Tag Archives: Simple Recipes

Uncategorized

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/29): Strange Weather Bento

4 Comments

The weather has been really cracking recently to the point one just does not know what to put on in the morning before going out!
Yesterday’s cricket game started in dry heat to finish in wet cold. The sun is out again today with a vengeance but the next three days promise rain.
With what is happening in Iceland and Europe these days, I wonder what of kind year we shall have!

Anyway, we are on Monday and my bento was ready, weather or not! LOL
And it was served in those beautiful cedar tree boxes!

The Missus steamed the rice with a (pre-packed/pre-cooked) mixture of beans and hijiki/sweet seaweed that she stir-mixed later after it was cooked. It also added a slightly sweet taste to the rice. She sprinkled the rice with plenty of roasted sesame seeds.

She also added a large home-pickled (sweet rice vinegar) myoga ginger sprout (it is alctually the flower) and “chikuwa”/fried fish paste tubes stuufed with hard young cucumber.

She included plenty of colours in the garnish dish, although she said she could have added more. It was just alright by me!

She had boiled some broad beans/sora mame and made a salad of them with quickly fried prawns. The tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette was of the plainn kind as other ingredients were pretty strong in taste.

She rolled pieces of chicken which had been long marinated in nori/dry seaweed sheet before shallow-frying them. She added lettuce and Italian parsley for the vitamins and very sweet Ameera Rubbins mini tomatoes (from Shizuoka Prefecture) for dessert.

Well, I don’ mind about the weather as long as I get this kind of bento! LOL

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES:

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

French Restaurant: Hana Hana (2010/04/16)

3 Comments

Cassoulet

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Generous portions (for a Japanese restaurant), classic French and Italian and unpretentious. “Special” Wine list!

Last night saw cats and dogs falling anew with the unpredictable weather. Neither of us felt going back home and starting cooking. It was about time we visited an od friend of ours at Hana Hana!

The greatest quality of this unpretentious and very friendly restaurant combining the delicacies of Southern France and Italy resides in its succulent fare served in generous portions (for a Japanese restaurant), and all this at reasonable prices (for japan, again!)

Here is what we had last night:

Appetizer: deep-fried /shiroebi/white shrimps/Glass shrimps on a potato chip and amadai/Tilefish tartare on a lotus root chip.

Tilefish or amadai/アマダイ/甘鯛、尼鯛　in Japanese

Glass Shrimps/White Shrimps or shiroebi/白海老 in Japanese.

The Missus ordered a “Country-style” salad, but it was so big that the chef served a single portion on two different plates without even asking us! Great home-made sausages, duck and so on!

As for the beautiful duckling terrine, the two of us had to dig in as the portion was definitely not Japanese-sized! LOL
It certainly wasn’t easy to keep off the bread!

Now, the Missus’ main dish as a great combination of French and Japanese cuisines: Baked amadai/tilefish with wasabi sauce!
Did I tell you that Shizuoka Prefecture grows 80& of all wasabi in Japan?LOL

When I was wondering what main dish I would order, the chef just suggested, Alsation Choucroute or Cassoulet?
Not fair! Being a Burgundian, I was truly caught halfway!
Alright, I’ll take the Cassoulet!
…..
My, my, now, that was big!
The Missus: -I’ll have the finest little piece of each: Duck confit, pork belly cut and home-made sausage!
She could have tried to help me more…. LOL again!
Do you know the hree basic cassoulets? To give you an idea, mine included two of them!
No need to tell you it was perfect!

We don’t make a rule of eaing dessert, but we have never been able to escape from Hana Hana’s offerings!
The Missus had this Creme Blanche (meringue, fresh cream and cottage cheese) with a red fruit soup, a beautiful combination in colours and tastes!

I’ve always been a sucker for Hana Hana’s Creme Brulee!
Just the right amount of cream and plenty of caramel and a beautiful ice-cream on top!

I’ll have to find a reason to go back on my own!
Why?
There is still this Alsatian Choucroute bugging me!

Hana Hana
Open for lunch and dinner. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
420-0037 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-cho, 1-3-12
Tel. & Fax: 054-2210087
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, Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento

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

Uncategorized

Egg-Plant/Aubergine Carpaccio

4 Comments

Aubergines or egg plants as they are called in the US are a world-popular vegetable. They originated in India, but are found everywhere.
The Japanes make a large consumption of them and try to come with new recipes.
Here is a simple recipe that blends many culinary cultures:
Aubergines/Egg-Plants Carpaccio!
Incidently, you can easily make it vegan!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Egg-plants/Aubergines: 2
-Grated fresh ginger juice: as appropriate
-Fruit tomatoes: as appropriate
-Lucolla: as appropriate
-Garlic: 1 clove
-Dressing: vinaigrette as appropriate
-Olive oil: EV as appropriate

RECIPE:

Grill the egg-plants/aubergines directly on a grill over the fire. Turn them around until they are properly cooked.
Peel them as soon as possible.

-Place the peeled hot aubergines into a bowl with vinaigrette and ginger juice. Let cool completely. Chill inside refrigerator.

-Take out serving dishes. Cut the garlic clove in halves and brush the plate with them for plenty of taste!
If you have any left chop it finely and add it to the egg plants/aubergines.

-Take the aubergines out of the bowl (proceed one at a time). Wrap each in cellophane paper. Press it with your hand to make it flat. Take out and cut into slices to the appropriate size.

-Arrange the slices as you would do with carpaccio.

-Cocasse/cut in small squares the tomatoes. Place them with some luccola atop the egg-plants/aubergines.

-Delicately pour good quality EV olive oil all over the carpaccio.

-Enjoy!

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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

Uncategorized

Horse Meat Sashimi at Tomii

10 Comments

Horse meat has been a favourite of the Japanese (and only the French and the Tatars!). They call it “Sakura” as it is reminiscent of the colour of cherry blossoms!
The best quality is produced in Kagoshima Prefecture in the Island of Kyushu.

It is usually served in very thin sashimi/carpaccio-style slices.

In sushi restaurants, it will usually be frozen for easier cutting, but Tomii beig a high-quality restaurant they avoid frezzing which might add water to the meat.
It is very sweet and tender, and a very special morsel.

It is always served with two types of seasoning at Tomii:
Soy sauce (light variety) with freshly grated ginger, or the same soy sauce with grated garlic. Both are complemented with very finely chopped fresh thin leek!

To be enjoyed with a great sake or shochu!

TOMII
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-274-0666
Business hours: 17:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

Uncategorized

Mando: Neo Japanesque Bar/SpanishTapas Bar

2 Comments

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to a little expensive.
Specialty: Tapas. Japanese sake, including many local Shizuoka Brands, shochu and wines.

More and more culinary specialties are being presented for the ever-growing pleasure of revellers in Shizuoka City.
The latest addition, which opened last month, is a very interesting combination of Japanese and Spanish cuisines served in a bar/restaurant very reminiscent of Spain.

A very-easy going place with very friendly staff (7) ably coached by veteran manager Takeshi Hirai (who also looks after two more establishments), one can first quaff one’s thirst in many ways:

Japanese sake (350~1,200 yen for a 90ml glass) is top-class　including no　less than 19 different bottles from Shizuoka Prefecture: Isojiman, Aoshima, Kokkou, Sugii, Doi, Takashima, Morimoto, Oomuraya, Kanzawagawa, Eikun and Hatsukame Breweries!
Other prefecture are represented by 11 more brands.

Incidentally, if you come there just drinking,there is a space for guests who prefer standing with a glass in hand!

Plenty of wine, naturally!

Wine is available by the bottle, half-bottle, and glass.
7 liqueurs, plenty of cocktails, soft drinks, Japanese tea and herbal teas are also on the menu!

And shochu: 13 imo/tuber, 11 mugi/barley, 8 kome/rice, 3 awamori from Okinawa and 7 limited editions!

As for food, you had better check the menu of the day written on blackboard as it changes every day.
On the average 13~ tapas (300~600 yen) and 16~ dishes (200~1,400 yen) are on offer, although one can ask the chefs about avaibility of other foods!

If you can’t read the menu, no problem, just point at the food inside the glass display boxes: Fish,

Tapas,

More tapas,

Vegetable terrine,

and even more tapas!

Eating tapas with a glass of wine is probably the cheapest way to truly enjoy the place!

Mind you, they quickly add up!

A great place on your own for a quick fix or with good company for a long night out!

MANDO, Neo Japanesque Bar
420-0031 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Gofuku-cho 2-4-6, Mori Bldg 1 & 2F (along Genan Street)
Tel. & Fax: 054-221-5103
Opening hours: 17:00~02:00
Closed on Sundays
Parties possible on reservation (second floor can turned into private party space)
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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

Uncategorized

Italian Cuisine: Cipolla Ripiena/Stuffed Onion at Il Paladino

4 Comments

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.

Just had to go for a “glass of wine” after a long work day before definitely calling it a day and have dinner at home!

The chef came up with an interesting “appetizer”, a specialty from Piemonte: Cipolla Ripiena/Stuffed Onion!
NOTE: Thanks to Foods & Crafts for correcting me! Incidentlly I’m french! LOL

A large onion is cut in half and “dug out” to just leave a couple of “layers” of fresh onion inside the outside skin.
It is then filled the chopped dug out part mixed with wild boar ragu/stew. The wild boar came from Shimada City in the Central part of Shizuoka Prefecture!

It was topped with a generous measure of parmiggiano and Italian parsley before being baked to perfection!

Will definitely have to make it back home!

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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

Uncategorized

Japanese Cuisine: Sauteed Chicken

8 Comments

Japanese Cuisine: Sauteed Chicken

The Japanese have a very healthy and tasty way of sauteeing very fresh high grade chicken.
It is simple, but not necessarily cheap as the chicken must of the best quality for such a recipe, but it certainly makes for great presentation!

INGREDIENTS: For one person

-1 large chicken breast with the skin
-Freshly grated and pressed daikon: 1 cup
-Finely chopped leeks: 1/2 cup (choose a fresh and tender leek!)
-Salt and pepper: as appropriate.
-Ponzu: 1/4 cup (if not available, use very light taste soy sauce with a dash of lemon juice)
-Chili pepper powder: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Season chicken with a little salt and pepper if you wish to. Not much, please!

-Punch holes in the chicken skin with the point of a knife.

-Heat a non-stick frying pan.

-Place the chicken breast skin down on the frying pan. Do nout use oil!

-When the skin starts sizzling, cover with a glass lid and lower fire to medium-low.

-Cook until the chicken is cooked on top and that the skin has turned a nice crispy dark brown.

-Get a long serving individual dish ready.

-Taking care not to burn yourself, transfer the chicken breast onto a working table and cut into slices.

-Transfer the sliced chicken breast onto the serving plate with the slices touching each other in the shape of the initial chicken breast.

-Pour the ponzu all over it. Top the whole first with the grated daikon and then the chopped leeks as shown in above picture.
Last sprinkle with chili pepper powder.

Great with beer or Japanese sake!

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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

Uncategorized

Yoghurt Bread

2 Comments

Here is a very simple recipe for bread than can be enjoyed at any times by adults and kids:

Yoghurt Bread!

INGREDIENTS: For 6 “balls”

-All-purpose flour: 150 g
-Light flour (cake flour): 50 g
-Baking powder: 5 g
-Salt: a pinch
-Salad oil: 35 cc/ml
-Plain yoghurt: 150 g
-Honey (liquid): 35 g
-Sliced cheese for topping: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-In one bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder through and mix well.

-In another bowl, pour yoghurt, salad oil and honey. Mix with a hand mixer or whisk until bubbly.

-Pour the yoghurt mixture a lttle at a time in bowl containg the flour mixture. mix well well with a spatula. Repeat until all the yoghurt mixture has blended well with the flour mixture.

-Divide the dough into 8 balls. Use flour if they are too sticky. Sprinkle some four on an oven plate and place the balls on it. Make a cut over the top. Place some cheese over the top according to preference.

-Bake for 25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

NOTE:

-Try with roasted sesame seeds (black or yellow) either included in the dough or as topping!

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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Yakitori Cutting Techniques 5: Zuri/Sunazuri/Sunagimo/Gizzards

Leave a comment

Gizzards are the two sticks in front. The back two are liver.

SYNOPSIS:

Looking at my friends Island Vittles and Skewer It! blogs on yakitori I decided to start a series on that worldwide known Japanese specialty that is “Yakitori/焼き鳥/”Grilled Chicken”.
I hope that this series of postings on various basic recipes will help her and all other foodies interested in that simple, healthy and so delicious delicacy!

This particular series will deal with the cutting techniques which should help you make your own yakitori at home!

Bear in mind than some ingredients such as skin or gizzards might not be considered proper or healthy in some cultures!

Yakitori Cutting Techniques 5: Zuri/Sunazuri/sunagimo/Gizzards:

First clean the gizzards in fresh running cold water.
Cut out the red parts on both sides, left and right as shown in picture and discard.

Cut in half as shown above.

Cut off as much as you can of the hard skin as shown above. A bit difficult, I agree, but ry to cut out and discard only the hard white part. Well, as much as you can!

Pass the stick through each cut folded in two with the white part inside as shown above. This will prevent the gizzards from folding out. Count 3 to each stick.

Here you are!

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Yuki Nabe/Tofu Pot au feu

Leave a comment

The Japanese have a very simple and healthy tofu recipe called Yuki Nabe/雪鍋 (“Snow Pot) which can be loosely translated as Tofu Pot Au Feu.
By just adapting the dashi soupstock to a vegan seaweed dashi, vegans and vegetarian can enjoy it!

Before reading the ingredients, check:
Vegan Japanese dashi soupstock recipe

INGREDIENTS: For 5 people

Tofu/Kinudofu/Silk tofu: count 1 block per person (1 block is about 300~400 g)
-Freshly grated daikon: 2 cups/400 cc
-Salt: 2 teaspoons
-Dashi: 5 cups/1000 cc
-Mitsuba/Trefoil/Japanese Honeywort: 1/2 cup/100 cc (Chopped). (if unavailable use fresh coriander or thin leeks, although the taste will be a lot stronger. Chopped shiso is fine, too)

RECIPE:

-Lightly press grated daikon to take out excess water.

-In a large Japanese nabe/pot (earthenware pot) pour the dashi/soupstock.

-Heat over a medium fire. Once the dashi starts boiling add the freshly garted daikon. Once it starts boiling again add the tofu cut into fairly bite-sized pieces.

-When it starts boiling again, lower the fire to very low and add the mitsuba and salt (if needed).

-Ask the guests to seve themselves with a ladle into individual bowls. Eat with a Chinese soup spoon (“renge” in Japanese).

-Have some grated lime skin, grated fresh ginger and even grated wasabi ready in small dishes for adults wishing for some more zip!

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

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Oyakodon Recipe: Koyadofu Oyakodon

Leave a comment

Oyakodon seems to be a popular dish even outside Japan!
Here is a simple, healthy and light version with Koyadofu!

Before reading the ingredients, check:
Koyadofu Recipe

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Koyadofu: 3 sheets
-Onion:1/2

Garlic chives (simplified Chinese: 韭菜; traditional Chinese: 韭菜; pinyin: jiǔcài, also 韮菜) are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leek, ku chai, jiu cai, Oriental garlic chives or, in Japanese, nira (kanji: 韮; hiragana: にら; katakana: ニラ); in Kapampangan it is known as Kuse/Cu-se; in Korea known as buchu (부추), sol (솔), or jeongguji (정구지) or in Vietnamese, hẹ.

