Calling all cooks*!

[kirei_na_me]

Well, now that we have a food section all to iself, it sure would be nice if we could round up some recipes, share cooking advice, or just talk about Japanese food in general. After all, food is a very huge part of Japanese culture. Maybe more than anime, even! :p













*Being a cook is not required. You can simply be the royal taster... :evil: Well, okay...food enthusiast will do.

[bezz]

http://www.takenet.or.jp/~sougen/parts/ryouri.jpg
Let's hope this guy is with us. Or it's even better if someone near Chikura (http://www.town.chikura.chiba.jp/e_right.html) visits Takabe shrine (http://www.town.chikura.chiba.jp/page/depa/plan/syoukan/takabe.htm) to let him know about this forum...

[kirei_na_me]

The god of food graces us with his presence, does he? ;) Tell us about him?

[Haivart]

Indeed He does.

Welcome, bezz. :)

[neko_girl22]

Good idea kirei-na-me !

I really would appreciate some Japanese recipes...... When I lived in NZ, I would do the kiwi cooking and if we felt like Japanese, hubby made it. So... now I am in Japan and struggling to learn more J-dishes....
I have a little bit of a reprieve, because hubby wont let me cook in summer - the kitchen is too hot. how sweet!

[kirei_na_me]

Okay, everyone, what kind of recipes or just general food stuff would you like to see posted?

[teardrop]

Great idea kirei_na_me! Well i guess it will be good if someone can explain the use of the Japanese foodstuff we see in the stores. I'm always puzzled as to what those sauces in the nice bottles are for. Although i have a year's foundation of Japanese language, kanji writings still give me a big headache. Maybe it's a good idea to include pictures as well... :)

[Himura]

Here is a recipe: Take a cup of instant-noodles, put boiling water over it - READY!!^^ :p

[lineartube]

Onagiri and nabemono recipes, please!! Specially the last one. :)

[kirei_na_me]

Yeah, that's a good one, Himura... :D hehe

[Haivart]

Kirei na me, let me know how I can contribute. I do have a nice recipe for Kaki dote-nabe (Oyster stew), if you'd like me to post it.

[kirei_na_me]

Kirei na me, let me know how I can contribute. I do have a nice recipe for Kaki dote-nabe (Oyster stew), if you'd like me to post it.

Please post away!! ;)

I'm going to work on some things this evening, as I've had company this weekend.

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Minasan!

I'm a Japanese but I usually don't cook Japanese foods.:p
And I looked for Japanese recipes on Internet. I hope
this site (http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/English/index_e.html) help you. :note:

NANGI

[Haivart]

That's a good site, Nangi-san. Here's another that I like http://www.nsknet.or.jp/~chrkaji/yasuko/index_e.html

[Haivart]

Here is a nice nabemono that I've tried. It's an oyster stew (Kaki dote-nabe". Even if you have to substitute or leave a few things out, it's still good.

1 quart shucked oysters (1 L. or 1 kg)
1 Tbsp. salt
3 naganegi (or 4 leeks)
3 bunches edible chrysanthemum leaves
2 bunches enokitake mushrooms
6 shiitake mushrooms
1/4 head Chinese cabbage
6 Tbsp (100 g) red miso
6 Tbsp (100 g) white miso
1 Tbsp mirin
1/2 c. cold dash
1 qt. (1 Liter) dashi
3x5 in. piece of konbu (8x13 cm)

After cleaning and chopping the oysters and veggies, mix together the 2 types of miso, and add the mirin and cold dashi to soften. Spread this paste on the sides of a donabe (or casserole, or skillet).
Score the piece of konbu, place in the donabe and add the rest of the dashi.
Bring the dashi quickly to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. Add all other ingredients in whatever order you choose. As the miso doesn't melt, each diner scrapes however much they want of it. There is no sauce, but cooked morsels may be dipped into beaten egg.
From: Japanese cooking: a simple art / by Shizuo Tsuji.

[kirei_na_me]

Thank you for posting the recipe, Haivart! It sounds wonderful, as I love oysters...and no, not for their aphrodisiac qualities, either...although.... :blush:

Anyway, I just had tempura soba. It was really tasty...

[ParaParaPrincess]

hi! i'm new as of today ^.^

i'd like to see the sauce bottles and stuff tooo. i'm hunting for a good okonomiyaki sauce. oooo and if anyones made it before what is that mayo that they put on it?! its definately not the same as american best foods mayo.

[kirei_na_me]

Originally posted by ParaParaPrincess
hi! i'm new as of today ^.^

i'd like to see the sauce bottles and stuff tooo. i'm hunting for a good okonomiyaki sauce. oooo and if anyones made it before what is that mayo that they put on it?! its definately not the same as american best foods mayo.

Welcome aboard, Princess. Hope you'll like it here!

Even though I don't like okonomiyaki, this is the sauce I used to use for it. Otafuku. When I liked okonomiyaki, I liked this sauce.

