Tag Archives: Japanese Gastronomy

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Italian Cuisine: Appetizers at Il Paladino (2)

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Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive.
Specialty:Sicilian Cuisine. Top-class Italian wines and great collection of Grappa.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at tables.

As I mentioned before, I’ve found over the years that in Japan, and especially Shizuoka, that it is more fun to ask for a few appetizers with a couple of glasses of good wine at Italian Restaurants (mind you, the same would apply to Spanish Restaurants and izakayas!).
When a good restaurant like Il Paladino in Shizuoka City agrees to it, it is simply great fun! Thiis is I hapoe the continuation of a long series of delicious appetizers!

Salad/appetizer composed of broad beans, Buffala Ricotta Cheese (water buffalo), “Petit Tomato” (Shizuoka), Trevise and Anchovy Dressing.

French white asparaguses the Italian way!

The French white asparaguses were topped with Prosciutto ham fried with echalottes and Parmegianno Cheese!

Tratorria . Il Paladino
420-9839 Shizuoka City, Aoi-Ku, Takajo, 2-8-19
Tel.: 054-253-6537
Opening hours: 11:30~13:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Mondays
Credit cards OK (Dinner only)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento

Please check the new postings at:
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Tamagoyaki: Ciboulette & Cherry Shrimps

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For once, the Missus accepted I took pictures while she made a batch of tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette since yesterday was a national holiday and we had decided to take it as easy as possible for the whole day!

Unforunately I can’t say that the pictures are very good, as I had little time to take them in the dark kitchen with a mobile phone. A real camera would have taken too much time, and eggs cook quickly!

The Missus used 3 eggs for the whole tamagoyai. She beat them with some water (3 tablespoons), a little milk (1 teaspoon), salt ( a pinch) and sugar (1 teaspoon).

Instead of making them plain with the above ingredients, she added plenty of chopped ciboulette/chives that the Japanese have come to grow recently.
She included the sakura ebi/cherry shrimps I had bought at the local supermarket while she was having a rest (she spent the day clearing things at home, her notion of taking it easy for the day!) after having added some sake to them.

She served them with a little momjioroshi/grated daikon with chili pepper.
Next time she makes them it will be easier to convince her to write a posting on them as I’m planning to help her with her own (Japanese) blog!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
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Cheese Souffle: The Basic Recipe

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After being asked about my cheese souffle by a new Foodbuzz friend, I thought it was about time I re-post the recipe for this French classic.
Sorry, as I was caught a bit off my guard I had only and old pic of my cooking available. Let’s hope I will come another one soon!

When you mention the word “Souffle”, the first reaction you get is: “Too difficult!”. It is actually dead easy, and I can tell you that some restaurants make an enormous profit from them!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people
Eggs: 4
Flour: 50g
Butter: 50g
Milk: 300cc
Shredded cheese: 100g
Salt
White Pepper
Nutmeg
Thyme
Laurel

RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Butter well the inside of a (possibly round) deep oven dish (about 18cm x 8cm). This will help the souffle rise and prevent it fom sticking.

Separate egg yolks from egg whites.
In a large bowl add a little salt to whites and beat them until solid.

On a small fire, prepare a Bechamel sauce (white sauce):
Melt butter completely, pour in flour and mix well with spatula until smooth. Pour in milk and mix well (diffferent people have different techniques, but I found that the best technique is to mix half of the milk little by little first, then pour in the rest and use a whisker to make a smooth sauce). Add salt, pepper and spices. Keep stirring gently.

Once the sauce has thickened to the point of almost solid, take off the fire (or switch off the fire).
Mix in the egg yolks with a spatula until colour is even. Then proceed the same way with the cheese little by little until mixture comes smooth off the spatula.

Check that the whites have not gone back to liquid (That happened to me quite a few times, so make sure to check! In such a case, just beat them again. They will go back to a satisfactory state quite fast.). Mix in half first as delicately as possible with a spatula (not a whisker, or you will break the air bubbles in the whites and the souffle will not rise!). Then do the same with the second half. Pour in the mixture in the dish and put in the oven to bake for 45 minutes ( although that depends with every oven). To check whether the souffle is properly cooked, insert a thin wooden stick or knife deep into the souffle. It should come out smooth.

