sizzleteeth

That looks really good - I love squid - I'll have to try some Kanzuri mayo on something. It does seem that Kanzuri is good when mixed with other sauces - on the Imaiya site they show a special dish of thinly sliced chicken - almost sashimi style - with dots of Kanzuri and a Ponzu dipping sauce - so I'm guessing it will go well with Ponzu as well and probably a host of other things. This is a good one TK! {edit} - Nice photo too - I just noticed the Hello Kitty bowl.

Esvoboda, The Kanzuri is key because it is so salty - it cuts the sweetness of the marinade and turns it more savory - sort of like salted peanuts and caramel/sugar and then leaves room for the sweetness of the dipping sauce. It may be difficult to find Kanzuri so for anyone that can't - take some dried red chili peppers and rehydrate them overnight in water - cut off the stem and push out the seeds - put them in a food processor with just enough Junmai (pure rice - no added alchohol) sake to make a paste and then add salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice - make it salty but not too salty. This will give you something similar - but much HOTTER - so halve the amount in the recipe for Hiroyuki's Yakitori. Though it will not be the same as true Kanzuri.

I am most glad to hear that Hiroyuki and thank you for all of your thoughtful comments and well thought out response – it makes it worth while for me that it spurred you to think. The rice was simply shaped in an Oshi-Zushi press, I only make sushi now and then - usually when I am serving someone who has an affinity for it - but when I do it is primarily Oshi or some other form besides Nigiri or Maki, which are great in themselves but are more common here. People do not often see Oshi – so it makes it fun for them to see something they have not seen. This and other tools I have I will use both for their intended purpose and for other things – for instance I once made peanut brittle out of ground peanuts and press it into blocks with an Oshi-Zushi press and served it with a version of Thai Basil Chicken I had turned into a broth – because Basil Chicken is often served with ground peanuts. It was the favorite dish of a guest – which I served in a different form. Thai Basil Chicken (broth form), Red Chili, Ground Peanut Brittle: As for the cost, we have very large Japanese communities in Chicago so I am lucky to have access to stores that sell authentic items at reasonable prices, if those items were sold in a regular store they would sell for more because people would not know them or what they should pay (a common practice in America). The beer was about $2 and the Kabayaki No Tare about $2.50 – nothing in the picture was over $4.00 except the Jam and of course the Kanzuri. When I make my own Kabayaki I will use 1/2 shoyu, 1/2 mirin, 1/4 sugar and simmer it down to a thickened sauce. Finally, I am very interested in Japanese food items – but I am just as interested in all food items of all nations. Indian, Indonesian, Ethiopian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Dutch….. you name it!! My goal is to learn as much as possible about every ingredient I can find as to know them for myself and how they relate to other things – this will make my cooking strong and diverse. You would be surprised how many correlations there are between cuisines of every kind, Southern Beef Stew is Niku Jaga is Kay Watt – Prosciutto Di Parma is Amish Country Ham is Westphalian Ham. Etc. Etc. Yes, these things are different – but they are also the same. I like to start at the center of things and work my way out, to start with the things that are not on the surface. Once I gain understanding of the vast array of possibilities, I can stand in the center and use whichever I choose, in whatever combination. This sometimes requires focus and for the last year or so my focus has been Japanese. These times of focus sometimes require travel – as I plan to do to Japan in May. Don’t believe me that there are many correlations between American food and Japanese? Try this one, it’s very simple: Unagi No Kabayaki – with Cornbread and Hot Sauce. It is delicious!!! {edit} Missed a T

No problem, it's just one way to use Kanzuri rather than just by itself, as I said - I hope you will experiment with it yourself - Kanzuri is key to the flavor of the chicken in this dish. Yeah, yeah ... so it's my recipe - but if you hadn't bought the Kanzuri and needed a way to use it - I would have not had fun today making this example. The recipe is mine - but it is a gift to you - let's just hope you like it!!! I look forward to your honest opinion. {edit} Noticed your reference to the jam, yes "good quality" as in made from whole fruit with chunks of strawberry and no ingredients you can't pronounce. Preferably only strawberries and sugar. Jelly or artificially flavored jam may produce less than desirable results.

Now pictures: I tried to use as many Japanese ingredients as possible, down to the mayo, but I could not find Japanese Strawberry Preserves or Honey - so to be fair I kept those imported - honey from Germany, strawberry preserves from Essex with 2 ingredients - sugar and strawberries. I also used thighs instead of breast as they take longer to cook and will keep more moisture: Cutting and seasoning the chicken: Ingredients for the dipping sauce before mixing: Ingredients for the dipping sauce after mixing and transfer: Just out of the broiler: Hiroyuki, where are you? Plated with a perilla leaf for wrapping, rice with sesame and a beer. Closeup!! Enjoy!! {edit} Changed a couple of photos to different angle shots.

Hello Hiroyuki, I had a free day today so I have finished your recipe. I am going to do this in 2 posts, first the recipe then pictures. Please note that I have made this in hopes you will experiment for yourself, this is simply a pointer. As well, if you were to make your own Strawberry Preserves, Mayonnaise and Unagi No Tare (all of which are simple) - it would be even more your own. However, i do not expect you to do that for this recipe, hence I have used ingredients off the shelf. The Recipe: “Hiroyuki’s, Yakitori No Kanzuri” Kanzuri & Kabayaki No Tare Marinated Chicken Skewers with Strawberry Wasabi Black Sesame Honey Sauce. By Nathan Gray - 2/05/05 ----------------------------- For the chicken: 1 Boneless Chicken Breast or 2 Thighs with or without skin 1/3 cup Kabayaki No Tare Sauce 2 Teaspoons of Kanzuri Bamboo skewers (soaked in water) 1 Teaspoon of oil suitable for high temperature (grapeseed, peanut, etc) Salt + Pepper For the dipping sauce: 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise 2 tablespoon of good quality strawberry jam w/ fruit 1 teaspoon of prepared wasabi 1 teaspoon of honey 1 teaspoon of black sesame seeds (iri goma) Step 1: Marinate the chicken 1. Cut the chicken into strips 2. Salt and pepper on both sides 3. Mix together well the Kanzuri and Kabayaki Sauce to make marinade 4. Place the raw chicken in a bowl - in one layer - and pour over the marinade 5. Cover with a plastic wrap in contact with the chicken to seal out the air. 6. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours – even better 8. Step 2: Make the strawberry sauce 1. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small container 2. Mix well with a fork, spoon or chopsticks until completely blended 3, Transfer to a smaller bowl. 4. Cover with plastic wrap in contact with the sauce to seal out air 5. Refrigerate until needed to let the flavors meld – at least 1 hour. Step 3: Broil or Grill the chicken 1. Place your skewers in water for at least 5 minutes to prevent fire 2. Then place 2 strips of chicken on each skewer 3. Set your oven to broil or use a charcoal, gas or electric grill - let it heat. 4. If using a broiler, place the chicken on a short sided pan coated with the oil and broil the chicken, turning occasionally, to sear and caramelize all sides – there is a lot of sugar in kabayaki sauce - careful not to burn. If using a grill, brush the grill with the oil and grill the chicken on all sides. Step 4: Plate the chicken 1. Place the skewers on a plate, with or without rice of your choice. 2. Spoon a small amount of the sauce directly on the skewers 3. Set aside the reserved sauce for dipping. 4. Eat {edit} Removed "2" from skewers as you may need more.

My recipe will call for boneless breast meat with or without skin - I'll personally be using Miller Farm's Amish Chicken - which is one of the closest things in the states to "Hinai Jidori" - but any high quality chicken will do!! {edit} - It will be on skewers.

Kanzuri recipe for Hiroyuki update: Roast or grilled poultry goes particularly well with sweet fruity sauces. For instance: Roast Turkey with Cranberry Sauce is the most well known. Grilled chicken goes well with sweet fruit sauces made from apricots, raisins, ligonberries or mango etc., and especially citrus fruits like orange, lemon, lime – you name it. There is a popular dish served at Chinese restaurants here called “Orange Chicken”, if you have had anything like it - you have experienced the combination of chicken, a sweet fruity sauce and red chili peppers. There are many others as well. I am using this same type of combination for your Kanzuri recipe, except I am making it unique in flavor based on some choices you have made – in this case strawberry - while keeping it simple to prepare using ingredients you can obtain easily.

Strawberry it is.

Hiroyuki, I have considered it today and I have decided to attempt to make a recipe specifically for you using Kanzuri and broiled/grilled chicken - since you are so helpful to we who need information. We will call it "Hiroyuki's - Yakitori No Kanzuri". If you can - please name me your top 5 favorite fruit jams/jellies/preserves - it would help if they are of fruits available here in the states - but name them regardless and if one happens to be something like "Muscat Preserves" - I will improvise. I will develope the recipe over the next couple of weeks and post it here when complete.

Hiroyuki, I was the same when I tried it at first because my expectation had been completely different and somewhat over excited by the anticipation. Kanzuri on it's own, as stated above, is very mild - and it is fermented with Koji which is the same initial process for producing sake - as I'm sure you know. So it somewhat tastes like salty chili peppers with no heat mixed with a small amount of sake. Like olive oil, or butter or really even other pepper sauces - on it's own it is OK. It all depends on what you mix it with or use it on. Try marinating some chicken in Kanzuri, Shoyu and Mirin and then char-grilling it. Or mix Kanzuri and Yuzu and Shoyu and use it as a dipping sauce for sashimi. No matter what you do it will probably not meet your initial expectation of it, the key is to throw aside that expectation and use it practically.

Thank you Hiroyuki, as always you are most helpful. You don't have to be a wine enthusiast to know if something tastes good or whether you liked it or not - though I'm sure there are some who might say you do.

It seems since 1949, Mercian Katsunuma Winery has been growing grapes in Jyonohira, Kikyogahara, Hokushin, Niitsuru, and Toriibira and producing wines. (Mercian recently bought and refurbished Markham Vineyards in Napa Valley, California and produce several varietals there.) I am looking to order some of their wines produced in Japan and am looking for anyone who has tried them that can make recommendations on what they liked and didn't like and why. {edit - broken link}: http://www.chateaumercian.com/cm/english/index.html

Here you are, one of my white label bottles next to it's American cousin: On the bottle in English reads on the top left hand: "Kanzuri Chili Paste for seasoning food" On the bottom it says: "A symbol of the god of war worshipped by a heroic warlord in the age of civil wars in Japan". If it helps anyone the address is: 438, Nishijo, Arai City, Niigata Pref. Japan Phone: 0255-72-3813 Listed both on the bottle and the box they came in. BTW - missed the "n" in "Imaiya Honten" in the previous post.

The producers have an index on their website that shows, I believe, the places available to buy within Japan. http://www.haneuma.net/kanzuri/japan/index.html

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I think what budrichard is trying to say is that he arrived expecting to purchase a painting, an original on canvas, toiled over for some time and what he ended up with is a lithograph on heavy bond paper fresh off the press – the same one given to 40 other people before him that evening. Commonly, expectations are the source of disappointment in countless cases in life, if something does not conform to your pre-conceived notion, whether or not what you experience is inherently good or bad - your perception of it will most likely be negative, at least initially – unless some other element reconciles your feelings. Imagine if you went to the studio of Renoir to see Renoir paint and to purchase a painting and when you arrive you find that not only is Renoir not painting, Renoir is not even there. In his place are hired painters he has delegated the task of painting and no single one is creating a work in it’s entirety, one painter puts on the blue coat and then passes it to another to put on the green, looking at a template that Renoir has pre-constructed as a guide. In and of itself there is nothing wrong with this, as for any type of mass production the assembly line model has little parallel in efficiency and if you expect to provide 180+ people per evening with paintings, it is necessary. Lithographs can be very nice and indeed without them a great many people would not be able to have a Renoir hanging on their walls, not only because of the price - but because of the relatively small number of paintings a single man can produce. But one should be careful not advertise the lithographs as originals, nor charge what you would charge for the original – nor ethically sign their name to them exclusively. When it comes to any high volume professional kitchen, this may be the perception for some. They do not realize that in the majority of cases, behind the doors there is a factory, not a studio. What is being manufactured was conceived of and created in a studio format earlier and is now being cloned – with a few slight deviations here and there. In the context it is a necessary occurrence to achieve control of the end products and their relationship to each other – a kitchen full of autonomous chefs would produce an entirely different experience.

Ahh Kanzuri of Arai, I ordered a case of this directly from the producers about a year ago (you can't get it in the states - not even at Japanese markets - according to them they don't export). There are actually several varieties containing both the red chilis and various ingredients. The white label jars I have, have information in English - they sent me both the Gold Japanese Label and White English Label. Very good stuff, not hot at all very mild and unique flavor - nothing like it here. The story is that it came to be when some peppers hung to dry fell into the snow and lay there for some time and then were eaten - so they made it this way from then on. Great with grilled meats - even better mixed with Yuzu juice and used to marinate sashimi. Here is the website: http://www.haneuma.net/kanzuri/

The 3 English dictionary definitions of “ideal”: 1. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence 2. Existing only in the form of an idea or mental image or conception 3. Of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of the reality of ideas In my opinion, ideal cuisine, being both subjective and relative… subjective to each person and relative to their individual knowledge, experiences and perceptions – exists primarily as the second definition – only in the form of an idea. Since a person’s or group's “ultimate standard of excellence” is based upon the information that they have and their perception of that information at that moment – it is forever negotiable based on the information that they may acquire in the future (or a change in their perception of the information they have) and thus will change as a variable in a mathematical equation, changing the value of the answer perpetually. The existence of ideal cuisine would then be more acceptable to most in the form of an idea, the execution of the idea and the experience of the physical manifestation of the idea would be less likely to conform to an ever shifting “ultimate standard of perfection” based on unquantifiable variables that in themselves are ever shifting second by second. By the time you execute the idea, your existing standard has changed. In fact the execution of the idea is often the cause of the change in the standard... this is the driving mechanism of progress. Thank you for joining us and taking the time to answer our questions.

I suppose there is the question of the intentions of the suppliers of the information - is it truly to provide insight into the process... or is it a viral marketing tactic? Are successes and failures truly represented in the documentation? In many cases not being able to see behind the veil is the very thing that protects people of any craft, it is the practice of artists especially, generally, to only show you successes – you never see the ratio or nature of the failures – you never see the bad photos on the roll of film... the failed painting. You never see that the amount of money given by someone to charity is the exact ratio to work the tax angles to actually keep as much money as possible... while garnering plaudits from the public for being philanthropic. If you could see inside the bubble of perception that is supported by and protects the people inside the bubble, YOUR perception may be much different – in other words if one could see the truth one may not think what one thinks. The caveat being that “seeing inside the bubble” in these days is also a tactic that is manipulated by the presenter so that you see exactly what they want you to see – the only way to really see what is going on is to have it documented and presented by an impartial third party. Be wary of anyone who offers to show you the truth about them… because they are the most likely to be biased and provide select information… this is true of everyone, including myself. There is often a large variance between the truth and the “whole truth”. The “whole truth” is often shielded from your eyes – a partial, manipulated truth offered in its place. It is brave of anyone to offer a candid look into something as they bring it into existence or even after it exists – the difference here being that, on a reality show, the participants do not have control of the camera – but the producers and cameramen still manipulate your perception. There are many levels of granularity to consider in assessing something like this, which brings me back to my first point – do you know the true intentions of the suppliers of the information? Without that piece of information, an accurate assessment cannot take place, and how do you get that piece? Is it even possible? “Do words agree with actions? – There is your measure of reliability.”

I would go as far as to make the argument that such things are already common place, only that the context is different. Giant food companies have been doing this kind of thing for years and years yet no one marvels over Cool Whip which other than a few derivatives is almost entirely dairy free, no one marvels over pizza flavored Doritos or meat substitutes like Quorn or other items made from gluten. Walk through your grocery store and look at the forms and ingredients lists of the items sitting on the shelves. Pick up a trade magazine and explore all the companies who make flavorings and engineer food in food labs around the world. Because these methods are being applied with better ingredients in a different context (i.e. fine dining vs. junk food) does not make them new by any stretch. Take Sous Vide for instance, this method has been around since before I was born in the early 70’s, consumer vacuum sealers have been available for almost as long – search Ebay and see how many vintage vacuum food sealing products you find. Also, nearly everyone has been exposed to this method in one form or another (enter boil in a bag rice or any number of commercial products that employ this method), yet because of the context many do not make the connection and the technique seems like something they have never seen before. Just as “first known” is not the same as “first” – “new to me” is not the same as “new”. It would be very difficult with the length of the history of cooking, the size of the world and it’s population cooking every day and the limited spectrum of techniques and types of ingredients, to come up with something that is not in part derived from something else either purposely or accidentally. The context creates the perception and perception is reality – but perceived reality is not necessarily truth.

The Spoon Cookbook as well as the English version of El Bulli '98-'02 and Text & Pretext in Textures are available online from JB Prince in NY. (Spoon is on page 2) http://www.jbprince.com/index.asp?PageActi...TS&Category=209

30 minutes west of Avignon past Pernes and Carpentras (near Ventoux as well) there is a village on a mountain called Venasque - about 100 people in the village - the oldest building (the church) is from the 6th century. There is an Inn/Bistro and Restaurant called Auberge La Fontaine. The chef is a man named Christian Soehlke, he and his wife have run Auberge La Fontaine for 25 years - though he remains low profile. For $500 (not a misprint) in the off season you receive a 5 day, 4 night stay in one of the Inns 5 "rooms" (which are more like bi-level apartments complete with kitchenettes, spiral stair cases and dining rooms), 3, 4 hour cooking lessons including trips to the markets in and around Avignon, as well as breakfast and lunch (which you cook). Christian is a brilliant man and a great chef and dinner in both the restaurant and the bistro are open to you and would be most likely where you would want to eat each night - they are both small (20-30 seats) and often Christian has concerts in the dining room before dinner - when I was there the Russian violinist Pierre Hommage played. Christian cooks everything himself and only has 1 assistant who is the server. You can book through several small places (search Google) or you could call directly - he speaks fluent English, French and German. Tel:00 33 490 66 02 96 I booked through: Discover France Tel: 480-905-1235 - Ask for Maggie http://www.discoverfrance.com/ You can rent a car at the Avignon TGV train station. http://www.aubergelafontaine.com/

It seems to me that being first or not being first is not really the issue here. The issue is being known. Being the "first known" and being the "first" are not the same thing. How many things have we created that we have been the first to do? No one knows the answer to that question. When you are in a position in which the products of your labor are available to and scrutinized by the public, the perception generated by introducing something before another that exists inside the same bubble of perception - will be that of being “first”. This is actually an illusion. No doubt that there are elements of your cuisine that are inseparable from that of Adria and Keller as well as others but, like all of us, you are the product of the sum of your experiences and in that way we are all derivative in some ways both directly and indirectly. This does not make the things that we do any less relevant or individual – else we would have to give up using the same techniques and/or ingredients used by others – which is simply impossible. Sincere effort that produces worthy results in and of itself is original. Many do not follow this path. As the old clichés go: “Stealing from one person is called Plagiarism, stealing from many is called Research.” and “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” Only products of deliberate infringement are reprehensible.

2 words - Chestnut Stuffing. Made this a few Thanksgivings ago and it was the best stuffing I ever had. Try scoring the nuts with a sharp knife before heating them by whatever method to speed your warm peeling. Freeze 'em. I have bought frozen chestnuts and they are great - pack them in one of those thick 2 ply Ziplock freezer bags with the clinging inside and push out all the air or even better if you have a vacuum packer - either way they will last a long long time.