eG Foodblog: smallworld - Spring in Tokyo

[smallworld]

For our last foodblog dinner my husband cooked his specialty, okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is a savoury pancake originating in Osaka, where he is from. Okonomiyaki has a Hiroshima version but of course my husband stays true to his roots and cooks it Osaka-style.

Ingredients are flour, instant dashi powder and baking soda; chopped cabbage; benishouga (pickled ginger); tenkasu (fried tempura batter); eggs; Chinese noodles; and grated yama-imo (mountain yam). They are all mixed together to make the batter.

In our house okonomiyaki at the table on our teppan (table-top grill), and we usually start with a bit of teppanyaki. Here we have oysters (sold shucked) and jagaimo mochi (potato mashed with starch to make a chewy patty). Condiments are chuuno sauce (similar to Worcestershire), soy sauce, aonori seaweed flakes, katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and butter.

The oysters are sauteed in butter and finished with soy sauce. Behind them is the jagaimo mochi.

Regular okonomiyaki. This has slices of pork on the bottom, and is about to be drizzled with the chuunou sauce and sprinkled with the aonori and katsuobushi. The jagaimo mochi in front is nearly done: it should be golden brown and crisp on the outside, soft and chewy inside.

Next up is modan-yaki, which is okonomiyaki with noodles that have been fried in the sauce with a little salt and pepper.

The noodles are placed on top of the okonomiyaki, more okonomiyaki batter is poured over the noodles, then pork is placed on top.

Then it is all flipped over so the other side can cook. He can flip this triple-decker without a single strand of noodle falling out of place, which is a pretty amazing skill in my opinion.

When the pork is cooked it is all flipped again, and drizzled with the same sauce and toppings as before.

The finished modan-yaki is cut into halves or quarters and served, and it's very hard to wait until it cools down before digging in-- I sometimes end up burning my tongue. It is totally worth it.

And now I'm off to bed. There are still some questions I haven't answered, and I need to give a proper thanks for all the wonderfull comments, but those pre-dawn earthquakes can really tire a girl out. I hope it's not cheating if I finish this up tomorrow morning-- it will still be Sunday for most of you anyway, right?

Good night!

[OnigiriFB]

This has been a great blog. Thank you so much for doing it. Your regular blog is now part of my line up of must reads! Everything looked great and made me really hungry. I'm looking forward to trying out some of the things you made. I can totally relate to feeling like you just want to live and missing home. I felt that way after 5 years in Thailand and I had family there! I have a weird question: Do you and your husband speak Japanese to each other or English? My Dad used to speak English to me and I would reply in Thai to him when we lived in Bangkok. It was switched when we lived in the States. It's a great way to keep up your language. BTW tell you husband he is cute and shouldn't mind a picture being posted. Thanks again for all the hard work.

[racheld]

What a morning!!! I woke to the sound of birds, to sunshine through the curtains, to the scent of coffee perking in the kitchen---and after a cheery greeting from Chris------this MAGICAL slideshow of Spring and the most beautiful picnic I've ever seen.

I cannot tell you the effect of all the beauty from so far away---and the so-exquisitely-prepared and arranged picnic fare. I thought yesterday's viewing was a jewel-box, but today's went straight into the Emperor's treasure chest and spilled it out onto the grass.

The import given to the time of the blossoms, the honor given to the season, the savoring of the scent, the colors, the vistas---your sheer preparation time and effort and care are a marvel to see, displayed there on your picnic cloth. A stopping to be in the fleeting moment of first Spring is often passed by in a blur, but the way you captured the blossoms and the repast and the bright of the day---I'll carry that for a long, long time.

I cannot thank you enough for this glimpse of another place I'll never see save through pictures and through the eyes of friends. This is just the loveliest picnic I can imagine.

I often think of a line in Clavell's Shogun, "Will you come and enjoy my sunrise?" The two fierce men sat and just were in the beauty of the morning, as if it were the only one. You've given great honor and import to the blossoms and the season, and I thank you from my heart for taking me along.

[Dasha]

That was fabulous, Amy! I'm a regular reader of your blog but it was great fun to see your food live on a daily basis.