Before serving, make sure that everybody is at the table before serving. ” The guests wait for a Souffle, a Souffle does not wait for the guests!”

NOTES:

-1) This souffle can be cooked in individual dishes. In that case the cooking time shall be about 30~35 minutes.
-2) Instead of cheese you could use tinned tuna (2 x small cans), or fresh spinach (one bunch; boil it a couple of minutes in salted water first, then drain thouroughly, and mince it as thinly as possible), or crab (add a little brandy to it and mix beforehand), or thin short narrow strips of ham, or even ham & cheese. The variations are endless!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

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Yakitori Cutting Techniques 7: Shiri/”Hips”

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Shiri is often called “hips” in Japanese language. Actually it means bottom/derriere!
I still remember my Mum reserving that morsel for herself every time she roasted a whole chicken: “le cul est pour moi! The ass is for me!” LOL
In any case a healthy chicken should have a prominent “tail”! bear in mind it is not all fat as the chicken need themuscles to strut along its tail erected!

As shown on pic above, insert the knife and cut around the small bone and the meat attached to it.

Cut the fat around the sphincter/anus and discard it together with the sphincter.

Do that operation on both sides. Look at the pic above: you will discard the pieces of fat below the cut hips.

Insert the stick/skewer in the meat passing it just under the bone.

The stick is ready. The bone is a bit hard but succulent with the fat around it.

Now, if you don’t want the bone, cut around the bone as carefully as possible laving no meat or fat with it.

When instering the stick in the cut pieces, respect the same order skin fat/meat for even cooking.

Here are the complete sticks of boneless hips.
Now bear in mind they will cook faster and look smaller!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
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TAKY’S classic Cakes (10): Chocolat Orange

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Talented Takuya Hanai at Taky’s has come up with a new creation that I had the pleasure to share with a student of mine. (No wonder I have problems slimming down. LOL)
Mr. Hanai does delve into grand demonstration of his start, but keeps to perfect ingredients served in a simple and beautiful manner. It goes the same with names: he simply called this cake “Chocolat Orange”.

The cake lies on a base of spongy biscuit made with hazlenuts offering a delicate crunchy bite to the general softness of the cake.
The first mousse/bavarois layer is made with milk chocolate while the second tier is orange mousse/bavarois.
The topping is orange marmelade jelly with pieces of orange rinds/zests and a couple of green pistachio nut halves.

Great colours and sublimely simple in taste!

TAKY’S
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-11-10
Tel.: 054-255-2829
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, While My Sautoir Gently Sweats, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Japanese Cuisine: Meat Balls, Chinese Cabbage & Rice Vermicelli Soup

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The Japanese are very fond of two culinary delights, namely dango/団子 or meat balls and haruzame/春雨(Spring Rain) or rice vermicelli.
They do make for great and simple combinations.
How about the following one:

Meat Balls, Chinese Cabbage & Rice Vermicelli Soup

INGREDIENTS: For basic recipe. You can multiply it at will!

-Chinese cabbage: 6 leaves
-Pork belly: 80 g
-Chicken lean breast: 60 g
-Panko/breadcrumbs: 1 tablespoon
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Fresh (if possible) ginger juice: 1/2 teaspoon
-Rice vermicelli/Haruzame (dry weight): 20 g
-Egg (beaten): 1/2
-Water: 3 cups/600 cc/ml
-Chicken bouillon: 1 cube or as appropriate, crumbled into powder.
-Salt: 1 teaspoon (can be varied according to preferences and priorities)
-Pepper: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Chop the core of Chinese cabbage finely, and cut the leafy part in 5 cm square pieces.

-Humidify lightly the panko/breadcrumbs with lukewarm water if coarse. Us them as they are if they are fine.

-Drop the pork belly and chicken lean breast in a food processor and mince. Add the sake, panko/breadcrumbs, ginger juice, beaten egg and a little salt. Mix.

-Soften the rice vermicelli in slightly salted lukewarm water and drain.

