Hiroyuki

Some of the foodstuffs that I want to show you. Left: Ko ebi (small shrimp), used to make kakiage (a type of tempura) Right: Beni shoga (red pickled ginger), indispensable to my gyudon (beef bowl) Top left: Tororo kombu (very thinly sliced kombu), used in clear soup Top right: Shio kombu (salfted kombu), used as a seasoning for boiled vegetables Bottom left: Kuro kikurage (cloud ear mushroom?), used in clear soup Bottom right: Kizami kombu (shreadded and dried kombu), used in simmered dishes Left: Knorr corn cream soup, with an individual pack above. Middle and right: Instant ochazuke. Sprinckle on your rice, pour hot water, and eat it. Top: Kinako (roasted soybean powder), used to make sweets. Often mixed with sugar at a 1:1 ratio, with a bit of salt added. Left: Dashi kombu, used to make dashi. Right: Ajitsuke nori (seasoned laver), eaten with hot rice.

Top three souveniors at Ponshu Kan 1st place: Hakkaisan Jizake (Local Sake) Nama (Fresh) Chocolat Cake Hakkaisan is a very famous local sake in the former Muikamachi city. 2nd: Hakkaisan Saka (= Sake) Manju. 3nd: Jizake Nama Chocolate (Local Sake Fresh Chocolate) Ekiben stand: The ekiben are made in the building that I posted a photo of in a previous thread. Ikura Tarako Meshi (Salmon roe, cod roe rice) is the best-selling bento there, followed by kani (crab) bento. Closeups of the food samples: Edited to add: SuzySushi and others who said they wanted to know some of the specialities in Yuzawa and surrounding areas, are you satisfied?

Now I have some free time. Let me continue with this. Yuzawa Kogen Beer: One of the local beer breweries in Niigata. If I remember correctly, Niigata prefecture has the most such local beer breweries in Japan. Iwappara area of Yuzawa town: As I said earlier, one of the areas of Yuzawa town that are called ghost towns. But such resort condos are paradise for those living in them. I know that because my family lived in one in Shiozawa. Restaurant on the premises of Yuzawa Station that is run by the beer brewery shown above. Kinoko no Yama, limited version. Regional version, available only in Niigata. It contains rice puffs. Sanjo hardware: Sanjo city, located in Niigata prefecture, is very famous for its hardware. Entrance of Ponsu Kan, sake museum in Echigo: Echigo is the former name of Niigata. O, oh. Wide selection of sake: Niigata is the second largest producer of rice, after Hokkaido. But Hokkaido produces cheaper varieties mainly used in the restaurant industry. Good rice means good sake, but note that the varieties used to make sake are different from those consumed as part of meals. Miso section: Pickle section: Are you watching, Helen? Fu (wheat glutin) in various forms: Retro rice milling machine: Not for sale (I think). Rice section, naturally: Unlike the ones sold at Shojiki Mura (see upthread), these bags contain rice from different farmers. I think the best way to get Shiozawa Koshihikari is to get it from a single, reliable, honest farmer in Shiozawa. You can taste all sorts of pickle here: This photo is for you, Helen. Entrance of Saka Buro (Sake Bath): Why not take a bath of water containing sake? Tasting room: where you can taste 96 brands in Niigata. You have to pay 500 yen to taste 5 brands, if I remember correctly. You, again: Kanzuri: Red pepper-based seasoning. Are you there, sizzleteeth? More to come later.

I didn't think of that! You are a good cook! Thanks for the slob suggestion. I'm going to follow that some day between May 3 and 6. For those of you who don't know this, we are in Golden Week in Japan (April 29 to May 6 this year)!

You are right. First S&B, second House. I prefer House curry roux. The roux I like the best is Java Curry, Karakuchi (Hot), but I haven't had it for years. My children cannot stand spicy and hot foods yet. I often buy Vermont Curry, Chukara (midium hot). For me, and for millions of mothers in Japan, curry is a "what-am-I-going-to-make-for-supper-tonight.-I-can't-think-of-any" food.

