 真鯛 seabream (Pagurusmajor)

Mutsu - gnomefish (Scombrops boops)

Saba – 鯖 Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Sawara – 鰆 Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Sazae- 栄螺 turbanshell (Turbocornutus)

Shijimi – 大和蜆 corbicula clams (Corbicula japonica)

Shirauo - 白魚whitefish or ice goby (Salangichthysmicrodon)

Tairagai- 平貝 penshell(Atrina (Servatrina) pectinata)

Tara - 真鱈codfish (Gadus macrocephalus)

Tarabagani- 鱈場蟹 Alaskan king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Umazurahagi- 馬面剥 filefish scraper (Thamnaconus modestus)

Wakasagi - 若細魚Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Yari ika - 槍烏賊 spearsquid (Loligo (Heterololigo) bleekeri)

Zuwaigani -頭矮蟹 snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)

January Japanese Seasonal Fruits Vegetables

2012-01-24T22:18:00.003+09:00

Following isa list of seasonal fruits and vegetables in Japan this month. Root vegetablesin particular are plentiful this time of year. Daikon is one of my favorites asit is can be used in so many dishes. It can be julienned for a salad, simmeredand dressed with a sweet miso dressing, in soups, or grated and used as agarnish. I also love the sticky, slippery texture of nagaimo. It can be gratedand served over hot rice with a splash of soy sauce, or I like to cook it likean omelet and serve it with some nori. (LINK) Fruit like strawberries and applescan be found in sweets and pastries.

Broccoli –

Cabbage –

Cauliflower–

Celery –

Daikon –

Eringi –eringi mushroom

Gobo – burdockroot

Hakusai – Napacabbage

Hoursensou –spinach

Jagaimo – potatoes

Kabu – turnips

Komatsuna – Japanesegreen (sometimes called mustard spinach) in turnip family

Mekyabettsu– Brussel sprouts

Mizuna – Japanesegreen (sometimes called potherb mustard)

Nagaimo – Japanesemountain yam

Nanohana – rapeseedflowers

Negi – Japaneseleeks

Ninjin – carrots

Nira – garlicchives

Parsley –

Renkon – lotusroot

Saradana – saladgreens

Satsumaimo –Satsuma sweet potato

Seri – Japanesecelery

Shungiku – chrysanthemumleaves

Yamatoimo – Yamatopotato, similar to nagaimo

Yurine –lily root

Daidai – atype of orange

Ichigo – strawberry

Kinkan – kumquat

Lemon –

Navel orange–

Ponkan – atype of tangerine

Ringo – apple

Yuzu –

Chilled Japanese Green Tea

2012-01-22T16:53:00.000+09:00

A cold cup of green tea nourishes me throughout the year. Years ago I used to brew Japanese green tea and then chill it in the fridge, a long process. But that has become easy with tea packs that can be brewed with room temperature water.

Some of these packages are loose teas, but the ones that are a breeze to use are the tea packs. Simply put in a pitcher of water and let steep in the fridge overnight. If you are unable to find the pre-packaged tea packs, then it is possible to pack up your own teas and steep the teas overnight. I have had good luck with most teas. The only tea I haven't had good success with steeping in the fridge is hojicha.

Here are the tea packs.

What you want to look for when purchasing the tea is "mizudashi" 水出し, the characters on the top right hand side below the name Kunitaro.

And, as these are Japanese-style teas, we don't add any sugar or sweet syrup to the teas. If you are used to drinking Southern-style sweet teas it may take some time adjusting your palate to these. But I find them refreshing and satisfying.

Kabutoyaki - Grilled Fish Heads

2012-01-20T13:57:00.001+09:00

One of the easiest fish dishes to grill up is kabutoyaki or fish heads. Simply season with salt and grill. The photo above is of tai or sea bream, the flesh which is delicate and light on the palate.

For a meatier fish, try hamachi or buri (Japanese amberjack). This fatty fish will drip a lot of fat while cooking so just be careful for the flame and smoke.

In Japanese supermarkets fish heads are often for sale. I have seen it at Japanese or Chinese markets in the USA. Or, if you have a good fishmonger, ask him to save some heads for you.

And, be sure to dig around with your chopsticks and get every little nugget and piece that you can find when eating this. I usually give up pretty quickly and I am always amazed at how much more Shinji can dig up once I am done with a piece.

Garnish it with some lemon or ponzu. And, I love having this with a glass of shochu on the rocks.

Satsumaimo Gohan 薩摩芋ご飯

2012-01-12T22:32:00.001+09:00

Satsumaimo (sweet potatoes) are in season at the moment. Usually we make a sweet dish called daigaku imo from the starchy sweet potatoes. Looking to spice up our donabe of white rice with something new I cooked the sweet potato with the rice. A nice change-up when topped with some toasted sesame seeds.

Using this recipe for cooking rice (from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari), simply add some salt to the rice pot. For the sweet potatoes, wash carefully (but leave the skins on), cut into slices, about 1/2 inch, and let rest in a pot of water to rid it of its excess starch.

Add the sweet potatoes to the rice pot and cook as you would cook white rice normally. No need to add extra water. Just use the amount based on Nonaga-san's recipe in the link above.

When serving top with toasted sesame seeds.

Lekue Steam Roaster スチームロースター

2012-01-09T17:39:00.001+09:00

Note - the first three photos come from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga's website. Click here to see more recipes that he created for the Lekue.

I received one of these Lekue steam roasters. It can be used in the microwave or in a regular oven. It's ideal for assembling and cooking in one dish, making cleaning easy. Steam can escape from the side vents but it will cook and steam at the same time.

Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari's recipes for seafood and some side dishes that are seafood friendly was included in the steam roaster.

Here is a professional photo of okra, nori, and mushrooms. Below is my dish that I made at home.

It took less than a minute to assemble, a few minutes in the microwave, and then it was done. We loved this as a side dish and will make it again.

This was another one of chef Nonaga's side dishes in his cookbook. Simply slice up some cabbage and a chikuwa (toasted fish cake), add mayonnaise and miso then cook in the microwave.

Also a big hit and a dish we will make again as these are items that are usually in our fridge. Also, it gives me inspiration to make other similar dishes.

Lekue is originally a Spanish product and is available in major countries. It is easy to clean as well. My only advice is to be careful when removing it from the microwave. Once I was caught off guard by the steam coming out of the side vents and it was very hot.

Nanagusa Gayu 七草がゆ

2012-01-06T21:35:00.000+09:00

January 7th each year is the day to eat Nanagusa Gayu. An okayu (rice porridge) dish with seven different herbs. Nanagusa means seven grasses. Supermarkets sell packs of the herbs so it is quite easy to make at home.

The seven herbs consist of:

1. Seri (water dropwort)
2. Nazuna
3. Gogyou
4. Hakobera
5. Hotokenoza
6. Suzuna (turnip)
7. Suzushiro (radish)

Of the seven listed above, I only use seri in my daily cooking. The other herbs are not that common, although radish and turnips are often used in cooking. Rich in vitamins, eating nanagusa gayu, has a rich history in Japan and is supposed to contribute to one's health.

Today on the daily NHK cooking program, chef Kazunari Yanagihara, demonstrated how to cook this simple recipe.

250 grams of cooked rice
4 1/2 cups of water
4-6 pieces of mochi
1/2 tsp. salt

In a pot add the water and cooked rice. Cook over medium heat. Cut the mochi into halves and add to the pot. While the mochi and rice are cooking cut up the herbs into small pieces. Save the turnip and radish for another dish.

When the mochi is soft add the salt (add more to taste). Add the herbs and stir briefly. Remove from heat and serve. As the herbs are quite delicate and cut into small pieces it does not need to cook too long.

* Chef Yanagihara suggests still making this dish if you can only get two or three of the herbs. If you are not in Japan, look for young turnips or radishes with their leaves and use the leaves.

Yamaimo Omelet 山芋オムレッツ

2012-01-05T22:45:00.002+09:00

One of my new year's resolutions is to eat more vegetables. The Japanese have a wide variety of vegetables to choose from so getting a variety throughout the year is very easy. The inspiration for this recipe comes from my friend's book, Masu Masu Sai Sai Gohan, by Yumiko Kanou (currently in Japanese only). Chef and owner of Nakaiseki Sen in Shimomeguro. This is one of my favorite restaurants not only for vegetarians but for those who love vegetables. If you go, tell Kanou Sensei that Yukari sent you.

Yamaimo, also called nagaimo, is a versatile root vegetable in season at the moment. It can be eaten raw, simply grated and placed over a hot bowl of rice, or julienned and used as part of a salad. It is also lovely when pickled with some yuzu.

In this simple preparation, peel and then grate the yamaimo. It is very slippery to work with so be careful. And, be sure to rinse your hands thoroughly when you are done as some people get an itchy reaction.

And then simply saute in a pan in some oil, flip over and continue to saute until both sides are crispy. When I serve it I like to sprinkle a bit of soy sauce over the omelet and serve it with some nori (Korean in this photo but any nori will do). If you like the crispy texture, then make a thin omelet. And, no need to worry if it doesn't cook all the way through as yamaimo can be eaten raw.

I serve this as a side dish to a meal or sometimes will have it as an afternoon snack. I find it a healthier alternative to mochi which it reminds me of.

Cooking with Taberu Rayu and Ika 食べるラー油といかのレシピ

2012-01-03T21:59:00.000+09:00

Today is my birthday. And while Shinji and I talked about going out for dinner this evening, our refrigerator is full of seafood leftover from New Year's Day. So Shinji grilled up some fish no longer fresh enough to be eaten as sashimi. And, the big hit of the night was Shinji's impromptu dish of ika (squid) cut into thin slices, blanched briefly in hot water, and the tossed in taberu rayu and yuzu zest. So yummy and perfect with the Shiranami Kuro Koji shochu (sweet potato shochu made with black koji).

I contributed with a very simple uni pasta, which we always make on the rare occasion that uni is in the fridge and we've already eaten it as sashimi. The uni pasta recipe is here.

Thanks for following this blog. Best wishes for 2012. One of my resolutions for this year is to be more active in posting.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu,
Yukari

January Seasonal Japanese Seafood 一月旬の魚

2012-01-01T22:30:00.004+09:00

JanuaryJapanese Seasonal Seafood

Happy NewYear. 2011 was a very challenging year for Japan with the triple disaster inTohoku. The country is ready for the new year to begin, for spring to bud withflowers and for a new start.

The seafoodin winter is rich with fat as the fish protects itself from the cold waters.Some sashimi eaten this time of year will be a bit oily as a result. As always,we love to have most seafood as sashimi when possible, in particular tairagai and yari ika. Shinji in particular has a soft spot for kanburi or winter buri from Himi port in Toyama. He loves it as sashimi but it isalso good as teriyaki or in the classic dish buri daikon – simmered with daikon in a slightly sweet soy broth. Kinmedai is also lovely when simmered ina soy broth as nitsuke.

Aozakana, literally blue fish, are thefishy fish in the mackerel family like sabaand sawara. Sawara can be marinated in a sweet Saikyo miso and grilled, themiso helps to cover some of the intense fish flavor. Saba is nice simmered in miso in a traditional dish preparationcalled misoni. Shime saba is the term for sabathat has been marinated in a sweet rice vinegar, essentially pickling it. Finally, each January we usually have ankou nabe, a hot pot of monkfish. We savethe liver to prepare it as ankimo,often called “foie gras of the sea”. It is simple to prepare, see the recipe here.

If you click on the name of the seafood in Japanese (written in English) you should be able to see a photo of it.

Akagarei – 赤鰈 flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Amadai – 赤甘鯛 tilefish (Branchiostegus japonicus)

Ankou– 鮟鱇monkfish (Lophiomussetigerus)

Asari – 浅利 littleneck clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Benizuwaigani - 紅楚蟹 red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Buri– 鰤Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Chidai- 血鯛 crimson sea bream (Evynnisjaponica)

Hamaguri - 浜栗 common Orient clam (Meretrixlusoria)

Hira suzuki - 平鱸 blackfin Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax latus)

Honmaguro – 本鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Hoshigarei - 星鰈 spotted halibut (Verasper variegatus)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Kanburi – 寒鰤 winterJapanese amberjack (see buri) (Seriolaquinqueradiata)

* The portof Himi in Toyama is famous for its kanburi.　

Kinmedai– 金目(sometimes called kinme) splendid alfonsino(Beryxsplendens)

Matsuba gani - 松葉蟹 spinycrab (Hypothalassiaarmata)

Matsukawa - 松皮鰈 barfin flounder (Verasper moseri)

Nishin- 鰊 Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Omahonmaguro – 大間鮪 bluefin tuna from Oma in Aomori (see honmaguro)

Saba– 鯖 Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

Sawara – 鰆 Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Shijimi – 大和蜆 corbicula clams (Corbiculajaponica)

Soudagatsuo- 騒多鰹 frigate mackerel (Auxis thazard)

Surumeika - 鯣烏賊 Japaneseflying squid (Todarodespacificus)

Tairagai - 平貝 pen shell or fan shell (Atrina(Servatrina) pectinata)

Yanagi dako - 柳蛸 chestnut octopus (Octopus conispadiceus)

Yari ika - 槍烏賊 spear squid (Loligo (Heterololigo) bleekeri)

Toshikoshi Soba Tsuyu Broth 蕎麦つゆ

2012-01-01T08:43:00.003+09:00

Toshikoshi soba are buckwheat noodles traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve in many households throughout Japan. The long soba noodles have the significance of longevity and are part of the rituals associated with ushering in the New Year.