-In a pan pour the water. Add cut Chinese cabbage, salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Cover with lid and cook over a small fire until the Chinese cabbage has become translucent.

-Fashion balls with the processed meat. Add to the Chinese cabbage and cover with lid. Cook over small fire for up to 20 minutes.

-Add the rice vemicelli and cook for 3 more minutes.

-Serve as shown in above picture.
Add some finely chopped thin leeks for a “green” finishing note!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Italian Cuisine: Appetizers at Acqua Di Fonte

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Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: very clean all around
Prices: reasonable
Specialty: Central and south Italian-style cuisine. Very reasonables prices. Very reasonably-priced wines.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at tables and most of the counter!

As I said before, I’ve found over the years that in Japan, and especially Shizuoka, that it is more fun to ask for a few appetizers with a couple of glasses of good wine at Italian Restaurants (mind you, the same would apply to Spanish Restaurants and izakayas!) than to go for the full course repeatedly in the same restaurant.
When a good and unpretentious restaurant like Acqua Di Fonte in Shizuoka City agrees to it, it is simply great fun!

Italian salami and mortadella.

Timbalo di Spaghettini, French washed type cheese Luccolon, Zucchini Flan and home-made lard on Bruschetta in the middle.

Marinated paprika, mint-flavored grilled kabocha, and marinated and sauteed radicchio.

Simple, healthy, yummy and fun!

ACQUA DI FONTE Antica Osteria
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-10-10, Pia Takajo, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-6440
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 18:00~22:00
Closed on Wednesdays and first Tuesday
Credit cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Tofu & Vegetable Juice Cake

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The great thing about tofu is that you can devise simple and yummy food with few ingredients and little money!

Here is a simple recipe for a healthy cake for adults and children”

Tofu & Vegetable Juice Cake!

INGREDIENTS: For an 18 cm wide mold

-Real 100% vegetable juice: 400 g
-Tofu (Silk tofu): 300 g
-Sugar: 50~80 g
-All-purpose flour: 100 g
-Eggs: 2

RECIPE:

-Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

-Line the mold with an oven baking paper sheet.

-Drop the vegetable juice, tofu, sugar and eggs in a food processor. Mix until smooth.
Add flower and mix again until smooth.

-Pour the lot into the oven mold and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30~40 minutes.

-Let cool completely.

-Take out the mold and place on a serving dish. Chill it properly inside the refrigerator.

-Cut to size and serve.

-Decorate it with chatilly (beaten cream) cream.

-You can experiment with the taste with liqueurs and so on!

Easy, ain’t it?

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
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Tea Time! Green Tea Season Has Started in Shizuoka!

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Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all tea in Japan and 70% of the total national production is also traded in our Prefecture!

As I was going to take my train to University at Shizuoka JR Station, a major and very busy station in Japan, I noticed the Shizuoka Green Tea stand in the middle of the station.

Notwithstanding the beautiful young ladies serving the tea for free (quite difficult to time the photo, I can assure you!) I was attracted as I appreciate the beverage a lot. The tea was Motoyama, oneof the major shizuoka varieties grown in Shizuoka City (which spreads up to the Southern Alps!).

A great treat before boarding a crowded train!

I wished they could do that for sake, but obviously the police would more than frown upon it!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
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Sushi Restaurant: Dinner at Sushi Ko (Shizuoka City, ’10/04/22)

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Take-away Sashimi Tray!

As promised, here is the full photograph report of pur dinner at Sushi Ko the other day.
Some pics are fuzzy, pressed for time as I was by the missus!
Sorry!

The Man In Charge: Mr. Oda!

Generous serving of Shosetsu sake (Shizuoka City, Yui)!

Like in any good sushi restaurants one can have a good look at their ware in glass displays!

The sashimi we ordered for the day!

Katsuo/鰹 or bonito (from Shizuoka Prefecture!).

Kinmedai/金目鯛 or Splendid alfonsino (from Shizuoka Prefecture!)

Served with chopped leeks and grated ginger.

The next sake: Junmai ginjo by Fujinishiki Brewery (Shibakawa Cho), rice milled down to 55%. Priveate label for Sushi KO!

