eG Foodblog: Hiroyuki - Home-style Japanese cooking

[Hiroyuki]

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.

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Thanks! By the way, I bought a bag of kimchi at a festival here in Shiozawa on March 12. When I tasted it, I found it very, very hot. I can only comsume it little by little, mainly as a "sake no sakana" (food to eat with sake). (I posted a photo that includes that kimchi somewhere in my foodblog.) It must be a Japanese-style kimchi. Authentic Korean kimchi should not be that hot!

[Hiroyuki]

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.

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You are right. First S&B, second House.

I prefer House curry roux. The roux I like the best is Java Curry, Karakuchi (Hot), but I haven't had it for years. My children cannot stand spicy and hot foods yet. I often buy Vermont Curry, Chukara (midium hot).

For me, and for millions of mothers in Japan, curry is a "what-am-I-going-to-make-for-supper-tonight.-I-can't-think-of-any" food.

[Hiroyuki]

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!

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I didn't think of that! You are a good cook!

Thanks for the slob suggestion. I'm going to follow that some day between May 3 and 6.

For those of you who don't know this, we are in Golden Week in Japan (April 29 to May 6 this year)!

[SuzySushi]

I prefer House curry roux.  The roux I like the best is Java Curry, Karakuchi (Hot), but I haven't had it for years.  My children cannot stand spicy and hot foods yet.  I often buy Vermont Curry, Chukara (midium hot).

For me, and for millions of mothers in Japan, curry is a "what-am-I-going-to-make-for-supper-tonight.-I-can't-think-of-any" food.

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I like House Java curry best too, though I go for the "medium hot" version. Haven't had that for a while either because it's too hot for my daughter, so I usually buy S&B or Golden "mild." I will not stoop to using Vermont curry -- it's much too sweet!!

BTW, you did answer my other questions -- except I still can't figure out how those tiny fish can be boneless!

[Hiroyuki]

Apology:  I have uploaded all the photos I selected, but there are so many of them that I just post some of them here.  Please go to ImageGullet to view other photos.

Meet the geisha Komako again

together with carp streamers, this time.

Boys' Day is May 5.

Today's lunch:  Men's flavor and salmon, which I bought at the Orange Heart convenience store, shown in my preceding post:

What is men's flavor?  Spicy cucumber pickle.

Are you familiar with this?:

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Now I have some free time. Let me continue with this.

Yuzawa Kogen Beer:

One of the local beer breweries in Niigata. If I remember correctly, Niigata prefecture has the most such local beer breweries in Japan.

Iwappara area of Yuzawa town:

As I said earlier, one of the areas of Yuzawa town that are called ghost towns. But such resort condos are paradise for those living in them. I know that because my family lived in one in Shiozawa.

Restaurant on the premises of Yuzawa Station that is run by the beer brewery shown above.

Kinoko no Yama, limited version.

Regional version, available only in Niigata. It contains rice puffs.

Sanjo hardware:

Sanjo city, located in Niigata prefecture, is very famous for its hardware.

Entrance of Ponsu Kan, sake museum in Echigo:

Echigo is the former name of Niigata.

O, oh.

Wide selection of sake:

Niigata is the second largest producer of rice, after Hokkaido. But Hokkaido produces cheaper varieties mainly used in the restaurant industry.

Good rice means good sake, but note that the varieties used to make sake are different from those consumed as part of meals.

Miso section:

Pickle section:

Are you watching, Helen?

Fu (wheat glutin) in various forms:

Retro rice milling machine:

Not for sale (I think).

Rice section, naturally:

Unlike the ones sold at Shojiki Mura (see upthread), these bags contain rice from different farmers. I think the best way to get Shiozawa Koshihikari is to get it from a single, reliable, honest farmer in Shiozawa.

You can taste all sorts of pickle here:

This photo is for you, Helen.

Entrance of Saka Buro (Sake Bath):

Why not take a bath of water containing sake?

Tasting room:

where you can taste 96 brands in Niigata. You have to pay 500 yen to taste 5 brands, if I remember correctly.

