torakris

This is a fall product from Nestle called Crispy Monogatari in a chestnut flavor. I cut off the top of the box but it says it is Kit Kat that has lost it's chocolate covering. At first bite I was disappointed because I think the chocolate is what makes a Kit Kat, but by the second stick I started to enjoy it for what it was and it did have a nice flavor even though it was many months old. I found the packs on a sale rack at a discount store for 58 yen ($.48).....

I personally find most sandwiches in Japanese convenient stores/supermarkets to be pretty tasteless and overpriced. There is one sandwich here I can't get enough of though, the hire-katsu/tonkatsu sandwich. For me this is the Japanese equivalent of the American cold meatloaf sandwich. White bread is a must and the condiments must be simple and just enough to taste but not so much that it drips. Almost every department store basement has a stall that sell these sandwiches. Maisen (the famous tonkatsu restaurant) makes a wonderful, albeit pricey, one. You can also find them, though not as regularly, at convenient stores and supermarkets. I found this one at a local supermarket, with a price of 278yen ($2.30) it was a steal and also one of the best ones I have ever had! Then yesterday I was in a nearby convenient store (3F) and found this version, I have never seen one like this before, it was club sandwich style. I wasn't my ideal katsu sandwich but it was good in its own right. Though it was pricier at 380yen ($3.15) it was also much more filling and made a perfect lunch. What are some of your favorite finds?

Costco has a new salad that has quickly become a family favorite. Shrimp and Mango! It comes packed with mixed greens and a lovely citrus dressing. Though you can't tell from the package it has quite a bit more volume than the spinach salad. It serves my family of 5 as a main course with a simple side and maybe some bread. A little pricier at 1200 yen but well worth the price.

I buy that pack of button mushrooms every time I go to Nisshin, 400yen is an unbelievable buy for that amount. I think it is even better than the pack that Costco sells. I also always pick up a pack of beets...

I have moved the rest of the mushroom talk to (big surprise here!) The mushroom thread! ponzu, guys, ponzu

You should have no trouble finding it in a department store basement, even most supermarkets by me carry at least one type. Here are some samples of packaging to look for. beware of that last one, Tougarashi umecha and it contains chile peppers.

It is funny you mention those three stores if I had to pick a holy trinity as well, that would be it! Yes, I do remember the old 'Meat Rush' store. Those price you listed above are incredible, I no longer have to bring beans back from the US.... Is the name of the place Sonali Systems? Oh and a big welcome to eGullet!

I do have both mizuame and honey in the house, I really hate working with mizuame as it sticks to everything. Should I lessen the amount of sugar do you think? It calls for 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups oatmeal and 2/3 cup flour, that already sounds like a lot to me.

Valentine's Day is less than two weeks away... Since men are usually the recipients in Japan, alcohol filled chocolates are quite popular. For many years brandy seemed to be the leader in this field but recently other spirits are emerging. For the sake lover For the beer lover For the shochu lover For those who love it all! a combo of Campari, tequila and Jack Daniel's

This week's flyer for my Co-op has a product from Tenyo called shio ponzu (salt ponzu). Has anyone ever tried this before? Tenyo's homepage doesn't list the product but I did find a couple other places that make it.

Ever find yourself not wanting to waste two whole cans of both tuna and corn when putting together your sandwich or salad? Now you no longer have to! The folks at Inaba Foods have put tuna and corn into the same can! sorry it was the best picture I could find as I have no intention of actually purchasing this...

good question and one I don't have the answer for.... I think it might have been lightly salted though. It was a special oshogatsu product from Sugar Lady. I guess I will have to wait until next year when I definitely order it again.

I just thought I would add a link to the quite long Chuka wakame thread.

Because of the way it is cut it doesn't really look like a maki mono, but this was a delicious dish. Purchased salmon kombu (kelp) maki.

The book calls them Chocolate Florentines. They are similar to lace cookies but are a little bit thicker and two of them are sandwiched with melted chocolate. The recipe calls for melted butter to be mixed with oatmeal, flour, sugar, corn syrup, milk, vanilla and salt.

My daughter came home from school the other day and told me how much she loved one of the dishes that was served for lunch that day. The monthly menu that we receive lists all of the ingredients of every dish and a quick check showed: hakusai (Chinese cabbage) salt katsuo-bushi soy sauce I salted the cabbage and let it sit for a bit then mixed it with katsuo-bushi and soy sauce, what could be simpler!? My daughter said it tasted the same as the one she ate at school,　I guess that is a compliment..

red shiso flavored yogurt I was disappointed by the lack of flavor..

I don't bake a lot but when I do it is cookies. I just ran across this recipe in one of my cookbooks that calls for a 1/4 cup of corn syrup in what is essentially a thin oatmeal cookie. Corn syrup isn't sold in Japan but I would really like to give this cookie a try. 1/4 cup seems like a lot to leave out completely, are there any suitable substitutes? I have never seen corn syrup in a cookie recipe before, what advantage does it have?

I notice the package has two time stamps (which I commenrted on earlier) Does the second time stamp indicate it was repackaged and reduced in price? ← The two time stamps are when it was made (top) and the expiration time (bottom), this was not a reduced price item rather it was a special sale of the day. I actually bought it about 20 minutes after it was made.

The rolls on the top contained a panko'd and deep-fried piece of shrimp (ebi katsu) with an eggy tartar sauce, some fake crab meat and a piece of lettuce. It is a really nice combination that I enjoy. The thin rolls in the middle contained negi-toro, minced tuna and scallions. The bottom rolls are cucumber.

In this case to my foreign brain chuumaki makes more sense. I can't be sure though what I would say though if I just saw the characters and not in the context of which they were used. I did ask my (Japanese) husband last night and he said it was nakamaki as well.... I guess I assumed it was chuu because I see it as a size differentiation, it is the middle size of 3 sizes.

I never thought about it before, I just assumed it was read chuumaki meaning a medium sized roll. Sort of something in between a hosomaki (thin roll) and futomaki (thick roll). Is chuumaki even a word then??

Last night was Chinese night. I prepared two dishes that are very popular in Japan, they are popular in restaurants, at home and as prepared foods from the supermarket. pork liver stir-fried with nira (garlic chives) and moyashi (bean sprouts). the pork liver was sold frozen, already cooked and in the sauce. All i had to do was heat it up and add the vegetables. Kurage (jellyfish) and cucumber salad this jellyfish was also sold already seasoned in the fish case at the supermarket.

Sakura mochi with strawberries. I don't think I will ever get enough of that taste of the briny leaf with the sweet an...

After another busy day I found myself hungry at the supermarket, so I picked up lunch. A nice mix of sushi for only 380 yen ($3.15).