-Nira/Garlic Chives/Chinese Chives: as appropriate
-Egg: 1

-Dashi/Japanese soupstock: 300 ml/cc
-Sugar: 1 tablespoon
-Soy sauce: 3 tablespoons
-Mirin/Sweet sake: 3 tablespoons

-Two bowls of freshly steamed plain rice

RECIPE:

-In a pan pour the dashi, sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Heat slowly (avoid boiling) to dissolve and belend all the ingredients.

-During that time, if the koyadofu is dry soak it in lukewarm water until soft. Press water out of it. Cut it in pieces the size of your preference. Slice the onion fairly thin. Cut the nira into 5~7 cm long pieces.

-Drop the onion and koyadofu in the pan and cook on a samll fire for 5 minutes on medium-low fir.

-Drop the nira in the bowl and cook for one more minute on a low fire.

-beat the egg and pour delicately over the vegetables in the pan. When the egg is cooked (still a bit soft), pour the whole over two bowls of freshly steamed rice.

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

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Vegan Chinese Cuisine: Spring Rolls

2 Comments

Chinese (and Japanese) Cuisine can easily be adapted for vegans and vegetarians and deserrves to apprecaited by all.
Vegan and vegetarians recipes are easier and probably healthier!
As for the ingredients, make sure of what the warppers are made of. They can be either made with wheat flour or rice flour. Your choice!
Choose a frying oil of your preference, too.

As for the dip, I leave it to you, although I will check if I can find one for your prirorities!

INGREDIENTS: For 10 rolls

-Spring roll wrappers: 10


Mizuna

Mizuna (Japanese: 水菜 ‘water greens’), also called Xiu Cai, Kyona, Japanese Mustard, Potherb Mustard, Japanese Greens, California Peppergrass, Spider Mustard, etc., is a Japanese name used primarily for cultivated varieties of Brassica rapa nipposinica but also for Brassica juncea var. japonica.


Mizuna and Daikon Salad

In addition to the term “mizuna” (and its alternates) being applied to at least two different species of Brassica, horticulturalists have defined and named a number of varieties. For example, a resource provided by Cornell University and the United States Department of Agriculture lists sixteen varieties including “Early Mizuna”, “Kyona Mizuna”, “Komatsuna Mizuna”, “Vitamin Green Mizuna”, “Kyoto Mizuna”, “Happy Rich Mizuna”, “Summer Fest Mizuna”, “Tokyo Early Mizuna”, “Mibuna Mizuna”, “Red Komatsuna Mizuna”, “Waido Mizuna” and “Purple Mizuna”.[

-Mizuna: as appropriate
-Carrot: as appropriate
-Flour: a little
-Rice vinegar: as you like
-Chili pepper: as you like

RECIPE:

-Cut Mizuna in 6 cm long pieces.

-Cut carrot in 6cm long thin strips.

-Place mizuna and carrot on the first third of the wrapper.

-Roll as above. To securely close it apply a little water mixed a little flour on the inside of the wrapper (only on the end!).

-Deep-fry until it has become crispy and a nice light brown.
Bear in mind that the vegetables contain water. Don’t overfry them!
As soon as they look crispy, scop out and lay on a grill or kitchen paper to take off excess oil.
Dip in rice vinegar seaoned with chili pepper (mustard is great, too).

This is only the basice recipe. One can add all kinds of vegetables. The point is that they must be cut in the same size for even cooking!

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

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Koyadofu Agedashi

Leave a comment

As I said before, Koyadofu is one kind of tofu that can beasily arranged into all kinds of interesting appetizers in Japanese Homes’ Gastronomy!
Here is a simple suggestsion for a yummy lunch to be eaten by all, vegans, vegetarians or omnivores:

Koyadofu Agedashi Appetizer!

