eG Foodblog: Hiroyuki - Home-style Japanese cooking

[helenjp]

They are both skimpy and expensive. Stingy men like me would never buy them.

I do agree, actually. At home, onigiri has to be the cheapest snack. My husband's favorite "desk drawer" snack at work is chocolate almonds, although he says he'd like to eat pickled garlic and shio-kara (fermented squid-gut) on the days when he's particularly annoyed with the people in his department.

Other "stingy man" favorites around here:

coconut sable often found in 100 yen shops

Mr. Ito Butter Sable wild extravagance, this one!

Deviant senbei in Kansai, these things are not known as "senbei", but when my husband says "senbei", this is the kind of stuff he means.

[Muffinzz]

Hiroyuki, I am really enjoying your blog, and appreciate you taking some of your limited time to show us what life is like in your part of the world. Best wishes also to your wife for a speedy recovery.

It almost seems like the word "purin" is an attempt to phoenetically transcribe the english word "pudding", which is what I would call that particular foodstuff. Well, pudding, or flan, anyway.

[Blether]

You mean you are the one in those photos??

I'm not sure but I think that tempura is akebi no kinome, like this.  (Shown in the photo is ohitashi (boiled), though.  I can't find any picture of its tempura.

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I'm one of them, yes. I went 林道ツーリング (rindou tsuuringu / off-road touring) a lot. I've probably been to Yuzawa more times for ski-ing, though - and these days I prefer the Chuo Expressway area for that.

Thanks for the identification and I hope you're having a great day out in the sunshine.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Blether (log)

[SuzySushi]

Gomen-nasai, Hiroyuki-san! I am just catching up reading your wonderful blog, after nearly a week of burning the midnight oil working. I hope your wife's health is improving and that she'll be home soon. And I admire you for blogging and. . . yes. . . dealing with ImageGullet!. . . during this stressful time.

I have so many comments and questions that I've opened a second window on eGullet to try to go through them in order!

You keep making self-deprecating statements like

I'm not a food lover, I'm just a food eater

and

I'm not a serious cook

but it seems to me you're fascinated with food (and your blog is fascinating to read!).

Like many others here, I'm in awe of your organized refrigerator and your use of recycled tissue boxes -- (did you know, BTW, that you can turn boxes inside-out for a clean, label-free look? ) -- and your many uses of recycled milk cartons are pure genius! I'll have to some of those ideas with orange juice cartons here -- we go through a lot of milk and buy it in plastic jugs.

Like jkonick (post #47), I'd also like to know more about what local food specialties are available in your area. I've never been in "snow country." Furthest north I've been in Japan was Takayama, for the Spring festival (in cherry blossom season).

I'm very curious about the V-shaped tea filter shown in this picture:

Where did you buy it? Did it come with a teapot, or is it sold separately? I imagine the rim fits right over a cup or mug to hold it in place. I've never seen anything like that at the Japanese stores here. It would be nice to have. . .

In post #52, you showed a photo of a seimaijo (rice-milling station) where customers can mill brown rice into white rice. Is that because your area grows rice, or is that popular in other parts of Japan?

Tabata-ya

makes me so natsukashi! I love wooden-structure Japanese restaurants. It reminds me of places I used to dine in with friends. And I'd almost forgotten about soba yu. No one bothers to serve it here! (And I didn't know it contains rutin.)

That kyushoku (school lunch) you show in post #55 looks good!

My daughter would eat that kind of mean anytime! (And no, she's not Japanese! ). Here in Hawaii, because of the dominant Asian-American population, the schools serve rice at least once a week, and dishes like stir-fried noodles and teriyaki chicken or beef also show up on the menus frequently. . . but never miso soup!

From post #88

Just turn it upside down, and break the pin to let air in.

So that's how you get the flan to unmold! I never knew!

Post #120 - Daiso 100 yen shop is awesome!!! In the past few months, the Japanese supermarkets here have cut back on their 99-cent stores. Marukai closed one of theirs, and raised prices on most items in the other. And Don Quixote, which has taken over the Daiei supermarkets here, eliminated the 99-cent section from the Daiei store it remodeled, and has not been getting new stock at the two other branches I've seen, so I'm sure those will soon go, too. (I don't like Don Quixote's remodel -- too cluttered.)

