Hiroyuki

This is an example of how a professional makes atsuyaki tamago. http://www.kbn.ne.jp/home/tecchan/tecchan-...n/atsuyaki.html (Japanese only)

I like tamago! They are inexpensive and nutritious. This morning, I made both atsuyaki tamago and iri tamago like I usually do. My recipe is as follows: First I put a little bit of water in a bowl, add a spoonful (i.e., 5 ml) of instant dashi powder and some soy sauce. Then I add several eggs (seven this morning) and beat them well. (Many Japanese add sugar but I don't.) I use a regular, round frying pan (18 cm in diameter) to make atsuyaki tamago, not a rectangular one specifically for this purpose (I don't have one). I make atsuyaki tamago first and then iri tamago. Simple and yummy. How do you cook eggs? Do you more often make omelets and scrambled eggs?

I'm still interested in this particular comment of yours. Do you have anthing to add about this (seminars and so on) at this point?

Have any of you ever wondered why some May Queen potatoes are more likely to lose their shape than others and why some Danshaku potatoes are more likely to retain their shape than others. The October, 13, 1999 edition http://www3.nhk.or.jp/gatten/archive/1999q4/19991013.html (Japanese only) of the famous NHK TV program, Tameshite Gatten, answers your question. The site explains that potatoes with high starch content are likely to lose their shape while those with low content are likely to retain their shape, and introduces a test to determine whether certain potatoes will lose their shape: Dissolve 120 g of salt in 1 liter of water and put potatoes in the solution. Those potatoes that float on the surface have low starch content and are likely to retain their shape while those that sink down have high starch content and are likely to lose their shape.

My children were hooked on 'fuwatoro natto' for some time, but I didn't want to buy it because it was more expensive than regular brands. So, I hit on a good idea: I put some salted konbu (kelp) in a dish, added some hot water and then a pack of regular natto, mixed them well, and added the sauce that came with the natto. My children liked it. Don't ask me what it tastes like; I don't like fuwatoro natto and I've never tried my recipe myself. I found a natto blog that discusses furwatoro natto: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/gawa_chi/e/74dbec4c0...3b6f97c5856be7b This blogger says that men tsuyu (noodle soup) diluted very weak can be used: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/gawa_chi/e/0f264bb62...af0217d1780690d

It's good to hear that you have a friend from Niigata! Ask her/him all about Niigata to explore this wonderful prefecture! Niigata even has a sembei kingdom! http://www.baka.ne.jp/shop/senbe.htm (Japanese only)

Sorry, AmyDaniel, kabocha is squash. http://japanesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa102102a.htm I like simmered kabocha, kabocha tempura, and so on, but I don't care for kabocha melted in miso soup.

Kaki no Tane (lit. persimmon seeds) Did you know that Kaki no Tane was first produced by Naniwaya in Niigata? http://www.naniwayaseika.co.jp/04-beika/04.html

I posted a reply on http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...79entry751579

Ishikari nabe is a specialty of Hokkaido. My family sometimes make Ishikari nabe-like hot pot. We don't have a recipe, though; we just put salmon slices, potatoes, and other vegetables such as carrots and hakusai, and add miso. I did a google search and found a recipe for Ishikari nabe: http://www.kevinryan.com/student/projects/...shikarinabe.htm Do you have any other good recipe?

I can eat houtou, but the very idea of adding kabocha into the miso-based soup is off-putting to me. You see, kabocha soon melts into the soup, making it muddy and unappetizing...

I used to steam satsuma imo until I learned two or three years ago that boiling them was the best way to bring out their sweetness. I now cut satuma imo so that they fit in the pan, and boil them for 20 minutes. Then, I cut them into smaller pieces and put them in the 'oven toaster' (toaster oven?) and heat them for several minutes to remove excess water. Left: Before heated in the oven, right: After heated They taste really good, comparable to ishiyaki imo. How do you cook satsuma imo?

torakris, my question is: Do you think you can reproduce this product at home? (I wanted to ask you the same question when I read about the natto you had at Imaiya several months ago.)

I just followed the recipe recommended by the manufacturer. Ingredients of the manufacturer's recipe: 1 egg yolk 2.5 cc salt 5 cc mustard paste (which I didn't add because my daughter (5) doesn't care for mustard) 5 cc sugar 30 cc vinegar 180 cc salad oil I found the resulting mayo rather sweet. I like Japanese tart mayo.

Today, I made mayonnaise with my Milser (product name), which is a small-size blender. I must confess this is only the third time that I have ever made mayo with this machine. (I bought it more than twelve years ago.)

I don't think that in that price range, you can get wine entirely made from domestically-grown grapes. Take Super Bon Marche of Mercian (Japanese winery) for example. Click http://www.mercian.co.jp/s_bonmarche/index.html and scroll down, and you will see a description in the lower right corner. It says that this wine is 70% imported wine and 30% wine domestically produced from imported grape juice. I used to drink wines in that price range until 5-6 years ago, but no more. While they are drinkable, why should I buy such 'cheap' ones when imported wines are available in the same price range?

That's what I do too. Folding and cutting a sheet of nori into strips.

You too? I'd say it's inexpensive and nutritious. OK, you can call it cheap but don't call it cheap and nasty.

2. Another confirmation that you come from West Japan! Peyoung Yakisoba are much more popular here in East Japan. I did a google search and found that Peyoung Yakisoba is sold in East Japan only and was released in 1975 (earlier than UFO). I used to love Peyoung when I was young. I don't crave for it any longer, though. 3. I like it, too, but I don't call it 'cheap'!

Nori maki arare, I suppose. http://www.maruwa.com/onlineshop/rice_crac...ce_cracker.html

According to the manufacturer's site http://www.seikafoods.co.jp/bontan/ , bontan ame were born in 1926. So, they are 78 years old this year.

Hmmm... Most store-bought mushrooms are produced indoors and are therefore not susceptible to the weather (some mushrooms such as shiitake and nameko may be produced outdoors, using logs). I think the prices of mushrooms remain stable despite the series of typhoons, but I don't think they will go down. I may be wrong. Can anyone else tell us more?

Oh good! But how about baking? Does anyone know if its fast-melting quality would affect the final product? ← I have no idea. This site http://www.meijibulgariayogurt.com/0029.html (Japanese only) says that you can use it for confectionery.

So do I. I love all kinds except sugar- and zarame-coated ones, which I hate. Does anyone know how sembei differs from arare and okaki? Sembei is made from regular rice while arare and okaki are made of glutinuos rice. I have found only today that Kanto and Kansai differ in rice confection consumption: In Kanto, sembei account for 70% of rice confection consumption and arare 30%. In Kansai, arare account for 80% and sembei 20%. What a difference! Although I like all kinds, I like ware sen (cracked and defective sembei) the best. This bag of 300 g ware sen costs 148 yen.

I have used it for cooking many times. The packet says it can be used for other purposes such as cooking.