The soba tsuyu or soba broth can be purchased in bottles at most supermarkets now, even in America. It is an intense, slightly sweet soy broth. I prefer to make this at home as it is easy and will keep in the fridge for a long time, although we usually go through it in about a week.

This soba tsuyu comes from Kazunari Yanagihara.

Soba Tsuyu
3 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce

Bring the mirin to a boil and then add the sugar and soy sauce. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then remove from the stove.

Allow to cool and it is ready to use.

When serving, cook the soba noodles, add your toppings and in a separate bowl make your soba sauce. I find it easier to dilute the soba tsuyu in hot water this way. In the past when I tried to put the soba tsuyu in the bowl with the noodles and dilute with hot water it is hard to control.

For toppings for this year's toshikoshi soba we served broiled chicken, spinach and shiitake mushrooms. The spinach and shiitake were cooked then marinated in a soy and mirin broth. Garnish with yuzu peel and shichimi tougarashi.

Best wishes for 2012. Japan has had one of its most trying years with the triple disaster in Tohoku. We are all hoping for a new start and for a better year this year.

Kombu and Enoki Tsukudani えのきと昆布佃煮

2011-12-27T23:42:00.003+09:00

Tsukudani is a dish we often have in our fridge. As we are often making dashi from scratch we have kombu that can be recycled into a new dish. Tsukudani can be kombu simmered in a sweet soy sauce by itself, or you can add items like mushrooms to it.

For this version of Tsukudani, I have added some enoki mushrooms that I had on hand.

It is a bit intense in flavor so I always serve this with some rice. Start with reconstituted kombu, not dry kombu.

1/2 cup kombu, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup enoki, cut into small pieces (or shiitake)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sake
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp sugar

Bring the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar to a boil and then add the kombu and enoki. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until most of the liquid dissipates.

Will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Sanma Sashimi 秋刀魚刺身

2011-12-27T10:11:00.003+09:00

Sanma is perhaps most often eat salted and grilled whole. The bitter innards are considered a delicacy, especially when paired with a dry sake or glass of shochu. In our house though the preferred preparation with a truly fresh sanma is sashimi.

The kanji for sanma is autumn sword fish (秋刀魚). In season in the fall and resembling a shiny sword this fish is in season in the fall and winter.

Make two filets, and be sure to peel away the thin skin.

We love sanma with sesame oil and Maldon salt. When having it this way Shinji usually cuts the salmon into thin strips as in the photo and we'll either toss the sanma in the sesame oil and salt or just dip it in. If Shinji is making a sashimi platter then he'll cut the sanma into thicker slices and we'll have it with soy sauce and wasabi.

If you get the chance to try sanma as sashimi please try it. It is a very fishy fish.

Futomaki 太巻き

2011-12-25T20:13:00.002+09:00

Who doesn't love futomaki? Sushi rolls stuffed with savory, and sometimes sweet fillings. I have long struggled to properly roll any makizushi (rolled sushi) unless they are temakizushi (the hand rolls). I have decided that I can no longer fear the futomaki and decided that practice makes perfect and the best way to learn is to just jump in and do my best.

Here is the first stab. Not great, but much better than I expected. And, definitely worth the time to put these together.

First, get your fillings in order, including cooking the rice. This is the time consuming part. Once you have everything in order, rolling is the easy part.

In back there is sweet tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet), cucumbers, sauteed Spam (from Minnesota!), braised spinach, and hoshi shiitake (dried shiitake) simmered in a sweet soy sauce.

I would have liked to included kampyo (dried gourd), sakura denbu (a sweet, pink colored flaked fish), and carrots simmered in the same sweet soy sauce as the hoshi shiitake, or Korean kimchi.

As for bamboo rollers, for me I found the larger one (30 cm x 30 cm) much easier to work with than the standard one. If it gets dirty, rinse in water and be sure to hang up to dry.

Add the rice to the nori, to the edge on the side closest to you and leaving about an inch on the far side. Then add the toppings and take a deep breath. It's time to roll.

Bring the edge of the roll closest to you to the far end and squeeze somewhat tight, but don't strangle the roll.

When slicing, use a wet towel to clean the knife after each slice. Also, don't cut it too thick or it will be hard to eat.

Lessons learned from my first attempt? Place the nori to the edge of the bamboo rolling meat closest to you. And squeeze a little bit harder (my rolls were too loose).

Carpe diem. Don't avoid the roll. It was good fun and I will continue to practice.

Quick & Easy Ankimo Monkfish Liver 鮟肝

2011-12-12T09:46:00.001+09:00

Ankimo is often called foie gras of the sea. The liver of the monkfish resembles foie gras, without the fattiness. It's lighter in flavor and delicate on the palate. I am a big fan of foie gras so would never compare the two, but wanted to mention it here as this is how it is most often referred to. It's in season right now and is a great partner for sake or shochu.

Most Japanesemonkfish liver is consumed at its harvest port so it’s very rare to find it inthe market. Most monkfish liver in the market is imported from the USA orChina. Monkfish liver from the USA is fresher than Chinese, and as a result theprice is often double the price of Chinese monkfish liver.

It's very easy to cook at home, if you can get your hands on some.

First, remove the bloodline.Then salt the liver, let it sit for twenty minutes, and then remove the excesswater. Sprinkle it with sake to rid it of its fishiness. Wrap it in aluminumfoil in the shape of a sausage and tie up each end. Steam for twenty minutes.Cool it in ice water. Slice into thin slices. Serve with grated daikon radishand some citrus dressing and soy sauce. This is how the Japanese traditionallyeat monkfish liver.

The photo is some ankimo we made recently. Shinji plated it with julienned myoga, kombu, daikon, and shiso.

The steamedmonkfish liver can also be pan-seared with some olive oil like foie gras. Thiscan then be served with a Western-style sauce.

Crunchy Cucumber and Takuan Furikake カリカリきゅうりとたくあんふりかけ

2011-12-07T21:55:00.001+09:00

Crunchy cucumber and takuan soft-type furikake by Ohmoriya.

This is a fun furikake that I picked up recently. I was curious to try it after catching the words "kari kari" (crunchy) on the package. Ohmoriya also makes a kari kari furikake with umeboshi that I like.

True to its name, it is very crunchy. The pickled daikon (takuan) and cucumbers are a nice contrast to the soft rice. I am going to try this with fried rice. I think it will be nice with some pork. I think it may also be a nice touch to a hot and sour soup.

Other furikake posts:

Furikake Popcorn

Furikake Tasting (reviews a few furikake)

Shirasu Pasta しらすパスタ

2011-12-06T16:57:00.001+09:00

Yesterday's post was on ikura pasta. We were so happy with having pasta and Japanese ingredients that our next version was shirasu pasta. Shirasu are tiny anchovies that have been quickly blanched in salt water. Usually we have it on a bowl or rice as shirasudon. Or, sometimes we'll grate some daikon to make daikon oroshi and add the shirasu to it.

This pasta was simply some angel hair pasta with shirasu and extra virgin olive oil. Again, easy, quick, and delicious.

I would have liked to have added some pickled takana leaves or nozawa if I had some on hand to add some color. But this was a spur of the moment throw together dish and it wasn't necessary. This dish went very nice with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

You may also want to consider making an uni pasta.

Ikura Pasta いくらパスタ

2011-12-05T20:45:00.001+09:00

Italian and Japanese ingredients often make for the best fusion cuisine. Part of it must be the simplicity of the ingredients so when they are put together it is never too much on the palate. It is so popular that there are restaurants that do outstanding Japanese pastas like Basta Pasta NYC.

One of the first things that I thought was the perfect combination of Italian and Japanese ingredients was mentaiko pasta. Spicy cod roe with pasta, usually angel hair, sometimes topped with butter, or mayonnaise. Really good and addictive.

When we have ikura in the house we usually have it over rice. But after a day or two of ikura donburi we get the craving for a change-up and putting it over tagliatelle seemed like a good idea. It was. To this I only added some good quality extra virgin olive oil. Simple and delicious. Life doesn't have to be complicated.

If you want to make uni pasta it is quite easy. Here are directions for an uni pasta we make quite often at home.

December Seasonal Japanese Seafood １２月旬の魚

2011-12-02T17:57:00.001+09:00

I love seafood this time of year. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I met Shinji around New Year's and one of the first days we spent together he took me on a tour of Tsukiji Market (he was working as a buyer at Tsukiji then).

Some of our favorite seafood for sashimi include kinmedai (splendid alfonsino), hirame (olive flounder), kawahagi (thread-sail filefish), and kanburi (winter Japanese amberjack). Shinji loves kanburi so much that part of our honeymoon was spent trekking to one of the ports famous for harvesting winter buri and having it for breakfast. And, if the kawahagi is fresh, you can eat the liver raw - a real treat.

Wakasagi (Japanese smelt) is lovely when simply dredged in some flour and fried up. Eat it whole and serve it with some sake. We love to use ankou (monkfish) for nabe and to steam the ankimo (monkfish liver) in sake. Some say it is better than foie gras. Having studied at the French Culinary Institute and having a soft spot in my heart for French cuisine, I would have to say that I prefer foie gras, but that ankimo is a close second - and excellent with some sake or shochu.

Shijimi (corbicula clams) are best enjoyed in miso soup. Asari (littleneck clams) over pasta with simply extra virgin olive oil just can not be beat.

Shinji loves to grill hata hata (sailfin sandfish), especially if they are komochi (full of eggs). I have tried to come to like the hard eggs but it's an acquired taste. I love fish eggs of all kinds, but these are very hard and crunchy and surprisingly big in size.

Crab is in season this time of year - perhaps best enjoyed simply steamed. I love uni - as sashimi, sushi, or when I am craving some Western preparation I love to make uni pasta.

Finally, the photo above is of kinki (thornhead). This is an amazing fish when simply simmered (nitsuke). Tender, delicate, and sweet flesh that falls off the bone.

* If you click on the name of the fish in Japanese you will be able to see a photo of the fish.

DecemberJapanese Seasonal Seafood

Akagarei – 赤鰈 flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Amadai – 赤甘鯛 tilefish (Branchiostegus japonicus)

Ankou– 鮟鱇monkfish (Lophiomussetigerus)

Asari – 浅利 littleneck clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Bora– 鯔flathead gray mullet (Mugil cephalus cephalus)

Buri– 鰤Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Fugu – 河豚 blowfishor puffer fish (Takifugu porphyreus)

Hata Hata – 鰰 sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hirame – 鮃 olive flounder (Paralichthysolivaceus)

Honmaguro – 本鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Houbou – 魴 gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus)

Hoya – 海鞘 sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi)

Inada– イナダ young Japanese amberjack (Seriolaquinqueradiata)

Kaki – 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostreagigas)

Kanburi – 寒鰤 Japaneseamberjack (Seriolaquinqueradiata)

Kawahagi – 皮剥 thread-sail filefish (Stephanolepiscirrhifer)

Kinki – 喜知次 thornhead (Sebastolobusmacrochir)

Kinme – 金目 splendid alfonsino (Beryxsplendens)

Kurumaebi – 車海老 Japanese tiger prawn (Penaeus (Melicertus) japonicus)

Madara – 真鱈 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Makarei – 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectesyokohamae)

Managatsuo – 真名鰹 silver pomfret (Pampuspunctatissimus)

Madarashirako – 白子 milt from Pacific cod

Mebaru – 目張 rockfish (Sebastes inermis)

Meji maguro– young maguro

Mizudako – 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopusdofleini)

Mutsu – むつ gnomefish (Scombropsboops)

Namako – 生子 sea cucumber (Stichopusjaponica)

Nametagarei – 婆鰈 slime flounder (MIicrostomusachne)

Saba– 鯖 Pacific mackerel (Scomberjaponicus)

Sakuraebi – 桜蝦 sakura shrimp (Sergia lucens)

Sawara – 鰆 Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

Sazae – 栄螺 horned turban shell (Turbo cornutus)

Shijimi – 大和蜆 corbicula clams (Corbiculajaponica)

Sukesoutara – 介党鱈 Alaska pollack (Theragrachalcogramma)

Suzuki – 鱸 Japanese sea perch (Lateolabrax japonicus)

Uni – sea urchin

Wakasagi– 若細魚 Japanese smelt (Hypomesusnipponensis)

Warasa– 鰤Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Zuwaigani – 頭矮蟹 snow crab (Chionoecetesopilio)

Basic Miso Soup - Lessons from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga

2011-11-29T21:54:00.001+09:00

Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari is sharing with us lessons on how to make miso soup. This recipe first appeared on the Lohas website and Lohas has given us permission to translate this into English.

Miso Soup
10 minutes preparation time
127 calories

Miso Soup Ingredients (Serves four)

900 ml dashi (click here for Nonaga-san's dashi recipe)
60 grams miso
1 block tofu
1 onion
shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) - optional

Put 900 ml dashi in a soup pot.

Peel and cut the onion. First cut into half and then into quarters. Then cut into thin slivers.

Key point: when cutting into quarters, cut from the outside (as shown in the first photo). When cutting into thin slivers, cut from the inside of the onion (as shown in the second photo).