Before reading the ingredients, check:
Koyadofu Recipe

Vegan Japanese dashi soupstock recipe

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Koyadofu: 1 sheet (multiply everything accordingly for mor!)
-Cornstarch: as appropriate
-Deep-frying oil: a appropriate

-Dashi soup stock: 1 cup (vegans, check recipe!)
Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 tablespon
-Fresh grated ginger juice: 1/2 teaspoon
-Green shiso/perilla leaves: 2~3 (if unavailable, use stron flavour leaf vegetable)

RECIPE:

-If dry, let the koyadofu saok in plenty lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
In a pan drop the dashi, soy sauce and sweet sake/ mirin. Cook on medium fire for a little while without boiling too much. Switch off fire and add ginger jice. Mix.
Chop/finely cut green shiso and leave in cold water.

-Take kyadofu out of the water. Press water out hard. Cut into 8 pieces.Roll in cornstarch. Deep-fry at 150~160 degrees Celsius until they have attained a nice brownish colour (if the oil is too hot, it will “smoke”). Let rest on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

-Let the deep-fried koyadofu soak in the dashi soup until completely cooled down.
Chill the whole for a while in the refrigerator.

-Serve in a dish with the soupstock.
Drain and press water out the chopped green shiso and place on top.

-You can also serve it hot.
In this case after you have deep-fried the koyadofu and let it rest on a pice of paper kitchen to take excess oil, heat the soupstock. Add cornstarch dissolved in some lukewarm water and make a sweet and sour sauce (“ankake”) and serve it as shown in pic above.

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

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Yakitori Cutting Techniques 4: Kawa/Skin

7 Comments

SYNOPSIS:

Looking at my friends Island Vittles and Skewer It! blogs on yakitori I decided to start a series on that worldwide known Japanese specialty that is “Yakitori/焼き鳥/”Grilled Chicken”.
I hope that this series of postings on various basic recipes will help her and all other foodies interested in that simple, healthy and so delicious delicacy!

This particular series will deal with the cutting techniques which should help you make your own yakitori at home!

Yakitori Cutting Techniques 4: Kawa/Neck:

The best part for kawa/skin yakitori arguably come from the neck of the chicken (choose a large specimen with a long neck!LOL), but other parts are ok. Still, strive for quality!

Scrape most of the fat from the inside of the skin and discard. Too much fat left and the taste will drop with an increase in smoke. Still, leave a little!

This is haow it should look after scaping.

Spread the skin and cut in strips 25 mm/half an inch wide.

Stab skins with a skewer to form yakitori about 30~40 g each stick.

The finished product!

To make a single stick you will need 50 g of neck skin, fat included.

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Kabocha Bread

Leave a comment

Here is another simple bread recipe using kabocha this time!
It ca easily be used for sandwiches and even hamburgers!

Kabocha Bread!

INGREDIENTS: For 8 balls

-All-purpose flour: 4 cups
-Egg: 1
-Lukewarm water: 120 cc/ml
-Oilve oil: 2 tablespoons
-Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon
-Salt: 1 teaspoon
-Dry yeast/yeast powder: 2 g
-Kabocha: 100 g

RECIPE:

-Pour all ingredients, except kabocha, into the bowl of the Home Bakery (see above pic) and set for a first fermentation and switch on.

-Cut the kabocha into small pieces. Boil until soft. Drain well and pass through a sieve to obtain a puree.

-Once the dough has been fermented, take out of the Home Bakery mold. Mix it with the kabocha puree and knead well.

-Form a ball (it’s ok if some kabocha is still visible) and drop it in the Home Bakery mold. Set it for a first fermentation agan and switch on.

-Once the fermentation is finished take dough out and form 8 equal-sized balls.

-Sprinkle balls with flour and let rest on a oven hot plate for a second fermentation.

-When econd fermentation has been finished bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Sandwich samples:

Deep-fried chicken burger!

Bacon sandwich!

Ham sandwich!

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

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi; Happy Little Bento

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-