So very true. Thank you for sharing your wonderful meals and pictures of your beautiful family and you. I truly enjoyed seeing your part of the world, the way you go about your life and your love for your family and how it shows in the food that you prepare. More power, prayers and blessings to you Hiroyuki. Give my regards to your wife and tell her that we're all praying for her here in Korea. ← Thanks! By the way, I bought a bag of kimchi at a festival here in Shiozawa on March 12. When I tasted it, I found it very, very hot. I can only comsume it little by little, mainly as a "sake no sakana" (food to eat with sake). (I posted a photo that includes that kimchi somewhere in my foodblog.) It must be a Japanese-style kimchi. Authentic Korean kimchi should not be that hot!

Interesting ad that I found in yesterday's paper: Kyara ben (character bento) contest. Interesting article in yesterday's paper: 22% of the households surveyed serve foods in platters, not in individual smaller plates for the individual family members. The Japanese are changing! Ad in today's paper: Shokuiku (food education) instructor training course. The man in the ad is Yukio Hattori, the major proponent of shokuiku in Japan. If there is one food-related scene in Japan that is worth mentionining here, it's shokuiku. Every major food-related corporation has its own shokuiku program, like McDonalds, Calbee (snack company), and Kikkoman (soy sauce manufacturer).

My mistake: I had noticed that the "consume by" date was April 27, but I was unable to come up with a good use of this tofu until today. I smelled it, I thought it was still good, but when I took one piece and put it in my mouth... I thought it was still good, but just to be on the safe side, I threw it away. 28 yen. Today's breakfast: Most of them are leftovers.

Oh, thanks for all your complimentary remarks about me, especially about the photo of me. The thing is, you can be stronger in times of need. I'm stronger than ever.

I forgot to mention yesterday's lunch at the festival. I had two "Frankfurt" (big Vienna sausage). 100 yen per piece. My son had one "Frankfurt" and one crepe. My daughter had one crepe as shown in a previous thread. I wanted to have yakisoba, but the long line of people waiting was unapproachable, so I settled on Frankfurt. (The stall had a shorter line of people.) Today (April 30) is a national holiday in Japan. My childres are still sleep. It's 6:46 right now. I must make breakfast and wake them up! Bye for now.

Kuruma fu is a specialty of Niigata prefecture. It's big, much bigger than tiny kazari fu (decorative fu). Local people often reconstitute and put it in simmered goods. It can also be reconstituted, squeezed, breadded, and deep-fried (sometimes served at school lunch here). It can also be used instead of meat. I once made "niku jaga" (potato meat stew) using kuruma fu, instead of meat.

Hi, Bryan! This is the least I could do, showing eGulleters my everyday meals of the week, not all the beautiful sushi and exotic kaiseki meals.

I had to google to find out what One Piece was. I didn't know anything about it . Feel free to what you think about the anime here.

Rice cooker: Takikomi gohan (rice cooked with other ingredients, in this case, carrot and abura age (fried bean curd). I added the oyster mushroom and mixed well. Rainbow trout, grilled: with salt on the tails. Such salt is called kazari jio (decorative salt), which prevents the tail from burning. Done! I also made miso soup with onion, cabbage, and wakame (a type of seaweed). The meal may look simple to you, but it is a feast for me and my children. We liked it. Today, my children learned a lot while enjoying. Important lesson: You must kill to live. That's why we say "Itadakimasu". This will be my last post today. Some more explanation tomorrow. Bye for now. Edited: Not salmon trout but rainbow trout. That's what you do when you are drunk, like I did.

Today's supper! Seven fish (rainbow trout), gutted, salted: My daughter helped me a lot. Oyster mushroom, simmered for a very short time (1-2 min.) in water with soy sauce, mirin, and sake, and drained: Kinome, boiled for 2-3 min.: Much less bitter than I thought. We had it with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and ponzu. (It is often served with an beaten quail egg on top.) To be continued. I have to upload other photos.

