Japanese on Dan Tasse dot com

Horenso no Kurumi-Ae

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Spinach with Walnut Dressing

1/2 lb spinach, washed, de-stemmed
4 large (or 6 small) whole walnuts
1 tsp sugar
4 tsp soy sauce

Parboil spinach, rinse in cold water, squeeze out water, chop a bit. Make the dressing by mashing the walnuts in a mortar and pestle and adding the sugar and soy sauce. Toss spinach with dressing.

Source: Zen Vegetarian Cooking by Soei Yoneda with Koei Hoshino, p. 172-173

Ponzu

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:51:00 +0000

Ponzu sauce

1 c. lemon juice, or lemon-lime, or sudachi citron or other very acid citrus fruit
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1 c. dark soy sauce
2 tbsp tamari
3 tbsp mirin, alcohol burned off
1/3 oz (10 g) hana-katsuo
2-inch square konbu

Mix all ingredients and let stand 24 hours. Strain, mature 3 months in a cool dark place or refrigerate. Keeps indefinitely, but is best used within 1 year.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 172

Brokkori Ninjin Kinpira

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:09:00 +0000

Steam-sauteed broccoli and carrot with savory dressing

8 oz. broccoli stems
Some carrot
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
1/4 c. light soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
pinch of red pepper or shichimi
1 tsp white sesame seeds

Peel the hard outer layer of the broccoli, and the carrot. Cut both into 2-inch pieces. Saute carrot and broccoli in oil quickly until tender. Stir in everything else. Remove from heat, steam about 1 minute, but don’t overcook. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, serve immediately.

Source: the Art of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking by Max Jacobson, p. 85

Poteito aoshiso miso nimono

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:05:00 +0000

Simmered new potato with sweet basil and miso

1 1/2 lb new (waxy) potatoes, skins left on
2 tbsp corn oil
2 qt. dashi, or enough to cover potatoes
2 tbsp red miso
2 tbsp mirin
3 small bunches sweet basil, minced

Wash potatoes, pat dry, saute for 4-5 minutes until golden. Add dashi, miso, and mirin, bring to a slow boil until broth almost completely evaporates, about 20 min. (pour off a little broth if necessary) Add basil, mixing thoroughly.

Dan’s note: try not slicing the potatoes; they may become a mushy mess.

Source: The Art of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking, by Max Jacobson

Shishito Ninjin Sunomono

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:02:00 +0000

Japanese Green Pepper and Carrot Vinegared Salad

5 shishito (Japanese green peppers) or 2 bell peppers
1 large carrot, peeled, sliced into rounds
1 tsp white miso
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
pinch of shichimi

Steam the peppers over boiling water for about 3 minutes, plunge into ice water, and drain. Pat dry with a towel. Slice peppers into thin spears, place in a bowl. Add the carrot.
Mix miso with sugar, add everything else. Mix well, pour over vegetables, and serve.

Source: The Art of Japanese Vegetarian Cooking, by Max Jacobson, p. 48

Nasu to Shimeji no Takimono

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Eggplant and Shimeji Mushrooms

2 eggplants, peeled, quartered, sliced; about 1/2 lb.
1/4 lb shimeji or other mushrooms, washed, stem bases removed
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp sake
1 tsp soy sauce
pinch salt

Put everything in a saucepan, boil, simmer 3 minutes, serve hot.

Source: Zen Vegetarian Cooking by Soei Yoneda and Koei Hoshino

Agedashi Tofu

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:27:00 +0000

1 1/3 c. dashi
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
2 cakes tofu
flour and oil for deep frying

Heat the sauce ingredients, keep warm on a back burner.
Heat oil to 350F. Dredge tofu with flour, deep-fry for 6-8 minutes. Serve immediately with sauce as a dip. Garnish with green onion, red maple radish, grated ginger, ito-kezuri-katsuo, or whatever.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 412-413

Miso soup

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:24:00 +0000

Miso-shiru

3 1/3 c. dashi or sardine stock
1/2 c. nameko or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cake tofu
4 tbsp. red miso
4 stalks trefoil
ground sansho pepper

Soften the miso in a bowl with 2 tbsp tepid stock, whisk. Ladle the miso into the stock, simmering over medium heat. Add the solid ingredients. Do not boil. You can really use all sorts of ingredients instead of these, this is just a starter.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 156-157

Nasu Dengaku

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:16:00 +0000

Eggplant Dengaku

4-6 small eggplants, or 2 medium eggplants
vegetable oil
red and/or white dengaku miso toppings

Cut eggplants in half (or slices if they’re big). Cross-cut score surfaces, brush with vegetable oil, grill or saute on high. Apply topping to one side, garnish, serve.
Note: you can use tofu or meat instead.

