torakris

Cream puffs (シュークリーム　shuu kuriimu in Japanese) are quite popular in Japan. You would be hard pressed to find a bakery that doesn't sell them and even supermarkets carry a couple varieties, from the puchi (tiny, one bite size) ones to ice cream filled. They can be filled with custard, cream, chocolate, etc or even mixtures. Though I am not a huge cream puff fan, my favorite has a mixture of custard and fresh cream and not too long ago I had a matcha version from Beard papa (cream puff chain store). Then 2 days ago discovered one called meron-pan fuu shuu kuriimu (melon pan like cream puff), for those who don't know melon pan is a popular snack it is basically a bread dough covered with a cookie dough and then baked. This cream puff had a similar cookie topping: So what are your favorite cream puff versions? any favorite stores?

I found this a little while ago (at Costco in Japan) It is oyster sauce with the addition of dried scallops, I really like this and use it the same way I use oyster sauce. it is the Lee Kum Kee brand but I had never seen it before....

I sometimes make a sort of chirashi with lemon juice instead of vinegar and top it with smoked salmon, avocado and red onions. and once I made a similar chiashi with sudachi (type of citrus) and sanma (saury pike), then agin I often make Italian style rice salads with lots of lemon juice and olive oil....

6/9: let's forget this awful weather we are having and get back to kajiki! We discussed sauteeing as a way of preparing kajiki, but other popular ways are sashimi, deep-frying, grilling, baking and simmering. Here are some pictures of various kajiki dishes: http://www.toshin.co.jp/cook/99_09/kajiki/kajiki.html

and for those interested here is his homepage: http://www.shu-tomiteru.jp/

It is Tomiteru Shu and I have never eaten at his restaurant but I trick or treat every Halloween in his neighborhood (he has a gorgeous house) and once I was standing next to him at the immigration office while we were both filling out applications for re-entry permits! oh and that fried rice sounds great!

Looking back at the picture, I just realized that day we didn't have two things that we almost always have, dashi-maki tamago (thick egg omelette) and cucumbers

Yes this is a very typical temaki dinner for us. Smallworld that green stuff in the middle is actually shishitou (Japanese small green peppers), I just happened to have a couple in the garden. It was my first time to include them and I actually enjoyed it. I try to add as many vegetables as possible as I can get a little uptight about things like that!

temaki is my favorite, it is a really economical way to feed sushi to my family. Here is a picture of a temaki dinner we ahd a little while ago, this is very typical. The kids love it because they get to put whatever they want inside! I do chirashi less frequently because my husband doesn't care for vinegared rice (I use plain unseasoned rice for temaki) but is is good for when you have a sushi craving but little money.

6/8: let's talk about tsuyu for a moment, here are some word you may hear in weather reports during this rainy season 梅雨空 tsuyu-zora sora (zora) means sky and thus the "rainy season sky" refers to sky when it is overcast 梅雨晴れ tsuyu-bare hare (bare) refers to sunny or clear skies and tsuyu-bare is a sunny day during the rainy season, this is not as pleasant as it sounds, Sunny days after rain here get very hot and since the humidity is still high it can feel like living in a sauna..... Yokohama is having one of those days today, so I should get off the computer and get my workout over with before it actually gets too hot and sticky to move.

Well rainy season decided to descend upon Japan on the day I planned for my Costco a go go BBQ, so I had to change plans. We had: zucchini frittata ( http://recipes.egullet.com/recipes/r311.html ) except for the red onions (given to me by a neighbor) everything was from Costco, the zucchini, eggs, salt and pepper and EVOO those drumstick like parts of the chicken wing baked in a sweet sticky glaze everything from Costco, the chicken, the honey, ketchup, soy, garlic, EVOO, and salt and pepper avocado and red onion salad except for the red onions, everything from Costco the avocado, the EVOO, lemons and salt and pepper

Jaypm51, I really know nothing about shochu except for the fact that it is huge in Japan right now. Ok but I do know that sweet potatoes seems to be one of the most popular things it is made from, I found this in the link I gave above: Unlike many other beverages, shochu is made from one of several raw materials. These include sweet potato, and shochu made from these is called "imo-jochu." Other materials commonly used include from rice, soba (buckwheat), and barley. There is even one island where there a few places that make shochu from brown sugar. It can also be made from more obscure things like chestnuts and other grains. And, each of these raw materials gives a very, very distinct flavor and aroma profile to the final sake. These profiles run the gamut from smooth and light (rice) to peaty, earthy and strong (potato). Indeed, each of these raw materials lends a unique flavor in much the same way that the peat and barley of each region in Scotland determine the character of the final scotch whiskey. Hiroyuki , Thanks for the links! I liked the music that came with it.