Post #157- That "morning market" in Yuzawa

looks a lot like the ones I saw in Takayama (except those were busy in the Spring).

And the trees in the museum look like sculptures!

I'm curious about the shishamo with roe (post #183). (My husband loves them!) Do the roe grow naturally inside the fish (don't laugh!), or are they stuffed into them? It seems to me the fish are gutted and boneless.

Post #200

What is "gum syrup"? Is it a sugar syrup used to sweeten coffee?

Ack! There was some other food you mentioned that I hadn't heard of before, but I can't find it now. . . Oh well, a question left unasked, for another post!

[Hiroyuki]

Gomen-nasai, Hiroyuki-san! I am just catching up reading your wonderful blog, after nearly a week of burning the midnight oil working. I hope your wife's health is improving and that she'll be home soon. And I admire you for blogging and. . . yes. . . dealing with ImageGullet!. . . during this stressful time.

←

Thanks, SuzySushi for being such an avid reader of my foodblog.

The V-filter:

I bought it at Yuzawa branch of "Komeri". It's so good that I can't go back to regular filters.

Unfortunately, the filter is hard to come by even in Japan. I can't find it at any other store, even at Komeri's.

It's name is Celec V-filter. Strangly, I can't find a website of Celec.

You can purchase it online from Rakuten if you are in Japan.

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/e-tisanes/469017/469419/#505795

Seimaijo can be found anywhere in Japan, except in very urban areas. Helen said, however, that the one near her house closed down recently. (Did you say that, right, Helen?)

Do the roe grow naturally inside the fish (don't laugh!)

I laughed. Yes, it does!

Gum syrup is simply sugar dissolved in water. As you may know, iced coffee is very popular in Japan, and gum syrup is usually used to sweeten iced coffee because it dissolves into iced coffee easily.

I think you have answered all of your questions. (I scrolled down to confirm.) Have I?

Edited April 29, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Hiroyuki]

The festival opened at 10:30. We arrived at the site of the festical a little past 10:30, but the site was already swarmed with people.

We first went to see this:

3D movie showing how important sabo (sediment control) is. This is my son's and my second, and my daughter's first. Educational and fun.

Yakitori stall:

Korokke (Japanese croquet) stall:

Rice and mushroom stall:

Egg stall:

I just showed them to you. I didn' buy any of the items above.

Inside Yuzawa Culture Center

Photos of sansai (wild edible plants)

My daughter said she wanted to try a "pressed flower postcard".

300 yen.

Mochi pounding:

Popular event at many festivals and fairs in Japan. "Kinako (soybean powder) mochi 100 yen??" We passed it. There was a long line of people waiting.

My daughter wanted to have a crepe.

We waited in line for more than 40 minutes!

Happy face:

400 yen.

Major event for the kids:

Fish catching!

Brother and sister cooperating

My son caught 5, and my daughter 2. Photos of the fish later.

Meet Miss Komako:

I didn't know there were three of them.

To be continued.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Hiroyuki]

I just had to buy one:

Kinome. A type of sansai (edible wild plant). In Japan, kinome refers to young leaves of sansho, but in this part of Niigata, it refers to young leaves of the plant called "akebi".

Street performer:

Who will get it??

Lucky boy who got it, and the performer apologizing to other kids:

On my way to the parking lot,

I saw the Iwappara area of Yuzawa town, where resort condos are sprawling.

Negative legacies of the bubble period, symbols of the bubble, and paradise for those who live there.

We dropped by the "home center" nearby.

My son bought a kabocha seedling, and my daughter bought two flower pots.

And, we also got a blueberry seedling from the festival (by donating 100 yen).

Supper photos later.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Today's supper!

Seven fish (rainbow trout), gutted, salted:

My daughter helped me a lot.

Oyster mushroom, simmered for a very short time (1-2 min.) in water with soy sauce, mirin, and sake, and drained:

Kinome, boiled for 2-3 min.:

Much less bitter than I thought. We had it with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and ponzu. (It is often served with an beaten quail egg on top.)

To be continued. I have to upload other photos.

[Hiroyuki]

Rice cooker:

Takikomi gohan (rice cooked with other ingredients, in this case, carrot and abura age (fried bean curd). I added the oyster mushroom and mixed well.

Rainbow trout, grilled:

with salt on the tails. Such salt is called kazari jio (decorative salt), which prevents the tail from burning.

Done!

I also made miso soup with onion, cabbage, and wakame (a type of seaweed).

The meal may look simple to you, but it is a feast for me and my children. We liked it.

Today, my children learned a lot while enjoying.

Important lesson: You must kill to live. That's why we say "Itadakimasu".

This will be my last post today. Some more explanation tomorrow. Bye for now.

Edited: Not salmon trout but rainbow trout. That's what you do when you are drunk, like I did.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[prasantrin]

The V-filter:

I bought it at Yuzawa branch of "Komeri".  It's so good that I can't go back to regular filters.

Unfortunately, the filter is hard to come by even in Japan.  I can't find it at any other store, even at Komeri's.

It's name is Celec V-filter.  Strangly, I can't find a website of Celec.

You can purchase it online from Rakuten if you are in Japan.

http://www.rakuten.co.jp/e-tisanes/469017/469419/#505795

←

In payment for your very kind answer of my nosy questions, you can find contact information here for Celec (not that you really wanted to contact them, but just in case!), but they don't have a website. They appear to be based in Gifu!

I had another question, but now I can't remember it! I guess you're off the hook this time!

[Peter Green]

Hiroyuki,

I was happy to see Tampopo! A fine, fine piece of cinema.

Do the kids and/or you watch One Piece, the anime? If so, is Sanji the cook your favourite character?

Cheers,

Peter

[BryanZ]

I've been enjoying this blog very much. Much of the food presented here (curry, katsu, broiled and simmered fish, various miso and clear soups, pickles, etc) is strikingly similar to what my mother served my sister and I growing up. And the festival with all the stalls and produce and catching fish certainly evokes memories of summertime trips to Japan.

Good times.

[Abra]

That dinner looks like a feast to me - I'd be happy to dine at your house any day! I love the variety, and the degree to which you adhere to traditional foods, and the way your kids love them.

Can you tell us what to do with kuruma fu? I see it in the store and it looks interesting, but I don't know how to use it.

We have a mochitsuki here once a year, and it looks amazingly like the one you showed. Some things transplant well. That Yuzawa festival looks really fun!

[judiu]

Another wonderful journey; thank you so much! Best wishes to your family and good thoughts for your wife's recovering her health!

[Hiroyuki]

Hiroyuki,

I was happy to see Tampopo!  A fine, fine piece of cinema.

Do the kids and/or you watch One Piece, the anime?  If so, is Sanji the cook your favourite character?

Cheers,

Peter

←

I had to google to find out what One Piece was. I didn't know anything about it .

Feel free to what you think about the anime here.

[Hiroyuki]

I've been enjoying this blog very much.  Much of the food presented here (curry, katsu, broiled and simmered fish, various miso and clear soups, pickles, etc) is strikingly similar to what my mother served my sister and I growing up.  And the festival with all the stalls and produce and catching fish certainly evokes memories of summertime trips to Japan.

Good times.

←

Hi, Bryan!

This is the least I could do, showing eGulleters my everyday meals of the week, not all the beautiful sushi and exotic kaiseki meals.

[Hiroyuki]

That dinner looks like a feast to me - I'd be happy to dine at your house any day!  I love the variety, and the degree to which you adhere to traditional foods, and the way your kids love them.

Can you tell us what to do with kuruma fu?  I see it in the store and it looks interesting, but I don't know how to use it.

We have a mochitsuki here once a year, and it looks amazingly like the one you showed.  Some things transplant well.  That Yuzawa festival looks really fun!

←

Kuruma fu is a specialty of Niigata prefecture. It's big, much bigger than tiny kazari fu (decorative fu). Local people often reconstitute and put it in simmered goods. It can also be reconstituted, squeezed, breadded, and deep-fried (sometimes served at school lunch here). It can also be used instead of meat. I once made "niku jaga" (potato meat stew) using kuruma fu, instead of meat.