I have to tell you that I returned from vacation on Friday, sort of bummed to be back in the cold, but I immediately squeed with happiness to see that you were the foodblogger of the week. I hope you do it again!

[Hiroyuki]

Wow, your husband is an okonomiyaki expert! Grated yamaimo! I think your husband can find a job in Canada, as an authentic okonomiyaki chef!

[smallworld]

Now that is one breakfast that I couldn't say "snap" to! Looks great.

And a guy making amazake...there's something very cute about that.

I seem to remember that Hiroyuki posted about the same type of peanut senbei you  showed - and they're a favorite of my husband's, too. They always seem to be on the fuddy-duddy shelf of the snack corner, yet those who try them always seem to come back for more!

I just found those france-pan snacks recently (kids were home early studying for exams...). Haven't tried the caramel one you had, but the butter one seemed better than the sugar flavor, for your future reference!

If your kakeibo has made it as far as March, you're already an expert. I don't know why they don't just sell a "January-only" edition for those who know themselves!

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Helen, I just have to ask: what does "snap" mean (I actually looked it up the first time you used it but it seems to be one of those words that can mean anything)? And what was wrong with my other breakfasts?

My husband also makes oshiruko. He has a much bigger sweet tooth than I do!

Yes, the fuddy-duddy section! Excellent description of the aisle that sells the boring or weird old-fashioned stuff that I never ever buy. Except for these.

That's funny about the kakeibo. I admit I'm finding it a big drag but I'm not giving up, as I really do need to get a handle on our finances. We spend way to much money on food, as you can see, and any extra money we save is spent on visits back home. We realized that's not a good way to live when my husband found himself unemployed for three months last year, right after I'd spent all my savings on a trip home. So a kakeibo is totally necessary and I'll do it for as long as I have to.

And now that I've outed myself as such a plebeian coffee-drinker to these august pages, I'll just say that it's one of the few kinds which is pre-ground of a size NOT to fall through the holes in my percolator.  And that buying any beans, no matter how elite and rare, grinding them results in SOME powder which a filter-system will take out, but not the perc.

And at some times of the year, and at this time of my life, I just get a craving for the old days, the old ways, and waking up at my age to the familiar, remembered scent of the same coffee as I had in my teens and young married life---well, Proust liked what HE remembered, and Tom Wolfe was only partly right.

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No shame in not grinding your own beans. I gave it up after buying a bur grinder and realizing it was no better than a blade grinder. Now I buy my coffee a few times a month and the place I buy it from grinds it there. And that's good enough for me!

And nothing wrong with drinking Folgers! My family used to, and the empty can was always put to use gathering bacon fat. My father and brother have since switched to fancier stuff (I wonder what they do with bacon fat?) and my mother now drinks instant only. She says she prefers the taste and will actually refuse a cup of better coffee, but I think it's also, like you and your Folgers, a nostalgia thing. I like the way you put that.

Thanks for the lovely photos!  Very clever.  I never expected that you'd show us ume blossoms instead of cherry blossoms.

I was amused to see the bamboo shamoji in the rice cooker.  I use a plastic one that came with the rice cooker.  I want to buy a non-stick one some day.

I wonder how the fuki was seasoned.  No mayo for the broccoli?

Edited to add:  It sure was a sunny day today, even in my snowy area.  I took two walks today, skipping the weeky house-cleaning.

Correction:  Shamoji not shomoji (blush)

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Have you never done hanami for ume? Highly recommended if the weather is right, since the crowds are much better than for sakura.

I think our rice cooker came with a plastic shamoji (my husband bought this a few years before we married so I'm not sure) but I never use it. The bamboo one just looks so much nicer! There was a time when I tried to use traditional wooden tools for everything, but I had to give some up when I realized how hard to clean they were. Now my otoshibuta (drop lid) is metal and our oke (bath bucket) is plastic.

The fuki was seasoned with dashi and a touch of soy sauce and sake. Absolutely no mayo on the broccoli! We both hate the stuff. Actually I no longer hate it but will only tolerate a little bit of it mixed up into something. I could never eat it alone as a condiment.

[torakris]

We had okonomiyaki for dinner last night as well! Not nearly as fancy as yours though as our was a last minute throw-together meal. We had two NTT guys in our house for 6 hours trying to switch our phones (we have 3 lines) and internet (3 computers) from cable to fiber optic. They had to leave without finishing the job. At least my computer works.