Most important is to cut the onion into equal widths as it will cook evenly.

Cut the tofu into bite size pieces.

Key point: place the tofu in your hand and let the weight of the knife cut the tofu. If done properly you will not cut yourself. If you pull or push the knife you may cut your hand. (Yukari's note - tofu is much easier to manage if you can learn to cut it while holding it in your hand.)

Add the onions to the dashi and turn on the heat.

Key point: only turn on the heat after adding the onions. If you turn on the heat before now you may become anxious as you are cutting the onions or tofu and may lose your concentration.

Bring the dashi to a boil and when the onions are half translucent lower the heat to medium high. Add the tofu slowly to the pot.

Let the pot come to a boil and after the tofu is warmed up and the onions are soft, turn off the heat. Add the miso by either using a miso koshi (a miso strainer) or by mixing it in as the photo above shows. Put some dashi in a large spoon and dissolve the miso into the dashi using your chopsticks.

Key point: add the miso only after turning off the heat. If you add the miso while the pot is still cooking you will lose some of the delicate aromas and flavor of the miso.

You can garnish the miso soup with some shichimi togarashi if you would like.

Yukari's note: once you have mastered this soup, you can do many different variations by using different vegetables or including sea vegetables. Some options include potatoes, carrots, daikon, cabbage, wakame, and abura-age (deep-fried tofu).

Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga on cooking Japanese rice.
Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga on making Japanese dashi.

Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga was 2002 Champion of the original Japanese Iron Chef program. He can most often be found behind the counter at Nihonbashi Yukari. A third generation kaiseki restaurant in Nihonbashi, just minutes from Tokyo station's Yaesu exit (and also around the corner from Nihonbashi Takashimaya).

Wafu Vinaigrette - Japanese Salad Dressing

2011-11-24T22:43:00.001+09:00

We have stopped using bottled salad dressings in our home and make a quick vinaigrette with each salad. As I like to put sea vegetables on our salads, usually wakame, I tend to make Japanese style dressings. Most often just a little bit of soy sauce with rice wine vinegar and some sesame oil. If I am not rushed, I love to put a tiny bit of miso in as well, which adds umami (but be careful not to use too much as it can quickly get salty).

Basic Wafu Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. salad oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil

To this you can add shredded shiso, toasted sesame seeds, grated ginger, chopped garlic, or yuzu peel.

This product by Marukome Miso is miso with dashi in a bottle, ekitai (liquid) miso 液体味噌. Unlike traditional miso which is a paste, this is a thick liquid. I love using this for not only miso soups, but also for salad dressings.

Basic Miso Dressing

2 Tbsp. ekitai miso

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp. salad oil

Spinach Ohitashi ほうれん草のおひたし

2011-11-15T13:15:00.001+09:00

One of the very first Japanese dishes I came to love as a child was ohitashi. Blanched greens, usually spinach, topped with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil. Growing up in Minnesota we didn't have access to too many authentic Japanese ingredients but spinach was something we could find.

Any leafy, green vegetable will work for this dish. Most often we use spinach but try it on other greens you find at the supermarket.

Spinach Ohitashi
1 bunch spinach

soy sauce
sesame oil

optional toppings:
katsuobushi
ground, toasted sesame seeds

Trim the base of the spinach stalk of the very tip. I prefer to keep the spinach together in each stalk until it is cooked. If the base of the stalk is very thick, then but it open from the bottom to help rid it of dirt when washing. Carefully wash the spinach.

Cook until the stems are tender in boiling, salted water. Shock in ice, cold water. Before squeezing of excess water, remove from the cold water and align the spinach so the tips are together. Squeeze carefully of excess water. Cut into bite size pieces, about two inches long, and put into a serving dish.

Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce (to taste). Garnish with ground, toasted sesame seeds or katsuobushi (optional). Can be served cold or at room temperature. Will keep for two days in the fridge. This is a great dish for your bento.

November Seasonal Japanese Seafood

2011-10-28T21:14:00.003+09:00

Autumn is a great time for Japanese seafood as a lot of the fish are rich with fat. This time of year we love sanma, both as sashimi, or simply salted and grilled. Katsuo done tataki-style, seared on the outside and rare on the inside, calls out for some shochu or nihonshu. And when it gets really cold, Shinji loves kanburi, or the winter buri (Japanese amberjack) rich with fat and as sashimi.

This list of November seafood is short as I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but I do hope to update it later this month along with links to photo of the seafood.

Akagarei - flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Ara – rock cod (Nuphonspinosus)

Buri –Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Chidai – crimsonsea bream (Evynnisjaponica)

Ginsake – cohosalmon (Oncorhynchuskisutch)

Hamadai – rubysnapper (Eteliscoruscans)

Hokke – arabesquegreenling (Pleurogrammusazonus)

Katsuo –bonito or skipjack tuna (Katsuwonuspelamis)

Kawahagi – thread-sailfilefish (Stephanolepiscirrhifer)

Kurigani –helmet crab (Telmessuscheiragonus)

Medai – Japanesebutterfish (Hyperoglyphejaponica)

MishimaOkoze – Japanesestargazer (Uranoscopusjaponicus)

Mizudako – NorthPacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

Sanma – Pacificsaury (Cololabissaira)

Shishamo – Japaneselongfin smelt (Spirinchuslanceolatus)

Yanaginomai –yellow-body rockfish (Sebastes steindachneri)

Japanese Rice - Lessons from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga

2011-10-25T21:01:00.000+09:00

Rice is a staple of the Japanese meal, yet how confident are you when it comes to washing, measuring, and cooking rice? Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga shares with us the proper way to rinse and cook Japanese rice. The results is rice with a gorgeous sheen and each grain cooked just right.

This information is translated from the Lohas website which has given us permission to put this in English.

Washing the rice.

In a large bowl place your rice and add a good amount of cold water (about three times the amount of water to rice). With your hands mix the rice in the water and discard the cloudy water. Repeat until the water rinses clear, usually about three or four times.

POINT: Use good water, but not too expensive. Filtered or tap water is fine.

If the rinsing water is clear, put the rice in a strainer for ten minutes to rest. This allows the water on the surface of the rice to be absorbed.

Put the rice into your rice cooker. Add water. The amount of water should be one part water to one part rice. The key point here is to measure the rice after the ten minute rest in the strainer, not the original measuring before rinsing.

(Yukari's note: When we tested this recipe at home, two cups dry rice measured to about two and a half cups after rinsing and resting for ten minutes. It made a huge difference in the rice after cooking, a big improvement. The rice was fluffy and tender. Also, it was much easier to get the rice out of our ceramic rice pot. Uusally, rice is stuck to the bottom of the pot.)

Cook your rice as you normally do, or by turning on your rice cooker.

(Yukari's note: At our home we cook our rice in a donabe or ceramic pot. I let the rice soak in the water for about an hour. Turn on the heat to high for nine or ten minutes. The key is to listen for the water boiling. Then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for twelve minutes. Then, I turn on the heat to high for one minute to try and make a nice crust on the bottom of the pot.)

You too will love this way of cooking Japanese rice, as taught to us by Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga.

You may also like this post on how to make dashi from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga.

Japanese Supermarket Gotta Get - Tube Seasonings

2011-10-12T12:07:00.000+09:00

About three or four nights a week, one of these tubes will find their way to our dinner table. On the top is neriume, then on the bottom from left to right is yuzu kosho, nama wasabi, karashi, and yuzu kosho wasabi.

neriume - umeboshi paste

yuzu kosho - a salty and slightly spicy paste of yuzu, salt, and green tougarashi (pepper)

nama wasabi - fresh wasabi

karashi - Japanese mustard

yuzu kosho wasabi - a blend of wasabi and yuzu kosho

The neriume is used mostly for making salad dressings, mixed with some rice wine vinegar, a bit of soy sauce, and some sesame oil. It is also a nice garnish to some sashimi or steamed white fish.

I can't get enough of the yuzu kosho. We use it on everything from a garnish to pot au feu, oden stew, yakitori, and grilled fish. It can be added to any salad dressing. Most recently we had it with steamed potatoes from Hokkaido. We just mixed a bit of the yuzu kosho in with some mayonnaise as a dip for the hot potatoes.

The nama wasabi and yuzu kosho wasabi are used mostly for when we have sashimi.

And the karashi mostly for oden.

These can be found in supermarkets or even at 100 yen shops. Other flavors to be found include ground ginger, grated ginger, and momiji oroshi (grated daikon and dried red pepper). Many of these products are from the spice company, S&B, famous for its curry powder.

These have become an essential part of our pantry. Convenient, delicious, and easy on the wallet.

Yukari Spring Rolls (Red Shiso & Ground Chicken)

2011-10-11T17:03:00.000+09:00

I don't know what it is about harumaki (spring rolls) that I find so addictive. The crispy skins are definitely one reason I will make these. Another is that depending on the filling, it can be a quick and easy side dish to pull together at the last moment. This is also perhaps the one fall-back appetizer dish that I go to for most dinner parties.

This quick, easy, and delicious recipe is simply ground chicken and yukari (dried, red, shiso leaves). Another version I like to do that has similar flavors are fresh shiso leaves, umeboshi paste, and ground chicken.

Two important tips to keep in mind. First, cook a small batch of the chicken and yukari mix in a pan to see if you are happy with the flavor. It is possible to add more yukari to the mix at this point if you prefer a stronger shiso flavor.

Second, as I am usually making this at the last minute, I can't be bothered with making a flour and water paste to seal the rolls shut. So I am careful to put the unsealed end down into the hot oil first so that it seals itself shut as it cooks. It works like a charm and saves time in the kitchen.

Chicken Shiso Spring Rolls

Makes eight

1 cup ground chicken
1 Tablespoon yukari
8 Tee Yih Jee spring roll wrappers
vegetable oil

Spread two tablespoons of chicken and yukari mix on one edge of the spring roll wrapper. Roll like a cigar and leave the unsealed edge face down.

Heat a small amount of oil in a large saute pan wide enough to hold the length of the spring rolls. Place the unsealed edge of the spring roll face down into the oil. Saute until light brown and chicken is thoroughly cooked through.

As the shiso brings a lot of flavor to the spring rolls these do not need a dipping sauce.

Nakamura-san's Wafu Curry 中村さんちの和風ポークカレー

2011-10-07T12:01:00.001+09:00

Japanese television is filled with cooking programs. Even daily variety programs often include a cooking segment. Asaichi on NHK (Japan's public broadcasting channel) is a program that I watch almost daily while having breakfast. Recently, a quick and easy wafu (Japanese-style) version of curry was shown so I replicated it at home. What makes it Japanese is its use of tsuyu, the flavors of the sweet soy broth are prevalent in the curry.

I was first attracted to the recipe because it uses curry powder and it makes a roux with flour and katakuriko (potato starch). It's quick and easy. Also, it uses no oil, so it appears to be a healthy version of curry. The original recipe has just pork and onions in the curry but I included steamed potatoes and carrots.

Here is the recipe in Japanese.

Nakamura-san's Wafu Curry
Serves four

200 grams thinly sliced pork belly
1 onion, julienned

500 ml water
500 ml men tsuyu (concentrated broth for noodles)
70 grams of Nakamura curry roux (recipe below)

optional garnish:
negi (leeks), julienned
raw egg

Nakamura curry roux
240 grams flour
50 grams curry powder (I like S&B)
50 grams katakuriko (potato starch)

In a pan roast the flour over medium high heat until it turns a light brown. Add the curry powder and katakuriko and roast over low heat and mix until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This curry roux can be kept in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two months.

In a large saute pan combine the water and tsuyu. (When I first made this recipe I found the tsuyu to be a bit strong so maybe start with 300 ml of tsuyu to 500 ml of water and adjust later. It will be easier to add tsuyu later than it will be to water down the recipe.) Add the onions and pork and allow to simmer.

In a bowl combine 70 grams of the Nakamura curry roux with some of the liquid from the pan and make a slurry.

Bring the pot to a boil and add the slurry. When the sauce becomes thick turn off the heat. (Do taste it to see if you want to add more tsuyu or adjust with water.)

Serve with hot rice. Garnish with negi and a raw egg.

Japanese Dashi - Lessons from Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga

2011-10-06T21:55:00.000+09:00

Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari has some great information on basic Japanese culinary skills online. Unfortunately, it is mostly in Japanese. I am translating it into English to share his wealth of knowledge. He is a great teacher and makes learning easy with his key points. I hope this helps others out there who want to learn more about Japanese cuisine. This comes from his post on Lohas.com, a Japanese website.

Dashi 101

Dashi is the basic building block for which many Japanese recipes are based upon. There are many types of dashi, such as a kombu (Japanese kelp) dashi that is strictly vegetarian, excellent for use in delicate dishes, or ago (tobiuo or flying fish) dashi that is more commonly found in the southern island of Kyushu. This dashi from chef Nonaga is the traditional dashi made from water, kombu, and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Sometimes it is referred to as ichiban dashi (the first dashi). Niban dashi (or the second dashi) is a weaker version, made from the leftover kombu and katsuobushi from the first dashi, that is still flavorful enough to be used in some simmered dishes. Nothing goes to waste in the Japanese kitchen. Great care and attention is made to use each item to its fullest.

If you note the color of the dashi in the champagne glass you will see that it has some color to it, both from the kombu and the katsuobushi. Unfortunately you can not smell it or you would smell the minerality of the ocean and the smokiness of the bonito flakes.