[Hiroyuki]

I forgot to mention yesterday's lunch at the festival.

I had two "Frankfurt" (big Vienna sausage).

100 yen per piece.

My son had one "Frankfurt" and one crepe.

My daughter had one crepe as shown in a previous thread.

I wanted to have yakisoba, but the long line of people waiting was unapproachable, so I settled on Frankfurt. (The stall had a shorter line of people.)

Today (April 30) is a national holiday in Japan. My childres are still sleep. It's 6:46 right now. I must make breakfast and wake them up! Bye for now.

[Shaya]

What a great blog you have here, Hiroyuki. I have really enjoyed seeing how you live and most of all how you feed your family. You are a wonderful father and husband. From your blog and all the great meals you prepare it is evident that you are taking the best possible care of your children during these otherwise difficult times. I send all my wishes for health and strength to your wife and your family. And by the way, you are just adorable in your photo!

[Hiroyuki]

What a great blog you have here, Hiroyuki.  I have really enjoyed seeing how you live and most of all how you feed your family.  You are a wonderful father and husband.  From your blog and all the great meals you prepare it is evident that you are taking the best possible care of your children during these otherwise difficult times.  I send all my wishes for health and strength to your wife and your family.  And by the way, you are just adorable in your photo!

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Oh, thanks for all your complimentary remarks about me, especially about the photo of me.

The thing is, you can be stronger in times of need. I'm stronger than ever.

[Domestic Goddess]

The thing is, you can be stronger in times of need.  I'm stronger than ever.

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So very true. Thank you for sharing your wonderful meals and pictures of your beautiful family and you. I truly enjoyed seeing your part of the world, the way you go about your life and your love for your family and how it shows in the food that you prepare.

More power, prayers and blessings to you Hiroyuki. Give my regards to your wife and tell her that we're all praying for her here in Korea.

[Hiroyuki]

My mistake:

I had noticed that the "consume by" date was April 27, but I was unable to come up with a good use of this tofu until today. I smelled it, I thought it was still good, but when I took one piece and put it in my mouth... I thought it was still good, but just to be on the safe side, I threw it away. 28 yen.

Today's breakfast:

Most of them are leftovers.

[Hiroyuki]

Interesting ad that I found in yesterday's paper:

Kyara ben (character bento) contest.

Interesting article in yesterday's paper:

22% of the households surveyed serve foods in platters, not in individual smaller plates for the individual family members. The Japanese are changing!

Ad in today's paper:

Shokuiku (food education) instructor training course.

The man in the ad is Yukio Hattori, the major proponent of shokuiku in Japan. If there is one food-related scene in Japan that is worth mentionining here, it's shokuiku. Every major food-related corporation has its own shokuiku program, like McDonalds, Calbee (snack company), and Kikkoman (soy sauce manufacturer).

[jgarner53]

What a great blog! It's far more interesting to me to see what you eat on a regular basis than what is more familiar to me. I think you're doing a tremendous job!

Seeing your Daiso shop reminded me that they opened one nearby, and I really do have to go visit it. San Francisco has a great Japantown, with one dollar-store, and a great Japanese grocery, as well.

It appeared to me that you used two different brands of curry roux? One the first night, another when you added more? Or am I mistaken? Do you have a preferred brand of roux? I discovered curry rice last year when my husband and I went to Tokyo, and it's great comfort food! I've made it a couple of times since, just picking a box at random off the shelf.

[helenjp]

Funnily enough, I have started serving everything on one plate this past month, because otherwise I am washing dishes at midnight, and getting up at 5am. It's a practical solution to the old Japanese problem of everybody coming home late from school and work (and I often have work to finish at night) - but whenever I do use one large plate, I feel horribly guilty and WRONG!

Suspicious tofu was meant to be drained and used in iri-dofu or tofu/ground meat burgers!

And don't be too strong - pick one day a week to be a slob and make everybody go to the sento, eat cup ramen in the sento lobby for dinner, and come home in their pajamas!