Good for you for keeping a kakeibo (budget book), I have been doing one since 1996. I have used American style computer software as well as Japanese style notebooks and found out what works best for me is to just make my own from scratch. I use a blank notebook and make categories that I like. I found the pre-written versions had either too many categories I didn't need or else left out something I found important.

[CaliPoutine]

Helen, I just have to ask: what does "snap" mean (I actually looked it up the first time you used it but it seems to be one of those words that can mean anything)? And what was wrong with my other breakfasts?

Hmmm, I thought the word "snap" was a Canadian thing since I heard it a lot when I first moved here. Its like when two people say(or do) the same thing at the same time.

I guess in Helen's case, its because she's eating the same breakfast as you.

[helenjp]

Loved your ume hanami - hanami WAS "ume" until cherries took over! Your bento looked great.

By the way, what is the brown color in the potato patties - potato skin, or something like mushrooms? I've never made modan-yaki, but agree with your DH that okonomi-yaki batter has to be Osaka-style.

And what was wrong with my other breakfasts?

Nothing! Sorry to confuse you - Snap is a very simple card game - you just put cards down, and if two cards of the same value are laid down consecutively, the first person to say "Snap!" scoops the pile. So the "snap" breakfasts were the ones that resembled ours, but your weekend one went way above and beyond our breakfast!

Kakeibo - I don't keep one at the moment, but after keeping one for a while, I kind of know that I can afford to spend x amount on meat/fish per week, x amount on vegetables, etc. There's a freebie Japanese software program called Gamaguchi too.

I had one from an Eiyou to Ryouri magazine that had columns for "staples" (starches), "dairy and other proteins" and "vegetables", "condiments (from oil and salt to sauces and herbs)" "pleasure eating" (! beer and snacks??) and "eating out". They had some great chart in the back indicating the average spending for each category, Engels index, etc etc.

I could never do that longterm, but tracking snack foods and drinks and eating out as separate categories was useful. Maybe that's why people don't buy fruit much here - because they want to keep their "snack" category spending down?

I observe one or two receipts from GEO in there, so extravagant!

[SusieQ]

smallworld, I just want to say thank you for a most delightful few hours that I've just spent reading your blog and looking at your photos. You obviously went to a great effort to give us such a detailed look at what it's like cooking and just living in Japan. I appreciate it very much. I don't post very often, but I try to read a lot of the Japan forum posts -- and especially the blogs! -- and I think yours was just wonderful. So, thanks again for the glimpse into your world -- not small at all!

SusieQ

[Cadbury]

Amy, I've thoroughly enjoyed your foodblog. It brought back some very pleasant memories.

[smallworld]

Sarensho asked a while back about food-related changes in the past decade here, and I forgot to mention one of the biggest changes of all: coffee. Starbucks wasn't here when I first came and I had a terrible time trying to find espresso-based coffees. I once ordered a "cappuccino" at a kissaten and was served a tiny little cafe au lait and charged 1600 yen for it. The situation was so bad that my mother actually shipped me a cappuccino maker. I was thrilled when Starbucks came, not because I was a Starbucks fan but because it meant I could finally find Italian style coffees. Starbucks' popularity was partially responsible for coffee war among the major cafe and fast food chains, and the price of coffee all over Japan went down and in many cases the quality went up.

Kissaten, which were already dying out, started closing down at a faster rate. I admit I'm not very sad to see them go. "Kissaten", for those outside of Japan, means "coffee shop" but especially refers to independantly owned places that specialize in producing a fine cup of coffee. Usually the coffee is served in fine china or quirky cups and there is often a them to the place, like the "antique kissa" decorated with, or selling, antiques, or the "jazz kissa" that plays old jazz records. The trouble is that the coffee was always expensive and not always great, and the staff were often not very hospitable to non-regulars.

Now coffee shops have less personality but (arguably) better coffee, cheaper prices, and friendlier staff. There are also more non-smoking coffee shops, or at least coffee shops with non-smoking floors, and this is mostly due to Starbucks' no smoking policy.

Starbucks is now present in 45 prefectures (only Aomori is without one) and city centres are just as saturated with their outlets as North American cities are. I believe for several years their busiest and most profitable stores have been in Japan, first the Shinjuku South Terrace outlet and now the Shibuya Crossing store.

[smallworld]

Wow! What an incredible looking bento! As a Canadian, I still feel surprise when Spring starts in early March, and I always want to get out and enjoy the weather while I can - there's some part of me that feels that even if it's warm and sunny one day, it could still snow again the next. What better way to celebrate than to get out and have a picnic!

buta no negimaki (long onion wrapped with pork)

Can you describe how you make this? It sounds like something my husband would love.

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Yes, I love love the short winters here, and really really love how flowers bloom all year long.

Buta no negimaki is the simplest form of nikumaki (meat rolls). Just lay out thin slices of pork (or beef), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay hoso-negi (thin negi), which have been cut to size, on the slices (the leanest end is best). The roll the meat tightly around the negi and add to a hot, oiled pan with the end of the roll down (to seal it shut). Brown, splash with mirin and soy sauce, cook until liquid is absorbed and meat is cooked (you may have to cut one open to check).

There are endless variations. You can add more liquid, like dashi and sake, and give it a longer braise. You can use any long thin vegetable, or any vegetable that can be cut long and thin. Asparagus, green beans, enoki mushrooms, sliced carrots or nagaimo are all good, and it's also nice to roll up a shiso leaf with each roll.

I have a weird question: Do you and your husband speak Japanese to each other or English? My Dad used to speak English to me and I would reply in Thai to him when we lived in Bangkok. It was switched when we lived in the States. It's a great way to keep up your language.

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Not a weird question at all, people here ask that all the time. We use Japanese for really easy stuff and aisatsu (greetings) and other set phrases that don't have real equivalents in English (like sayint "itadakimasu" before eating). For regular conversations we do a mish-mash of both languages, and often I will speak Japanese and he will reply in English. But serious conversations are English only, as his English is far better than my Japanese.

What a morning!!!  I woke to the sound of birds, to sunshine through the curtains, to the scent of coffee perking in the kitchen---and after a cheery greeting from Chris------this MAGICAL slideshow of Spring and the most beautiful picnic I've ever seen.

I cannot tell you the effect of all the beauty from so far away---and the so-exquisitely-prepared and arranged picnic fare.  I thought yesterday's viewing was a jewel-box, but today's went straight into the Emperor's treasure chest and spilled it out onto the grass.

The import given to the time of the blossoms, the honor given to the season, the savoring of the scent, the colors, the vistas---your sheer preparation time and effort and care are a marvel to see, displayed there on your picnic cloth.  A stopping to be in the fleeting moment of first Spring is often passed by in a blur, but the way you captured the blossoms and the repast and the bright of the day---I'll carry that for a long, long time.

I cannot thank you enough for this glimpse of another place I'll never see save through pictures and through the eyes of friends.  This is just the loveliest picnic I can imagine. 

I often think of a line in Clavell's Shogun, "Will you come and enjoy my sunrise?"  The two fierce men sat and just were in the beauty of the morning, as if it were the only one.  You've given great honor and import to the blossoms and the season, and I thank you from my heart for taking me along.

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Thank you for all of your lovely comments! And for the Shogun reference, as I haven't it in ages. Now that I think about it, my interest in Japan probably started when I saw the miniseries as a kid.

[smallworld]

Helen, I just have to ask: what does "snap" mean (I actually looked it up the first time you used it but it seems to be one of those words that can mean anything)? And what was wrong with my other breakfasts?

Hmmm, I thought the word "snap" was a Canadian thing since I heard it a lot when I first moved here. Its like when two people say(or do) the same thing at the same time.

I guess in Helen's case, its because she's eating the same breakfast as you.

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Thanks for the explanation! It very well might be a Canadian thing, but that wouldn't matter because I've lost so much of my vocabulary over the years. Especially slang and fun stuff like that (although I'm ashamed to say that I still say"doh!" and have even got my husband doing it).

Loved your ume hanami - hanami WAS "ume" until cherries took over! Your bento looked great.

