Katakuriko & kuzuko / potato starch & arrowroot starch

Katakuriko / potato starch

Originally made of the lily-family plant katakuri (Erythronium japonicum, Japanese trout lily), katakuriko in the market today is mostly made of potato starch due to the rarity of the plant.

When using it as a thickener, mix one part katakuriko to one to two parts cold water.

Breakfast, August 28, 2011

Tom's sister and her husband are in town and joining us for breakfast.
I want them to try something different, tomato miso soup. Luckily we have several ripe tomatoes in the greenhouse.
The problem is that the soup contains only one vegetable (with chives as a garnish). So I’ve got to get to work and make some other vegetable dishes.

Kakitamajiru kukonomi iri / egg flower clear soup with goji berries

Clear soup with mild egg and fruity goji berries.

Kuko no mi / gou qi zi / goji berry, wolfberry

Semi-dried raisin- or currant-size red berries of two evergreen solanaceae-family shrubs (Lycium barbatum, Lycium chinense). It adds a fruity, softly sweet and sour taste to various dishes.
Rich in antioxidants. As a Chinese medicinal cuisine ingredient, it is used for nourishing the liver and kidney and helping with languor, mental lethargy, dizziness, headache, declining vision and glycosuria (urine sugar).

Soft, large, pitted and bright color goji berries are higher quality than dried, small and dark red berries. Chinese grocery stores carry them, but Chinese medicine shops usually have higher quality berries and sell in small quantities (by weight).

Tomorokoshi-dofu / corn tofu

A creamy, panna cotta-like delight for summer.

Shungiku to shirasu no mazegohan / steamed rice mixed with garland chrysanthemum and dried young sardine

The tangy flavor of garland chrysanthemum, a type of edible chrysanthemum, gives a nice twist to steamed rice.

Yum woon sen / bean noodle salad

Pork-less seafood version for a popular Thai mung bean vermicelli salad. Add calamari and scallops for a more complex taste.