helenjp

Yes, the small producers...seems to me like they are Oz & Enz salvation and damnation, all wrapped up in one! . The good old Kiwi entrepreneur never seems to be at home in a big corporation, and when I did business interpreting, I would see people commit business suicide rather than actually *work together* with other people! . Great individual bicycle businesses, uninspiring quango-corps...and too little of the good stuff gets to the markets that would pay for it, not just in cheese, but in wine too. In fact the "my way" gene is so engrained that it wasn't till I came to live in Japan that I developed an inkling that some cultures thought it was odd to go bush for years at a time! You don't want to hear *that* rave, but here we have countries which depend on rapid access to distant markets, and the *** postal and courier services do their best to strangle it, instead of running to embrace the mail-order/internet market at top speed. I couldn't tell you how often small producers tell me that they constantly get enquiries for personal orders but can't fill them without charging as much and more for post/courier charges as for the product. In NZ at least, that's fairly recent - charges didn't used to be so steep. Meanwhile, which places would you recommend that I or other visiting gulleteers drop by? (She says, intending to get out of Auckland next visit...)

That sounds so good! Recently I woke up to the "saba sando" - apparently a beachside standard in Japan, but I never go to the kind of beaches that sell food, so it was all new to me! Basically...onion and tomato slices with deepfried mackerel fillets in a sub. Mackerel is one of those fish that taste good cold. But alternatively, if you give it the south american treatment and include things like green beans, it can wait a few hours in a lunchbox and still taste good. Since I have a gruesome middle-sized boy, I will certainly try the green butter, too! P.S. Japanese-style potato salad (which is a bit like german potato salad) makes a good sandwich filling, and adding a slice of bacon does it no harm at all either.

How to make kamaboko 400g approx of white-fleshed fish (let's say a scant pound) 1.5tsp salt 3 tsp mirin 4 tsp cornstarch (potato starch) 1 egg white Skin, bone, and fillet fish. "Cut" fish by scooping with a spoon. Scrape flesh off bones too. Wash fish thoroughly under running water to get rid of fat. Reduce to paste in food processor. Make into a log-shape on foil-covered board or plate. Steam for 40 minutes. Cool, slice, serve with soy sauce/wasabi. Grill skin and eat separately with salt or soy sauce if you want. Make broth for miso soup with bones and head. The choice of starch has a lot to do with the finished texture - I'll post on that later.

Thanks for those photos John! I'm really enjoying the mention of rakugan in this thread. In Tokyo, it seems to be so firmly associated with altar offerings that my Japanese friends are rather astounded if I mention any kind of higashi. That wasn't the case when I lived in Osaka, though times have no doubt changed. So many westerners can't be wrong though! I guess without the associations these sweets have for Japanese, they are just a pretty sweet with a delicate flavor for us. I often make rakugan with a small round measuring spoon, because my rakugan molds are rather large, but it's tempting to go and buy some new ones . Anybody care to share pix of their rakugan molds (I promise I'll post one/some later). Yurine: this is also an ingredient I associate with Kansai - rarely see it on sale here in the Tokyo area. Can you tell me where you came across this sweet?

I just drain it and when it's not actually dripping, go ahead and dump it in...but I'm no expert on risotto, and rarely make it, so please don't take it from me that my method is an acceptable way to make risotto! I think you might be better to use up this rice in some other dish. How about "omu-raisu", where the rice is heavily flavored with ketchup? If you drain the rice and let it sit till dry, it will start to crack, and will then break up more when cooked.

That looks wonderful! It's at least 20 years since I made nerikiri, so you're way ahead of me in technique but I do remember that the slightest change in moisture made a big difference. Maybe try putting a thoroughly wrung-out damp muslin (teacloth or something) over the main portion of dough as you work? It is an addictive process though, isn't it? The texture is so fine and silky, and the flavor is delicate but definite. I think you're right to aim for the texture you want, rather than adhere 100% to the directions. If you are using Chinese mochi-ko, or even an unusual brand of Japanese mochi-ko, it will absorb a different amount of water to what your recipe states. You can use almost any bean to make the shiro-an, but again, you might end up with a slightly different texture. More sugar = "wetter" an too!

I think I might have to buy some, just so I can frame the bag!

I have bought Kapiti in the past, but didn't see any this time!

I didn't have much time to shop in NZ, but was underwhelmed by the soft cheeses - most seemed to have a gluey quality. One I did enjoy (am enjoying, brought one back to Japan with me!) was Ornelle Double Cream Brie. I like the texture very much. Puhoi Valley Parmesan - this is nice just to munch! Son1 brought one back to give a friend,'s family, so I'm trying to persuade him they wouldn't like it .

