torakris

I just ran across this book, it looks fascinating, a new twist to Japanese food: http://www.ericskitchen.com/introduction.html

word for 7/30: あしたば ashitaba This doesn't seem to have an English name as it is referred to as ashitaba around the world. This seems to be the new wonder food that supposedly can slow down aging. It is often blanched before being used in hitashi and dressed style dishes and it can be used in stirfries nad dishes like tempura with out any pre-cooking, but it is not eaten in a raw state. picture and information on the health benefits: http://www.ashitabagreen.com/about/what.shtml

Japanese knives in general tend to have skinny handles, most likely to fit the smaller Asian hands.

It is hard to generalize about knife use because it really depends on the person but most houses I have cooked in it seems the Japanese santoku is the most common knife and almost every house seems to have a yanagiba as well. I prefer Western style knives just because it is what I grew up with and am used to using, some day when I have money I would like to purchase some good Japanese knives though. One of my favorite knives is my paring knife which no one in in Japan seems to use, they have what they refer to as a fruit knife which is a little bit shorter and wider then a steak knife and is immensely popular for small tasks.

Monday dinner: mackeral, daikon, Japanese scallions and red pepper simmered in a miso-kochujang sauce Korean style mizuna style fresh baby corn (boiled) and cucumber sticks with a kojuchang-miso-scallion-sesame dip Japanese rice dessert: ice cream for those who were still awake I have a picture but I can't figure out how to get it from my software into my documents section, I know I just did this a couple days ago, I'm sure I will figure it out again.

word for 7/29: からし菜 karashina (kah-rah-shee-nah) these are the mustard greeens, if you remember the word karashi means mustard, so they are literally mustard green in Japanese as well. In Japan these are used almost exclusively for pickles, occasionally you may see them as a wrapping form onigiri but rarely anything else. They are most common in the Osaka and southern regions and in Tokyo it is quite rare to find them in their fresh form. Karashi-na is the general name encompassing all of the mustard greens, but sometimes they are referred to by specific names: 高菜 takana, this means tall leaf and it is the long variety 赤高菜 akatakana, this is the red long leaf and like its name suggests is tinged with a red color picture: http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/images/ve...re/karash11.jpg

Everywhere in Yokohama's China town!

My favorite is Sarrentos on the Beach, discussed some in this thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...ST&f=7&t=23093&

well matsuri (festival) season is upon us and everywhere I turn I run into one of my favorite foods TAKOYAKI! http://village.infoweb.ne.jp/~fwbc7245/e-index.htm

word for 7/28: せり seri (say-ree) Known in English as water celery or water dropwort or even in Asian markets as Korean watercress, this leafy aquatic plant is a popular addition to nabe as well as an essential ingredient in nankusagayu (7 herb rice gruel traditionally eaten on January 7). You will also see it in ohitashi presentations as well as both dressed salads and vinegared salads. picture: http://www.kanazawa-kankoukyoukai.gr.jp/3m...seri/index.html

milk tea flavor is still quite popular over here, anywhere you go there are milk tea breads, cakes, puddings, snacks etc.

You can buy knives almost anywhere in Japan, heck even 100 yen ($1) stores have them! Anyplace that has a kitchen goods corner will have knives (supermarket, drugstore, discount shop, etc) and usually in a variety of prices from $5 to up to about $100. For the pricier stuff, Tokyu Hands actually has a decent selection of various knives, not just global. I bought my Kyocera ceramic there when they were having a sale, but in general they are pricey. If you are looking to get the best price possible try a place like Kappabashi (kitchen goods capital of Tokyo) where all te pros shop, or if you know exactly what knife you are looking for try to find out where their shop is.

about shira-ae My posted recipe is sort of a quick version on the original which calls for the seame seeds to be roasted and then ground, I save a step (with no lack of flavor) by using seame paste. There are not really any "traditional" ingredients, it is really one of those wonderful dishes that you can add any seasonal ingredient to. the most "traditional" one I can think of is something along the lines of gomoku (5 flavors) which would have 5 different ingredients preferably of different colors, such as shiitake, konnyaku, carrots, aburage and one or two green things (green vegetables, seaweed, cucumbers, etc). I don't think I have ever made or eaten the same shira-ae twice.

to prepare okahijiki trim off the hard ends then blanch in salted water for a minute or so, refresh in an ice bath.

okahijiki is used mostly in dressed salads (aemono) and vinegared salads (sunomono), it is especially wonderful in a shira-ae dressing: http://recipes.egullet.com/recipes/r328.html edited to make me sound like I actually know English!

word for 7/27: うなぎ unagi (ooh-nah-ghee) eel Today is doyo no ushi no hi, the traditional day for eating eel! For more information check out this thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...T&f=19&t=24837&

On my trip to the supermarket this morning I picked some up and just served them to the children for lunch. It wasn't nearly as mousse-y as I was expecting and eating them straight from the pack (there was A LOT or trepidition here) found they taste exactly like bologne (how do you spell that anyway?). Big disappointment!

forgot about tofu salads! I love tofu with cucumbers, tomatoes, seaweeds, and a sesame dressing. My current favorite (that I eat for lunch at least twice a week) is a block of tofu, cubed with cucumber slices and topped with sweet-chile sauce.

oh and I forgot to mention they come in 2 flavors, regular and spicy!

Just ran across this: http://itoham.mediagalaxy.ne.jp/news/030304.html It is called a mousse ball, they are actually sausages that have a mousse like texture and are meant to be eaten straight out of the pack, no heating up necessary! Made from 100% pork they have 30% fewer calories and are great for bentos and snacks! anybody?

Friday dinner: salmon spread with a EVOO, mustard, honey sauce then coated with panko, pecans and parsley and baked (adapted from allrecipes) marinated carrots with oregano and garlic (Marcella Hazan) Parmasean focaccia (Jack Bishop) pappa al pomodoro (bread and tomato soup from Al Fresco by Louise Pickford) Edit: we dipped the focaccia in the carrot marinade, it was wonderful!

a Japanese snack I have never tried: http://www.sfu.ca/~dashton/food/food.html wasabi-chocolate

hhhmmmmmm.............

word for 7/26: 菜の花 nanohana (nah-noh-hah-nah) broccoli rabe this written both with and without the no (‚Ìj in the middle, but even without it is still pronounced. This translates literally as "flowers of the greens". This is a favorite of the Japanese, who praise it for its bitter qualities and use it mostly in dressed salads and as pickles for it short season in the spring.

my kids are watching a children's tv show right now and they are showing some summer dishes for kids to make and they are rolling up unagi in rice paper rolls..... .......with tomatoes and edamame....... ....hhhmmmm.............