I just had to buy one: Kinome. A type of sansai (edible wild plant). In Japan, kinome refers to young leaves of sansho, but in this part of Niigata, it refers to young leaves of the plant called "akebi". Street performer: Who will get it?? Lucky boy who got it, and the performer apologizing to other kids: On my way to the parking lot, I saw the Iwappara area of Yuzawa town, where resort condos are sprawling. Negative legacies of the bubble period, symbols of the bubble, and paradise for those who live there. We dropped by the "home center" nearby. My son bought a kabocha seedling, and my daughter bought two flower pots. And, we also got a blueberry seedling from the festival (by donating 100 yen). Supper photos later.

The festival opened at 10:30. We arrived at the site of the festical a little past 10:30, but the site was already swarmed with people. We first went to see this: 3D movie showing how important sabo (sediment control) is. This is my son's and my second, and my daughter's first. Educational and fun. Yakitori stall: Korokke (Japanese croquet) stall: Rice and mushroom stall: Egg stall: I just showed them to you. I didn' buy any of the items above. Inside Yuzawa Culture Center Photos of sansai (wild edible plants) My daughter said she wanted to try a "pressed flower postcard". 300 yen. Mochi pounding: Popular event at many festivals and fairs in Japan. "Kinako (soybean powder) mochi 100 yen??" We passed it. There was a long line of people waiting. My daughter wanted to have a crepe. We waited in line for more than 40 minutes! Happy face: 400 yen. Major event for the kids: Fish catching! Brother and sister cooperating My son caught 5, and my daughter 2. Photos of the fish later. Meet Miss Komako: I didn't know there were three of them. To be continued.

Thanks, SuzySushi for being such an avid reader of my foodblog. The V-filter: I bought it at Yuzawa branch of "Komeri". It's so good that I can't go back to regular filters. Unfortunately, the filter is hard to come by even in Japan. I can't find it at any other store, even at Komeri's. It's name is Celec V-filter. Strangly, I can't find a website of Celec. You can purchase it online from Rakuten if you are in Japan. http://www.rakuten.co.jp/e-tisanes/469017/469419/#505795 Seimaijo can be found anywhere in Japan, except in very urban areas. Helen said, however, that the one near her house closed down recently. (Did you say that, right, Helen?) I laughed. Yes, it does! Gum syrup is simply sugar dissolved in water. As you may know, iced coffee is very popular in Japan, and gum syrup is usually used to sweeten iced coffee because it dissolves into iced coffee easily. I think you have answered all of your questions. (I scrolled down to confirm.) Have I?

I got up at six, but my children didn't wake up until nearly eight o'clock. I had two packs of natto with negi, the simmered fish that my daughter had left, leftover miso soup (tofu and enoki mushroom), and some "nori no tsukudani" (simmered and seasoned laver). My children had tarako (cod roe), which we bought yesterday. Photo to come later. Today, it's sunny! We are going to Flower Festival in Yuzawa. My next post here may be later than usual. Till then, bye-bye! Edited to add a tarako photo: 498 yen. Pricey. My children like it, like many other Japanese children. Today, tarako is very often eaten raw. When I was small, I never had it raw. My mother always grilled it. I think it's just due to advances in refrigeration/freezing technology or something. Some other photos that my interest you while I am away. Sugar sticks, fresh cream, and gum syrup: which I got from the food court in RARA yesterday (see upthread). If you order coffee, you can get them for free. (Actually, you can get as many of them as you want.) Left to right: Niboshi (boiled and dried sardines, used to make dashi), kuruma fu (wheel-shaped wheat glutin), and katsuobushi in block form: The kuruma fu in the photo is a cheaper, pre-cut version. Tampopo DVD: which I bought quite recently. I have watched it many times since them. My children like it, too.

So, you can read Japanese! ← Yes, my first language. BTW, how is hospital food for your wife? Are you able to bring her any food from home? ← I haven't seen it yet. She says it's less salty (than regular Japanese dishes). I can bring anything, and she can buy anything she wants at the store inside the hospital. Yesterday, she said she had purin.

