After four years in Tokyo, Yoko recently relocated to the Bay Area. She loves dips, dashi and deals.
Japanify
May 2, 2013
Japanify: Lotus Root Kinpira
I am a huge fan of spice, and finding a dish that I can make that delivers the spice is always a welcome affair.
This renkon (lotus root) kinpira is a recipe I made out of an awesome book that Kayoko got me during her nine-hour layover in Japan. It was luck that I had a lotus root rolling around in my fridge as I explored the pages of the book.
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April 25, 2013
Japanify: Daikon-Tuna Stir Fry
Sometimes the most humble ingredients can yield some seriously satisfying results. Some days I procrastinate until the last stop on my train to plan out what I’m going to make for dinner. I mentally piece together what I have in the fridge and try to make a meal out of it… kind of like how I mentally piece together my outfit for the day in the shower.
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April 4, 2013
Japanify: Mizuna Crunch Salad
Spring is here and my local market is starting show signs of different colors of the rainbow after a winter abundance of orange and brown fruits and vegetables. I’ve been most excited about the appearance of more greens — broccoli, asparagus, green onions, etc. The bulk greens sections has also been exploding and the appearance of fresh, healthy mizuna has prompted me to concoct a salad that takes advantage of its availability.
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March 28, 2013
Japanify: Mentaiko Rice Redux
Forgive me, I am going to cheat a little here… like that “100 Episodes of Seinfeld” episode. I think Umami Mart has been around long enough for something like that. So this is a re-post/interpretation of another post I wrote in Tokyo 4 years ago.
The other day I got a tray of mentaiko (spicy cod roe) from my mom and all week Washi and I were dreaming of making the mentaiko rice recipe.
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February 28, 2013
Japanify: Amazake (Sweet Sake)
Amazake literally translates to “sweet sake” which is deceiving considering it’s non-alcoholic. It’s sweet, milky and easy to digest, making it perfect for kids or adults with an upset stomach.
Amazake is made by combining koji with cooked rice, which allows the rice to break down into simple sugars. This is the first step to sake-making. After this step, making sake involves fermentation, pasteurization and filteration and achieves an ABV of around 15%.
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February 21, 2013
Japanify: Garlicky Gomadare (Sesame Sauce)
Whenever I had shabu-shabu as a kid, there was NEVER ENOUGH gomadare (sesame sauce). It has all the elements that leave you wanting more: sweet, salty and savory. I was never a huge meat fan and I looked forward to dunking udon in my mom’s gomadare more than any other part of the shabu-shabu meal. So one of my “when-I-grow-up” dreams was to have a large supply of gomadare.
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January 17, 2013
Japanify: His’n'Hers* (Herring Egg + Sperm Sacs)
Last week, I shared a bowl of nishin soba with you, and I asked you to not to throw out the egg and sperm sacs. I have two recipes that will have you wondering why people would ever throw them out in the first place. Personally, I look forward to the herring shirako and kazunoko more than the adult flesh itself.
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January 10, 2013
Japanify: Nishin Soba (Hot Soba w. Simmered Herring)
A gleaming school of herring greeted me upon my arrival on U.S. shores yesterday. After landing from Tokyo, my first errand after dropping off my bags at home was a visit to my local fish monger (Monterey Fish Market). Winter is a cornucopia of goodies for seafood. Crabs, oysters, salmon roe and herring are just some of what I look forward to every winter.
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December 20, 2012
Japanify: Matsutake Soup
Taking half an hour out of my schedule to slow down and warm up has been possible these past few weeks thanks to this simple soup. The arrival of matsutake mushrooms is here and I couldn’t be more excited. This year at my local market, they have sorted the mushrooms by #1s and #6s. If you remember my post from a while back, matsutake with closed caps are the most prized.
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December 6, 2012
Japanify: Winter Root Nimono
For some, winter may mean honey-baked hams and Santa Claus. But at my house, it means nimono. Nimono simply means “simmered things” in Japanese. You can pretty much simmer anything, but the simmering liquid is usually a combination of dashi, mirin and soy sauce.
I was happy to find some very wintry root vegetables at my local market. The quality was fresh with in-season prices.
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