Kiwi sorbet - good call! As for things not to make with kiwifruit, I'm way ahead of you there...I thought I'd make a layered kiwi and yogurt bavarois, and heated the mashed kiwi so it wouldn't attack the gelatin so much... but then... I got distracted by my son's excessively relaxed attitude to his exam study, and the kiwi boiled itself into a thin mess. So I cooked it some more with pureed onion, sugar, vinegar, blended in some green chilis, sudachi (a green citrus) juice and peel, and made sauce. I call it "Lamia" - green and seductive, but it bites! I'll encourage son1 to pour plenty on his grilled chicken tonight, when he tells me he's too sleepy to study after dinner...

That komatsuna looks healthy and tasty! It's a vegetable that took me a lot of getting used to, but now I like it better than spinach. I'm going to plant a few things on our verandah, where a yuugao has been growing (or trying to) all summer. First up will be komatsuna for use as seedlings (tsumami-na) and maybe carrots. Later on, I'll plant peas (endou-mame, the type with vines and red/pink flowers) for spring use. Things to plant roughly in October (depending on where you live.) For late fall/early winter use: cabbage, carrot, turnips, negi, best time of year for spinach, also cold-tolerant greens such as komatsuna. Also komatsuna relatives (other types of mustard greens) such as mizuna, autumn poem. Even some types of lettuce are still OK to sow, and rocket does well in autumn. Getting late but still OK? Daikon, chinese cabbage. For spring use: strawberries, broad beans (sora-mame), peas. Onions (tamanegi). Also asparagus! P.S. That Sapporo Nouen place I mentioned upthread carries quite a few western seeds, such as parsnip (very early spring planting). Takes a bit of finding, because it's listed under gobou... P.P.S. Thompson Morgan in the UK will post seeds to Japan if you want to order things like beetroot for spring sowing.

Hi Torakris, the problem with the smoothie would have been crushing/cutting the seeds - they are OK left whole, but if cut they are irritating to the mouth/throat. If you have other ingredients, whizz them up first and add the chopped kiwifruit at the very end. Meat tenderizer: kiwifruit is almost too good at this - mix kiwifruit (sliced or chopped) with meat for a couple of hours, then cook together, or fry meat, add chunks of kiwifruit, and cook till meat tender and kiwi pulpy, then hit it with soy sauce, little sugar etc. If you leave kiwi marinades overnight before cooking, the meat will become pulpy and raggy... People use it with beef, but I really think it is better with pork or chicken, and some fish. Haven't tried it, but I bet it would make a good ceviche... Because of the acidity, it is good in salsas, chutneys, relishes etc. Kiwifruit jam - I like this made with a generous amount of finely shredded ginger. Some people also make it with pineapple and/or pineapple juice. They can certainly be frozen, I'd chop them - I think they'd lose enough water that they wouldn't look so attractive in slices when thawed. Kiwifruit is a surprisingly nice substitute for or combination with apple - like to add it chopped up to pound cakes. As a dessert, I like to stew it with a very little sugar to a soft but slightly chunky puree, layered in glasses with bits of cake or crushed cookies, and other soft things like bavarian cream, bought mango pudding, real custard, etc. Chill lightly. I didn't give recipes as they are probably easy to find, but I do have some if you want. By the way, if those are NZ kiwifruit, your kids may have good sense - those fruit will be nearing the end of the season, and shops will be eager to move them before the Japanese kiwifruit comes on the market (late November???). They may well be better cooked or pureed than fresh.

okui-zomeis a ceremonial "first meal" carried out at 100 days after birth. Items of food are simply touched to the baby's lips, but usually, as in this picture, a real feast is prepared! When baby is really ready to eat, magazines and websites like this provide recipes. Typical first foods would be a very thin rice gruel, at first "flavored" with vegetables or natto or tiny fingerling fish, and gradually made thicker with lumps of the ingredients included. II think rice cereal is unpalatable because it is ground rice, cooked briefly. Rice gruels and congees start from normal rice, cooked in plenty of water until really soft. The flavor is quite different. While not used as a first food, older babies also eat udon and other noodles cooked very soft with other ingredients.

Oh yes...today I made my kids "south american" versions of the well known sub, the "saba sando" or mackerel sandwich. It occurs to me that this is the way to go in Japan, where salad greens just can't hold out till lunchtime in warm temperatures.

That's great! A poor man's giant shichirin!

Residual oils left after the rice has been husked and polished could still go off. Apparently it then forms stinky acetylaldehydes, and also becomes more resistant to water, making it hard to cook properly. Apparently the nasties are mostly on the surface, so rubbing the rice in water as you wash it, rinsing it well, and using a little more water, will help to minimize problems.