It makes a great escape from the summer heat in the valley (edit to add: please choose the link for June (6月) on the left) - and the 'bobsleigh' is, what ? More than 1km long ? Or 600 metres or something ? (Please consider these questions rhetorical. I can't remember. It was almost two years ago). (I know it's nothing new to you, but) further down in that series of pictures is a typical meal at an onsen yado　(温泉宿) / onsen inn, with salt-grilled fish (trout, I think) and tempura of (mumble) greens. (Someone please help me identify it !) Sorry to interrupt ! ← You mean you are the one in those photos?? I'm not sure but I think that tempura is akebi no kinome, like this. (Shown in the photo is ohitashi (boiled), though. I can't find any picture of its tempura.

My family is monlingual. I started to study English in my teens because I wanted to understand the lyrics of the songs of the Beatles. The first Beatles' song that I happened to listen to while watching TV was Let It Be. John Lennon singing, "Let it be, let it be...", looked something like a god to me. (Sorry, I was twelve or so then. ) How did I come to specialize in translation... Really no particular reasons. I started to work part-time (arubaito) in a very small translation house when I was in university. Interpreter? No, that's not the right job for me because I am shy by nature. Did I satisfy your curiosity?

>I am not sure I've read more than four works of Japanese literature, but Snow Country is one of them. I took a copy from my shelves last night after catching up with your blog and found it almost unbearably heart-wrenching and beautiful. That final image....! Another reader of Snow Country! >The region seems transformed when compared to the remote world of inn, spa and village that Kawabata described more than sixty years ago. This photograph reminds me a bit of what it was like to live in Colorado. Running errands on the weekend, going to a chain supermarket after a trip to the hardware store, you walk across asphalt down aisles of parked cars, then look up and see that you are surrounded by mountains. I never got used to them--nor how out-of-place the large, boxy commercial buildings seemed in their presence. The economic bubble in late 1990s changed Yuzawa considerably. A local newspaper company, Niigata Nippou, dubbed Yuzawa "Tokyo-to Yuzawa" (Yuzawa, Tokyo) because of the vast influence of Tokyo-base corporations like Seibu there. There are now resort condos with about 15,000 units in total in a town with a population of less than 9,000, most of which were built in the bubble period. Those resort condos are now called ghost towns, symbols of the bubble, and negative legacies of the bubble. The JUSCO store, located in the former Muikamachi town, is totally a different story. It was compared to the "Black Ships" (of Commodore Perry) for the region. Despite considerable opposition from local stores, it opened about ten years ago, successfully attracting local people. >I have no idea how prevalent yokogaki is. We can use both yokogaki (horizontal) and tategaki (vertical). Yokogai is more popular these days, probably because of the wide spread of PCs and printers. Nevertheless, tategaki is still used in newspapers, textbooks on Japanese for school children, and some books and magazines, and when we write formal letters. >Finally, your meals interest me a great deal because you purchase so many items that come in small sealed packages that contain mixtures and at least partially prepared ingredients. Oh, do I? I think that almost all items that I have shown here are either dried or fresh ones. Excess packaging is a problem in Japan; many food items are sold prepackaged, and solutions are very slow. >Here, the emphasis is on convenience. We may take cans of fried oniony bits and condensed mushroom soup and bake a casserole after combining these with frozen green beans, but many Americans like to avoid the hassle of cooking altogether and just pop a fully prepared packaged dish into the microwave for a quick meal. Good point! I wish I could do the same, but then again, the very Japanese in me wouldn't let me do this. Corn flakes for breakfast, TV dinners for supper, they would look very dreary in a Japanese home.

Beer purists would kill me for doing this, but I really like to put cans of beer in the freezer for about 20 minutes before drinking to make them super cool. I also put the glass in the freezer.

Oh. In the meantime, I remembered the name, 'Alps no sato', I think. Did I get it completely wrong ? Wasabi nuki... whose choice is that ? ← Your are right. Alps no sato (アルプスの里) is in Yuzawa Kogen (湯沢高原). My children cannot eat spicy and hot foods yet.