Thank you for the beef and train report. That's a good portion of my usual JP vacation right there.

I haven't ordered from CrowdCow but I've seen it mentioned on reddit in conjunction with wagyu* when looking up cow shares https://www.crowdcow.com/products/search?q=japanese%20wagyu Costco has JP wagyu at this time of year, too, and I am a weirdo who thinks good beef would be a great gift to receive (except we ran out of freezer space long ago) https://www.costco.com/beef.html?typ...eef_attr-Wagyu

We've been using SayWeee! for local Asian grocery delivery. Popular items like LeTao cheesecakes can sell quickly.

This video about owning and running a sento also brought home the vacation nostalgia
* Edit: Relink for Japanese wagyu as the wagyu category https://www.crowdcow.com/wagyu/beef mostly lists US wagyu farms.

Umamicart is the website. They are VERY prompt, especially with customer service. They have refunded me for frozen/perishable items that have been delayed due to holiday season slowdowns (even though the products arrived perfectly fine). The free shipping over $50 was a major sell as other nationwide websites charge exorbitant delivery fees IME. I have an order showing up today with curry chicken buns, curry blocks, tofu skin rolls (fresh!), along with some Korean sundries like gochujang and kimchi.

EDIT:

They seem to have a fairly limited shipping range. I think they're based in NYC and ship to New England and down through DC (possibly VA/NC)

I used Crowd Cow for Thanksgiving and I can vouch for the Japanese A5 that they sell. Mine were from Kagoshima and Miyazaki. I have pics somewhere of the steaks that I can post.

Edit: Found the pics

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...36d83ff15d.jpg
As wrapped from the box


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a5b104a4fc.jpg
Top Sirloin (left two), Chuck Eye


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ee61e15b89.jpg
Yakiniku and Hotpot for Thanksgiving.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...220b3d6173.jpg
After recommended two-day thaw

Festive Greetings from England (courtesy of the Sainsbury’s Supermarket Chain)


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cecf69503.jpeg
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/...gon-sushi-roll

This week's order from Umamicart is heavy on natto. This holiday season has had too much heavy food!

For anyone looking to get good fresh ramen/soba noodles. Sun Noodles does a home delivery as well. Here is their website. I keep my freezer stocked with their kaedama packets. I find their other ramen packs to not be worth the extra money.

Oh dear...

I live in the States, so I am used to seeing all sorts of weird and non-traditional sushi rolls but this certainly takes the cake!

I am reliably informed that the taste and texture fail even to match the promise of its lamentable visual appeal.

As for “taking the cake” I have taken on the challenge of converting Mr and Miss LapLap to the joys of British non-meat mincemeat which embodies the taste profile of Christmas Pudding and Christmas Cake and is typically found in Xmas Mince pies. They are not fans. I’ve picked on Taiwan and launched a violent assault on their cuisine. Mincemeat with quince might have ruined their snowflake crisps and be a disappointing substitute for the pineapple in pineapple cakes but these fusions have made mincemeat palatable to the Japanese members of my family as well as to French mincemeat resistant friends - Win!!!

I couldn't identify what was in the center and had to google it. I really wouldn't have guessed this combination other than sausage.
I put this more in the category of Kimbap/Gimbap as my (Korean heritage) partner said bap's more a thing you make with leftovers which I equate with anything rollable is fair game.

Is there a traditional Japanese/fusion dessert which is like 酥 (su) cake (similar to moon cake)? Shortbread texture does describe it a bit better. Not really a dorayaki, taiyaki, obanyaki, and I forget the name of the one of a filled crisp shell. None of those have the same kinds of calorie bombs though mochi anko has a lot more sugar than I was aware of.

I agree with your partner. We actually don’t have anything against the ingredients in this culinary gang bang, but the manner of their fusion in this roll is… unbecoming and deeply unflattering to all. Cooked well, handled thoughtfully, they could make a sincere and tasty onigirazu - but the reduced shelf life would discount this option as a festive “on the go” supermarket offering. Could be worth trying on Boxing day (12/26) with some salted rice and nori, but perhaps not with vinegared sushi rice.
I’m looking to make Brussel Sprout kimchi this year, we’ve already fallen hard fir cauliflower jangajji

Mochi is my perdition, and the sheer variety of foods that use pounded mochi rice or mochiko is staggering, not just in Japan. But, yes… mooncake,

Closest I know of in Japan is Kuri Manju which is baked rather than steamed. This is what I had originally had in mind for my quince and mincemeat before I went the Taiwanese inspired pineapple cake route. Funnily enough, as we ate the last of the quince mince cakes (each is tiny, about the circumference of your thumb and first finger) MrLapLap said they reminded him of manju and he thought they’d do well in Japan. And, again, you nailed it; shortbread does indeed describe this kind of pastry but it’s different enough to meld with the quince mince rather than just offer a case to entomb it as a pit of over seasoned sludge.
I got a request for another batch, so my mission definitely succeeded.

Brussels Sprouts kimchi is awesome!

I used the recipe here - https://friedgreenkimchi.com/2015/11...prouts-kimchi/ - but added just a little of the initial brine, not the whole lot as liquid will continue to seep out of the sprouts when fermenting and overdilute the finished kimchi juice (which is perfect for a Bloody Mary)

The Brussels Sprouts get active very quickly and generate a lot of gas, so only recommended if you have a seal on your pickling container that keeps air out but lets gas escape (I use a crock with a water seal). I don’t believe burping once a day will be enough for this project.

If you want a quick crunchy kimchi with a vibrant green colour that’s ready within three days, then quarter each of the Brussels Sprouts before adding the kimchi paste. If you’re OK with the sprouts softening just a little and having a slightly more developed flavour at 5-7 days then cutting each sprout in half as suggested is fine.

Personally, I’ve always loathed Brussels Sprouts. This is the only way I’ve not just tolerated but actively enjoyed this vegetable. The recipe is excellent and gives a great result.

After my debacle of using fermented shrimp paste in the wrong quantity last year I've stuck with only fermented hot sauces. This looks like a good gateway to get back into it. Most of the store-bought kimchi I can find up here isn't aged at all so I have to buy it and leave it in the fridge for 3 months before it gets that lovely sour tang.

I was surprised at how quickly this kind of kimchi matured enough to get that Shichuan Peppercorn type tang which feels like a mild electrical fizz. It’s more intense than what we find in the Korean import plastic pouches of napa cabbage kimchi.

MissLapLap is a big fan of Yuzu tea and we can find large kilogram jars of this drinking jam/marmalade that come from Korea (where yuzu is called yuja). It’s extremely handy for Japanese tsukemono (most kinds of white/green cabbage will do). Cabbage, yuzucha, kombu/kelp strips, some salt and a few glugs of rice or apple vinegar and it’s ready in a day or two.

Katsu Curry
 

Not exactly homemade, cheating as far as homemade meal is concerned. I bought tonkatsu bento (豚カツ弁当) from a neighbor bento shop. I had leftover Japanese curry I made from curry block bought from a store. Made katsu curry out of it. Ended up a lot of volume. Satisfying dinner.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4504212064.jpg

That curry looks delicious! I think I know what I'm having for dinner Wednesday night.

Looks good but really HEAVY. Definitely a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. Real Otoko cuisine, with a denim place mat, no less. If you ate this every day you might need to take パンシロン after each meal.:D I miss these food topics and discussions and was thinking of starting a new thread, perhaps about exotic foods eaten in Japan. I wonder if there would be any interest?