torakris

To learn about some of the differences between food in Osaka (Kansai) and Tokyo (Kanto) take a look here.

Yoshinoya D&C Co. revived its popular bowls of "gyudon" beef on rice for one day only Friday to mark the first anniversary of the dish being pulled off the menu following Japan's ban on American beef imports due to mad cow disease. Yoshinoya prepared 1.5 million gyudon bowls to be served at its 1,000 shops nationwide, using 150 tons of beef in the process. About 80 percent of the beef came from stocks of frozen U.S. beef and the remainder was Australian and Mexican beef, the company said. the rest of the article

I love this thread! I have learned so much, I really know nothing about cajun/creole/Louisiana foods and I have not even ever tasted gumbo/jambalaya/etc. I don't even know what crawfish (crayfish?) taste like..... I did have some blackened fish or chicken dish in South Carolina once.... My gumbo making is on the menu for Feb 20, I was going to mae it tomorrow but my husband called a couple hours ago and he has to work tomorrow so there will be no sausage making... It works out better this way as I am making a trip to Costco on Thursday and I can pick up some celery there instead of paying $1.50 (158 yen) for 1 stalk! Not bunch, I single stalk, that is how they sell them at Japanese supermarkets....

2/12: 穴子　アナゴ anago (ah-nah-goh) conger eel picture

Here is a list of some Japanese cooking software A long time ago I used one called 料理マム　　(ryouri mamu) and I was able to add my own recipes but the newer software from that series doesn't say anything about being able to do that and it is a bunch of separate disks each on a different kind of food...

My husband has never gotten giri choco as there are no women at his worksite. I usually make some brownies for him as they are his favorite. I never buy anything for him, but he often gets some bought chocolates from his mother....

I am still searching for those passion fruit flavored Kit Kats.... I just ran across this great site (Japanese only) that show how the snack flavors vary from region to region. Lots of pictures!

so what are you getting/making for your man this year?

word for 2/11: 山椒 sanshou (sahn-show) these are the pods from the prickly ash tree, often referred to as Japanese pepper even though it is not a pepper. It is more fragrant then "hot" and it helps cut the oiliness in fatty foods. It is most often seen in a powder form and it is the traditional "spice" of choice for unagi (grilled eel). It is also quite common to make a tsukudani (soy simmered condiment) from the seeds. here are more pictures of the "stages" of sanshou: http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/BotanicalGar...Ls/sanshou.html and some sanshou talk can be found in the Japanese spices thread

You are talking about hanetsuki gyoza (literally gyoza with wings ) we talked about them for a bit in the gyoza thread starting with this post.

2/10: eels are one of the best sources of vitamin A more on the nutrional value of unagi If you can get your hands on live eels, this is how you prepare them kabayaki style, with pictures.

tansan sembei 炭酸せんべい　　are sembei made with carbonated water, the best ones are made with carbonated hot spring water from the Arima onsen area of Hyogo prefecture. Arima tansan sembei These aren't very popular in the Kanto (Tokyo area) and actually I had never heard of them before my next door neighbor (from Osaka) went crazy when she found a can of them. This is a cheaper version

apparently people from Osaka love takoyaki so much they eat them in any way they can.... takoyaki candy and takoyaki youkan according to this site that takoyaki youkan is the best seller this month...

I love those bite sized gyoza, they look something like this I have seen them called hitokuchi gyoza (一口餃子) one bite gyoza otsumami gyoza (おつまみ餃子) snack gyoza and Naniwa gyoza (なにわ餃子） Naniwa is the old name for Osaka

蒸しずし mushi zushi (steamed sushi) This dish from Osaka is very popular there in the winter as it is served warm. It looks like a chirashi zushi, but it is placed into a steamer and steamed for about 10 minutes to heat it up. one variation

I am flattered... That Encyclopedia book sounds incredible though I don't think it is obtainable from Japan, I chcked the site and it doesn't say anything about international shipping or what kind of credit cards it takes (I only have a JCB card ). the Emeril book is available at Amazon.jp, I might try that one out, looking forward to more suggestions... ← Kris, just wanted to echo Brooks' rec. upthread for the Cotton Country Collection. I purchased it a number of months ago after he mentioned it on another thread (I believe it contains a couple of his mothers/grandmothers ?? recipes) and I absolutely LOVE the book. He's right there are a number of easy recipes that you might not make (think jellied salads) but there are some real gems, too. I also have the Emeril book and like it too, but the the Cotton Country Collection is definitely full of authentic flavour. One recipe is followed by the comment "Men love this!" Price-wise I don't think you could go wrong. ← I just checked and this one is available at amazon.jp as well, I think I will get both!

I agree with smallworld here, most gyoza in this country is probably consumed in ramen restaurants. If he isn't looking for fancy ones with hundreds of variations a ramen shop would be a good bet. There is a lot of variations though, thin skins, thick skins, bite sized gyoza, monster sized gyoza, pan fried, deep fried, steamed....

I love yuzucha, it is a Korean product but recently has been gaining in popularity in Japan. I drink it like a tea (diluted with water) but it tastes completely different from the Japanese yuzu drinks, it has a deeper more marmalade-y flavor. Sorry I can't describe it too well. I have also used it in marinades and in sweets like a yuzucha mushipan. I really love it and couldn't imagine not having it in my refrigerator.

I am flattered... That Encyclopedia book sounds incredible though I don't think it is obtainable from Japan, I chcked the site and it doesn't say anything about international shipping or what kind of credit cards it takes (I only have a JCB card ). the Emeril book is available at Amazon.jp, I might try that one out, looking forward to more suggestions...

word for 2/9: 土用の丑の日 doyou no ushi no hi The biggest eel eating day of the year! In the traditional lunar calendar, the 18 days before the beginning of each season is called "doyo". The first day of doyo in midsummer and midwinter is called "ushi no hi." It is the day of the ox, as in the 12 signs of the Japanese zodiac. In the old days, the zodiac cycle was also used to tell time and directions. It is customary to eat eel on the day of the ox in summer (doyo no ushi no hi, sometime in late July). This is because eel is nutritious and rich in vitamin A, and provides strength and vitality to fight against the extremely hot and humid summer of Japan. from here

there is a really good shop by my house...... But take a look at this article for some more central locations.

so do you never add okra to a roux based gumbo? I really wanted to do okra....

my simplest version is just tuna (my fish of choice for poke) with soy sauce, tabasco and scallions... I have done the seared version as well, I have a really good recipe from one of the Williams-Sonoma books, but it just doesn't feel like poke to me. I really liked the pine nuts, actually better than the version I usually make with sesame seeds.

How do you eat your stew? bread or rice? In Japan even beef stew is often eaten with rice I am a bread girl all the way but my husband and 3 kids insist on rice.....

What about smoked ham hocks? Is that available to you, torakris? It could work. As others have said before me, there's no hard and fast rule that you MUST have sausage with chicken gumbo. ← No ham hocks in Japan either... Actually I WANT to make sausages. My husband and I have been having fun with the sausage maker I got him for his birthday. I guess we could also smoke them, with the smoker I got him for our anniversary two years ago....