[Omakase Sushi in San Diego Area]

Good question! I live here and would love to know as well.

Every place I've been to is by the book. It'd be great to find something outside the standard trendy-roll paradigm.

[Passionfruit in Southern California]

I've got heaps of them growing at my place in Encinitas (north county San Diego). Good timing too, as we are just hitting peak season. Let me know if you want some!

Chris

[Japanese foods--tsukemono]

This is my first time using this service, so hopefully I'm doing this right.

I've been interested in Japanese pickles ever since I lived in Hawaii in the mid-1980s. I've tried a number of recipes, but never found one that duplicates those bright green colored cucumber pickles you find in the refrigerator case of japanese markets. They are so crunchy and sour, I really love them! But they cost about $5 for a tiny little container .... (I also like the bright red ones (shibazuke?) that use eggplant.)

I've tried salt pickles using cucumber, salt, shiso and ginger, but they always end up tasting kind of bland compared with the store bought ones.

Does anyone know how to make these kind of pickles?