Thanks, Rob, I've often wondered if there were any benefits to using dedicated software rather than a word processor. Last question, then I promise to return to work and mull things over until action time- Kitchen window-shelf: Many Japanese kitchens, including mine, have quite a deep shelf behind the sink. Mine is about 30cm (1ft) deep and about 150cm wide, forming an alcove 70cm high under the wall cabinets that hang over the sink. As in most Japanese kitchens, the storage needs are constantly battling the desire for natural light and a view out the window. How do you use this space in your kitchens? Like most people, I use mine for *dish-drying racks, *pots, bowls, *salt, sugar, cooking oil etc. The sight of this messy array of stuff, backlit by the light from the window, makes an incredibly horrible start to the day!

Kristin, that only works till your kids get taller than you ! My husband is #1 dishwasher, and I truly appreciate that effort. It is dishwashing which is the killer - a thick chopping board pretty much eliminates the problem during food prep. The counters in this house (25 years) are noticeably lower than in the apartment we rented, built 10 years later. I have mentally marked a number of gadgets (something my husband loves to buy) for the ax - recipe files are next, both on the principle that things that take time to access are useless. I wonder what the top space-eaters are in Japanese kitchens? Seasonal stuff at least can be stored well away from work areas. Nabe? Bentos? Modern rice-cookers are huge too. Personal "challenges" preserves take up heaps of room, and I'm bad at accumulating stuff like 2-3 types of vinegar. Personal wants: Wouldn't I love a pantry cupboard! My Japanese friends store almost nothing except rice, sugar, soy sauce etc, and stockpiling seems to be an expat foible (especially for foreign foods). Photos next week when I get a break from current work projects - now I'm at the planning stage!

More like tens of yens per tsubo - when the news went out that land prices had stopped dropping, in Chiba nobody was listening! IKEA - yes, I definitely need to go there! However, I'm afraid they may not have the Japan-specific stuff like places to store your chopping board!. I like the rack hanging under high cupboard idea. This rope storage idea has me thinking though - I could get off-season bento/drink bottle stuff out of the way. I already have shelves above head height in the corridors. One more problem - what do other somewhat tall people do about backache from using sinks designed for much shorter people? It's a major drawback in an older house. And another one - anybody figured out the ultimate solution to kitchen garbage when your kitchen is also your dining room and lounge? I've gone away from purpose-built containers that can't be cleaned thoroughly to a simple lidded bucket that I can bleach and dry in the sun. this Japanese site shows where people commonly store certain items. Your plastic wrap belongs on top of the fridge, apparently!

review of Obana (in Japanese this time, with photo of restaurant entrance and map) Nothing else touches it, in my experience.

My renovation plan is not to spend more than 10,000 yen on any one item (replacing the ventilation fan should be the most expensive thing), and basically not to spend any money that doesn't absolutely have to be spent. I have one kid at private school, and another doing entrance exams this year - every yen that comes into this house has somebody's name written on it! I want to make my storage and work areas more easily accessible - I get up at 5.20 every morning to make lunches, and of course I have work to do after that (translation at home, plus university during semester), and rarely get to bed before midnight. Kids get home late and starved not long after I get home late and tired, so efficiency is THE goal. Built-in-cupboard doors - will paint one day and finish replacing handles. Floors - I stain them occasionally, the veneer is peeling and they are sagging, but too bad! We've pretty much decided to move out of Japan when our kids finish school, so there's no justification for spending money on the kitchen - as you know, a house that's over 20 or 25 years old in Japan is very hard to sell. Takumi - I haven't watched any current series - I had the impression that the clients didn't have much say in things, but that's cynicism for you!

Maybe it's the nori getting soggy rather than the rice? Let the rice cool a bit before wrapping in nori, and then wrap in foil rather than plastic, so that it cools more easily?

Sweaters in heathery blends of browns and purples ? Over wine-dark pants ? Boots that grip on greasy floors ?

ordinary plums sold in Japan are what I meant, nothing special, but not a very popular fruit in Japan. I think this recipe needs fresh plums to combine with the dried fruit, or it will be too sweet.

That sketch shows about 2/3 of the length of my kitchen - portion to the right is taken up with dining table and chairs, a small filing cabinet (!) and a small shelf-unit with things that are often used at the table. No functioning electric points at that end of the room. Room is about 2.6m wide (70cm where gas range is, plus 187cm sink unit (an addition has been cobbled on to it at some time). Underfloor unit is so prone to mold and so fragile that it's used only for cleaning supplies. Look familiar to most Japan-residents? P.S. Isn't that home renovations program the one where "Takumi" people come tearing in, totally ignore what the owner said they wanted, insist it's really better this way anyway, and leave while the residents stand there looking like electrocuted fish?