Red/white miso topping:
1/2 c. red miso + 3 tbsp white miso, or 1/2 c. + 3 tbsp white miso
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sugar
7 tbsp dashi
One of the following seasonings: ground toasted sesame seeds; grated yuzu, lemon, or lime rind; mortar-ground kinome leaves, fresh ginger juice

Mix all but the dashi and seasoning, heat in a double boiler, slowly add dashi, stir until thick, then add one seasoning.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 194

Horenso no goma-ae

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:04:00 +0000

Spinach with Sesame Dressing

1 lb spinach, washed and parboiled
4 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dashi

Toast sesame seeds, grind in a mortar and pestle. Add sugar, stir, add soy sauce and dashi, and mix (almost whip) to blend well. Add more sugar if necessary.
Chop spinach into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Lightly use the pestle to mix the spinach and dressing- a little bruised but not crushed.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 253

Kinpira Gobo

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Burdock Kinpira (“Kinpira Ninjin,” if you’re using carrots)

1 medium burdock, scrubbed with a brush, or 3 carrots
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or shichimi

Cut burdock in shavings as if sharpening a pencil, or julienne the carrots. Stir-fry in oil over high heat about 3 minutes, until vegetable softens a little. Add liquid and continue stir-frying until almost completely reduced. Flavor to taste with red pepper.
Can also use konnyaku instead, or lotus root.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 392-393

Daikon fukume-ni

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:56:00 +0000

Drenched radish or squash

1 daikon radish, kabocha squash, or turnip
2 1/2 c. dashi
1 tsp salt
2 tsp light soy sauce
splash of mirin
kinome sprigs (optional)

Peel radish and cut into rounds, or cut squash into chunks. Bevel edges if you’re a champ. Simmer the vegetable in water, drain. To serve, simmer all ingredients together for a half hour. Garnish.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 395-396

Tofu Bekko-ni

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:52:00 +0000

Tortoiseshell Tofu

2 c. dashi
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce
pinch salt
1 cake tofu, pressed (if not silken)
3 tbsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water
kinome sprigs or finely shredded fresh ginger

Mix dashi, sugar, mirin, soy sauce in a medium pot, boil, simmer, add salt.
Cut the tofu into quarters, slide them into the pot (try not to break them). Ladle the liquid over the tofu until heated thoroughly, about 4 minutes. Remove tofu, keep on the heat, add the cornstarch/water. Stir until thickened, about 1 minute.
Ladle sauce over tofu, garnish, eat with spoons instead of chopsticks.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 398-399

Kyuri no Sumomi

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Vinegared Cucumber

4 japanese cucumbers, or 2 western cucumbers peeled and seeded
1 c. rice vinegar
1 c. dashi
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar

Cut cucumbers into paper-thin slices. Spread out on a cutting board, sprinkle with salt, knead about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl without washing.
Sanbaizu sauce: Combine sauce ingredients just to a simmer, force-cool (bowl in a bowl of ice water).
Serve: pour half the sauce over the cucumber, squeeze with your hands, pour off sauce. Then add the other half of the sauce to the cucumber. Serve at room temperature.
Note: you can add wakame too; soaked, scalded in hot water, plunged into cold water. Toss with cucumber just before adding sauce.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 423

Horenso no Ohitashi

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:26:00 +0000

Soused Spinach

1 bunch spinach, trimmed, washed, parboiled
1 1/4 c. dashi
pinch salt
1 tsp mirin
3 tsp light soy sauce
1/3 c. ito-kezuri-katsuo (dried bonito thread-shavings) or regular hana-katsuo (flakes)

Bring dashi to a boil, then simmer. Add salt, mirin, soy sauce. Force-cool by putting it in a bowl inside a bowl of ice. Add spinach and mix, refrigerate 5-6 hours. Serve spinach, with stock poured over, and garnish with bonito flakes/threads.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 430-431

Tara Chirinabe

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:26:00 +0000

Cod and Cabbage Pot

2 lb cod fillets, with skin
6 leaves Chinese cabbage (Napa does not work so well)
1/2 lb spinach
10 sprigs chrysanthemum leaves (shungiku/kikuna, optional)
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms
6 Japanese long onions (naganegi) or 8 leeks
2 cakes grilled bean curd (yakidofu)
Ponzu sauce
4-inch square konbu, slashed with a knife
some of the following: 6 tbsp finely chopped green onion, 2 quartered lemons, 6 tbsp red maple radish (daikon with red peppers, grated), 4 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Fish:
Cut fish into 1-inch slices, put in colander, pour boiling water over them, rinse, drain, refrigerate.
Cabbage rolls:
Parboil cabbage, rinse, trim thick stems. Parboil spinach. Wrap spinach in cabbage to make rolls, wrap in plastic or a towel and refrigerate.
Other stuff:
Cut stems off chrysanthemum sprigs, wash, drain, cut in half. Cut mushrooms in half. Wash onions/leeks, cut diagonally into 1 1/2 inch lengths.
Arrange:
Put all pieces (fish, cabbage rolls, chrysanthemum, mushrooms, onions, tofu; cut to same size) on platters. Put the kelp in the water, bring just to a boil. Add fish first, then vegetables and tofu, simmer until just tender. Put ponzu/condiments in bowls, dip food in them.

