torakris

look what I found! http://konny.fc2web.com/info/recipe_daifuku_e.html fruit daifuku recipe (and in English to boot!) I might actually give this a try......

now this looks damn good! http://www.mos.co.jp/spotlight/040820/takumi_aw.html the takumi avocado wasabi burger at 880yen ($8) this isn't your typical fast food burger..... only available at certain stores, after 2:00pm and in limited quantity.... but the wasabi is freshly grated after the order is placed...

word for 8/25: 寒ぶり kan buri (kahn-boo-rhee) You may remember this kan (寒） from kan saba, this is the character for cold and kan buri are buri that are caught at teh coldest time of year. These prized fish are at their fattiest then and they are worth searching out. here are some pictures of an all kan buri meal offered at one restaurant for only 3 days! http://www.uokichi.co.jp/buri.htm

I don't know if the shiro-an is actually flavored or not, but it does have the taste of the fruit, maybe the flavor just seeps in...? The mochi outer part on some of them, like the ume one, is definitely flavored. I just love the fruitiness with the an, I will be going back for a budou one today!

yunnermeier, welcome to egullet and the Japan forum! Wagashi are something I have never really wanted to try to make, they are so easy to get here in Japan and I never really need more than one..... If you have ever made daifuku before they are probably the same just made with one gape and shiro-an, maybe someone has a recipe.

word for 8/24: ぶりおこし buri okoshi (boo-rhee oh-koe-shee) Translated literally this means "to wake up buri", it is said that there will be a great catch of buri after a strong thunderstorm. These storms can be referred to as buri okoshi.

had a wonderfully simple nimono last night of mizuna and aburage seasoned very gently with dashi soy and sake.

I made okahijiki last night with the shira-ae "sauce" described above. I also added some myouga (ginger buds) for a little herbal note.

the soy class can be found here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=44086

I just found this: http://metropolis.japantoday.com/tokyo/540/dining.asp Must-eat TV

now I am becoming very confused...... As I was looking for some good pictures of the yellowtail family, discovered that there is almost no agreement on the name of these fish. I know there are differences in names between Kansai and Kanto but look at some of the discrepencies I found: **In the Kanto region a yellowtail is called a "wakashi" until it grows to about 15 cm long. At about 40 cm long it is an "inada". At about 60 cm long it is a "warasa" and when it reaches over 70-80 cm long it becomes a "buri". In contrast, in the Kansai region a yellowtail is known at its various sizes as "tsubasu", "hamachi", "mejiro" and "buri", respectively (my comment- this one puts hamachi and inada as the same...) **Kansai district: wakana < tsubssu < hamachi < inada < buri Kanto district: wakashi < wakanago < inada < warasa < buri (my comment- this one has 5 stages of fish....) **It is called Jyako, Inada (Hamachi), Warasa, and Buri (my comment- I thought jyako were sardines...., maybe they mean mojyako) **The smallest variety is called "wakanago", then, "hamachi","inada", "warasa" and "buri" being the largest variety (my comment- yet another variation...) **Shionoko" ( in the left picture ) and then "Inada" ( in the right picuture, from 35 to 55cm in length ) , and then "Warasa" ( from 55 to 75cm in length ) and then "Buri". ** Buri (Big adult) Warasa, mejiro(Adult) Inada, Hamachi (Young) wakasi, tsubasu (Juvenile). ** 東京近海(Kanto)：　ワカシ（ワカナゴ(wakashi, wakanago)）、イナダ (inada)、ワラサ(warasa)、ぶり (buri) 関西(Kansai)：　モジャコ(mojyako)、ワカナ(wakana)、ツバス(tsubasu)、ハマチ(hamachi)、メジロ(mejiro、ぶり (buri) I give up for now!! I will try to digest all of this and find an eaier way to explain it.

part of our BBQ last night was yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls), these were simple ones just gilled with a miso-mirin mixture. We used the same miso sauce to smear on grilled goya, which was really good!. I normally do them a little more charred but by the time we got around to cooking them the fire was pretty much gone....

Hiroyuki, Thanks! I didn't know there even was a word for that!

nebaneba translates into English as sticky, slimy, gooey, etc, the thing is in Japan these are all good things, at least when it comes to food. When I am reading western cookbooks they always give special techniques for making naturally slimy foods like okra to be ans not slimy as possible. Personally I love the slime! The Japanese take something like okra and mince it up into little tiny pieces to make the slime even more pronounced. Sometimes they even take a bunch of slimy foods and mix them all together to make a slimy dish set for kings. Yesterday for breakast we had a dish of two slimy foods, nattou and melokhiya (a green) what are some of your favorite Japanese slimy foods favorite combinations?

word for 8/23: ブリ buri (boo-rhee) ハマチ hamachi (hah-mah-chee) イナダ inada (ee-nah-dah) These are all the same fish, the yellowtail, amberjack or Japanese amberjack in English, but at different levels of maturity. This one fish has many, many different names.

more information is also in the anko thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...9&t=39473&st=0# sweetened red bean paste is probably one of my least favorite foods here, maybe that is why I am always searching out the fruit daifuku.....

8/22: Although shimagatsuo can be eaten as sashimi, you are more likely to find it deep fried, sauteed or grilled. It can also be used in a nitsuke. shimagatsuo sashimi http://www.zukan-bouz.com/suzuki3/simagatu.../simagatuob.jpg

as part of our BBQ today I grilled some goya (salted and then blanched first) and served it with a miso-mirin mixture. It was really good and probably the least bitter I have experienced so far.

actually harumaki refer to the deep fried versions, nama harumaki are the uncooked rice paper ones, nama meaning either raw or fresh.

From my eGCI class on soy: Atsu-age or nama-age are thick blocks of tofu that have been deep fried. They are often served steak like by being first seared in a fry pan then topped with condiments such as grated daikon, scallions and a ponzu or soy sauce dressing. They can also be used in stir-fries, simmered dishes and soups. lIke Malawry said, they can really be used for anything, this is a very firm tofu that can handle a lot, you any place you might add anothe type of protein.

I was going to start a thread on hominy too! I have actually never cooked it in my life, but I recently picked up a couple bags at a Latin market around the corner from my sister's house in Boston. Most of the recipes I have found refer to the canned product, what do you do with the dried stuff? I have both yellow and white.

word for 8/21: シマガツオ shimagatsuo (she-mah-gah-tsu-oh) Pacific pomfret http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/projects/msap/...ificpomfret.gif

not too long ago I picked up a pack of instant tsukemen and gave it a try. While it wasn't bad, I doubt I will be buying it again.... ( I added the egg and the cabbage)

I was doing some reading about goya yesterday and came across two ways for storing it. Of course it is best eaten as soon as possible, but when you have a basketful it isn't easy to do... One place recommended wrapping them in damp paper towels and then placing them into a plastic bag in the refrigeator, the other one recommends cutting them in half lengthwise, removing the seeds, and placing damp paper towels in the hollowed out section and then placing the whole thing into a plastic bag.

I think this is all Japan, not just Okinawa. It is inevitable that in most cheap to middle range places that when soup is included with a meal it is going to be the corn soup you described. It is definitely a favorite with the kids, especially for breakfast.... Great thread by the way! There has also a new thread in the Japan forum about Okinawan vegetables: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=49558