As for the mayonnaise, they use Kewpie. It's much creamier than our mayonnaise, I believe.

[kirei_na_me]

Kewpie mayonnaise...

[Sgt. Wang]

For all those Americans who don't know the metric system, I also included the Standard system.

Ingredients:
400g / 14oz dried udon noodles
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
175g / 6oz squid, cleaned and sliced
450g / 1 lb large cooked prawns, shelled and deveined
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
225g / 8oz bean sprouts
15 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
4 teaspoons dried green seaweed, soaked in hot water and drained
4 tablespoons bonito flakes
4 tablespoons Japanese or light soy sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Bring water to the boil, add the noodles and cook for 7 to 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until very hot and stir-fry the squid and prawns for 2 minutes. Add the spring onions, bean sprouts, mushrooms and seaweed and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the noodles and remaining ingredients and seasonings, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Divide the noodles and seafood among four plates and serve.


Hope you like this!!

[Himura]

Oh... this sound really tasty....
I want to cook!!!! :ramen:

[Sgt. Wang]

Yeah. This is one of my favorite recipes, seeing as though I'm completely in love with all kinds of yaki ( Yaki-udon, okonomiyaki, etc.)..........but I also love anything with a distinctly Japanese flavor to it. *drool* MISO!!!!!!!!

[bezz]

Originally posted by kirei_na_me
Tell us about him?
The tale says that the 12th emperor Keikou was traveling around Southern Boso (http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/RTG/RI/kanto/chiba/minamibousou/minamibousou.html) area in November (lunar October) back in AD123 (some discrepancies between Kojiki and Nihon Shoki,) where he was impressed by skipjack&clam served by a local guy there.
That's how the guy got a job, his descendants were given the Takabe surname, serving food for the royal family for generations. Thus the guy, Iwaka-Mutsukari, been admired as the god of cooking/kitchen/food.

http://www.city.tenri.nara.jp/img/kofun/uenoyama.jpg
Emperor Keikou's tomb in Shibutani township in Nara. Known as Yamato Takeru's father.

[kov]

I'm a big fan of nimono, so here's a quick one that I like:

1/2 Daikon
1 tube squid or one large "squid steak" (thicker is better for this recipe)

Sauce base:
1 cup konbu dashi
2 japanese hot peppers
1.5 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp shoyu

Start the sauce ingredients on medium heat. While it heats, cut daikon into half-inch disks. Cut the squid into long, thin strips.

When the sauce begins to boil, add squid and daikon. Cooks about 20 minutes. That's it!

I like to cut deeply into the diameter of the daikon disks without cutting them in half. That lets the sauce soak in a bit more and makes it easy to cut with your chopsticks when you eat them.

[EDIT: It should be obvious, but this should be served with a bowl of rice, veggies, miso shiru, etc.!]

[kov]

Just made this last night. It's a real simple, slightly sweet braised meat and potatoes recipe.

1 onion, chopped in wedges
1/2-pound pork, or beef or chicken. Cut thinly
1 carrot cut in chunks
1 large potato, chunks

Sautee these ingredients in oil for about 6-10 minutes on med-low heat. While that's going, combine the broth ingredients in a bowl:

1 cup dashi (bonito or konbu)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp shoyu
2 tbsp sake
Ground ginger (however much you like).

Add the broth to the meat, carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil then turn down to low and simmer for about 30 minutes with the lid partially on. Near the end I like to sprinkle green pea-pods on top, put the lid on tightly and wait 3-4 minutes.

Serve with rice.

[Sgt. Wang]

Thanks Kov. I think I may try to make the Squid and Daikon Nimono.

[kirei_na_me]

Nikujaga is one of my absolute favorites. As a matter of fact, I made it the other night. They say nikujaga is an "all season" dish, but I think it's a really nice dish for Fall and Winter.

I'll have to try the squid and daikon nimono. I actually have squid now(which is usually very difficult to find where I live). I have plenty of daikon, because I grow my own.

[neko_girl22]

you grow your own daikon? what a great idea. I would try but I have no garden...... :(

That squid and daikon nimono sounds great. I'm searching around the internet for meat & oil-less Japanese dishes. We eat aLOT of seafood hehe
Tonight I am making ni yasai udon with- as the title says- heaps of veges and I'll add some clams and perhaps some ebi.

Does anyone make there own pickles? I was given this GREAT book called "かんたん手作り食品”　and it has some great pickles recipes. Unfortunately my kanji sucks so I can't really read the recipes well hehe so hubby and I are going to make some of the recipes together. Actually it's really fun to cook together ;)

[kov]

While we lived in Cambridge (MA, not UK) we discovered that somebody was growing tons of Daikon and shiso in the public park along the river. We scammed a LOT of their produce. Shameful, I know ... because we should have made some killer pickles with those 2 ingredients but never did. We just glutted ourselves on the fresh stuff. Sorry to whoever was growing them, but we hardly even put a dent in that crop.