Source: Japanese Cooking, a Simple Art, by Shizuo Tsuji, p. 432-433

Sushi rice

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:35:00 +0000

Source: chef Shawn Dempsey, Chiso, at Cook’s World cooking class

3 cups short grain japanese rice (1 cup is about 3-4 rolls)
3 1/4 c. water
Vinegar:
1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Wash rice with cold water until water is clear (can soak for 30 minutes before cooking). Add a little over 1 cup of water to 1 cup of rice (or 1 knuckle over the rice). Keep the lid on the rice, or cover with foil with a little hole in it. Cook on high heat until it boils, then turn down to low, simmer 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, let it sit for 10 minutes, do not remove the lid ever.

Transfer to a big mixing bowl or deep plate, spread out evenly, add vinegar mixture, fold in with spatula, cool it with a fan or an open window, let it cool.
10 minutes later, turn it over so it all cools at the same rate. After 15-20 minutes, it’ll be ready to use.

Sushi notes

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:24:00 +0000

Source: Shawn Dempsey, sushi chef at Chiso, Seattle

Sashimi knife- yanagi- for fish only, made of carbon steel, rusts so dry it quickly, 1-sided so you cut something and it falls away
Make sure everything’s dry- wet seaweed is bad news
Peeling a cucumber- use a thing that peels it into sushi-sized chunks, or just peel the whole cucumber into a big sheet like a champ
Avocado: halve, pit, scoop out with spoon, slice
Kaiware: daikon sprouts
When buying nori, don’t buy top shelf (too fragile, too fancy) or bottom shelf (cheap and thick). Make sure it’s roasted. JFC is a good brand.

To make a temaki (hand roll): put rice on left half (of a wide rectangle), put stuff diagonal from top left to bottom center, bring lower left corner to top center, roll up
Uramaki (like a california roll): put rice on nori, add sesame, turn over, add tobiko (fish eggs) in a divot, avocado, cucumber, crab, shape it with saran-wrapped sushi mat
Futomaki (fat roll)
Hosomaki (thin roll)
Obi: little ribbon around nigiri
Gunkan: “battleship” full of fish eggs or whatever
Cut rolls with a knife that has a little water on the blade
Cut fish across the grain so you don’t get a big grain in your fish
Cut unagi (eel) at 45 degree angles

Buying fish:
Tuna, salmon, albacore are easy to get
Yellowtail oxidizes so you can’t buy it really
Salmon eggs, tobiko, sea urchin all good
Cooked shrimp/eel, no problem
Whitefish: hard to fillet
Scallops: generally safe
Types of tuna: Bluefin (otoro) is most expensive (and overfished), Bigeye (chutoro, orotoro?) is next, then Yellowfin (maguro?) I think the grades don’t exactly match up with the types
“Fresh” tuna not actually good- rigor mortis sets in. Flash frozen is the best.

Spicy tuna: scrape tuna into little bits with a spoon, chop up, add sriracha or sambal

Okonomiyaki

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza) Recipe

Leeks are notoriously gritty. To clean them well I typically slice them lengthwise and then submerge them in a big bowl of water - where I rinse and swish them to loosen up any dirt. Drain and repeat if needed. Then chop/slice.

2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup leeks, well washed and chopped (see head notes)
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose flour)
a couple pinches of fine grain sea salt
2 eggs, beaten
1+ tablespoon olive oil

Garnish: toasted slivered almonds, chives/ herbs

Combine the cabbage, leeks, flour, and salt in a bowl. Toss until everything is coated with a dusting of flour. Stir in the eggs and mix until everything is evenly coated.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a generous splash of olive oil. Scoop the cabbage mixture into the pan, and using a metal spatula press it into a round pancake shape, flat as you can get it. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. To flip the okonomiyaki, slide it out of the skillet onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip both (together) over. If you need a bit more oil in your skillet, add it now, before sliding the okonomiyaki back into the skillet. Again press down a bit with a spatula and cook until golden on this side - another 3 -5 minutes.

When you are finished cooking, sprinkle with toasted almonds and chives, and slide it onto a cutting board to cut into wedges. Enjoy immediately.

Serves 1 - 2.

Source: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/japanese-pizza-recipe.html