1800 ml water

25 grams kombu

20 grams katsuobushi

Chef Nonaga suggests making a big batch of dashi and saving it in a pet bottle in the fridge. It will keep for up to three days.

Rinse the kombu in water. Add to cold water in a pot.

POINT - add the kombu to the water before you turn on the heat.

Turn on the heat to medium low until 60 degrees C (140 degrees F). It will take about ten minutes to get to temperature.

At this temperature the rich flavor of the kombu is released into the water.

The top photo shows water at 60 degrees C (140 degrees F). The bottom photo shows water at 75 degrees C (167 degrees F).

POINT: At 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) the color and umami from the kombu comes out. You will see the color of the water change and if you look carefully you can see tiny bubbles from the cut edge of the kombu releasing its natural umami into the water. Keep the water between 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) and 75 degrees C (167 degrees F).

Let the kombu simmer in the water for about 25 to 30 minutes and then taste the water to confirm you are getting a nice taste of the kombu. Then quickly raise the heat to 90 degrees C (194 degrees F) and remove the kombu. Before it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and add the katsuobushi.

POINT: At 95 degrees C (203 degrees F) the dashi may lose its aroma and bitterness may come from the katsuobushi. So be careful not to let it get this hot.

The katsuobushi will start to settle to the bottom of the pan. Once it has settled then strain using a cheesecloth.

POINT: You can squeeze the katsuobushi, but at ryotei they do not squeeze the katsuobushi but the flavor is released naturally from gravity as it settles in the water.

You may also like this post on how to rinse and cook Japanese rice by Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga.

Furikake Popcorn ふりかけポップコーン

2011-10-06T11:58:00.000+09:00

I am addicted to furikake. Intensely flavored flakes or bits that come in a wide variety of flavors like aka shiso, nori, or dried fish (like salmon). But in the last few years there have been so many different flavors coming out that it is hard to keep up.

This ra-yu torisoboro has to be one of my recent favorite finds. Ra-yu is spicy chili oil that we use most often as part of a dipping sauce for gyoza. The taberu ra-yu (edible ra-yu) boom has introduced a wide variety of products from ra-yu flavored salmon flakes to this furikake. Tori soboro is soy-seasoned ground chicken, most often seen over rice with slightly sweet scrambled eggs and julienned pea pods (or other green vegetable) in a dish called sanshoku gohan (three-colored rice dish).

From Marumiya, this "soft furikake" is unlike traditional dried and crunchy furikake but is soft, as you can see by the introduction video. This ra-yu torisoboro is not too hot, rich in umami, and oh so yummy. It is great over a bowl of rice and amazing over popcorn.

Marumiya's soft furikake flavors include other favorites of mine such as Chirimen Takana and Chirimen Sansho. There are also many interesting flavors yet to try include a tuna mayonnaise, an Asari Tsukudani, and Buta Shogayaki.

October Seasonal Japanese Seafood

2011-09-30T07:50:00.000+09:00

As thewaters become cooler the fish become rich with fat. We love sanma (Pacific saury) this time of year,both as sashimi, or simply salted and grilled. If there is a nice cup of nihonshu on the table, eating the gutsof the sanma is also a treat. Formiso soup a handful of shijimi (corbiculaclams) into the pot brings lots of umami and flavor. A bowl asari (Japanese little neck clam) steamedin nihonshu is a perfect appetizer todinner. While I always thought of hirame(halibut) and karei (flounder) aswhite fish and hence non-fatty that is not at all the case. These flatfish cantake on a lot of fat - which you can actually see in the flesh. These are greatas sashimi, or after a day or two we love to simmer until tender in nihonshu. Shinji loves kinki (thornhead), which is often served as simmered in a delicate soy broth (niomono).

Photo above is of kinki, from the Zukan Boz website.

Click on the name in Japanese for a link to a photo of the seafood.

Ainame 鮎並 fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

Aka garei 赤鰈flatheadflounder (Hippoglossoidesdubius)

Amaebi 甘海老 sweet shrimp(Pandalusborealis)

Asaba garei 浅羽鰈 dusky sole (Lepidopsettabilineata)

Asari 浅蜊 Japanese little neck clam (Ruditapesphilippinarum)

Awabi 鮑 abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)

Babagarei 婆鰈 slime flounder (Microstomus achne)

Baka gai馬鹿貝surf clam (Mactrachinensis)

Benizuwai gani 紅頭矮蟹　red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Botan ebi ボタンエビ Botan shrimp (Pandalusnipponesis)

Hakkaku or tokubire 八角sailfin poacher (Podothecus sachi)

Hata hata鰰 sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hime ezobora姫蝦夷法螺 sea snail (Neptunea arthritica)

Hirame 鮃 olive halibut (Paralichthysolivaceus)

Hokkaiebi or hokkai shima ebi 北海海老 Hokkai shrimp (Pandaluslatirostris)

Hokke 𩸽 arabesquegreenling (Pleurogrammusazonus)

Hokki gai (uba gai) 姥貝 hen clam (Pseudocardium sachalinense)

Hokkoku aka ebi oramaebi 北国赤蝦 Alaskan pink shrimp (Pandalusborealis)

Hon maguro (or kuromaguro) 黒鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunusthynnus)

Hotate gai 帆立貝Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis)

Kaki 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Numagarei or wakagarei 沼鰈starry flounder (Platichthysstellatus)

Kegani 毛蟹horsehair crab (Erimacrusisenbeckii)

Kemushikajika 毛虫鰍 sea raven or toubetsukajika (Hemitripterusvillosus)

Kinki or Kichiji 黄血魚thornhead (Sebastolobusmacrochir)

Kitsune mebaru 狐目張 ormazoi fox jacopever (Sebastesvulpes)

Kuro gashiragarei 黒頭鰈 cresthead flounder (Pleuronectesschrenki)

Kurosoi 黒曹以 jacopever (Sebasteszonatusschlegeli)

Madara or tara 真鱈 Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

Magarei 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)

Mako garei真子鰈marbled flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Masu 鱒trout (there are many types of trout – see nijimasu, sakuramasu)

Matsukawa garei or tantaka or takanoha 松皮鰈 barfin flounder (Veraspermoseri)

Mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopusdofleini)

Muroaji 室鰺 Brown-striped mackerel scad (Decapterus muroadsi)

Niji masu虹鱒rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nishin 鰊Pacific herring (Clupeapallasii)

Sake 鮭salmon (Oncorhynchusketa)

Sakura masu or yamame 桜鱒 cherry salmon (Oncorhynchusmasou maso)

Sanma 秋刀魚Pacific saury (Cololabissaira)

Shako 蝦蛄 mantis shrimp (Oratosquillaoratoria)

Shiira 粃 mahi mahi (Coryphaenahippurus)

Shijimi 大和蜆 corbicula clam (Corbiculajaponica)

Shirauo 白魚 icefish (Salangichthys microdon)

Shishamo 柳葉魚 capelin (Spirinchus lanceolatus)

Souhachi 宗八鰈 pointhead flounder (Cleishenespinetorum)

Suketou dara 鯳Alaska pollack (Theragrachalcogramma)

Suna garei砂鰈 sandflounder (Limandapunctatissima)

Surumeika 鯣烏賊Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodescamtschaticus)

Ugui 鯎 Japanese dace (Tribolodon Hakonensis)

Wakasagi 若細魚 Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Yanagi no mai 柳の舞yellow rockfish (Sebastessteindachneri)

Kinpira Recipe

2011-09-28T16:29:00.001+09:00

Shinji and I won a cooking contest at Elizabeth Andoh's Kansha cooking website. Following is the recipe we submitted.

In our housewe keep a Tupperware in the fridge for vegetable scraps. During the week asdishes are assembled cuttings from different vegetables are collected here.Most often it contains carrot or daikon peels, broccoli or shiitake stems, orthe tops and bottoms of bell peppers. These usually find their way to thegarbage can in most homes, but if the vegetables are thoroughly washed beforepeeling then they can be used for cooking. Not only is it thrifty, it is usingfood to its fullest.

After a goodamount of vegetable scraps have been collected, but not letting too much timeto pass so the vegetables spoil, it’s time to create a dish. These can be putonto a salad, into a soup, usually with some chicken stock, or made into friedrice. Another popular dish in our home is kinpira.Dinner is usually rice, a protein, and two vegetable dishes. This dish willkeep for several days and is good in bento, as a topping to a green salad, oron bread for a quick sandwich.

VegetableScraps Kinpira

Serves four(as a side dish)

½ cup daikonpeels, julienned

½ cup carrotpeels, julienned

½ cupbroccoli stems, julienned

½ cup topsand bottoms of bell peppers, julienned

1 Tablespoonvegetable oil

1 Tablespoonsake

2Tablespoons mirin

2 Tablespoonssoy sauce

¼ teaspoonshichimi togarashi (or toasted sesame seeds)

Carefullywash the vegetables before peeling and adding to the Tupperware. Juliennevegetables into uniform cuts.

Add thevegetable oil to a fry pan. Over high heat sauté the vegetables until theystart to sweat. Add the sake, mirin,and soy sauce and continue to sauté over medium heat until most of the liquidhas evaporated and the vegetables are tender. Taste the vegetables to see ifyou want to add any seasonings. Sometimes I like to toss a little bit of sesameoil at this point.

Move to aserving dish. Garnish with shichimi togarashi. (optional)

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き

2011-09-25T11:22:00.002+09:00

I have an aunt in Osakaand almost every time that I visit her we make okonomiyaki. It's a localfavorite. There is something very satisfying about this savory pancake. Piping hot, filled with cabbage, crusty bits on the edge but moist on the inside. I also find the toppings of mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce, aonori, and katsuobushi irresistible.

It is very easy tomake at home. Recently I have been making this dish about once every twoweeks. Not as the main dish in our dinner but as a side dish. If I am bymyself I have it as a simple one plate lunch.

The ingredients areusually items already in the house so it is something I can pull together atthe last minute.

The name itself,okonomiyaki, means "as you like it" and "grilled". You canput whatever you want into these savory pancakes. Most often I put in bacon andsome cheese. Other favorites include canned tuna, sausages, or kimchi.

If you don't have bottledtonkatsu sauce at home a homemade version is quickly made with ketchupand Worcestershire sauce (see below).

This is also a fun dish tomake for a casual dinner party if you have a hot plate that you can put in themiddle of the table and people can cook around it. Ice-cold beer seems tobe the best partner for this dish.

Okonomiyaki

(makes two)

110 grams flour

2 eggs

3 grams dashi powder (Iusually put in powdered chicken stock)

1/2 tsp salt

60 cc water

1/4 cup ground yamaimo(optional, will make the okonomiyaki tender)

1/2 kg cabbage, cut intothick squares (about 1/2 inch)

dried shrimp (the tinyones) - optional

vegetable oil

toppings: (as you like)

bacon

cheese

squid

scallops

canned tuna

nira (garlic chives)

green onions, finelychopped

whatever you like!

sauce:

mayonnaise

tonkatsu sauce (I usuallydo about 3 parts ketchup 1 part Worcestershire sauce)

garnish:

aonori

katsuobushi

Scramble the eggs in a bigbowl and add the water, dashi (or chicken stock) and salt. Slowly incorporatethe flour.

Add the julienned cabbageand dried shrimp (optional).

POINT: Cut the cabbageinto about 1/2 inch squares. Be careful not to cut it too thin or chop toofinely or you will lose the texture you need to have a firmly shaped pancake.

Heat a saute pan and addvegetable oil.

Pour a large amount ofbatter into the pan. (I usually make one pancake per 10 or 12 inch saute pan.)Cook over medium heat until the bottom starts to brown. Add the toppings youlike to the top of the pancake before you flip it over like bacon, cheese, etc.Flip the pancake and cook until it browns.

Move to your servingplatter. Top with tonkatsu sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and katsuobushi.

As we usually eat thesewith chopsticks I will cut the okonomiyaki into slices like pizza.

Also, we often do a Koreanversion (pajeon) with lots of nira (garlic chives) and kimchi. For a toppingsauce for this I'll use tobanjan (spicy miso) or kochujan (chili paste).

One Dish Summer Salads

2011-09-18T11:16:00.000+09:00

When it is still hot out I like to make hearty one bowl salad meals topped with either cooked chicken or thin strips of pork belly (easy to find in Japan but hard to find in the USA unless you are at a Japanese or Korean market).

The top salad here is simply shredded chicken, lettuce, steamed bean sprouts, fruit tomatoes, and julienned carrots, cucumbers, red bell peppers. My go to dressing is an umami-packed nutty, sweet, and slightly spicy banbanji sauce (recipe below).

This salad is steamed julienned cabbage, steamed bean sprouts, julienned carrots, cucumbers, and red bell pepper topped with the thin cuts of pork belly that has been quickly blanched in hot water (similar to a shabu-shabu). The first time I saw cold pork I didn't think it would be appetizing but when served with all of these vegetables and the banbanji sauce it is delicious.

Both of these salads are satisfying, filling, and hit the spot on a hot day. Everything can be prepared ahead of time so you can chill the ingredients in the fridge before serving.

Quick and Easy Banbanji Sauce

2 Tablespoons nerigoma (toasted sesame paste, do not used tahini, use peanut butter instead)

2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon rayu (spicy sesame oil)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. It will keep in the fridge for several days, just stir before serving.

Shijimi Soup

2011-09-16T10:24:00.004+09:00

It's not always easy to have access to fresh seafood. Growing up in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes, we had plenty of fish in the summer. But come winter the closest I would get to fish would be a Filet-O-Fish at McDonald's.

One good way to have a bit of seafood during the week is to stock up on some items like this shijimi su-pu (shijimi soup). Little corbicula clams with wakame in a clear broth. Simply boil with some hot water and it's a nice last minute addition to any meal. This pack cost 525 JPY for 20 servings. It tastes good and is great to have on hand. Easy ways to add more to the soup is to include soft tofu or green onions.

Furikake Tasting Round One ふりかけ

2011-09-14T16:19:00.012+09:00

Growing up we always had furikake in the house. It was a way to make white rice into a light snack, especially after coming home from school. Back in the 70s furikake was simple stuff, some nori and either something like fish flakes or dried egg yolks. Now I carefully peruse the furikake section of the supermarket (or the 100 yen shop) as the variety is amazing. I am one of those people that needs to try everything at least once if I can. So when I see a new type of furikake I immediately am curious as to how it will taste.

This first pack caught my eye as it is based on the popular taberu ra-yu (edible chili oil) that is taking the country by storm. While it's not as good as the real stuff, it's not a bad substitute. It includes tiny dried shrimp, and the mysterious crunchy bits of ra-yu. Ohmoriya has a great selection of furikake, in particular, I love the kari kari series that includes bits of crunchy umeboshi or takuan.

Another one that grabbed my attention was this pack as I love tarako and mentaiko, and I am also a fan of this company's products. Nagatanien has other great flavors like chirimen sansho, uni, and sukiyaki. However, I will have to say that this was the first of their products that I didn't care for. The texture was too much like sand. But, their other furikake are definitely worth trying, especially the chirimen sansho.

Mishima may be my favorite furikake company as they produce Yukari (dried, red shiso furikake) and Nameshi (dried, salted greens), both of which I always have in my pantry. This product is yukari, shirasu (tiny, dried anchovies), and sesame seeds. We loved this and will definitely get more. The shirasu was a nice contrast to the tart shiso leaves. I am going to try this over some angel hair pasta with some extra virgin olive oil. I can already tell it is going to be a hit.

Do you have any favorite furikake? Please post below if you do.

Shijimi Gohan しじみご飯

2011-09-06T14:39:00.004+09:00

Shijimi are tiny corbicula clams that are perhaps most commonly found in miso soup. This prepackaged shijimi that is seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, and soy sauce added to the rice pot with some sake and soy sauce makes for a flavorful bowl of shijimi gohan.

The package also suggests having the shijimi as they are as a snack with beer, as a topping to pasta, in fried rice, or simmered with daikon. But I can't resist cooking this with rice.

This was purchased in a seafood market but if you are shopping at a regular supermarket then look at the seafood section.

September Seasonal Japanese Seafood

2011-09-02T15:48:00.006+09:00

Perhaps no fish signals the arrival of autumn to me than sanma (Pacific saury), a silver skinned, long and skinny fish that for me is best when simply salted and grilled. This at night with a glass of nihonshu or shochu is heaven for me. What many Japanese especially appreciate is the bitter innards of the grilled sanma, a nice match for a hearty sake.

The shijimi (corbicula clams) are perfect in a bowl of miso soup and asari (Japanese littleneck clams) are great simply steamed in some sake or if you are craving a Western preparation, then steamed with white wine and garlic and served over pasta.

Many flounders are in season now. We like these meuniere style, sauteed in butter and then finished with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Finally, a lot of these are great as sashimi. Shinji likes the fishy seafood like nishin (Pacific herring), sanma (Pacific saury), and iwashi (Japanse anchovy).

To make it easier for readers to understand what each seafood is I have linked to a photo of the seafood. Just click on the Japanese name.

Ainame 鮎並 fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii)

Aka garei 赤鰈 flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

Akijake 秋鮭

Amaebi 甘海老 sweet shrimp (Pandalus borealis)

Asaba garei 浅羽鰈 dusky sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata)

Asahigani spanner crab (Ranina ranina)

Asari 浅蜊 Japanese little neck clam (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Awabi 鮑 abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)

Ayu 鮎 sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis)

Baka gai 馬鹿貝 surf clam (Mactra chinensis)

Benizuwai gani 紅頭矮蟹　red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

Botan ebi ボタンエビ Botan shrimp (Pandalus nipponesis)

Dojou 泥鰌 loach (Misgurnus Anguillicaudatus)

Ezo bafun uni 蝦夷馬糞海胆 short-spined sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius)

Ezobora 蝦夷法螺 whelk (Neptunea polycostata)

Hakkaku 八角 sailfin poacher (Podothecus sachi)

Also called tokubire

Hanasaki gani 花咲蟹 spiny king crab (Paralithodes brevipes)

Hata hata 鰰 sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

Hime ezobora 姫蝦夷法螺 sea snail (Neptunea arthritica)

Hirame 鮃 olive halibut (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Hokke ホッケ arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus)

Hokki gai (uba gai) 姥貝 hen clam (Pseudocardium sachalinense)

Hokkoku aka ebi 北国赤蝦 Alaskan pink shrimp (Pandalus borealis)

Hon maguro (or kuromaguro) 黒鮪 bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

Hotate gai 帆立貝 Japanese scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis)

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki/ibodai/ibodai.html 疣鯛 butterfish (Psenopsis anomala)

Kaki 牡蠣 oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Katakuchi iwashi 片口鰯 Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus)

Kawa yatsume 川八目 Japanese lamprey (Lampetra japonica)

Kawagarei or Numagarei 沼鰈 starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus)

Kegani 毛蟹 horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii)

Kinki or Kichiji 黄血魚 thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

Kita murasaki uni 北紫海胆 Northern sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus nudus)

Kouika 甲烏賊 cuttlefish (Sepia (Platysepia) esculenta)

Kounago 小女子 Japanese sand lance (Ammodytes personatus)

Kuro gashira garei 黒頭鰈 cresthead flounder (Pleuronectes schrenki)

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/karei/karei/kurogarei.html 黒鰈 black plaice (Pleuronectes obscurus)

Kuruma ebi 車海老 kuruma prawn (Penaeus (Melicertus) japonicus)

Ma anago 真穴子 conger eel (Conger myriaster)

Magarei 真鰈 littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)

Mako garei 真子鰈 marbled flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

Managatsuo 真名鰹 silver pomfret (Pampus punctatissimus)

masu 鱒 trout (there are many types of trout – see nijimasu, sakuramasu)

mizudako 水蛸 North Pacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

http://www.zukan-bouz.com/sonota/namako/manamako.html 真海鼠 Japanese sea cucumber (Stichopus japonica)

Niji masu 虹鱒 rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nishin 鰊 Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Sake 鮭 salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Sakura masu 桜鱒 cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou maso)

Sanma 秋刀魚 Pacific saury (Cololabis saira)

Saragai 皿貝 Northern great tellin (Megangulus venulosa)

Shijimi 大和蜆 corbicula clam (Corbicula japonica)

Shirauo 白魚 icefish (Salangichthys microdon)

Souhachi 宗八鰈 pointhead flounder (Cleishenes pinetorum)

Suketou dara 鯳 Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma)

Suna garei 砂鰈 sand flounder (Limanda punctatissima)

Surumeika 鯣烏賊 Japanese flying squid (Todarodes pacificus)

Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)

Tarabagani 鱈場蟹 Alaska king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

Torigai 鳥貝 Japanese cockle (Fulvia mutica)

Unagi 鰻 Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica)

Wakasagi 若細魚 Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

Yanagi no mai 柳の舞 yellow rockfish (Sebastes steindachneri)

August Seasonal Sashimi

2011-08-31T10:54:00.004+09:00

Shinji's father made this sashimi platter for dinner recently. On the top row on the left is tairagai (Japanese pen shell) with a rich texture and on the right is tachiuo (cutlassfish), a light whitefish.

In the middle row there is chutoro from tuna, aori ika (bigfin reef squid), and some sanma (Pacific saury) marinated in vinegar.

On the bottom row is sanma (Pacific saury) briefly marinated in vinegar and tako (octopus) from Hokkaido.

August Seasonal Japanese Seafood

2011-08-08T09:20:00.003+09:00

Look for these seafood when eating out in Japan or in the supermarkets or at your fishmonger. Most of the seafood listed here you can enjoy as sushi or sashimi. At home we like to have tachiuo as sashimi with a bit of sesame oil and sea salt. Karei we like either simmered in a delicate dashi with some soy sauce and mirin or cooked in butter and lemon meuniere-style. Ayu is best salted and grilled. And while we don't cook hamo at home we look forward to having it out at restaurants, especially with a bainiku (umeboshi) dressing. We had katsuo over the weekend at a restaurant. The chef seared the outside (tataki), sliced it, and served it over a bowl of rice with grated nagaimo.

Aka isaki　赤伊佐幾 Schlegel's red bass (Caprodon schlegelii)
Ayu 鮎 sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis)
Hamo 鱧 pike eel or pike conger (Muraenesox cinereus)
Hoya ほや sea squirt(Halocynthia roretzi)
Inada 鰍 young amberjack (or yellowtail) (Seriola quinqueradiata)
Stages of buri: wakashi, inada, warasa, buri
Isaki 伊佐幾 chicken grunt (Parapristipoma trilineatum)
Kanpachi 間八 amberjack or yellowtail (Seriola dumerili)
Karei 鰈 right-eye flounder (Pleuronectes herzensteini)
Katsuo 鰹 skipjack tuna (or bonito) (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Kensaki ika 剣先烏賊 swordtip squid (Loligo edulis)
Kijihata (Akahata) 雉羽太 red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara)
Ko yari ika 小槍烏賊 baby spear squid (Loligo bleekeri)
Maiwashi 真鰯 Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus)
Matsubu (Ezobora) まつぶ（えぞぼら Japanese neptune or whelk (Neptunea polycostata)
Mehikari 目光 greeneyes (Chlorophthalmus borealis)
Saba 鯖 Japanese mackerel (Scomber japonicus)
Saragai 皿貝 Northern great telling (Megangulus venulosa)
Shiira しいら　鱪 dorado or mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus)
Shima aji 島鯵 striped jack or white trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex)
Shinko (Konoshiro) 鰶 dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus)
Surumei ika するめいか　鯣烏賊 Japanese common squid (or flying squid) (Todarodes pacificus)
Suzuki すずき　鱸 Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus)
Tachiuo 太刀魚 cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus)
Tobiuo 飛魚 flying fish (Cypselurus agoo)

August Seasonal Japanese Vegetables

2011-08-04T16:33:00.007+09:00

August is when the gardens are overflowing. Some vegetables on our table this time of year are salted edamame, eggplant simmered in a sweet miso sauce, bitter melon stir-fry (like goya champuru), or green beans with a sesame dressing. Pickles are a quick dish for the hot summer quickly made from cucumbers, young ginger or cabbage. Many of these vegetables can be quickly stir-fried like the peppers, bok choy, or zucchini. And two of my favorites are spaghetti squash with a Bolognese sauce or buttered corn.

Edamame 枝豆
Tomato トマト
Nasu 茄子 eggplant
Shin shouga 新しょうが new ginger
Papurika パプリカ bell pepper
Pi-man ピーマン Japanese green bell pepper
Tougarashi 唐辛子 green pepper
Zucchini ズッキニ
Chingensai ちんげん菜 bok choy
Kyuuri きゅうり cucumber
Saya ingen さやいんげん green beans
Tougan 冬瓜 winter squash
Kinshi uri 金糸瓜 spaghetti squash
Nigauri にがうり bitter melon
Okra オクラ
Tsuru murasaki つるむらさき Malabar spinach
Zuiki ズイキ taro stems
Myoga みょうが
Tomorokoshi ともろこし corn
Ninniku にんにく garlic
Takahara Kyabettsu 高原キャベッツ Takahara cabbage

Uni Pasta うにパスタ

2011-08-04T11:24:00.006+09:00

When chef Edward Higgins was at the Four Seasons Marunouchi near Tokyo Station he served an uni pasta that was so good I wanted to lick the plate clean. I believe he is now at the Four Seasons Palo Alto. Not sure if the uni pasta is on his menu but I started to make it at home, inspired by Edward.

Let me add that whenever I see uni pasta on a menu I order it but over the years I have never had one as delicious.

Saute some garlic and onions in olive oil. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Incorporate some tomato paste and at the last minute add the uni. Toss over angel hair pasta.

Inspiration from Jean-Georges

2011-07-27T11:56:00.005+09:00

After reading this article about the soy-butter sauce skate at Mercer Kitchen this has become our back-up sauce for fish and we love it. If Jean-Georges' wife loves it it must be worth making at home once and we are now addicted.

Season a filet with a little bit of salt and pepper. Not too much salt as the soy sauce is salty. Saute the fish in a bit of oil until almost cooked through. Add some butter to the pan and cook until the butter turns a light brown. Turn off the heat and add some soy sauce to the pan.

Plate the fish and drizzle with the soy-butter sauce.

So far we have tried this with a variety of fish and it has always been a hit. This photo is of mekajiki (swordfish).