Japanese-style tako/蛸 octopus Carpaccio plate!

Anago/穴子 or conger eel tempura.

Maguro zuke/鮪付け or marinated tuna

Botan ebi/牡丹海老 or large sweet prawn

Hotate/帆立 or scallop

Hirame/平目　or sole. Seasoned with lemon juice and salt only!

The deep-fried heads of the botan ebi!

Kujira/鯨 or whale

Vegan sushi tray! Menegi/芽葱 or thin leeks sprouts, Himesoba/姫蕎麦 or buckwheat sprouts, Mitsuba/三つ葉 or trefoil and Kawairedaikon/かわいれ大根 or daikon sprouts (lightly boiled) with umeboshi!

Hamaguri/蛤 or large clams. Unusual as they are quite a work to do for little profit!

Pirikara Hotate Futomaki/ピリ辛帆立太巻 or Spicy Scallops thick roll, one of Mr. Oda’s specialties!

Anago/穴子 or conger eel

Shiso, Nattou to Umeboshi Maki/紫蘇納豆梅干巻 or sushi roll with perilla leaves, fermented soy beans and pickled Japanese plum. Vegan!

Sakura Ebi Gunkan/桜海老軍艦 or fresh cherry shrimps. Only available in Shizuoka (cheap) unless you want to pay a helluva money in Tokyo!

Ikura Ko Donburi/イクラ小丼 or small bowl of salmon roe.

Nameko Jiru/なめこ汁 or nameko mushrooms miso soup

And Shizuoka Green Tea to finish!

SUSHI KO
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Italian Cuisine: Appetizers at Il Paladino

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Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive.
Specialty:Sicilian Cuisine. Top-class Italian wines and great collection of Grappa.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at tables.

I’ve found over the years that in Japan, and especially Shizuoka, that it is more fun to ask for a few appetizers with a couple of glasses of good wine at Italian Restaurants (mind you, the same would apply to Spanish Restaurants and izakayas!).
When a good restaurant like Il Paladino in Shizuoka City agrees to it, it is simply great fun!

Here are a few examples of what I had the pleasure to savour recently:

Although Italian in concept, I would call this appetizer the “Tomato Road”! Sorry for the bad pun!

Tomato mousse.

Scallops in jelly with green peas, carrot and zucchini.

Involtini di Melanzane/Egg-plants rolls

Egg plant slices are rolled around Emmental cheese, Prosciuto Cotto ham, Mozzarella and Parmegiano.

This Sicilian specilaty is then covered with tomato sauce and baked in the oven.
It is served with a topping of high quality extra virgin oil.

Insalata Carapippara

Red pimento and celery strips, mozzarella wedges, Parmegianno strips, Green olives, Balsamico, Basil leaves and olive oil.

Tratorria . Il Paladino
420-9839 Shizuoka City, Aoi-Ku, Takajo, 2-8-19
Tel.: 054-253-6537
Opening hours: 11:30~13:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Mondays
Credit cards OK (Dinner only)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento

Please check the new postings at:
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Vegan Tofu Fruit Cake

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If you have tofu and flour on hand, you do not need eggs or milk to make a tasty cake!

INGREDIENTS: For a pound cake-sized mold

-Tofu: 120 g
-Maple syrup: 80 g
-Oil: 20 g
-Cake flour: 100 g (wheat flour allergics could use another type of flour or rice flour)
-Baking soda: 2cc/ml
-Walnutes: 50 g
-Dried prunes: 50 g

RECIPE:

-Let rest the tofu over a plate with small holes or a strainer (“Zaru” in Japanese) for at least 10 minutes to get rid of some water.
Drop into a bowl. Add the maple syrup and oil. Mix well with a hand mixer.

-Thieve the flour and baking soda over the tofu. Add the (cut for size if needed) walnuts and prunes. Mix well with a spatula.

-Line a mold with baking paper.
Pour in the cake mixture.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.