My in-laws took us out for dinner last night and we went to an okonomiyaki restaurant. It is a actually a chain restaurant called Doutonbori 道とん掘 and it serves more than just okonomiyaki. It was our first time to go and it was really a lot of fun. We ate mostly monjyayaki, with a couple okonomiyaki thrown in for variation but the menu includes much, much more. The have edomae-yaki, yakiramen, yakissoba, yaki udon, pilaf, risotto, fried rice, bibimbap, soba meshi, yaki-onigiri as well as grilled meats, fish, seafood and vegetables. All of the above mentioned dishes are cooked at the table by yourselves on a teppan or hot plate. They also had a nice selection of salads and desserts. the surprisingly good dish of the evening was an ika-sumi (squid ink) risotto..... some pictures of their menu: http://www.dan-b.com/dohtonbori-t/menu.htm

found this: While shochu has its roots in either China or Korea, probably having come across during trading, the traditional home of shochu in Japan is Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. In fact, the first usage of the term shochu appeared in graffiti written by a carpenter dated 1559 in a shrine in the city of Oguchi in Kagoshima. The difference between soju and shochu Korea also makes shochu, although it is called soju in Korean. And, Korean producers got to the US with it first. As such, in US legalese, the product is known as shochu. As far as I know, all Japanese shochu will be legally referred to as soju in the US. It is, in essence, the same thing. Judge it on its flavor, not its label. from here: http://www.sake-world.com/html/shochu-awamori.html

legal drinking age is 20 Many restaurants are closed one day of the week, normally on a weekday, it is always best to check before you go.

word for 6/7: 梅雨 tsuyu rainy season in Japan It was announed yesterday that we have officially entered rainy season (tsuyu) here in Japan. Rainy season generally lasts about a month from June into July. The characters for tsuyu are comprised of the character "ume" or Japanese plum and the character for rain. I am not sure of the exact reason but I have heard that it has to do with the ume fruit being ready for harvest at the same time the rain starts to fall. more information: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2277.html

I don't have any pocky at the moment but I do have box of pretz. The front says おいしさと健康 (deliciousness and health) Glico PRETZ salad あさり塩味 (light salt flavor) サラダ (salad) 2 packs (プレッツェル) (pretzel) one ones ide it says open (in English) and the other side has a bar code (similar to American ones)

I was introduced to soju many many years ago by Korean friends so when I came to Japan and heard about shochu, I assumed it was the Japnese version of the Korean liquor. I actually have no idea of which one came first.....? and I have never actually drunk either one.....? I'll see what I can find out

どういたしまして douitashimashite your welcome!

word for 6/6: ソテー sotee (soh-tay) saute This is probably one of the more common ways to served kajiki, sauteed and then served with a sauce. one example (with a ketchup sauce): http://www.co-op.or.jp/JCCU/coop_shouhin/r...e/recipe22.html

I will have to take a look at the Pocky boxes again, but I am pretty sure the ones in Japan also have a lot of English on them..... A lot of things (not just food) have more English than Japanese sometimes...

That sounds good! Welcome to the Japan Forum!

torakris: i've heard you mention this yuzukoshou a few times now, so i know you're a big fan. is it like a paste or more like a salsa? if i pulsed jalapenos and lemon juice in the cuisinart would i be even close? i don't think they sell yuzu here. and are the chiles like those little Thai super-hot bird chiles, or milder? thanks in advance, gus here is a picture the ingredients list yuzu, green chile and salt jalapenos and lemon juice wouldn't quite be the same but I think it sounds good!

So is my husband!

Mushrooms are huge in Japan, on any day they will be a choice of at least 7 to 8 varieties (and often more) in any supermarket near my house and I wouldn't doubt if many Japanese use them a couple times a week. While they have a shun (season), normally in the fall, most are cultivated now and available all year round.