Japanese Potato Salad

2011-07-11T16:58:00.003+09:00

I was a fan from my first bite of Japanese potato salad. The texture was nothing at all like American potato salad. First of all in Japanese potato salad the potatoes are mashed for a smooth texture. On top of that there is crunchy cucumbers, soft carrots, and ham. The dressing includes some rice wine vinegar that rounds out the rich mayonnaise.

My only tip is to make as big a batch as you can as it always goes quickly.

5 potatoes
1 carrot
2 Japanese cucumbers
6 slices ham
mayonnaise (preferably Japanese)
rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Peel potatoes and cut into medium pieces. Steam until tender. Cool. Mash.

Thinly slice carrots and steam until tender. Cool.

Thinly slice cucumbers. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and mix with your hands. Allow to sit for about five to ten minutes. Squeeze of excess water.

Cut the ham into thin strips.

In a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and ham. Slowly incorporate mayonnaise. Add rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Asari Pasta

2011-07-07T11:24:00.002+09:00

We had big lovely asari (Japanese littleneck clams) and steamed them in white wine and served it over pasta with extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Very simple dish, quick and easy, and best of all, delicious!

July Seasonal Seafood

2011-07-05T13:10:00.003+09:00

Following is a list of seasonal seafood for July. Look for these in the market or if you are going out for sushi. Some of our personal favorites include ayu (salted and grilled), shitabirame (meuniere), shijimi (miso soup), benisake (salted and grilled), and for sashimi - surumeika, kinmedai, takabe, and isaki.

Ayu あゆ　鮎 sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis)
Benisake べにさけ　紅鮭 sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
Inada いなだ　鰍 young amberjack (or yellowtail) (Seriola quinqueradiata) wakashi, inada, warasa, buri
Isaki いさき　伊佐幾 chicken grunt (Parapristipoma trilineatum)
Katsuo かつお　鰹 skipjack tuna (or bonito) (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Kinmedai きんめだい　金目鯛 splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)
Maaji まあじ　真鯵 Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus)
Mejimaguro めじまぐろ young tuna (genusThunnus) if it is a young bluefin tuna it will be called honmeji, if it is a young yellowfin tuna it will be called kinmeji.
Shijimi しじみ　蜆 Corbicula clams (or water clams) (Corbicula japonica)
Shiro ika しろいか　白烏賊 or Kensaki ika swordtip squid (Loligo edulis)
Shitabirame したびらめ　舌平目 (or ushinoshita) four line tongue sole(Arelia bilineat)
Surumeika するめいか　鯣烏賊 Japanese common squid (or flying squid) (Todarodes pacificus)
Suzuki すずき　鱸 Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus)
Takabe たかべ yellow-striped butterfish (Labracoglossa argentiventris)

Seasonal Seafood - Kinmedai (Splendid Alfonsino)

2011-07-01T17:29:00.004+09:00

One of my favorite summer fish for sashimi is kinmedai. In Japanese the characters are 金目鯛. Literally a golden-eye tai or sea bream. Fishmongers refer to it simply as kinme. The name comes from its big and golden eyes. While it is not a sea bream, it is often used as an alternative to sea bream. The English name for it is splendid alfonsino.

It is harvested in Shizuoka, Kanagawa, and Kochi prefectures.

Kinmedai is a white fleshed fish rich in protein, minerals, and fat. It is a source of vitamins B1, B2 and iron.

When purchasing kinmedai look for bright, golden eyes. The red scales should be a vibrant red color. If buying from a fishmonger be sure to keep the head, it can be used to make a delicious broth.

Kinmedai is eaten as sashimi, shabu shabu, simmered, fried, meuniere, or in a bouillabaise,

The flesh can be slightly pink when raw. It is delicious as sashimi or sushi. Not fishy at all - simply succulent.

Shiso Cucumber and Wakame Pickles

2011-07-01T10:09:00.005+09:00

Yukari, dried red shiso, is something I always have in our pantry. Most often I use it to top over a bowl of hot rice or to make an onigiri (rice ball). Next I use it to make quick pickles. This version, similar to the prior post on shiso cucumber pickles. This version is similar but with the added texture and minerality of wakame.

If you are using dried wakame, pre-soak it in water. If you are using salted, fresh wakame, rinse it in water. Usually it is cut into bite size pieces but if it is not cut it up. Thinly slice the cucumbers. If you are using big American cucumbers I suggest peeling the cucumbers and removing the seeds then thinly slice.

Sprinkle the cucumbers with a bit of salt and set aside for a few minutes. The cucumbers should release some water. Squeeze tightly to rid of excess water. In a bowl combine the wakame and cucumbers. Add some rice wine vinegar and sugar to taste. Add the yukari and set aside for a few minutes.

In the photo is a typical meal in our home. Rice topped with shirasu (boiled tiny anchovies), dashimaki tamago (Japanese omelet), simmered kabocha (Japanese squash), kinpira gobo (simmered gobo and carrots), and the shiso cucumber wakame pickles.

Shiso Cucumber Pickles

2011-06-23T13:53:00.005+09:00

Now that cucumbers are everywhere I like to make Japanese pickles out of them. The easiest recipe is to just cut them into bite-size pieces, put into a plastic bag with some salt, massage the bag and voila. It couldn't get any easier and we love the freshness of these pickles.

This version is just as simple but instead of salt I use dried red shiso leaves, also called yukari. Not only does the pack contain dried red shiso leaves but there is also salt in the pack. The color of the dark purple is a nice contrast to the cucumbers and the flavor of the shiso is perfect for juicy cucumbers. Yukari is sold in a small pack, often found at 100 yen shops if you live in Japan. The dried green shiso leaves also work well with this recipe.

Easy Bamboo Shoot Recipes

2011-06-20T14:55:00.006+09:00

One of my favorite Japanese cooking teachers is Yukiko Hayashi, better known as Gout Sensei (from the French gout for taste). She is a prolific cookbook author and often appears in Japanese media, both television and magazines. Her blog is also filled with juicy tidbits of her creations, dining out, and she is passionate about soba so lots of good tips on soba restaurants throughout the country.

Recently she posted some bamboo shoot recipes that not only looked delicious but simple. Here is her post (in Japanese, but with great photos).

http://gout.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2011/05/post-74d9.html

The first recipe was miso soup with shaved bamboo shoots and wakame. Refreshing and light.

This was our hands down favorite. Bamboo shoots sauteed in butter and then at the last minute finished with some soy sauce. Great with a bowl of hot rice.

This simple bamboo shoot was dressed with ume-mayo or mayonnaise with umeboshi paste. I took some soft umeboshi and mashed the meat into a paste and mixed with Japanese mayonnaise. Then simply tossed in some bite-size bamboo shoots.

Did not have the energy to make her fourth recipe, tempura. Look how delicious hers is!

Seared Tai (Red Snapper) with Wasabi and Sesame Oil

2011-06-17T18:35:00.004+09:00

This recipe comes from NHK's Tameshite Gatten. The program last night was on the king of fish in Japan, tai, or red snapper. This recipe is so easy and looks so delicious.

red snapper fillet with the skin intact
sudachi (substitute another tart citrus)
wasabi
sesame oil
salt and pepper

Lightly score the skin side oh the fillet in cross marks. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Sear the skin side only, ideally with either a blow torch or over a direct fire. If you have long metal skewers at home, this is the preferred method in this video (the beginning of the video shows how to put the skewers into the fillet).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4scqzqLianw

After searing the skin side squeeze over it some sudachi juice. Then spread some wasabi into the skin using your index finger. Cut into bite-size pieces and drizzle with good quality toasted sesame oil.

Japanese Seasonal Vegetables - June

2011-06-13T10:11:00.002+09:00

June is when the gardens start to burst with fresh vegetables. Following is a list of seasonal vegetables for the month of June. Perhaps the best place to see these prepared in a variety of dishes is in the prepared foods section of any depachika. My personal favorites are Takashimaya (Nihonbashi or Shinjuku) or Isetan in Shinjuku.

Salad greens
Lettuce
Kohlrabi
Radish
Asparagus
Celery
Parsley
Rhubarb
Beets
Mitsuba
Komatsuna
Tamanegi - onions
Fuki - butterbur
Ingen mame - green beans
Endomame - peas
Soramame - fava beans
Ninjin - carrots
Cabbage
Horenso - Spinach
Daikon
Togarashi - chili pepper
Bareisho - potato
Kyuri - Japanese cucumbers
Tomato

Japanese Seasonal Seafood - June

2011-06-10T13:17:00.004+09:00

The following is a list of seasonal seafood (and my best English translations) for the month of June in Japan.

Benizake - Sockeye Salmon
Tokizake - Chum Salmon
Gomasaba - Blue Mackerel
Inada - Young Yellowtail (or Amberjack)
Takabe - Yellowstriped Butterfish
Suzuki - Japanese Sea Bass
Shiroika - Japanese Squid
Isaki - Chicken Grunt
Shitabirame - Sole
Mebaru - Rockfish
Kihada Maguro - Yellowfin Tuna
Makarei - Righteye Flounder
Maaji - Japanese Jack Mackerel
Katsuo - Skipjack Tuna (a.k.a. Bonito)
Tobiuo - Flying Fish
Ayu - Sweetfish
Kinmedai - Splendid Alfonsino
Shijimi - Corbicula Clams

Most of these are excellent as sashimi. In particular I love kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) with its pink flesh. Katsuo (skipjack tuna) is nice seared and served with grated ginger and soy sauce. Ayu (sweetfish) is best when salted and grilled and one of my favorite miso soups is packed with shijimi (corbicula clams).

When we have either the shitabirame (sole) or makarei (righteye flounder) we often do a traditional butter meuniere (sauteed in butter and lemon). For the tobiuo (flying fish), Shinji likes to cut it into small pieces and toss it with some toasted sesame oil and salt.

Both of the salmon, benizake or tokijake we like simply grilled with a bit of salt. Better yet, marinated with salt overnight or for a few days and then grilled.

If you are in Japan in the month of June and go for sushi, ask the sushi chef for "shun no sakana" and you'll be given some of these seasonal seafood.

Book Review - Drinking Japan by Chris Bunting

2011-06-02T14:21:00.002+09:00

I wanted to share with readers this great book that has just come out. Essential reading for anyone interested in Japanese beverages.

This indispensible guide will become the bible for anyone passionate about Japanese beverages. Regardless if your preference is for shochu or nihonshu, Chris has covered it all. Clearly written by a reporter, no detail is overlooked, and the information is easy to understand. The descriptions of each bar transports you there and he even includes specific drinks to try once you get there. The bars are not limited to Tokyo but he also guides you on major cities including Sapporo, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and where to go in Okinawa.

I know this book is a winner as many of my Tokyo favorites are included such as the New York Bar & Grill in the Park Hyatt Tokyo, he even mentions to come as the sun is setting for the best time which is what I recommend to all of my friends. Buchi, Buri, Maru, Akaoni, Taproom, Takara, and Sasagin are other favorites that are included in this guidebook. He definitely has his pulse on the bar scene in Japan.

There are also a slew of bars that are new to me that are on my list to check out that include Shusaron for its collection of koshu (aged nihonshu), Garari and its impressive kokuto shochu list, and Cheese and Wine Salon Murase in Ginza. And although I am not much of a whisky drinker, just reading his chapter on Japanese whisky has me thirsty to visit some of the bars listed in the book.

As for covering beverages he definitely has a well-trained palate that I would trust. He recommends Bryan Baird’s beers and in the Q&A below his favorite awamori at the moment is Shirayuri, also one of my favorites. Just knowing this I am confident in reading his notes on the beverages written about in Drinking Japan.

The chapter on the drinking culture that is to be found in Japan is essential reading for anyone who will be drinking in Japan. And Chris explains why Japan is truly is a drinker’s paradise. While other books go into greater detail on nihonshu, he more than covers the base on what readers need to know when drinking nihonshu in Japan. The same goes for shochu, awamori, beer, wine, and whisky.

One of my favorite parts of the book are his directions on finding each bar. Essential information as I have found myself on numerous occasions lost, and I have a good sense of direction.

Chris is quick to point out others who have helped him along this journey, including professionals like John Gauntner, Bryan Harrell, Phred Kaufman, and many more.

This book will become a reference book for drinks in Japan. I have already dog-eared many pages for my next night in Tokyo. For those who do not read Japanese, there is essential Japanese in the book for names of beverages and addresses for bars, which will help you while on your evenings out. Even if you are not physically in Japan, the information presented on the different beverages alone makes it worth investing in. A portion of the proceeds are going to Japan Earthquake Relief.
Chris was kind enough to answer some questions posted below. Very insightful answers - see his suggestions for nursing a hangover and why he would not open a bar in Japan.

Drinking Japan - A Guide to Japan’s Best Drinks and Drinking Establishments
By Chris Bunting
Tuttle Publishing
272 pages
$24.95 (2127 JPY on Amazon Japan)

For more information, check out his website: http://drinkingjapan.com/

1. What drink do you have at the end of a long day?

Depending on the mood, I might have a glass of beer or something a bit stronger: whisky, awamori or shochu. Recent favourites have been a bottle of Shirayuri awamori from Ishigaki island, which has delicious unctuousness that I find really relaxing, and a bottle of Japanese grain Kawasaki whisky from the independent brand Ichiro's Malts.