You, again:

Kanzuri:

Red pepper-based seasoning. Are you there, sizzleteeth?

More to come later.

[Hiroyuki]

Top three souveniors at Ponshu Kan

1st place:

Hakkaisan Jizake (Local Sake) Nama (Fresh) Chocolat Cake

Hakkaisan is a very famous local sake in the former Muikamachi city.

2nd:

Hakkaisan Saka (= Sake) Manju.

3nd:

Jizake Nama Chocolate (Local Sake Fresh Chocolate)

Ekiben stand:

The ekiben are made in the building that I posted a photo of in a previous thread.

Ikura Tarako Meshi (Salmon roe, cod roe rice) is the best-selling bento there, followed by kani (crab) bento.

Closeups of the food samples:

Edited to add: SuzySushi and others who said they wanted to know some of the specialities in Yuzawa and surrounding areas, are you satisfied?

Edited April 30, 2007 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Some of the foodstuffs that I want to show you.

Left: Ko ebi (small shrimp), used to make kakiage (a type of tempura)

Right: Beni shoga (red pickled ginger), indispensable to my gyudon (beef bowl)

Top left: Tororo kombu (very thinly sliced kombu), used in clear soup

Top right: Shio kombu (salfted kombu), used as a seasoning for boiled vegetables

Bottom left: Kuro kikurage (cloud ear mushroom?), used in clear soup

Bottom right: Kizami kombu (shreadded and dried kombu), used in simmered dishes

Left: Knorr corn cream soup, with an individual pack above.

Middle and right: Instant ochazuke. Sprinckle on your rice, pour hot water, and eat it.

Top: Kinako (roasted soybean powder), used to make sweets. Often mixed with sugar at a 1:1 ratio, with a bit of salt added.

Left: Dashi kombu, used to make dashi.

Right: Ajitsuke nori (seasoned laver), eaten with hot rice.

[Hiroyuki]

Some other photos that I uploaded but have so far failed to post here for some reason or other

Instant dashi

One of the reasons why I am not a serious cook. I don't want to make real dashi from scratch!

Suzuki Bokushi Memorial Museum

Suzuki Bokushi is a writer who wrote Hokuetsu Seppu in the Edo period. You can read the English version of the book if you want.

You can learn about him and a lot others from here. You can even watch the video from the link although the narration is in Japanese.

Tools for making great coffee:

But I really don't have the time to enjoy great coffee.

Soup used to wash dishcloth:

Ordorless, no dangerous additives.

What do you guys use to wash their dishcloth?

I-wrap bags:

I love to use them! I like them because they are flimsy. They ensures thorough and uven coating of karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and others.

Melamine resin sponge, available at any 100-yen shop:

I love to use it to clean the counter top, the table, etc.

[Hiroyuki]

My nephew came to play with my son this morning.

Today's luch is zanpan seiri (leafover clearance)!!

I had leftover curry with leftover, frozen white rice.

My daughter had leftover takikomi gohan and leftover rainbow trout.

My son had leftover, frozen white rice and natto.

My nephew had leftover takikomi gohan.

The three kids had newly-made pork sausage, too. We all had leftover cabbage-and-onion-and wakame miso soup.

No photo.

[alanamoana]

Hiroyuki! This blog has been amazing. I can't believe how much you cook, considering you don't consider yourself a cook. Very few American husbands with two children would be able to do as much as you do (excepting of course, eGulleteers ).

I'm so sorry your wife is in the hospital, I hope she gets better soon.

I just wanted to thank you for the explanation of the dried wheat gluten...once, when I was very young, my brother and I had to fly to Korea via Tokyo. We had an overnight stay at Narita and the voucher for dinner included a soup with a piece of the dried wheat gluten in it. My brother and I thought it was just a small piece of bread that kept expanding and expanding!

Ultimately, I ended up living in Japan for three years while I was in high school (Yokota Air Force Base). I just love Japan and all the food...especially snack food. What you (or men) would probably eat with beer or sake, I love to snack on all the time.

Thanks for a great week

[mizducky]

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).

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That looks like the same Yukio Hattori who used to appear as the commentator on the original FujiTV Iron Chef show, right? That show had a huge cult following here in the United States--our Food Network used to rerun it frequently. Sadly for those of us who were fans of the original, Food Network quit running it in favor of their own US-produced version.

[Hiroyuki]

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).

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That looks like the same Yukio Hattori who used to appear as the commentator on the original FujiTV Iron Chef show, right? That show had a huge cult following here in the United States--our Food Network used to rerun it frequently. Sadly for those of us who were fans of the original, Food Network quit running it in favor of their own US-produced version.

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Yes, the very same person. He was the mastermind of Iron Chef and is now the major proponent of shokuiku. Iron Chef was huge in Japan, too. I was thrilled.

[yunnermeier]

Thanks for posting the picture, Hiroyuki! It's always nice to put a face to a poster:) You actually look A LOT like my English teacher when I was an exchange student in Gifu but you write much,much better English:D

I remember eating very little vegetables when I was in Japan. Is that still the case now?

[Abra]

Wow, that was a great post, with so many interesting things to ask about!

Is shokuiku general nutrition instruction, or more like cooking lessons, or recipes specific to the use of certain products?

And that sake museum, too cool! I have been wondering something about sake for several years now. May I ask you? I few years ago I was taught, at a restaurant, to drink chilled Otokoyama sake from a cedar box, with a pinch of salt on the corner. The server placed the box in a shallow bowl, then poured until the box was overflowing into the bowl. She told me to drink until the box was empty, then drink what remained in the bowl. I thought this was a charming ritual, and have done it at home several times since then, but I wonder about it.

I like the cedar flavor, but probably it's masking some of the sake's own flavors. Same thing with the salt - that's pretty expensive sake here, and the salt seems like a funny addition (although I like it in the same way I like salt with tequila.) And the generous pouring, spilling, lifting the underneath bowl to drink, what's that all about?

Oh, and more fundamentally, do Japanese women drink sake? Or did the server teach me a Japanese businessman's way of drinking? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but your pictures of that sake museum made me realize how little I know about sake.

[Hiroyuki]

I remember eating very little vegetables when I was in Japan. Is that still the case now?

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How long ago? You mean that the people around you had more meat and less vegetables. Were you with young Japanese people who had only ramen and snacks from convenience stores? I really don't know what to answer...

[yunnermeier]

How long ago?  You mean that the people around you had more meat and less vegetables.  Were you with young Japanese people who had only ramen and snacks from convenience stores?  I really don't know what to answer...

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In 2003/04. Most days, we'd have a few lettuce leaves and some shredded carrots or just a tiny saucer of pickles or boiled spinach! This was in Gifu though so it may just be some regional thing. Hrhr with young people it's always okonomiyaki or Yoshinoya gyudon but dinner was mostly eaten at home .

[Hiroyuki]

Is shokuiku general nutrition instruction, or more like cooking lessons, or recipes specific to the use of certain products?

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Shokuiku is an all-embracing concept. It may includes slow food, chisan chisho (local production, local consumption), Japan's food pyramid, and what have you.

I'm no expert on sake, especially those etiquettes associated with sake, but that ritual that you had to go through is for a festive occassion only. We usually don't drink sake that way.

Women drink sake, naturally, especially because there are now sake that come in fashionable, cool bottles like the ones I showed earlier in my foodblog. Decades ago, sake was often considered for middle-aged men, as you can imagine from the drunken "dolls" in the Ponshu Kan.

[Hiroyuki]

How long ago?  You mean that the people around you had more meat and less vegetables.  Were you with young Japanese people who had only ramen and snacks from convenience stores?  I really don't know what to answer...

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In 2003/04. Most days, we'd have a few lettuce leaves and some shredded carrots or just a tiny saucer of pickles or boiled spinach! This was in Gifu though so it may just be some regional thing. Hrhr with young people it's always okonomiyaki or Yoshinoya gyudon but dinner was mostly eaten at home .

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OK, I kind of understand what you are talking about. You were with wrong Japanese! Young people, they never think about nutrition, do they? I know that because I was once young!

[Hiroyuki]

My son now has a high fever of 39.7 C. I think I must change the supper plan. Children are so unpredictable!

[helenjp]

Poor sausage. Give him plenty to drink, even if he is sleepy.

As for unpredictable, yes - our elder son, after 10 years of HATING RAMEN suddenly asked for home-made ramen tonight. When younger son gets back from violin-bashing, they're on boiled-egg peeling duty.

[torakris]

I go away camping for 2 days and the foodblog is up to 9 pages!

I am curious about the amazake ice cream, in the picture of the fake man lying on the floor there is a sign of amazake soft cream. Is the a popular flavor?? Have you ever tried it.

I hope your son feels better soon!

I think I must live in one of the cheapest parts of Japan.. maybe there are just more people and more stores thus more competition? I also admit I do search out the cheapest price for almost everything, a couple years I made my husband call every shaken (car inspection) place in the phone book to get the cheapest price. We only (?) paid 100,000 yen for our mini-van.

[Hiroyuki]

I am curious about the amazake ice cream, in the picture of the fake man lying on the floor there is a sign of amazake soft cream. Is the a popular flavor?? Have you ever tried it.

I hope your son feels better soon!

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I didn't notice it until you mentioned it. Sorry, no. The sign says it's new, and I don't go there often because I'm not a tourist.

I think my son has a flu.

[Hiroyuki]

I thought I would make chicken kara age to show you how useful the I-wrap bag is, but because my son had a high fever, I changed my mind and made soba instead. I said to my son, "Do you think you can have soba?", and he said yes.

Look at what I got this evening:

Kogome (or kogomi) (fiddleheads?) from two different people, almost at the same time. I like kogome!

Today's star:

Soba that I bought from the 100-yen shop! I like it. Whole-grain soba.

I have these three bottles:

Left: Mirin-style seasoning with an alcohol content of 0.8%

Middle: Newer type of mirin-style seasoning with an alcohol content of 8.5%

Right: Hon (real) mirin with an alcohol content of 14% (if I remember correctly)

Two pots:

Left: Soba dipping sauce. It's easy to make. Just mix dashi, mirin-style seasoning, and soy sauce at a ratio of 4:1:1. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let cool.

If you choose to use real mirin, you must boil for some time to evaporate the alcohol.

Today's supper:

Sorry for all the mess. I was really busy.

Simple but very satisfying meal.

I had kogome with ponzu and mayo.

My children liked them too. My daughter said, "Oishi sugiru!!" (super tasty).

I also got this (touna, nappa, I don't know) from my nephew this morning.

[Domestic Goddess]

I am sorry to hear that your son has the flu Hiroyuli. I do hope he recovers quickly.

With regards to korean kimchi, you are right about it not being so spicy (although when I first ate it I thought it was really hot, now I am used to it). Would you like me to send you some? I'll gladly mail you some if you like.

Oh, can you tell me how do you fix fiddleheads? I'd like to know how to fix it if I see it here in the local market.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Domestic Goddess (log)

[Hiroyuki]

I am sorry to hear that your son has the flu Hiroyuli. I do hope he recovers quickly.

With regards to korean kimchi, you are right about it not being so spicy (although when I first ate it I thought it was really hot, now I am used to it). Would you like me to send you some? I'll gladly mail you some if you like.

Oh, can you tell me how do you fix fiddleheads? I'd like to know how to fix it if I see it here in the local market.

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Oh, you are generous!

The Japanese way to prepare kogome is very simple. Wash them well, put them in boiling water, boil them for a few minutes, drain, and put in cold water.

Probably, kogome has the least "aku" (harshness) of all the sansai (edible wild plants) eaten in Japan. In Japan, different sansai are prepared differently, depending on the level of aku.