Okinawa rice cake, from the blog Nippon Nin (via Gourmande in Osaka)

I made this recipe from the blog Nippon Nin. Thanks for this rare recipe. It's made with Okinawan kuzato (black sugar) of course, and mochiko rice flour, azuki beans, coconut milk. Mine is much less sweet as I used unsweeted azuki paste (I had just boiled a big bag). I also put coconut flakes on top. Inside it's soft. I thought that was not cooked enough. No, that must be close to the normal texture. Hot that was not great, I was disappointed. Bu … Read More

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Mame gohan. Green peas and rice. (via Gourmande in Osaka)

Green peas and rice (in a rice cooker). Rice is steamed as usual. I have mixed about 20% of "hatomugi" grains (Job's tears) to the white rice. After rincing, put the rice in the cooker. Paste 1 ts of raw peas. Add it to the rice, also add 1 tbs of raw mirin. The green peas are added into the rice-cooker when the rice is already done, 10 minutes before the meal. That way, the peas keep their color and crunchiness. Propose gomashio (sesame + salt) … Read More

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Edamame tofu, 3 ways to enjoy the pastel green flan (via Gourmande in Osaka)

Tofu made of edamame, you can buy it or make it (next post). Classic, with grated wasabi and nama shoyu soy sauce. Unmold it, pour a crown of sauce around, a chestnut of wasabi on top. Seasonal, with kinome on top and a sweet tsuyu (reheat kombu dashi stock with a little mirin and soy sauce, bring to boil, let cool). Sweet for the small flower. Drizzle honey on it. Top with dry fruits (goji berries). You can have it as a dessert. Actually, that w … Read More

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Making kombu dashi, Japanese vegan stock (via Gourmande in Osaka)

Kombu seaweed, dry. As you can find it in all Asian markets. On the beach, they are very long, several metres. They cut bands of 50 cm to dry them. Then they are sold like that at markets or pre-cut for convenient packaging. It's easy to cut with scissors. It is used in combination with dry fish to make dashi, the Japanese all purpose stock (click on text) : Quick dashi from scratch… or from fish flakes But you can also make a pure kombu dashi. T … Read More

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Kinome flavor on ankake agedofu (wood fragrant glazed fried tofu) (via Gourmande in Osaka)

Tofu is the uttermost delight ! No, I am not crazy. i have not lost my tastebuds. I know it has bad reputation. Well I have tried to eat those blocks of rubber that are called tofu in the West (ello, Old Europe) and in the East (East of year, that's you, America) and I didn't like that. We have great tofu in Japan. It can be eaten like that bare feet in front of the fridge at night… And if you add a great recipe, it's the paradise of flavor. Fr … Read More

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Japanese Sunday roast : bamboo shoots, konnyaku steak and my small tree of sansho (via Gourmande in Osaka)

Vegan brunch. It's roast konnyaku steak, with kinome and green peppers, and roast fresh takenoko ( bamboo shoot). The konnyaku (konjac, konjak) is a sort of root vegetable that is not sold whole but processed in blocks of different shapes. It has nearly no calories and it has digestive properties. Taste is inexistant, unless you get flavored versions, but the texture is pleasant and it will absorb the taste of the sauce of condiments, like here. … Read More

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Hijiki spag’ (via Gourmande in Osaka)

Hijiki spaghetti is one of those fusion Japanese pasta recipe. Hijiki is this kind of seaweed. You can buy them fresh, or dried. If you never had them, I'd say they don't really taste of the sea. You'd think they could be mushrooms. I simply simmered them a little with water, soy sauce and a little brown sugar. On top of spaghetti, quicly stir-fried in olive oil with garlic. A little lemon on top. Pan-fried kabocha pumpkin. No flavoring. Pan frie … Read More

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Hatsuga Genmai (germinated rice) (via Gourmande in Osaka)

This is called "hatsuga genmai" in Japanese, literally "whole rice with a start of germination" and that's the healthiest way to prepare our rice. The taste is slightly closer to white rice than to brown rice. Why ? The common white rice is mostly starch. Certain white rices still contain their germs, it has more nutrients and elements. Brown rice still has a skin rich in fibers. "hatsuga genmai" has all of that and a very increased level of GABA … Read More

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Teratocuisine, it’s when you create a culinary monster. And it’s good ! (via Gourmande in Osaka)

I won't hide you the truth : the aliens have landed in Osaka yesterday… On my window. (photos from wikipedia and this blog ) This is the most idiot-proof recipe of sushi : 稲荷寿司 inari-zushi. Rice bag sushi. I don't know how popular their are abroad, but there are one of the most common sort here. Rectangle shape in Kanto (Tokyo), triangle in Kansai (Osaka). It's a pocket of abura-age, usu-age (the thin ones) : It's fried tofu. It's sold that way … Read More

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