2. If a tourist is coming to Tokyo and only has time to visit five bars which five would you recommend?

I am going to blather a bit before I answer your question because I want to make clear that I don't think it is possible to come up with any definitive list of top bars in Tokyo. I went to hundreds of bars for the book and the one thing I discovered was the foolishness of my initial objective of finding the "100 plus best bars." Everywhere I went I seemed to get a new recommendation for a hidden gem. Japan's, and particularly Tokyo's, alcohol culture has a boundless energy about it and it just cannot be nailed down. There are new places popping up all the time. I found myself writing at the end of the guide that all my recommendations were just my favourites from the small slice of Japan's alcohol life that I had been able to experience, and urging readers to use the book to get out and discover their own new places. That said, six (I am cheating) of my favorites at this point are Shot Bar Zoetrope, a Japanese whisky bar near Shinjuku station; Shusaron, a bar specialising in aged sake near Shinagawa station; The Aldgate, a great pub with good craft beer in Shibuya; Katakura, an izakaya near Ichigaya station with a great selection of awamori, shochu, and sake; Tafia, a rum bar near Roppongi, and Bar Lupin, a really historic bar off the Ginza where Osamu Dazai and other literary greats used to hang out.

3. Again, advice for a tourist who can only have a few drinks during his stay, can you suggest one of each of the following? Nihonshu, craft beer, Japanese wine, shochu, awamori, Japanese whisky.

I will try. This is a fiendish question because it is a bit like asking someone to pick out one French wine. But here goes (I will cheat again by not naming particular brands in most of the categories but styles instead because that is the key issue): a really wild kimoto or yamahai sake rather than just sticking to the clean, dry sakes; one of the Baird Beers from Shizuoka, a brewery that plays freely over a whole range of styles; a wine made with the koshu grape, which is one of Japan's special contributions to the wine world and often has a delightful shy and delicate touch; a sweet potato shochu from Kagoshima (my favourite brand is Manzen, because I had a great time visiting Manzen san's tiny craft distillery in the backwoods of Kagoshima); a "kusu" (aged) awamori of some sort, rather than just the unaged stuff; a Japanese whisky that has been aged in mizunara oak, another unique Japanese style, which often offers distinctive sandalwood and coconut aromas and tastes.

4. Your favorite bar outside of Tokyo?

Pub Red Hill in Takayama city. A lot of the bars in my book have absolutely mind-blowing selections of alcohol of one sort or another. Red Hill doesn't, but it is really friendly and is run by a good friend of mine. Bars are not all about hundreds of bottles on the shelves, they have to have soul as well.

5. Any remedies for nursing a hangover?

Don't drink too much the night before. Gallons of Pocari Sweat, if you have strayed.

6. If you could create/own a bar what would it be like? Where would it be? What would you call it?

I would not be able to run my own bar. It takes dedication, attention to detail, and persistence, among other qualities. I don't have those. If I did have to set up a bar, I would set it up somewhere other than Japan, because my bar simply would not be able to compete in Japan's very competitive nightlife.

7. Through your travels you had the opportunity to meet so many interesting people. Who was the most memorable and why?

Tatsuro Yamazaki, the 90-plus year old owner of Bar Yamazaki in Sapporo. I write about him quite extensively in the concluding chapter of the book. His life story is extraordinary (including living in a boiler and being cleaned out by theft and fires ) and I think it helped me understand why Japan's bars are of such a high standard.

8. If you could trade jobs with one of the people you met from your travels who would it be? (Someone who had an awesome bar or maybe a distiller, etc.)

As I say, I don't think I have it in me to do any of these people's jobs, but if I could be the assistant to Toshihiro Manzen, who runs a small craft shochu distillery in Kagoshima prefecture, I would be a happy man. It was such a beautiful place: in the middle of the forest, birdsong drifting into the distilling hall, the sound of the river .... The stills, believe it or not, are wooden and the spirit they produce is really distinctive. I had a tremendous sense when I was there that Manzen san was toiling away at something that will one day get international recognition.

9. Your favorite bar snack (or food with alcohol)?

Cheese. Any cheese. Not because it goes with all alcohol but because I love cheese and am starved of it here in Japan (see page 204 of my book).

10. Where are we most likely to run into you in Tokyo? At which bar?

At a not-very-fancy izakaya called Mugiya out the back end of Shimbashi station. It serves standard Japanese lager in small glasses and the fried spam gives me terrible jip the next morning, but my colleagues at work go there so I go too. It is about the company as much as the drink. When I get my way, we go to a place in Nishi-Shimbashi called Craft Beer Market, which has reasonably priced craft beer that is becoming increasingly popular among my colleagues. Recently, my roistering has been restricted because my wife and I just had a baby.

Sesame and Soy Dressing for Cold Noodles 冷やし中華だれ

2011-05-31T13:43:00.002+09:00

This simple dressing from NHK's cooking site is a version that we use in our house for cold noodles, either somen or soba.

150 ml soy sauce
90 ml rice wine vinegar
5 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil

Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the sesame oil. Will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Gazpacho Somen from NHK Asaichi

2011-05-30T11:12:00.003+09:00

This morning on NHK's Asaichi TV program was a recipe for Gazpacho Somen. It looks so good I can not wait to make it. I have translated the recipe here below.

Serves Two

・I/4 onion
・1 Japanese cucumber
・1 red bell pepper
・1 stick celery
・2 tomatoes
・1/2 garlic clove
・150 ml. extra virgin olive oil
・50 ml. vinegar
・salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

・100 grams somen (somen for two people)

For the somen topping, mince some cucumber, red bell pepper, celery, and tomatoes and set aside.
The unused vegetables can be rough chopped and put into a blender or food processor with the garlic.
Add the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar and mix until smooth.

The gazpacho sauce can be used immediately, or for better results, let it rest in the fridge for two to three days. Will keep for about a week. At the very least the gazpacho should be chilled before serving.

Prepare the somen as directed on the package.

Top with the gazpacho and toppings.

Salmon and Potato Hash Browns

2011-05-29T08:35:00.002+09:00

We often have salted salmon filets in our fridge on hand for Japanese breakfasts. One morning I was craving hash browns but also wanted to use the salmon. I cooked the salmon first and then broke it apart into smaller pieces. I then made the hash browns as normal, julienned potatoes in a saute pan with extra virgin olive oil. While I usually add salt and pepper I avoided the salt this time as the salmon was quite salty. After the potatoes were cooked through and I added the salmon and then seasoned with pepper. A satisfying way to start the day.

Natto & Pork Sake Bites

2011-05-26T12:21:00.003+09:00

We love natto and can't get enough of it. Our favorite way of eating it is simply over a bowl of hot rice. Other options include serving it with some tuna sashimi or grated yamaimo.

I had this particular dish out at a restaurant, I think it might have been En Japanese Brasserie in New York City's West Village. I recreated it at home and loved the results.

2 packs natto
1/4 lb. ground pork
1 Tbsp. miso
1 tsp. kochujan
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil

Saute the ground pork in a little bit of oil until cooked through. Add the natto, miso, kochujan, sugar and sesame oil. Cook until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Also adjust other seasonings as you like. Serve with lettuce.

Perfect with sake or shochu.

Fried Fish Japanese Style (Buri no Tatsuta Age) 魚の立田揚げ

2011-05-23T10:34:00.003+09:00

I am addicted to chicken tatsuta age, Japanese-style fried chicken and have been making it at home for years. The same process can be used with seafood, in particular meaty or fatty fish like buri, katsuo, or maguro.

Cut the fish into bite size pieces.
In a ziplock bag marinate the fish with:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch chunk ginger, grated and squeezed for its juice (discard the pulp after squeezing)
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. sake

Marinate for 30 minutes or one hour.

Heat some oil for frying.

Before frying dredge the fish in some katakuriko.

Fry until cooked through.

Uni Pasta うにパスタ

2011-05-21T10:31:00.003+09:00

Uni pasta is one of the most sensual dishes I know. But getting it just right depends on the quality of the uni. It just has to be fresh. Whenever we go out to eat and it is on the menu we always order this dish. Recently we had it and Shinji loved it as it tasted just of fresh uni, the minerality of the sea and the rich umami of the uni lingered on our palates.

While I prefer this dish with tomato paste (see the link below for another version) this dish was simply the uni and pasta simply seasoned with good quality extra virgin olive oil and salt.

Uni pasta with tomato paste:
http://tokyostation-yukari.blogspot.com/2009/04/uni-pasta.html

Sea Urchin

Kabocha Soup かぼちゃスープ

2011-05-14T10:24:00.004+09:00

For a dinner party recently I served this kabocha soup cold and it was a huge hit. It really is so easy, can be made in advance, and will keep for a few days in the fridge so worth making a big batch. It is good hot or cold, and even better when a bit of heavy cream is poured in at the last minute before serving.

Cut kabocha into small pieces, be sure to remove the green rind and all seeds.
Steam in a steamer until tender.
Smash with a fork or a masher.
Return smashed kabocha to a soup pan and add chicken stock until desired consistency.
Season with salt as needed.
Allow to cool in the fridge or serve immediately.

Crunchy Japanese Salad

2011-05-12T13:27:00.000+09:00

A simple salad topping that adds both calcium and soy to your greens are chirimenjako (tiny sardines) and abura-age (deep-fried tofu). I like to fry the chirimenjako in a tiny bit of olive oil and then crisp the abura-age in a non-stick pan. Cut the abura-age into strips and top onto greens with the chirimenjako. Our favorite salad dressing for this is either a ponzu dressing (yuzu, soy sauce, mirin and olive oil) or a Chinese-style dressing of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil. Both the abura-age and chirimenjako bring a nice texture to the salad.

Shortlist of Kanbutsu Dried Goods 乾物

2011-05-05T10:39:00.003+09:00

The photos above are of hijiki and kiriboshi daikon .

KANBUTSU 乾物

Kanbutsu, the dried goods of both the sea and land, are key elements of the Japanese pantry. With a long shelf life, most are natural, without any added preservatives, and simply need to be reconstituted in water.

Here is a shortlist of essential kanbutsu items for your Japanese pantry.

Aonori – dried laver, often sprinkled on okonomiyaki
Aosa – dried laver, good in miso soup
Goma – sesame seeds
Irigoma – roasted sesame seeds
Kurogoma – black sesame seeds
Shirogoma – white sesame seeds
Surigoma – crushed sesame seeds
Hijiki – black sea vegetable rich in minerals and protein
Hoshi shiitake – dried shiitake mushrooms
Hoshi warabi – dried bracken, a type of sansai (mountain vegetable)
Hoshi zenmai – dried royal fern, a type of sansai (mountain vegetable)
Kaisou – generic term for sea vegetables, good for incorporating into salads
Kanpyo – dried gourd strip
Kanten – agar-agar made from tengusa (a sea vegetable), used as a gelatin
Kikurage – dried wood-ear mushroom
Kinako – flour made from dried soybeans, popular ingredient for wagashi
Kiriboshi daikon – dried strips of daikon
Kombu – sea vegetable, essential in making dashi
Koya dofu – freeze-dried tofu
Kuzuko – starch made from the kudzu plant, a thickening agent and popular ingredient with top chefs
Mame – generic term for beans
Azuki – little red beans, popular in wagashi
Daizu – soybeans
Kintoki – kidney beans
Kuromame – black beans
Men – generic term for noodles
Soba – buckwheat flour noodles
Soumen – thin wheat noodles
Udon – thick wheat noodles
Nori – dried laver, often used for rolled sushi
Wakame – sea vegetable, popular in miso soup and salads

Natto 納豆

2011-05-04T10:57:00.002+09:00

NATTO 納豆

Natto, fermented soybeans known for its stinky aroma and slimy texture, is one food that may be hard for non-Japanese to appreciate. Popular at breakfast in Japan natto is stirred using chopsticks until it is thick and sticky. Soy sauce and Japanese mustard may be stirred in to the natto before it is spooned over a bowl of rice. Condiments-such as grated daikon, leeks, bonito flakes, sea vegetables, pickled apricots (umeboshi), Japanese basil, and in some parts of Japan, apples or sugar-may be added. Dried natto with nori and other seasonings (furikake) is often sprinkled over hot rice. Dried natto beans are a popular beer snack.

Not all natto is the same. It varies according to the size of beans: large, medium, or small; whether the beans are choppped or not; the type of bean used. Most natto is sold in plastic containers, but natto wrapped in straw will have a richer aroma, texture and flavor.

Natto can also be used as a topping for pasta, or as a filling for deep-fried tofu parcels, or as an addition to fried rice or an omelet. In another dish, called bakudan (literally, “bomb”), natto is mixed with a raw egg yolk, okra, slimy potato, squid, and raw tuna resulting in a very healthy, very slippery, very slimy mixture that is eaten over rice.

Devotees of natto use special natto chopsticks that are designed to make the natto stickier when stirred.

Shortlist of Sansai 山菜

2011-05-02T14:27:00.003+09:00

SANSAI (Mountain Vegetables) 山菜

There are over 200 varieties of sansai, the mountain vegetables that spring forth from the ground in the spring. When sansai arrive at the market, you can overhear customers talk about the arrival of spring. It is served many ways including ohitashi (simmered), sunomono (vinegared), tempura, aemono (dressed with a sauce), and kinpira (julienned and stir-fried). Over a bowl of soba noodles the bitterness of the sansai is a nice contrast to the earthy buckwheat noodles. There is something special about the bitter vegetables when served up in tempura.

Here is a shortlist of some popular sansai:
あさつき　　　Asatsuki – asatsuki chives
ふき　　　　　Fuki – Japanese butterbur
ふきのとう　　Fuki no to – unopened bud of Japanese butterbur
片栗　　　　　Katakuri – dog’s tooth violet
こごみ　　　　Kogomi – fiddlehead of ostrich fern
のびる　　　　Nobiru – red garlic
せり　　　　　Seri – water dropwort
たらの芽　　　Tara no me – shoot of the angelica tree
つくし　　　　Tsukushi – field horsetail shoot
ウド　　　　　Udo - udo
わらび　　　　Warabi - bracken
よもぎ　　　　Yomogi - mugwort
ぜんまい　　　Zenmai – royal fern

Sake Steamed Fish 酒蒸し魚

2011-04-30T17:34:00.004+09:00

Being married to a fishmonger we often have seafood for dinner. Our preferred way of eating fresh seafood is sashimi, simply sliced and served with some soy sauce and wasabi, or ponzu and some yuzu kosho. However, we don't always have the luxury of having sushi-quality seafood.

A quick and easy recipe that is not only delicious but also healthful is steaming fish in sake. I take a small plate and on it put a piece of fish, shiitake mushroom, carrots, some greens (bok choy or spinach), sliced ginger, and a piece of tofu. Drizzle the plate with some Japanese sake and some salt. Put in the steamer and cook until the fish is cooked through, which will vary depending on the thickness of the fish.

Nukazuke Pickles Recipe

2011-04-29T16:21:00.005+09:00

Last year I had the privilege of interviewing chef MIchael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern in New York City for Food Arts magazine. He had spent some time in Kyoto training with some of the top chefs there and learned how to make nukazuke pickles. There is a recipe for nukazuke pickles in Food Arts magazine (I believe the September 2010 issue).

At Gramercy Tavern chef Michael Anthony serves up a variety of pickles, including nukazuke, or vegetables pickled in a fermenting mash of rice bran. Pickling in Japan is a great vehicle for vegetable scraps or parts of the vegetable that in most kitchen would immediately be discarded, such as the green leaves of a daikon.

* correction - in an earlier post I wrote that this recipe is from chef Michael Anthony. This is actually a basic nukazuke recipe from Japan. Sorry for any confusion or misunderstandings. Yukari

Nuka pickles are relatively easy to make and result in a unique pungent earthiness. The key to a successful nuka pot is that the mash needs to be mixed up daily. If left ignored it will begin to mold.

Basic Nukazuke
3 kg. nuka rice bran
500 grams salt
9 - 10 cups water or beer
5 dried red chili peppers (aka togarashi)
1 piece kombu
150 grams of vegetable scraps (cabbage skins, daikon greens, or any watery leaf)

Combine the ingredients into a large pot. The mash should feel like the soft spot of your earlobe, so adjust the amount of liquid accordingly. Keep the lidded pot in a cool place and stir daily for four days. On the fourth day remove the vegetable scraps, leaving the kombu in the pot. Thoroughly wash any vegetable you will pickle and put into the pot. Note that the vegetables do not need to be peeled. The amount of time for the vegetables to pickle will vary from pot to pot. Two to three days is the average for most vegetables. Almost any vegetable can be put into the nuka pot. When serving the pickles thoroughly rinse the bran off with cold water and cut into bite size pieces.

Popular vegetables for the nuka pot are Japanese cucumbers, daikon, carrots, Japanese radishes, and greens such as the leaves from the daikon. Anthony has found great success with sunchokes, parsnips, and watermelon radish. These are a nice contrast for his chicken liver mousse.

Nuka for pickling is available at Japanese supermarkets. Anthony procures his from Barry Farm in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Once your pot is active there are many different adjustments that can be made. The capsaicin in dried red chili peppers will help to prevent the oxidization of the oil in the nuka. To increase umami add a piece of kombu, katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), or dried, powdered shiitake. Calcium rich eggshells will neutralize the acidity. Note that the eggshells should be sterilized carefully in boiling water and dried before using. To add aromatic notes try sansho berries, garlic, ginger, or the skins of mikan (mandarin). Yaki myoban (alum) will help prevent the discoloration of eggplants. Any of these additives can be left in the pot as over time they will disintegrate.

Eventually the pot will have an excess of liquid, released from the vegetables. To rid the pot of the liquid create small pockets and insert a small sake cup. The liquid will collect in the cups.

Related links:
http://www.foodarts.com/
http://www.gramercytavern.com/

Sansai - Tara no me (Angelica buds) Tempura たらの芽天ぷら

2011-04-29T09:38:00.006+09:00

Who doesn't love tempura? If done well you have a crispy lacy batter covering vegetables or seafood. While it is traditionally served with a soy based dipping sauce I prefer it served with some salt to dip the tempura into, so that it retains its crispy texture.

Doing tempura well is very hard. It was the only food I refused to cook when I was a private chef as it just could not be done well. However, once a year I will make an exception to the rule. Even though I can not do tempura justice I just can not resist to have sansai (spring mountain vegetables) tempura.

We had tara no me tempura for dinner the other night. While you can see my batter is not thin and lacy, and this dish is of course much better to have in a restaurant, if you can find one that serves this. If not, make it yourself. In our Tokyo home we have an angelica tree in our front yard and we could actually harvest these ourselves. These came from the market.

I am far from doing this recipe well, and don't make it often enough to perfect it. I simply put some chilled flour (cool it down in the fridge ahead of time) with some icy cold water (literally with ice chips in the water). Don't mix the batter too much and it should be quite watery. Dip the tara no me (or the other vegetables or seafood you have) into the batter and deep-fry until cooked through.

Sansai tempura in particular is nice as the spring mountain vegetables tend to have a slight bitterness to them that expresses itself well when served as tempura.

Sansai -Spring Mountain Vegetables in The Japan Times

2011-04-25T15:13:00.004+09:00

Very interesting and informative article on sansai in The Japan Times on Friday by Makiko Itoh.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/fg20110422f1.html

The unmistakable taste of a new season
Springtime in Japan means a selection of healthful bitter veg

By MAKIKO ITOH
Special to The Japan Times
In these days of year-round growing of vegetables in temperature-controlled conditions and air shipments of fresh produce from around the world, it's all too easy to forget the seasons. But in Japan, seasonality is still highly treasured, and there's no time like the spring to enjoy certain vegetables that are only available for a short time.

You'll see vegetables that are familiar to the Western palate, such as green asparagus, watercress, sora-mame (fava beans or broad beans) and green peas. There are also spring versions of sturdy year-round produce to enjoy, like tiny new potatoes and sweet spring cabbage. You may already be familiar with quintessential Japanese vegetables such as gobō (burdock root) and takenoko (bamboo shoots) — the ones gathered in the spring are particularly fresh and tender.

Joining these on the shelves of greengrocers for a short time in spring are several vegetables commonly known as sansai, or mountain vegetables. Many bear names for which there are no straightforward English translations: seri, tsukushi, fuki, tara no me and yama udo (more on these later).

While some sansai are cultivated these days, connoisseurs prefer the stronger bitterness of sansai gathered in the wild. Sansai went out of vogue for a while, but with the recent interest in health and "natural living" they've made a big comeback. Their bitter, even tannic quality is believed to have a salutary effect on the body, especially after a winter of stodgy food. According to folklore, bears waking up after their winter hibernation nibble on sansai to get their digestive systems going. Most sansai are also rich in vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.

If you're lucky, a neighbor may have gone sansai hunting in the countryside and come back with bounty to share. Sansai gathering used to be something only your grandmother bothered to do, but now hip urbanites go on organized gathering trips in the mountains on weekends. If you're interested in collecting your own sansai, make sure you go with an experienced guide at least for the first time. Just as with mushroom picking in the fall, there is the danger of mistaking a poisonous plant for an edible delicacy.

One caveat regarding sansai: It may not be advisable to eat the more bitter kinds in excess. Like certain medicinal herbs, too much of a good thing may lead to unfortunate side effects such as diarrhea or stomachache. In small quantities as part of a meal, they are fine, and a great way to savor springtime before the heat of the summer comes upon us.

Let's look at ways to prepare and enjoy some popular or unusual spring vegetables, starting with takenoko. While you can purchase precooked or canned bamboo shoots all year round, in spring you can find ones that have just been dug up from the ground. Fresh takenoko are usually sold with a little packet of nuka (rice bran). Peel off the dark skin of the takenoko until you get down to the pale beige part. Put the nuka in a pot of boiling water and add the takenoko; simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. (If you didn't get any nuka, you can also use the cloudy white water produced when rinsing rice instead.) Turn the heat off and let the takenoko rest in the water until cooled. Rinse well and cut up to use in tempura or in nimono (stewed dishes), cooked with rice, and so on.

Fuki no tō are the sprouts of the fuki plant: Peel off the outside stem-end parts (called the hakama, or "pants") plus any discolored bits. The sprouts can then be stewed in a mix of dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin and sugar, or turned into tempura (see recipe). The stems of the grown fuki plant are also eaten: Peel off the stringy outer parts, and stew as with the sprouts or blanch and marinate for a day or more in a miso, mirin and sugar base with a chili pepper added for a little spice.

Tara no me are the young offshoots of a tara tree, part of the aralia family. Most of the tara no me you can buy in stores these days are cultivated and are only mildly bitter. Take off the hakama as with fuki no tō, clean and use in tempura, blanched and served with soy sauce and bonito flakes, sauteed and so on.

Yama udo are offshoots of the udo tree, also from the aralia family, that are grown in the dark or with the earth mounded around them to blanch them, like white asparagus. Peel off and discard the tough, hairy outer skin, then peel the hard outer part of the white stem, leaving the tender core. Both parts should be soaked in water, with a little vinegar added, for 30 minutes to reduce the bitterness. Julienne the outer part and saute in sesame or olive oil; slice the core thinly and use raw in salads.

Warabi, or fiddlehead fern shoots, should be prepped by pouring boiling hot water over them and adding a pinch of bicarbonate of soda or wood ash. Leave to soak until the water is cool, then rinse and use in miso soup, salads and so on.

Wasabina or hawasabi are the young leaves of the wasabi plant. They have a mild wasabi taste and only need to be blanched for a few seconds, cooled and served with dashi stock and soy sauce. You can also saute them briefly in butter or olive oil, with a little chopped garlic, and serve them over hot pasta for a special treat.

Ki no me (which literally means "tree buds") are the tender young leaves of the sanshō pepper tree. Grind up the leaves to sprinkle as a condiment, or just use a small sprig as a garnish.

Recipe for spring vegetable tempura

Tempura is a great way to enjoy many spring vegetables without a lot of fuss. Deep-frying takes the edge off any bitterness, without the need for parboiling and so on. Here I've fried up some tara no me, fuki no tō, young gobō and seri. Serve with a little bit of salt to let the vegetable flavors shine though. Besides sea salt, you can find colorful matcha salt, yuzu salt, lemon salt, sakura salt and so on for sale in department-store food halls and better supermarkets.

Serves 4 as part of a Japanese meal

Seri, cut into 15-cm-long pieces — ?1 small bunch

Gobō (burdock root) cut into fine julienne — 1 15-cm piece

Fuki no tō — 15 to 20, bottoms trimmed

Tara no me e_SEmD 15 to 20, bottoms trimmed

Tempura flour or all-purpose flour — 110 g (about ? cup)

Potato starch or cornstarch (only if you're using all-purpose flour) — 2 tbsp

Large egg — 1

Ice water — 500 ml (2 cups)

Oil for deep frying, such as natane (canola/rapeseed) oil, peanut oil or "tempura oil"

Sea salt or special flavored salt as desired

The vegetables should be perfectly dry on the surface to ensure a crispy finish. Pat the washed and prepped vegetables dry with kitchen towels, or leave them out in a single layer on a sieve or basket until they have dried out completely. It's fine if they wilt a bit as they dry.

Put the vegetables into a large plastic bag with one-third of the flour (if using all-purpose flour and potato or cornstarch, mix together beforehand). Close the mouth of the bag and shake to coat the vegetables. Remove the vegetables, shaking off any excess flour.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and add about two-thirds of the ice water. Add the flour and mix lightly with a whisk or cooking chopsticks. Don't worry about any flour lumps or unmelted ice cubes; if you mix the batter too much, the tempura will become doughy. The batter should resemble thin unbeaten cream: If it looks too thick, add a bit more water; if too thin, a bit more flour.

Prepare a large plate or tray lined with newspaper, with a layer of paper towel on top, to drain the tempura. Fill a pot or wok no more than 1/3 with oil. Heat until quite hot: If you are using a thermometer, the temperature should be at least 175e_SDgr Celsius.

These tender vegetables cook very quickly, so should need no more than 30 seconds or so per side. Start with the fuki no tō, dipped and turned in the batter then into the oil one by one. Follow with the tara no me, also fried individually. Finally, toss together the seri leaves and gobō, and fry in small clusters. Do not overcrowd the pan at any time, and drain the cooked vegetables immediately.

Serve while piping hot and crisp, with ?a small mound of salt on the side of each plate.

Makiko Itoh is the author of "The Just Bento Cookbook" (Kodansha International). She writes about bento lunches at www.justbento.com and about Japanese cooking and more at www.justhungry.com.

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