By the way, what is the brown color in the potato patties - potato skin, or something like mushrooms? I've never made modan-yaki, but agree with your DH that okonomi-yaki batter has to be Osaka-style.

And what was wrong with my other breakfasts?

Nothing! Sorry to confuse you - Snap is a very simple card game - you just put cards down, and if two cards of the same value are laid down consecutively, the first person to say "Snap!" scoops the pile. So the "snap" breakfasts were the ones that resembled ours, but your weekend one went way above and beyond our breakfast!

Kakeibo - I don't keep one at the moment, but after keeping one for a while, I kind of know that I can afford to spend x amount on meat/fish per week, x amount on vegetables, etc. There's a freebie Japanese software program called Gamaguchi too.

I had one from an Eiyou to Ryouri magazine that had columns for "staples" (starches), "dairy and other proteins" and "vegetables", "condiments (from oil and salt to sauces and herbs)" "pleasure eating" (! beer and snacks??) and "eating out". They had some great chart in the back indicating the average spending for each category, Engels index, etc etc.

I could never do that longterm, but tracking snack foods and drinks and eating out as separate categories was useful. Maybe that's why people don't buy fruit much here - because they want to keep their "snack" category spending down?

I observe one or two receipts from GEO in there, so extravagant!

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So did hanami originate in China just like the ume did?

The brown stuff is just potato skin. These were called new potatoes but were the biggest new potatoes I've ever seen, and maybe the biggest any kind of potatoes I've seen in Japan. They were similar to russet or yukon gold but the package simply said "shin jaga" and I haven't seen them since so I have no idea what variety they were. Sad because they were good.

OK, I get the snap thing now! So I guess you don't eat Japanese for breakfast either?

Coincidentally, my student this morning showed me here kakeibo that has the same detailed categories that you mentioned. I couldn't imagine picking apart all my receipts and trying to determine what item belonged to what category.

I do hope that after a few years of doing this it will start to come naturally, and I'll be able to budget in my head like you do.

And yes, we rent a few DVDs a week but it's hardly extravagant compared to the cost of going to the movies or getting cable TV. Unfortunately we've gone through all of the English movies at the local rental places and now have to watch TV series; fortunately there are some pretty good shows. Is it just me or has American TV gotten way better in the past decade?

We had okonomiyaki for dinner last night as well! Not nearly as fancy as yours though as our was a last minute throw-together meal. We had two NTT guys in our house for 6 hours trying to switch our phones (we have 3 lines) and internet (3 computers) from cable to fiber optic. They had to leave without finishing the job. At least my computer works.

Good for you for keeping a kakeibo (budget book), I have been doing one since 1996. I have used American style computer software as well as Japanese style notebooks and found out what works best for me is to just make my own from scratch. I use a blank notebook and make categories that I like. I found the pre-written versions had either too many categories I didn't need or else left out something I found important.

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Well that proves it, great minds think alike. Okonomiyaki is a great throw-together meal, isn't it-- what kitchen doesn't have cabbage and flour?

12 years of kakeiboing! Here I was thinking 2 months was something to be proud of. I changed my kakeibo categories around each week for the first month or so and think I finally have ones that make sense. Without a car and kids I really don't need many, and I also ignore big chunks of the book, so I may just go ahead and make my own next year.

[smallworld]

Well, I think that's about it for this foodblog. I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to comment, your kind words were very encouraging. I'm sorry I couldn't reply to every comment and hope I didn't forget to answer any questions. If you do have questions that didn't get answers, or have an interest in Japanese food, get yourself over to the Japan forum, which is populated by people who know far more about Japanese food than I do.

There is so much I didn't get around to and I think I'll have to do this again sometime. I won't post as intensively next time though, because skimming through this past week's post I'm noticing a lot of typos, awkward language, photos out of sequence, and random commas all over the place. Since it seems like only brand-new posts can be edited, all I can do is promise to proof-read next time!

I now have a huge appreciation for all you other foodbloggers. Even with a home-based job, a very light workweek, and no kids I found this to be a lot of work, so I can't imagine how people with hungry kids and busy jobs find time to foodblog! Thanks to all of you who have done this before.

And thanks to all of you for reading this!

