Salli Vates

Hello Kristin, I know that sounded weird... but it was so tasty! (I really love when people mix Western and Japanese ingredients. (One of my favorite restaurants in NY is the Italian-Japanese Basta Pasta, which makes a great uni pasta.))

Hello, I was wondering if you like to use abura age for dishes other than inari-zushi and kitsune udon? I was looking in a cookbook and saw an interesting recipe for an abura-age "pizza" stuffed with mozzarella and tomato sauce. I just made this at home and it was delicious! The fried tofu grew crispy, the cheese melted and it seemed like a perfect snack food to serve to guests. How do you use your abura age?

I'm so sorry, but after all of that, I must shamefully admit that I did not get to use it in time and had to discard it! But at least the next time I buy the nira I will know what it is.

That's exactly why I saw it as shikora I guess I need more practice reading kana.

thanks so much for the information!

Thank you! My apologies, I read it wrong, it is indeed "nira." So, apparently this is a kind of chive?

Hmm. Maybe Shikora is the brand name? They taste more garlicky that oniony.

Hello, I'm wondering if anyone knows exactly what this "shikora" is. I bought the vegetable at a Japanese grocery store because I initially thought it was a scallion, but now I'm wondering.

You might salivate over my NY dining blog, Salli Vates' NY Food Page. www.sallivates.com (please pardon the self-promotion)

According to a new study, wild salmon contains less pollutants than farmed salmon, which are fed a limited, and sometimes more toxic, diet.

Re: "wild" tuna I could be wrong, but I think the "wild" appellation primarily denotes a fish that is not farmed. Most salmon is farmed nowadays (even the so-called "Atlantic"), whereas, if I'm not mistaken, almost all tuna is "wild", or unfarmed. Therefore, you wouldn't often see tuna referred to as "wild" on a menu.

The last time I visited Mocca I wasn't impressed. Caterina's in Midtown is unfortunately mediocre as well. I've been meaning to try the Hungarian Literary Society, has anyone been? (And, on a slightly different topic, I love Andre's Hungarian Bakery in Forest Hills, Queens.)