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I didn't use a thermometer for this even though I have one. I just dipped a chopstick in the oil and when little bubbles rose from the tip I cooked the meat. ← But if the tips of the chopsticks turn black, it's probably too hot! I don't use a thermometer either and use this technique too. It's also cheaper than buying a thermometer.

Oh! Those rabbits look great! I might be able to use that someday... Decorative cuts are something I really should do more of. I've only done a few before, such as an apple swan and a monkey out of some other piece of produce that was around at the time.

Oh wow, hatcho miso? It's been a while since I've tasted that deep flavor. Really, if you don't have ingredients for making dashi, using just water will be just fine. There are some people who don't even bother with using dashi for miso shiru because the miso is flavorful enough that they don't think the dashi makes a big enough difference. Vegetable stock on the other hand would give a very different flavor. I've never used vegetable stock when making miso shiru, nor have I ever heard another person's experience with such, but I really don't see what reason there would be to use it. Dashi and vegetable stocks have very different flavors. Just use water and adjust the amount of miso to your liking, would be my suggestion.

I still remember those horrible US school lunches.... When I was in elementary school, I ate them for a couple years....or rather....I would go through the lunch line and get the food and maybe eat one thing from the lunch set we were given, leaving everything else on the tray. I can understand the need for affordable food in portions large enough to feed a a cafeteria of students, but US schools are terrible at making anything that anyone would want to eat. After those couple years of school lunches, I took my own and never looked back. Still, I remember seeing the same type of awful school lunches in every state I lived in. Just the smell was enough to ruin my appetite. Japan sounds like it has MUCH better school lunches. If I had kids, I would definitely prefer they eat a Japanese school lunch compared to a US one. In fact, if I had kids, I think I would rather they eat leftovers from dinner before they eat a US school lunch. There's just no reason to try to make anyone eat something so bad!

An opened bottle is another story altogether. Sake, like most other products, doesn't keep as long opened as it would when it's sealed. Ideally, once opened, sake should be drunk in a short period of time to enjoy it to the fullest. After it's opened, the sake will begin to degrade more quickly. I suppose you can liken it to how wine is best when first opened.

On rare occasions, I'll use ranch dressing as a dip, but otherwise stay away from the stuff. I'm just not a big fan of creamy things on my salads. I much prefer vinaigrettes on them. The taste of vinegar is something I really like, plus vinaigrettes are thin, making for something that looks more attractive (at least to me).

Adobo chicken or pork certainly come to mind. For more info on that, check this link on Filipino cuisine: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=13432 I also like to make a vinegar based dipping sauce for sausages (not of the breakfast variety). Some people wouldn't think to do that, but it's rather good. I'm fond of using a rice vinegar for this purpose, but I'm sure other vinegars would work just as well.

Hon-mirin...I love the stuff, but it's not something I find too often now. You can still make good food with the fake stuff, but there's something special about food prepared with hon-mirin. Well, fake mirin has its place though. Even fake mirin is better than using white sugar.

Sure enough, those PLU codes actually identify the type of produce. I haven't memorized a great number of them, but one I've seemed to memorize is 4131, which is a Fuji apple. That's mainly because it's one of my favorite types of apples. Sometimes at the stores, signs in the produce section are mislabeled, such as with different types of apples or other other produce with variations. When I ask someone to grab some Fuji apples, I'll sometimes mention the PLU code in case the apples are placed with the wrong sign. After all, not everyone can distinguish between a number of varieties of apples, myself included to a degree. Here are a couple random sites I found when I looked this matter up on a search engine. http://www.supermarketpage.com/prucodes.php http://www.cffresh.com/faqs/stickers.html

This is pretty interesting, Hiroyuki! Thanks for sharing this with us. I must admit, I knew few of the details involved in this before, so this has been educational for me. Aside from the cost, it must feel wonderful to have a new home built! When I get a chance to stop living a seemingly nomadic life (I have no idea how many times I've moved! ), I'd like to own a home!

You just made me shudder... Must rid myself of the idea now...

People tend to think it odd that I don't care much for tomatoes. Still, lately, that's an ingredient I've had to use a lot lately (not for my own cooking though). What I do like in the summer though it watermelon! I've eaten that a few times the past couple days. I should probably focus on an actual meal though! Ah....too full from the watermelon. Well, I'll likely be having things like zaru soba again soon. Just too hot to cook much.

Well, I don't like to say that I only go for expensive goods, but I am careful with some of the less expensive foods. Sometimes they are hit or miss. Things like AP flour, vegetable oil, granulated white sugar, and panko are a few things I can think of off the top of my head that I buy cheap. I've yet to see a cheap brand that manages to mess them up.

Hm...I shall suggest using a decent quality (but not necessarily expensive) leaf tea and not just any supermarket teabag. Trust me, there is a difference. If you are deadset on adding an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar, try to be light on it.

I had not realized Niigata is where kaki no tane were first produced! They sure remind me of my childhood. I loved to eat those! I'm so tempted to pick some up soon.

I can't really claim to prefer musenmai either. Unfortunately, it's becoming the dominant type in the local stores where I live. I might have to trek across town to another store to get my rice if it keeps up or just deal with it.

What an odd thing! This is the first time for me to hear about this occurance. The only color changing problem with garlic I've ever had is when I've accidentally burned it!

Excellent sites, Hiroyuki! Thanks! Those sites are new to me.

Those plants are looking pretty good! I hope the food will be wonderful. How long did it take for the soybeans and kabocha to get to that point? I've thought of growing some and would like to once I have the chance. Especially kabocha. That sounds so good!

I'm so tempted to say: Plants Animals Water Really, it's such a hard decision to make. Well, at least the question didn't say that we had to choose three things that we had to live soley on. To be a bit more specific, someone's asking for trouble if they take these three things away from me: Rice Soybeans Tea Rice and soybeans can be enjoyed as is or made into many other products, alone or in combination. And tea. Tea is just wonderful. Although, to be more descriptive, I really have a preference for Japanese and Chinese green teas. Black just doesn't suit me and oolong is occasional.

It is sort of sad when people won't even try something. Too many people (at least in the US), have been raised to think that vegetables are disgusting. In fact, a couple weeks ago, my niece was mentioning how she doesn't like many vegetables and named a very small list that she did like. I just looked at her like she was out of her mind. Then I asked if all she had eaten are canned vegetables, and sure enough, that was it. I laughed and told her that she would like them if she had them cooked right and went on to explain that it's no wonder she claimed to hate them. After all, I refuse to put those canned vegetables in my mouth. They're just....terrible. In anycase, my nephews and niece are always glad to eat what I prepare, since it's a huge contrast to what they typically eat at home. Perhaps I'll try an eggplant dish next time I see them. They've already taken to anything else I've made. They're like a pack of wolves!

What is it about the idea of eggplant that he doesn't like, if I may ask? I'm a bit curious now!

Thanks, Jo-Mel. You, like most experienced cooks, have shown that you understand what I am talking about. I am disappointed that some board members here have a tendency to scoff at techniques and procedures that they themselves have not seen or are adept at, without trying to learn more about it. Like most, I don't come on this board to brag, but to learn and maybe contribute a little culinary knowledge to the generally civilized pool of members. ← I have to say I really agree with Ben. I meant to say that before, but better late than never. Certainly, there are times when I find my ginger grater to be rather helpful, but then there are also times when I just want my ginger simply minced rather than grated into a pulp (which I often do just to extract the juice). Too often, skill is replaced by "convenience" and too often I have seen people who are uncomfortable with using a knife. Knife skills are nothing to scoff at. They are an important base in cooking. And Ben, I don't think how you mentioned the time it takes you to mince ginger as bragging. It's just what someone with a decent amount of skill in the kitchen should be able to do.

Oh! So wonderful! Unfortunately, I don't have a source for fresh ume where I'm living now, but if I did, I think I'd try making umeboshi. I've yet to do that and always seem to never have enough of them. That ume syrup that Jason mentioned sounds good too... I'm thinking maybe this is a sign that I should move!

My mouth is watering! I sure wish I could eat some kabayaki right now.