NOTES:

-One can use sweet potatoes instead of the dried fruit. Cook them in microwave until soft first.
One can use apple sauce/jam instead of maple syrup.
Some jellied orange peels could alos add a nice finishing note!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, While My Sautoir Gently Sweats, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

Please check the new postings at:
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Yakitori Cutting Techniques 6: Liver & Heart

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Interestingly enough, the Japanese call Liver, “rebaa” and Heart, haarto”, which nothing less than the Japanized pronunciation of the English words!
Naturally, liver in Japanese is “kanzou” and heart “jinzou”, but this refers more to anatomy than gastronomy!

It goes without much saying that you have to use absolutely fresh ingredients!
First wash in clear running cold water.
Peel off the soft thin skin off the heart and cut/discard any veins or blood vessels.
Take off fat but only within reason as it contributes to tasty morsels!

Separate the liver lobes.
Discard veins/blood vessels if you discover them.

Cut the lobes across into pieces big/small enough for easy grilling.

Cut the hearts legthwise to two thirds of their thickness as shown on above picture.
Discard any veins/blood vessels or blood matter.

Skewer the hearts with a stick. Two of them should be enough.
It is easier than it looks.
You may skewer the livers and hearts together but you will ened up in uneven cooking. Better separate them!

Skewer the liver with a stick. Three pieces is best for balance.

Here you are!

Now, you could make the sticks longer and the pieces bigger or liver and heart whole, but personally, the smaller the yummier it looks!
These are more or less appetizers, after all!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Spring Onion with Sesame & Miso Dressing

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Shizuoka Prefecture is famed in Japan for producing the first new onions of the year.
They are very soft and sweet and are much appreciated steamed with a simple seasoning.
If you can grab these onions in your own country or hometown, here is a simple recipe that please everyone!

Spring Onion with Sesame & Miso Dressing!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-New Spring Onions: 2
-White sesame seeds: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar (of your preference): 1 teaspoon
-Soy sauce (of your preference): 1 teaspoon
-Miso paste (of your preference): 1 teaspoon
-Mirin/sweet Japanese sake: 1 teaspoon

RECIPE:

In a mortar (“suribashi” in Japanese) drop the white sesame and grind thoroughly with a pestle. Add the sugar, soy sauce, miso paste and mirin.
Mix well.

-Peel the onions. Cut off the pointed tip. Cut through into four quarters down to 9 tenths of its height (do not cut completely as it must “stands” on its own!).

Place each onion on/in its serving dish (preferably earthenware) and wrap with cellophane paper. Cook in the microwave oven long enough for the onions to become soft. This shouldn’t take long if the onions are new. This method will ensure that nothing “escapes” from the onions!

-Pour the seasoning over the onions and serve!

POINT:

-Grinding your own sesame seeds will provide for a better and deeper taste than using ready-ground sesame seeds!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, While My Sautoir Gently Sweats, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Tofu & Cabbage Okonomiyaki

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Okonomiyaki, originally a fast food from Osaka and Hiroshima has become so popular abroad that one has to try and find variants of the original recipes.
Here is a simple and healthy one:

Tofu & Cabbage Okonomiyaki!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Tofu/kinudofu/silk tofu: 1/2 block, ~200 g
-Cabbage: 1/6
-All-purpose flour: 3 tablespoons
-Thin pork slice (belly): 50 g
-Egg: 1
-Hon dashi/dashi stock soup powder (if unavailable, use bouillon powder): 10 g
-Salt & pepper: as appropriate

Sauce:
-Ponzu: as appropriate
-Chopped leeks: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Pres water out of tofu as much as you can. Break up the tofu in a large bowl with a spatula and stir until smooth.

-Cut cabbage leaves thinly.

-Add cabbage, flour , egg, hon dashi powder, salt and pepper.
Mix well.

-In a large enough frypan, fdry-ry the pork slices. There is enough fat in the pork, no need for oil! Spread pork slices evenly.

-Pour batter all over the pork. Cook and turn over until you are satisfied with both sides of the okonomiyaki.

-Serve on a warm plate. Season with ponzu (better and healthie than sauce) and chopped leeks (for the vitamins!)

Easy, isn’t it?

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, While My Sautoir Gently Sweats, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi