Hiroyuki

No need to let the dough rest before cutting, and we used a special knife to cut it manually. Unfortunately, we were not given full instructions, so I can't tell you the exact amounts of buckwheat flour, wheat flour, and water (in our case, funori solution). If I remember correctly, torakris has posted a link to a recipe for making soba somewhere in the Japan Forum, but I can't find it. So, just some more photos, along with a brief description of each: The soba master added five spoons of funori solution: We were told to mix the ingredients together, taking care not to turn them into a ball. When everything was mixed together, we were told to turn it into a single mass and knead it for some time. Then, we were told to make it into a ball. Then, we were told to make it flat on the board. A friend of my son's said it was just like heart massage. Then, we were told to spread it further by using a rolling pin. The master then fold it (twice, if I remember correctly) and told us to cut it into noodles, using a special soba knife and wooden plate.

Well, hegi soba (へぎそば). Strictly speaking, hegi refers to a wooden, rectangular container used to serve the soba. I posted several types of dried hegi soba here.

I found this questionnaire survey. http://www.digistyle-kyoto.com/sake/sake05-01.htm (Japanese only) You can see three pie charts. Chart 1 (left): Do you drink alcohol at home before dinner? Alcohol and tsumami (snack): 50% Alcohol only: 12% No alcohol: 38% Chart 2 (middle): Do you drink alcohol at home during dinner? Alcohol, rice, and okazu (side dishes): 25% Alcohol and okazu first and rice last: 36% Rice and okazu only, no alcohol: 26% Chart 3 (right): Do you drink alcohol at home after dinner? Alcohol and snack: 18% Alcohol only: 23% No alcohol: 59%

On October 22, this year's last event of the kodomo kai (children's association?) was held. The event was soba uchi (soba making), and my son and I participated in it. Wooden bowls each containing 8 parts buckwheat flour and 2 parts wheat flour: We were going to make ni-hachi (two-eight) soba. Special ingredient of soba in the Uonuma region: Funori (a type of seaweed): The soba master showed us how to spread the soba dough: Finished product, not bad for the first try: We had the soba with some tempura, vegetable pickles, and another dish I forgot the name of:

ka-REE is the correct pronunciation. (I am assuming that you understand that Japanese is a pitch accent language.) If you say Ka-ree, it means this fish: http://www.daiwaseiko.co.jp/fishing/fish/sea/karei.html カレイ Curry is spelled カレー in Japanese.

Why not make ponzu? A thread on ponzu on eGullet: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=59332&hl=ponzu Mix soy sauce, yuzu juice, and mirin at a ratio of 5:5:1 to 2 (depending on your preferences; mirin is sweet) and add bonito flakes and kombu (or just instant dashi if they are not available). Let the mixture sit for 24 hours (in the fridge in the summertime). It will mellow as it gets old.

I think the stuff is just kinshi (fungal threads?). Just cut the stem off. If you are still worried, why not post a photo of it?

I know this tip. I tried it years ago, when we had a poor rice crop and we had to have foul-smelling ko mai (old rice), but the rice was so bad that the tip was not very effective. I think that in general, the uses of honey in Japan are limited to tenderizing meat and deodorizing ko mai and fish. Considering that mirin and sake can have the same effects, however, I think we can do without honey. No?

I found this site: http://azenjapan.co.jp/shohintachi.html Scroll down to the bottom, and you will see a photo of kizu juice.

Not me, but Shinshu people, including my father, do eat silkworm larvae.

Here is another recipe for mont blanc: http://www.tbs.co.jp/chubaw/en/rec20011103.html I made a mont-blanc-like chestnut cake from the chestnut paste that I had made from these chestnuts: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1003079 BTW, what gadget do you use to peel chestnuts? I use this one: http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/marusanpant...0261553405.jpeg Kuri kuri bozu Peeling chestnuts is really time-consuming even with this gadget, but it's much better than doing it with a knife, which can be dangerous at times.

Just to make sure, are you talking about shuttle chef or something? http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...837&mode=linear

sanrensho and Anna N: Sorry for not responding sooner, but I have been quite busy for the past several days going mushroom gathering and preparing for the move. In this situation, where Ms. I invited four of us (my wife, my two children, and me) for dinner at a Japanese restaurant, she first ordered beer for me (and for Miss S and herself), oolong tea for my wife, and juice for my children. If I remember correctly, she later suggested that my children each have an onigiri (rice ball) and they agreed. Finally, Ms. I suggested that we all have an una juu (rice topped with grilled eel), except the kid, and ordered it. In this situation, where Ms. I invited us for dinner at her house, she offered me canned beer first and sake (daiginjo!) later, canned tea for my wife, and milk for my children. She later suggested that the kids have some rice, and they agreed. Finally, she suggested that we have some rice, but we were so full that we refused. In this situation (ordinary dinner at a home, with no guests), things are just as you described - a drinker or drinkers first drink sake (beer, shochu, rice wine, etc.), usually with some 'sake no sakana', while non-drinking members eat rice with okazu. I can't give you any definitive answer, but the general feeling is that sake and rice just don't go together well. Let me add the following: 1. Rice is not just another food to the Japanese people. It is the staple food of Japan. Gohan (cooked rice) is synonymous with shokuji (diet, meal, etc.). We feel no meal is complete without rice. 2. There is a distinction between okazu (dish designed to be eaten with rice) and sake no sakana (dish designed to be eaten with sake). A good okazu may not be a good sake no sakana, and vice versa.

This custom (sake first, rice later) is practiced throughout Japan, not only at izakaya, kaiseki, and ryokan (Japanese inn) but also at almost every home. The rule is simple: If sake is to be served as part of a dinner, sake is served first, then rice is served. If no sake is to be served, we eat rice and okazu (side dishes) together. By sake, I mean any alcoholic beverage, not just 'rice wine'.

I can't help thinking how deceptive words are... Nashi (Japanese pears or sand pears) are gritty because of their 'stone cells'. I like their texture, though.

I must say I prefer Kinoko no Yama to Takenoko no Sato. So does my wife. I found a review of Kinoko no Yama, if anyone is interested. http://141.214.84.74/~jeannie/archives/000667.html Both Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato are products of Meiji.

From what I gather from various sources such as http://blog.melma.com/00139307/20050807120002 (Japanese only), sawa (sour) refers to a drink made with liquor with some sourness and sweetness added to it, while chuhai can now refer to any soft (i.e., low alcohol proof) alcoholic drink.

I can't imagine how anyone can say the words "Like" (as in the meaning 'take liking to something'" and "Natto" in the same sentence! can you imagine anyone saying "like" and "lutefisk" in the same sentence? ← Off course yes! ok. sorry for my ignorance.. ← I'm sure that there are many Kansai (Western Japan) people who readily agree with you on your comment about natto, but in Kanto (Eastern Japan), I guess you should keep your mouth shut.

Another topic regarding kaitenzushi is the use of daiyou-gyo. 'Daiyou-gyo' (substitute fish) refers to a fish sold or served under a false name, especially at a kaitenzushi restaurant. Here is a list of daiyou-gyo in Japanese (sorry, too busy to translate it all). from http://blog.goo.ne.jp/goodmiwatya/m/200503Again, this is where Kura Corporation comes in. This year, the March 1 issue of a weekly magazine reported on daiyou-gyo and on May 9, Kura filed suit against the publisher, saying that "We do not use daiyou-gyo and remain profitable through marketing efforts. The article significantly causes detriment to our business." I'm thinking of starting a new thread on daiyou-gyo, probably much later.

Asakichi? OK, I found their website. http://www.asakichi.com/iron.htm Hm... I'm beginning to realize that a tetsubin can be cool. Thank you for starting this thread! As for Takamado Kabuse cha, I did some googling and found that Takamado (spelled 高円) is the best brand of its kind, followed by Rakuyo (洛陽) and Ryuan (龍安). To make Kabuse (lit. covered) cha, the tea plant is covered with a simple shield for a few days to grow new sprouts. Features include a mild taste and a vivid green color.

Print out the following and show it them: 筋子がどこで手に入るか知っていますか？ 筋子からイクラを作りたいんです。 (Do you know where I can get sujiko? I want to make ikura from sujiko.)

As you can easily see, aluminum bento boxes, like the ones shown below, are prone to leak. Plastic ones with a sealing ring, like the one shown below, are free from this problem. One of the things to bear in mind in making a bento is to cool any hot foods before packing. I found this useful webpage: http://www.gcn-osaka.jp/child/cc04-03-01.html

Warning: This is my personal opinion as a native speaker of Japanese. Different people may have different opinions on your question. Chotto literally means a little, but in "Chotto sumimasen", chotto is used to address someone. "Sumimasen chotto", in which chotto is added as an afterthought, is possible, but to me (and probably to many other native Japanese), chotto sounds as if it were followed by another expression like "onegai shimasu" (I'd like a favor of you) or "otazune shitain desuga" (I'd like to ask you a question).

Our house will be completed soon. Our kitchen as of Sept. 22 Photo taken from the dining room: Our kitchen is what is commonly known as a taimen (face-to-face) kitchen. Lower part of our kitchen: Upper part: Opposite side: Built-in dishwasher: Gas stove and a fish grill: Range hood: The manufacturer says that the hood is easy to clean. Just remove the cover and wash it. Food storage space:

Autumnal Equinox Day falls on today, September 23, this year. My wife says she will go to her parental house to get some o-hagi, as she does every year.