Gobo, ninjin, renkon no kinpira / kinpira saute with gobo burdock root, carrot and lotus root

Crunchy! Great with meals, beer, sake... and wine, too.

Ebi to shantoreru no rabiori / ravioli with prawns and chanterelle mushrooms

Ravioli filled with mildly sweet prawns paired with chanterelle mushrooms, in a simple butter & parmesan cheese sauce.

Fresh pasta (wet dough for ravioli and canneloni)

Hakusai to sakana no tochimushi / napa cabbage and fish steamed with black bean paste

Steamed with a Chinese twist.

Konsai to tofu no akadashi / red miso soup with root vegetables and tofu

Tofu tastes heavenly in red miso soup deepened by sesame oil. One of my favorite red miso soups.

Chapuche / japchae stir-fried vermicelli and vegetables

A tasty companion of assorted vegetables. Great for parties and potluck, too.

Kabocha no mafin, sumooku saamon to kuriimu chiizu iri / kabocha pumpkin muffins with smoked salmon and cream cheese

Sweet pumpkin gets a boost from smoked salmon and cream cheese. Great for breakfast or brunch.

Horenso to shantoreru masshuruumu no ohitashi / ohitashi with spinach and chanterelle mushrooms

Crunchy chanterelles make a good contrast to tender spinach.

Koebi to tofu no mabo harusame / mapo bean vermicelli with bay shrimps and tofu

Quick but as tasty as mapo tofu.

1/2 of recipe with 50g mung bean vermicelli:
280 calories per serving; 17.4 g protein; 10.5 g fat; 28.3g carbohydrate; 26.7 g net carbs; 869 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 1364 mg with regular soy sauce); 75 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

Unagi no mushizushi / steamed sushi with grilled eel

The perfect comfort food. Steamed sushi warms your hands, too.

Dinner, October 14, 2011

Recycling sushi rice. There is a small amount of frozen sushi rice, and some leftovers from two nights ago in the fridge.

Kinshitamago / julienned egg crepe

Eggs make thin, cheerful color strips. Often seen as a top layer for some sushi.

Konsai to shiozake no misoshiru / miso soup with root vegetables and grilled salted salmon

A small leftover piece of grilled salted salmon comes alive in miso soup.

Nasu to piiman no kareeraisu / curry rice with eggplant and green pepper

This, or something like this, was my favorite lunch when I was helping out in a curry rice cafe in Tokyo. The dish was so good and motivated me to cook the curry sauce myself.

Kareeraisu soosu / curry rice sauce

My curry rice sauce is a mix of Japanese, western and Indian.

Satoimo to ika no nimono / baby taro root with calamari

Satoimo baby taro root is infused with the flavor of calamari.

Satoimo baby taro roots

Colocasia esculenta


Colocasia or Elephant Ear is probably better known as an ornamental plant. The starchy corms of Colocasia esculenta are eaten in many tropical regions. In Japan, it is said that satoimo has been cultivated since the 10th century BC or before. Japan is at the northern end of cultivation.

Tofu to sake no chige / jjigae Korean stew with tofu and salmon (quick version with kimchi)

Warms your body from the inside. Great on chilly days.

Shiso to sakura ebi no tamagoyaki / omelet with perilla leaves and dried shrimp

An omelet with goodies! Perilla leaves accentuate the mild egg flavor, while dried shrimp adds a toasty taste.

Sasara scrub brush

This brush made of bundled finely split bamboo or wood comes in really handy to clean pots and pans, especially those made of iron that have ingredients stuck to the bottom. Over time, frying pans made of iron become semi-non-stick when properly cared for. Brushing with sasara and a minimum amount of soap and rising under cool water is usually sufficient for cleaning. (Drying on hot cooktop and thinly spreading a tiny amount of oil after cooling complete care.) Sasara also removes most ingredients stuck to the bottom of other pots and pans (enamel-coated and stainless) relatively effortlessly.

Mizuna to age no nibitashi / mizuna and thin deep-fried tofu in broth

Crunchy mizuna stalks take on the soft, warm flavor of usuage.

Zaru strainers

Strainers come in various materials, but in our kitchen bamboo strainers are most often used. In addition to efficient draining, they are lightweight, do not conduct heat (no burning of hands or food), feel soft to the touch, and do not make a clattering noise when stacked.

They need to be dried between use and appreciate an occasional day in the sun and boiling water shower for hygiene reasons. Like other bamboo products, zaru take on a darker tint over the years.

Kanitama donburi / crabmeat and egg on rice

Tender and flavorful.

Kenchinjiru / root vegetable and tofu soup

Warm and hearty. This is originally a temple dish cooked with kombu kelp and dried shiitake mushroom stock. As with many temple vegan dishes, sesame oil adds depth and a rich taste.

Rangiri diagonal cut

Rangiri is to cut or dice vegetables diagonally, which creates a large surface for faster cooking and better absorption of flavor without compromising chunky texture.

Hakusai to kaibashira no nikomi / napa cabbage stewed with dried scallops

A warm, flavorful, soupy dish for chilly days.