Monday, March 22, 2010

Traveling



Thank you to those who come and check out this blog. I am honored and humbled. Just a quick note that I am traveling and will return to my blog after April 5th. I hope to have exciting and fun blog posts from my journey. Cheers!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Okra and Natto Rice



One of my favorite Japanese foods is natto, fermented soybeans. Here we have it for breakfast with okra. A kaiseki chef taught me how he treats okra. He quickly blanches it in hot water, then opens up the pods and removes the bitter seeds, then chops up the okra. The sticky texture of the okra with the slimy texture of the natto is a great combination, especially over a bowl of hot rice.

Natto

Okra on FoodistaOkra

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Shinji's Bento 進児の弁当



On the top half, over rice, is a sukiyaki-style thinly sliced beef and gobo (burdock root) cooked in a sweet soy broth.

Bottom half is from left to right:
kinpira gobo (burdock root and carrot sauteed in a soy broth)
simmered squash
simmered hijiki, deep-fried tofu, and carrot
spinach in a creamy sesame paste
pickled daikon
simmered kiriboshi daikon (dried daikon) with deep-fried tofu, and carrots

Bento Box on FoodistaBento Box

Monday, March 15, 2010

Fava Beans and Rice 空豆ご飯




A nice contrast to always having white rice is to steam some vegetables in the rice pot when cooking rice. Fava beans are placed on top of uncooked rice and the rice is cooked as usual. This same dish is also nice with green peas.

Takikomigohan on FoodistaTakikomigohan

Fava Beans on FoodistaFava Beans

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Quick and Easy Saikyo Miso Marinated Fish 西京漬け魚





This recipe, made famous by Nobu and his Miso Marinated Cod, could not be any easier. We start with good quality sweet white (rice based) miso (kome miso) and good sake. Usually it is just one part miso and one part sake. Mix until combined. I like to put the fish (anything oily like cod or salmon) layered in cheesecloth in the marinade. It is easier to remove from the miso and grill. If the fish has too much miso on it it will burn quickly in the grill.

We usually marinate for 24 to 36 hours, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Grill until cooked through. If you don't have a fish grill at home, then cook over medium high heat in a nonstick fry pan.

The marinade can be used a few times (in a short period).

Miso Marinade on FoodistaMiso Marinade

Black Cod With Miso on FoodistaBlack Cod With Miso

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Shinji's Bento 進児の弁当



Posting a bento I made for Shinji a while back. It includes a lot of our house favorites. The rice is salmon rice (grilled salmon steamed with the rice). The osouzai (colorful small dishes) from left to right are:

simmered hijiki, carrots, and abura-age
dashimakitamago
kinpira gobo (burdock root and carrots)
nukazuke pickles (rice bran pickles)
grilled fish

Friday, March 5, 2010

Salmon and Ikura Takikomigohan






Steaming rice with grilled fish creates rich, satisfying, flavorful dishes. Be sure to grill the fish before it is added to the rice pot or the results will be fishy. This is perfect with a variety of fish but hands down one of our favorites is salmon.

The salmon is grilled, rice is washed, and then all put together in a pot or rice cooker. Cook as you normally would cook rice (with the normal amount of water). When the rice is cooked remove any bones or skin from the fish and then return to the pot. Stir until the salmon flecks the rice and serve. On this day we topped the rice with some salted salmon roe (sujiko).

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Tofu and Chirimen ちりめん豆腐



Tofu in Japan is a revelation. Not at all like what is found in the U.S.A. but a wide variety of textures, tastes, sizes, and shapes. We always have tofu in our fridge. It can be added to miso soup, top a salad, or served as it is with a simple topping.

This is one of my favorite toppings. Chirimen (tiny anchovies that are blanched in salt water) are quickly sauteed in sesame oil until crunchy. These are then placed over tofu and topped with soy sauce.

Other popular toppings include:
grated ginger and soy sauce
wasabi and soy sauce
kimchi
chopped tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil
extra virgin olive oil and salt