[mizducky]

There is so much I didn't get around to and I think I'll have to do this again sometime. I won't post as intensively next time though, because skimming through this past week's post I'm noticing a lot of typos, awkward language, photos out of sequence, and random commas all over the place. Since it seems like only brand-new posts can be edited, all I can do is promise to proof-read next time!

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Heh. I always go back and spot embarrassing numbers of typos in my blogs too--and yeah, the window in which you can go back and edit posts slams shut pretty darn quickly, doesn't it? But don't sweat the typo thing, just think of it as part of the wonderful world of blogging your week's worth of food in realtime.

Thanks for a great blog!

[SuzySushi]

Wonderful blog, and oh how sorry I am to see it end!!! But now I can catch up reading your other blog and become a faithful reader.... (And one of these days, I'll make it back to Japan. It's just a little harder with a husband and kid in tow!)

[Anna N]

Thank you so much for an interesting and very beautiful blog. I especially loved your kitchen shots as they make my small kitchen look enormous!

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks for the wonderful foodblog.

There is so much I didn't get around to and I think I'll have to do this again sometime.

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Great! I'm looking forward to your second one.

[Marigene]

Amy, thank you for a most interesting and informative week. I am so amazed at the size of your kitchen and the wonderful food you produced from it. I will never again complain that my kitchen is too small!

[Laksa]

Wow, a lot happened over the weekend.

As a big fan of Japanese snacks, this is the post I've been hoping to see.

Last night we skipped dinner and went straight to the snack fest.

Beside it are peanut senbei. Senbei, or sembei, are often translated as "rice crackers" and indeed they are often just that, but can really be any kind of crisp Japanese style wafer/cracker/cookie type thing. These ones have cookkie-like ingredients and are light (as in lots of air bubbles) and very crisp, almot hard. There are many types of peanut senbei ranging from rock-hard to cookie-like but this brand is our favourite and we always have a package in the house.

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I might've missed it in an earlier post, but what is the brand of your favorite peanut senbei?

I hope to be able to find some of these at my local Japanese grocery store.

My selections have often been hit or miss - I am not Japanese literate. Sometimes, I can make out a few of the Kanji characters. The last bag of senbei I bought has - as I believe it claims on the bag - 6000 seseame seeds on each cracker?

Really enjoyed your blog.

Edited March 10, 2008 by Laksa (log)

[JasonTrue]

I'd say that in Tokyo, better pastries than what I could get in less-than-urban Germany are relatively easy to find, and many of the famous French patisseries have shops in Tokyo. I'm pretty sure Tokyo's obsession with French pastry and cakes can be traced to the early 80s, and things like Baumkuchen have a much longer history.

I can't say I've seen many jelly rolls in Japan... maybe cream rolls at convenience stores or the occasional old-school straight-outta-the-60s bakery, though at Hong Kong/Taiwanese bakeries in the US cream rolls are pretty common.

Whoa boy! (Screech!) You have my attention now.

Nice looking pastries. So when did a country known for jelly rolls become so proficient and enamored by high end pastries?  Do you know any of the history?

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Jelly rolls? Ever since I've been here Japan has been enamored by high end pastries. I don't know how it compares to those of Europe but the stuff here is a million times better than back home in Canada. They look good, taste good, have a good (low) level of sweetness, and often reflect the seasons. The two we bought were actually among the plainest in the shop-- there were exotic flavours like yuzu and some very fanciful constructions. I don't know much about the history and am not hugely into cakes and desserts, but this thread in the Japan forum might be of interest to you.

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[sanrensho]

I'm pretty sure Tokyo's obsession with French pastry and cakes can be traced to the early 80s.

I would place it even earlier than that. I have recipe clippings from my mom's Japanese fashion/homemaker magazines from the 70s (Missessu or "Mrs" magazine), and they are full of tart, gateaux and other French cake recipes.

[JTravel]

Seems to me that simple cakes go back to the Portuguese, who had the port of Nagasaki early on. "Nagasaki Sponge" cake was considered an "old time" recipe by my Japanese friends in the 80s. I think that was the beginning of the jelly rolls....????

[Domestic Goddess]

I would like to add my thanks for such a wonderful blog and a great glimpse in a life of an expat in Japan.

Maraming salamat!