Now I'm jealous of both of you: kirei_na_me because here in NYC it's real hard to get access to SOIL; and nzueda because you obviously have a kitchen where you both can cook -- ours is strictly a "one-butt kitchen", if you catch my drift. Anyway, my wife is afraid to cook because the last time she did the 2-year old and I were playing a little too boisterously, and she knocked her noggin on a chair -- blood everywhere! Everyone survived happily, but now I'm the designated chef. Which is generally okay.

On the nimono: watch out, it can get pretty hot! If you like hot food you're fine, otherwise you might want to go easy on the peppers and REMOVE THE SEEDS FIRST. That makes a big difference.

Regarding oil-less cooking, there's always Mizutaki, another of my favorites. I think one of the best possible simple meals is just shiozake with horensou-ohitashi. With really fresh, really good rice. Since you do a lot of fish, you've probably done some variation of karei-no-nitsuke, but here's a link:

http://japanesefood.about.com/library/recipe/blkareinonitsuke.htm

[neko_girl22]

yay Kov, thanks for the link. Yes, I've made that before but it's actually nice to see the ingredients written down. and there's some other yummy looking recipes on that site.
Actually you'd think our kitchen was a "one-butt" one but somehow we get away with it. ;) One day I'll post a photo of our rediculously small kitchen which even includes my tiny washing machine hehe

[misa.j]

kirei_na_me,

I just read a post by you on 10/30/03, as which you might not remember, but you grow your own daikon? Are you still growing it?

Last week, I had a strong craving for a daikon & salmon stew that I used to have in Japan, wish to make it here, but daikon is rarely found at a supermarket where I live(in upstate NY).

I have no knowledge about vegitation or agriculture, can you give me some tips about what kind of soil & climate daikon requires?

[kirei_na_me]

Thanks for bringing it back, misa! :wave:

Fall is the ideal time to plant daikon, because the roots will grow the most when it's cool. You need to make sure that you cultivate the ground very deep or use raised beds. They will need at least two feet to reach a good size. I made the mistake of planting them in soil that was only cultivated to a depth of a foot, and they didn't get very big. Maybe only 8 inches long and an inch or inch and a half in diameter.

[Haivart]

Fall? I disagree because Misa is in upstate NY and it gets cold there. The book "Oriental vegetables" by Joy Larkom gives a lot (maybe too much) information; but basically says that the soil should be light, rich and well-drained, that the autumn crop should be planted about 3 months before the killing frost, and that spring crop should either be planted after average temp. is 53, or start them indoors or under cover. There are also varieties which are slow to bolt (which is what happens to mine).
The book does say that when in doubt, sow in mid-summer for an autumn crop.
I think I need a simpler book.

[kirei_na_me]

Well, I've been told Fall, but since we're talking upstate NY, I guess Spring would be better?

Here's a nifty little guide for not just daikon, but all vegetables. You can click on the month and see what's in season:

http://www.kqed.org/topics/home/cooking/whats-in-season.jsp#november

An interesting site about Japanese seasonal foods:

http://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/ge/ge09shun.htm

http://renku.home.att.net/500ESWd.html#WINTER

Okay, while I was replying, Moto talked to obaa-san. Moto's maternal side has been farmers for generations upon generations. Anyway, obaa-san said plant before September 10. Cultivate 30cm deep, then make hills. Plant 3 or 4 seeds per hill and make hills 30cm apart. Thin the daikon as they grow and then pick the final(huge) daikon in Winter. Daikon is supposed to take a long time to grow. Also, isn't daikon known as the 'winter radish' anyway?

Of course, this is for around Gifu/Aichi area, so...

[Haivart]

Some varieties are, yes; but a hard freeze kills. I'd say plant about 3 months before the average hard freeze-- so yes, before September 10. Here in central Ohio, I'd probably plant it in late July, maybe early August. In upstate NY, I think a fall crop would be the best.

[kirei_na_me]

Well, the Gifu/Aichi area has a climate about like ours(VA) or maybe a little to the north, even. I think peak season is supposed to be sometime in November? She did say to pull before it got "too cold", which translates to "before a hard freeze".

I've heard Spring/Summer daikon are less than ideal.

[misa.j]

Thanks to both of you guys kirei_na_me and Haivart, and obaa-san!

In upstate NY, we have the avarage temprature of 50~55 in fall, it could get over 70 in September, but still it seems to me the fall is the ideal season to plant daikon seeds. I vaguely remembered that daikon was cold climate vegetable, but I wasn't sure.

I'll also check the sites you have listed for me, kirei. BTW, what kind of dish do you make w/ daikon, do you pickel it like Japanese takuan?

[bezz]

Just made this last night. It's a real simple, slightly sweet braised meat and potatoes recipe.Nikujaga is one of my absolute favorites.http://www.jmi.or.jp/web/php_06_cooking/photo1/281.jpg

[leonmarino]

Yummy!!:cool: :relief: