Jinmyo

I agree with Ruth. I use a grilling pan.

Chawanmushi too. With a chunk of lobster knuckle meat and thinly sliced shitake.

Soba, this sounds very nice.

Salad of slow roasted plum tomatoes with cubes of fennel and anise oil. Morel omelette (very tender and custardy inside) with deep-fried asparagus stalk shavings and gomasio sprinkled atop on a bed of Japanese rice. Parsnip puree with a slice of roast leg of lamb atop, jus sprinkled around. A large wonton of chicken liver and bacon in a lemon dashi (bonito and kombu) broth with snipped chives. Chive pancakes with smoked rainbow trout and creme fraiche with lemon zest. For twenty-five.

I'm with Adam.

The restaurant is called Roxanne's. edit: There are several threads about it on the California board.

Chopped with sauteed mushrooms on toast. Bibimbap.

Jason, I find hatcho miso (the red one) great in the winter time as a breakfast drink.

Good posts, especially by Nick, Craig, and Jim. I simply could not make risotto without doing it "by hand". I am of the faith that it is the constant stirring with a wooden spoon that emulsifies the starch together with the broth and butter and/or olive oil. This faith is unwavering, unreasoning, and easily becomes wild-eyed.

Sometimes I'll use minced shallots, ginger, and dashi (Japanese bonito/kombu stock) and sake and then add some shoyu once it's out of the pan. Sometimes I'll use shallots and white wine. Sometimes I'll use orange or grapefruit juice.

I wasn't sure what kishimen was so I did a Google search. I found this. I've been buying a Chinese brand of these for years. The kanji on the package says "dan mein" though they weren't really. The English says "Noodle". Thanks, Kristin. And of course, thanks Google.

Miso-shiru. I usually use shiro (white) miso. A very gently simmered dashi, baby spinach, cubed silken tofu.

Zaru-soba.

Oh. They were meant to be funny.

Kristin, yes. Clay (or metal) pots during the fermentation periods. Which is why it is so fragrant. Um, I mean "stinks". It's fermented. Which is also why it is so effervescent and bubbly, especially when first opened.

Before anyone disses Torakris for microwaving anything, they'll have to come through me. Space is at a premium in Japan, especially in major urban centres. Actually, they are good for reheating rice. And for heating up sake.

I often use mine to time eggs.

But isn't that because readers reported they caught on fire, not because it didn't kill bacteria? Well, if they caught on fire, how did they report the results? Welcome to eGullet by the way, LEdlund.

Steamed asparagus with a Stilton and white port sauce on toasted sourdough points. Mashers (cream and butter held together by Yukon gold potatoes) with pickled green peppercorns strewn atop and kassler (smoked pork loin chop, grilled) slathered with smoked paprika. Small salad of sauteed chopped kale with a few hot double-smoked lardons and a cool poached egg. Lime vinaigrette. Clear tomato water consomme with a piece of ocean perch and chopped chives. Cheeses: St Morgan, raw milk camembert, twelve year Canadian cheddar (with pickled pear slices and grilled tortilla triangles).

Yes. Simon, I've heard that story many times. Yvonne, kimchee saves.

IrishCream, Alton Brown is funny. CI is... funny. Brining is good. What's a DH?

indiagirl, I just can't take Cook's Ill seriously. First of all, the foods they seem interested in don't interest me. As well, the palate they seem to be cooking for doesn't interest me. The "taste comparison tests" I have seen on television and in their magazine seem to almost always result in the beatification of a major American brand over imports and over lesser American brands.

Can one call salmon an inexpensive cut of tuna? If it's cut from near the tail, yes.

fifi, it's kind of like with strip loin. It is best black and blue (charred but raw inside). One could like it well-done and grey and that's fine. But then why not use a different cut? It's the same with very good tuna. It's best raw. It's good seared. If one doesn't like that, perhaps a different cut would be best. Ceviche isn't raw but it's good. And inexpensive cuts of tuna, well-done, are great for French and Italian styled dishes.

Rakkyo are great. They are like shallots in appearance and flavour but a bit softer in texture. I like grilling them with lamb. Is there a name specifically for shio-zuke rakkyo, Kristin?