helenjp

My oven was just delivered. . So my fruitcakes won't be aged as long as usual - any favorite "fast fruitcake" recommendations gratefully received. I'm planning on making one very lemony fruitcake with crystallized mini-tomatoes and ginger, and also looking at the semolina fruitcake mentioned on p. 6 of this thread. I dream of making one that includes with crystallized violets and angelica along with candied orange and lemon slices, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

Potato chip and marmite/vegemite sandwiches. South Amercian sandwiches with french fries (and green beans, mayonnaise, onion, cheese, fish...various things I don't remember any more, but the crunch of the french fries is very good).

I'm with weinoo on this issue - freshness and shell quality make quite a difference, but put the hot boiled eggs in cold water and LEAVE them there for a good while. A good hour is not too long, and change the water until the hot eggs are not heating it up to lukewarm. Had a regular job making egg sandwiches in my youth, so I peeled dozens of eggs every day for the duration....cooling the eggs thoroughly made a big difference.

I was just wondering how your garden was! Everything looks so healthy, congratulations. When did you plant the broad beans? And what else are you planning to grow over winter? I just pulled down my snake-bean vine and kept the dried beans to use for seki-han, since snake beans are "sasage", not "azuki".

Don't get to chop-happy, Madam, just because your fingers are sticking out doesn't mean you can use them to put pressure on your poor broken bones! That book really works...all in the details, exactly HOW much to brown this or that, HOW much oil is good...that spaghetti looks just like the kind of ketchup spaghetti I used to see in Japanese coffee-shops when I first came to Japan- it's about as simple, but how different. Time to show my sons that picture and see what results!

I have one (ahem, or two) of those. The screw down type may be hard to find, but it's more adjustable. The springloaded type (which is usually ALSO adjustable with a screw) can be a bit strong for things like yogurt cheese or tofu, unless you treat it kindly. Yogurt cheese: I wrap this in gauze, allow it to drain naturally for a while, and only press it in a pickle-maker if I want it really firm. Tofu: for some dishes, it doesn't really matter if it breaks up. Otherwise, you just have to use a strip of gauze or something to prevent the tofu from sticking to the "presser" under pressure. To drain: very low tech, just uncliip and hold over the sink, artfully holding the presser in place as the liquid drains off. The small rectangular cheapo ones are my favorite. The blogger in the link apparently bought one for 315 yen at Daiso (supposed to be a 100 yen shop). You may have to cut a block of tofu in half and put the pieces beside each other to fit them in, but this type of pickle-maker is so simple in construction (not adjustable) that it's very easy to wash.

Not all good sushi chefs in Japan are into power-play, though they should and do offer advice. There are certain chefs who have a reputation for this stuff, and while they have their fans, they have their detractors too. However, I totally agree with the anti-tuna roll movement! If you pick up a tray of this stuff in the supermarket and check the ingredients....gelatin?? suet and tallow??? Why don't they just call it catfood sashimi?

You can, but you'd probably feel ill! They do go well with green tea, and some are designed to go with the sharp, bitter taste of foamy tea-ceremony tea...but one is about as many as you'd want in a sitting. The etiquette is to fold up any extras in paper and slip them into your kimono sleeve...

Apples...I get 'em delivered from Tsugaru Ringo Kenkyu Kai. There are a couple of similar services (one-off or regular deliveries of apples, apple products, or other regional goodies). If you order by phone, you can sometimes organize something like a 4-month delivery rather than the standard period. I order the cheapest "cooking" apples, which doesn't refer to variety, but just to the fact that some have splits on top or unsightly bumps etc. Apples seem to start improving around now - I suspect early ones are really last year's left-overs, as they seem suspiciously collapsed in texture to me. The rule of thumb for good apples is apparently not to buy them once Doll's Festival is over! Also check Japanese Apples.

It will partly depend on the type of bean jam used - if it's made traditionally, it doesn't keep all that well.

I admit, looking at some of the bento, I've thought "that stretches my idea of what is a bento". But what IS that idea?! Although all kinds of things can be sent AS bento, not all of them ARE bento. I think I define it as... * rice and things that are either refreshing, or seasoned heavily enough to taste good with rice * essentially, food to eat cold * foods that will not spoil without refrigeration * stuff to eat with chopsticks (or maybe hands). * ideally, shows the classic contrasts - some dishes fried, some with dressing, some grilled etc, and displays contrasting colors. * seasonal * Foods are not so sloppy that they MUST be in separate containers - the basic bento has a divider only between rice and subdishes. Food preparation emphasizes ways to get rid of moisture (grill) or absorb (add ground seeds or dried seaweed) moisture.

Beverages - as noted, people tend to go for unsweetened beverages rather than things that are artificially sweetened. If a bottle of tea says "straight", it will be unsweetened. Items such as yogurt are usually either sweetened, lightly sweetened "amasa hikaeme"), or unsweetened ("plain"). Jam is not that popular, so diabetics are more likely to simply avoid it altogether, and generally diabetics are advised to eat Japanese food (partly because a Japanese breakfast is more substantial anyway). You can find lightly sweetened jam. I have a couple of cookbooks for diabetics, and am surprised that they permit sugar, sake, or mirin as seasonings - I suppose it has less impact as part of a meal eaten with protein and fat anyway. Carbohydrates will be listed as tansuikabutsu 炭水化物 in the little panel on the back of labels. In case the Japanese script doesn't display on your computer, take alook at this page (the text may not display, but the label should be a graphic) Scroll down to "Zone 8 Point" in purple letters above a blue box...there is a canned tuna label to the right of it. The first thing to check is whether the quantities are for the container or the can - the amount will be in grams at the top of the box. In this case, "per one-person serving of 60g" (which is a tad over 2 oz). Toward the bottom, there is a division with 3 items in it, each listed as "0g". The top one is carbohydrate (the second one is dietary fiber, and the third one is sugar). The next division item, 12g, is protein (tanpaku-shitsu), by the way. http://coconatu00.hp.infoseek.co.jp/z8.html#shokuhin

Funnily, rooibos is a tea I absolutely don't "get". Currently enjoying sage tea - I usually just put a generous sprig in my cup, and add hot water - one sprig lasts me for 2-3 cups. The simplicity is a big point in its favor! It's a while since I had sage tea with dried sage, so I will be interested to see how different the flavor is. Red shiso tea - this is a favorite when my kids are tired and coming down with colds. I dry it and keep a bag of slightly crumbled leaves in the freezer.

Not entirely so....I'm out of date, but certainly there are companies producing automatic wrappers designed for short runs of diverse products. Toyo has one in their TSV series, surely they are not the only people in this area of the market.

I'll have to pull out my file and compare! By the way, the current Kyou no Ryouri (October issue) has a feature on universal seasoning mixees, which tend to be soy sauce/mirin/sake formulae.

I totally agree with you, Italian (and Mediterranean cooking generally) is one of the easiest "other" cuisines to cook in Japan. And even my husband doesn't put soy sauce on his favorite Marcella Hazan recipe - "Sausages with Cartwheels, Cream and Tomatoes" (though he's quite capable of tipping it over a bechamel...). That recipe (heavily adapted...I make it with yogurt ) is from Marcella's Kitchen, and my copy is nearly falling apart. I think this may be the same book as yours, since I know both contain the "Pollo con le olive nere" (Fricasseed chicken with black olives recipe. I use this much more than her "Classic Italian..." book, because the home kitchen approach makes it so versatile for a non-western kitchen. If so, some other Japanophilic favorites from the book are: Rice in broth with celery - I love this any time, but it's best from now on. Fig icecream (the last of the blowsy, overripe figs are still in the shops) Pasta and chickpea soup - winter weekend fare! adaptable risotti Lamb, alla Marchigiana (if you have a rosemary bush, easily bought in Japan). The combination of tomato and rosemary works wonders on sad, defrosted, economy lamb. breadcrumbs/black olives with thin spaghetti - so easy! Ricotta-coated pasta squares in broth - pretty, elegant, not too demanding Those aubergine pickles - I'm sure this is the same book! The walnuts in parmesan butter are a pretty popular beer snack with guests too.

Baikal Seems to be all over Kyoto, even one in Isetan basement. Open the link above, and clickety to the left of the photo of their main shop for a map.

Notes: Japanese "jun-kyou-riki" flour has an ideal protein content of about 11.5% If you don't use kansui: add 1 tsp liquid nigari if possible, or use natural rock salt rather than regular salt, add 1 tsp baking soda, and also use a whole egg (eggwhite is somewhat alkaline) rather than yolks only. High-protein flour will create a chewier, springier noodle, but the dough is harder to handle. Start with the proportions given in the recipe, and switch to 400g strong/ 100 g weak flour as you gain experience. Don't overdo the initial kneading - when the dough is stretchy and holds together, stop (about 5 minutes of kneading). f the dough starts to break up (especially when using kansui or other alkaline ingredients) STOP and let dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes. Salt and minerals also make the dough a little harder to handle - start with 1-3 pinches of salt. Ramen Noodle Dough 300 g strong (high-protein) flour 200 g weak (low-protein) 1 egg (approx. 50 g in the shell) or 2 egg yolks 200 ml water (you probably won't use all this) If you want, dissolve 1 tsp powdered kansui/1 tab liquid kansui in the water. Up to 1 tsp salt, optional, also dissolved in the water Cornstarch, potato starch etc for handling dough. Mix flours together on a large board, make a well in the middle, and add the lightly beaten egg. Start adding water, and mix the flour in. Start kneading when it forms a mass. Knead till you can stretch a piece of dough. Place the mass of dough in a plastic bag, allow to rest at least 2 hours. If you want to, you can place the bag on the floor and walk all over it for a bit. Roll out, using starch to avoid sticking when needed. This requires more care than for other noodle doughs - to get maximum "squeak", you need to roll the dough in one direction only. So if you plan to use a pasta machine, keep this in mind. Cut noodles (no more than 3 mm wide), cutting in the same direction that you rolled the noodles. Sprinkle starch over, and divide noodles into about 5 bundles. Using plenty of starch, gently "squeeze" noodles into a ball. This will crimp the noodles. Set aside on a tray until needed, shake off loose starch before scattering into boiling water to cook. Some people swear that they improve if they are kept (covered or in a bag) in the fridge for up to 2 days before using, but in any case, use within 1 week.

The noodles you have there are Chinese Shandong-style la-mien. Japanese ramen noodles are more or less based on them, but modern ramen don't look or taste quite the same. Looks like a good meal! When you say, "detailed instructions on making ramen", do you mean the actual noodles? This is a hassle, because of the use of kansui (highly alkaline water). I can give you instructions for making noodles without kansui (people don't use it at home), though it's been years since I last made my own ramen noodles. The broth recipe I use is way back on page 1 of this topic, there's a link on page 2 to a RecipeGullet recipe for ramen uploaded by Hiroyuki. I'll add some details on making the "gu" or topping ingredients.

Great! I've sometimes pondered renting a plot, but it's quite a commitment... By the way, which direction does the slope face? I don't know if you can do autumn plantings of broad beans (sora mame) or other beans, if you protect them (maybe straw? Ask your neighbors!), but if you can, they would help improve the soil for spring planting. Good luck, and keep us posted!

Myouga pickles - the type you pickle in salt briefly, and then in sweetened vinegar - are a lot more approachable if you pickle some young ginger at the same time. The two eaten together are rather nice, and it stops the myouga from being too overpowering.

I bought moromi miso about a year ago, and was surprised at how very sweet it was (lots of mizu-ame, was the impression I had). I don't remember moromi-miso I have had in the past being THAT sweet, so please don't give up on it if you happen to encounter a very sickly version.

The Japanese mayonnaise recipe is not so much "home-made Kewpie", as "mayonnaise for people who also like Kewpie". I was given that recipe over 30 years ago, and it wasn't touted as a version of Kewpie...it's tasty in its own right, but if you want the Kewpie texture, try using different types of oil ("salad oil" in Japan would be a mixture of soy and rapeseed oils). Most Japanese people would just use a straight rice vinegar, but you could try cider vinegar. White vinegar would be too strong.

Let us hope that she has her bifocals off, and can finish her mouthful in blissful ignorance! Whipping the topping off...a bit like opening up a tea sandwich and rummaging around before battening down the hatch again. Gosh, if this thread continues much longer, I will start wanting some hand-made sushi!

I found one airplane shape in the Cabrellon PDF catalog...but it looks extremely like a passenger jet (swept-back wings, jet engines) rather than a single-engine propellor airplane, presumably with wings above the body. Picky, I know... One Japanese airline sells small, rounded, "cuddly" looking airplane chocolates, but I haven't seen really similar molds. Cuoca.com's airplane mold has stars, hearts (various sizes), and little planes all on the same sheet. 475 yen per sheet. Another private vendor has the same thing for 280 yen, want me to try and get one? Wouldn't it be fun to make a 3D open cockpit plane, with hearts or figures inside the cockpit! Cloud marshmallows,or white chocolate clouds with a streak of blue peppermint?