Making me hungry...

Only contribution I can make at this moment is...

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4197a99f20.jpg

Yakisoba Pan! My favorite Japanese diet. I just cannot have enough. :D Sure not home made, store bought, this is best I can do at this moment.

No, we moved to Cape Cod a few months ago. $13 seems like a terrific price. Glad you found them!

Welcome to Massachusetts! :)

The legality of certain things along with a beautiful coastline outweigh the Patriots and the Red Sox. For now ;)

You will learn to love Red Sox, as for Patriots... :)

As always with the Patriots. 18-1. They couldn't beat a simple boy from Louisiana.

Back to the topic, we finally got a new stove so I've been back to roasting and braising things. I did some meal prep last night that included: Braised country style pork ribs (Only salt and pepper with some chicken stock to leave a nice base for other dishes), roasted chicken bones and pork bones to start the process of making a nice tonkotsu broth, and grilled some jerk chicken breasts with fresh scotch bonnets to make salads throughout the week. I'm picking up another batch of scallops on Wednesday to try out two new recipes. I'm going to dehydrate some to make XO sauce and miso-cure a few to see what happens.

Can anybody identify this?
 

Came across this photo a little while ago and I have remained intrigued with the branch festooned with hanging charms.

A couple I recognise - the red chilli, Dharma San, rice straw bale, a die. Enough to see that these must be luck associated symbols.

All the other elements of the photo are familiar to me, it’s just this branch. And it does seem rather easier a project than a Shimekazari or a Kadomatsu. Our Kagamimochi tends to look a little sad, it could do with some company.

Does anybody know what this kind of branch is called? Is it a regional thing? And if it’s not “a thing” in any traditional sense, any clues on what the other lucky symbols are?
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b737341f8.jpeg

Those look delicious! And reminds me to hit up my fishmonger for salmon for sake kama. My wife just got a vacuum sealer and I need to make shiozake/shiojake as well, seal into smaller packages, and freeze for later use.

Is this from Japonaise Bakery in Brookline?
They are pretty good and made living in Boston tolerable, esp their flan (purin).
If there're still places in Boston that still sell baked goods shipped up from Parisienne in Fort Lee, NJ, you should try their curry pan. It's as good as a really good curry pan you get in Jpn, if you heat it up in the oven.

Japonaise Bakery is still there. But compare with when I lived at Boston area my pre-Los Angeles days selections today are more like mix of Japanese bakery items and typical American bakery. I do remember Japonaise Bakery used to have Curry-pan and Yakisoba-pan, but today none.

Both Ebisuya (Medford) and Maruichi (Brookline) have Parisienne baked goods, but Maruichi has more selections and more stocks. Maruichi has far more selection of take out bento, add to far better selections of Parisienne items and meat and sea food selections are better, too. Ebisuya has been around Boston for long time but I think Ebisuya has to keep up with Maruichi. Hope this will be healthy competition which will keep both competitive.

Yes, I have shoku-pan (食パン) from Parisienne, my breakfast. :)
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There's an outstanding Jpn bakery called Cream Pan in LA (Tustin) which was apparently started by a guy who trained at Japonaise in Brookline. Hence Cream Pan has some of the exact same products sold at Japonaise, even though they're on opposite coasts, but for some reason Cream Pan makes them far better than Japonaise. But Japonaise was still pretty decent I thought, and I was just thankful they existed when I was there. Maruichi was not there when I was in Boston, but yes Ebisuya is so hard to get to as it is and therefore I would think you're right that they'd have to work hard to keep up with this newer store. We usually went to this Korean/Japanese store called Reliable Market rather than trek all the way out to Ebisuya.

Japonaise is just far enough away to be a whole trip. I think the wife and I are going to head that way before Thanksgiving so I'll check it out.

New mega facility with museum, open air sea salt bath, gardens, sky garden, visitor workshops (all very reasonably priced) as well as restaurants and shops just opened on the 17th October.
Matsushima Rikyu (webpage has an English language option)
https://rikyu-m.com/facility/

2021 calendars arrived! Wish EMS to US would restart. Amazon.jp's shipping isn't too bad but the CD sites are easily double for FedEx or DHL.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...75bb46bb9.jpeg

Box was a little beat up thanks to Amazon's flimsy outer packaging, but it did arrive unlike a companion order that only made it to NRT before being returned to sender. I do like the shrink wrap to a cardboard sheet which is then glued to the outer box.

I don't know which CD sites you're ordering from, but Japan Post offers surface mail to most countries. While very slow, it's cheaper than FedEx or DHL.

One problem with Amazon is that they now charge shipping based on the weight instead of a fixed sum per item, at least if you're shipping to Europe. This has the side-effect that many items can't be preordered if you don't live in Japan because Amazon doesn't know the weight of the item.

JP EMS Rates to USA will increase next April and generally cost more than postage to Canada
https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/c...japanpost_for/

I also like Amazon JP's packaging methods and how you can open the boxes without a blade. The box's paper is nicer, too, though we're really going through far too much packaging material these days while shopping online.

Japan Post recently restarted airmail for small packets to America so shipping might become better depending on what mail services Amazon or other companies, or if someone in Japan sends you things. No word on Japan Post EMS, but Yamato (Kuroneko, the black cat service) has been pretty reliable and not too expensive for places that have that as an option.

CDJapan has been my main source and currently isn't offering that as an option. HMV doesn't seem to be shipping to the US at all for the moment if I'm reading it right.

I wonder if the change in shipping charge basis is responsible for certain regular items no being orderable. For example, can't order plastic shoehorns. Can't see why there would restrictions on those.

Spaghetti Napolitan (or Naporitan, ナポリタン)
 

I tried out this easy dish this time, Spaghetti Napolitan. For those who only fancy Michelin starred restaurants may ask what the %$#^ is "Spaghetti Napolitan?" It is category of Japanese dishes called Yoshoku (洋食) where literal translation is Western dish but it is often referred to American/European dishes introduced in Japan and over the years evolved into own dish in Japan. Talking about dishes evolved into own in Japan, ramen is one of famous one but ramen originates in China so ramen is not called Yoshoku but ramen is called Chuka (中華).

Beside being quick easy dish, I decided on Spaghetti Napolitan, I have seen Japanese Roma-ji (ローマ字) spelling of "Naporitan" also, because this is the dish can be made from items available at local supermarket, does not have to go to Asian or Japanese grocery store.

First, the ingredient:
Spaghetti
Onion
Green pepper
Ketchup
Tomato sauce
Hot dog
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...119e3149bb.jpg

Chose hot dog because Spaghetti Napolitan encountered in Japan does not use Italian sausage, but it uses Japanese sausage which I think American hot dog come closest.

First cook spaghetti as directed.
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While spaghetti is cooked, on separate pan sauté onion, green pepper, and hot dog cut into small bite size. I used olive oil but does not have to be olive oil. I also used minced garlic but garlic is optional. Salt and pepper while sautéing the ingredient.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b26962ad15.jpg

Once onion, green pepper, and hot dogs were cooked then add equal amount of ketchup and tomato sauce. This is the part you will find variation of this dish. Some will use ketchup only, some will add little bit of Worcestershire sauce to ketchup, some will add little bit of sugar although ketchup already contain sugar. In any case key ingredient of Spaghetti Napolitan is ketchup, if the recipe does not use ketchup then it is not Spaghettis Napolitan.

Simply warm ketchup/tomato sauce mix. Then add cooked spaghetti into the pan.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f427006dc8.jpg

Another key point of Spaghetti Napolitan is after cooked spaghetti is added, sauté the content. Don't just mix the sauce and spaghetti, need to sauté for few minutes. By sautéing sugar from ketchup will caramelize and add texture to spaghetti which makes Spaghetti Napolitan. Key point of Spaghetti Napolitan is 1) use ketchup and 2) sauté spaghetti and sauce together.

Ready to serve.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f2bbb3f8e1.jpg

When Spaghetti Napolitan used to be served at Kissatenn (喫茶店), the dish always came with Tabasco sauce, but my personal preference is Crystal hot sauce. But Crystal hot sauce is unlikely readily available in Japan, I think authentic Japanese Spaghettis Napolitan has to be with Tabasco sauce. Also, grated parmesan cheese is also commonly provided on side along with many pasta dishes in Japan.

May question if this is really Japanese dish... I do think Spaghetti Napolitan is Japanese Yoshoku and can be categorize on the same level as ramen and Japanese curry. When Shinkansen had dining car service (Shinkansen dining car service ended in 2000), the trip from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo I took, there was some track problem near Tokyo station and Hikari I was on stopped near Shizuoka station. Looked like I would get home late due to delay so decided to have a dinner at a dining car. I was not the only passengers had same thought, when I got to the dining car some items on menu were sold out. They still had Spaghetti Napolitan so I had Spagetti Napolitan for dinner on Shinkansen dining car. (nice memory :)) Yes, Spaghetti Napolitan used to be served on Shinkansen dining car. If Spaghetti Napolitan was served on Shinkansen dining car then Spaghetti Napolitan is as Japan as Mt. Fuji! :D

That is something I did not know. Enhances my enjoyment of this dish.

Napolitan is something I make occasionally, seems entirely Japanese to me, or rather, entirely un-Mediterranean. It is, perhaps, the very best way to salvage spaghetti; if you make too much, put aside the excess for Napolitan the next day. Not al dente? Perfect for Napolitan.

For us, mushrooms are vital along with the peppers and onion. I also use a bit of fresh cream and stir it in at the end. We have a Mexican grocery store near us and are going through different hot sauces - we agree, doesn’t have to be Tabasco.

MrLapLap was never overly keen on Napolitan but I won him over. The secret was my “hidden ingredient”. Marmite. Very few people know this (I might be the only one who cooks Napolitan with Marmite) but Marmite perfects Spaghetti Napolitan. Add a half teaspoon or so with some butter after sautéing the vegetables and wiener slices. I know I’m right about this and won’t take dissent, not from anybody who hasn’t tried it themselves, anyway.

I haven't tried it, but not surprised that it works. Marmite in cooking would essentially be MSG paste with other savory flavor. I like adding Maggi to my curries, which has a similar umami hit.

I’ve taken to the Japanese family cooking trick of adding chicken powder. Mr Rogers loves MSG, Ajinomoto chicken powder is flavoured MSG, perfect for fried rice.

Spaniards hate to admit it, but crumbled Avecrem chicken stock cubes are a heavily used ingredient in home kitchens there. The infamous “Marmite Spaghetti” is based on the Italian equivalent to using Avecrem where pasta is tossed in butter and chicken stock powder https://www.nigella.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-marmite
Nothing quite like Marmite though.

Mr. Rogers? Mr. Rogers likes PBS.
Do you mean "Uncle Roger," the character played by Nigel Ng? I'm already tired of him.

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Japanese curry with brisket and baked beans.


For Thanksgiving (U.S.), instead of doing a traditional dinner with turkey, my friends and I opted to do a bbq theme instead. I ordered brisket from Texas, while my friend got bbq baked beans and macaroni and cheese from local restaurant. As expected, we had lots of leftover. At the beginning of last week, there were still leftovers to finish. Wanting something new I decided to mix some of the brisket and baked beans with Java Curry blocks. It turned out to be a good combination, with the smokiness of the brisket adding a nice aftertaste. The bbq beans were made from a vinegar-based sauce, the sourness/acidity complemented the spices.

餅の磯辺巻き
 

新年明けましておめでとうございます。
Happy New Year! Hope 2021 will be better than 2020... To make 2021 better, decided to start 2021 in as much as proper Oshogatsu (お正月, New Year) that I can do. It is good to start the year in proper way. :D

Omochi (お餅, Japanese sticky rice cake) is a staple of Oshogatsu (お正月, New Year) cusine, isobemaki (磯辺巻き) is the way I like to have Omochi.

Store bought mochi, not freshly made. First has to cook or grille mochi.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...17462499bc.jpg

Can use oven toaster, grill, oven, stove top, etc. I used oven toaster at broil, has flip mochi from time to time, cannot just let is sit. Then on to other ingredients.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f385cc1640.jpg

Soy sauce and nori (海苔, sheet of sea weed). Cook/grille mochi till it balloon and pop.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...eadb405507.jpg

Mochi is now very hot, careful in handeling. Soak cooked hot mochi with soy sauce.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c608ed8d2e.jpg

Cut nori into the width of mochi, and wrap mochi with nori.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d164d510ea.jpg

To finish up cook/grille short a minuite or so. Have Isobemaki when it is still hot.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dec0e1252a.jpg

This is the way I like mochi. :)

AlwaysAisle Thanks for the photos! I bought a bag of kiri mochi earlier this year and thought the scoring lines were to break up the pieces. I see they also serve as puffing up lines. We've been making it Chinese "nian gao" style sometimes by frying in a pan, sometimes dredged in egg first.

I admit to staring at mochi machines once or twice this year on Amazon & Amazon JP. They seem rated for 100V and don't really do export models? I tend to get a hankering for senbei and daifuku but it's not exactly something I should eat often (sedentary life vs extra carbs) and I'm not sure if mochi machines do regular rice for senbei (vs sweet mochi gome). I don't have a stand mixer or bread machine, either, and would probably be more tempted to make mochi than bread. Maybe I could start with an inexpensive bread maker, steam rice first and hand pound with a rolling pin mortar & pestle style to break up the larger grains before transferring to a bread maker? I wonder if there's a similar Korean ttoboki or Chinese nian gao machine to work a rice based dough instead of rice flour or if home bakers always go with rice flour these days?

お雑煮
 

Zouni (雑煮) is another common dish during Oshogatsu (お正月, Japanese New Year) there are so many different variations of zouni depending on region of Japan and depending on houshold. There is not one zouni which is "proper." This is the way I made zouni but you will find many different versions of zouni.

First the broth. Some common ways to make Japanese broth, sea weed, drided thin drided bonito flake, etc. I cheated and used powder form from store, just add water. ;)

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c9f5938207.jpg

I chose iriko flavor broth, Iriko is a family of sardine and iriko dashi is made from dried iriko fish. But I simply used powder form bought from a store. Then the ingredients.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...70604f4d38.jpg

Mochi, chicken (I used bonless breast), bamboo shoot (I bought cooked one), long onion. There are also so many varaety of long onion, Tokyo has Tokyo Onion, Kansai has Kujyou Onion, etc. but it did not matter to me which long onion, I just bought what was at the store. Cut all ingredients in small bite size. Zouni differ from region to region and there are so many different ingredients out there. This is just one example.

Cook chicken in broth.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...69a1205a5c.jpg

Add just a little bit of salt and soy sauce for flavor. Again, there are so many different Zouni, some use miso for flavor. Simmer and cook chicken. I bought cooked bamboo shoot so I do not have to add bamboo shoot till end. Meanwhile cook/grill mochi in same way as done in Isobemaki.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e2f014c7d7.jpg

Once chicken is cooked then add mochi, bamboo shoot, and long onion. Simmer for another a minite or so.

My Shougatsu Osechi (正月おせち料理). :)

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...937035d208.jpg

On the left is Zouni.I made. Accompanying Zouni is my version of Osechi. From top left to right:

kouhaku Kamaboko (紅白かまぼこ, fish cake). Red and white fish cake is usually used for New Years for festive reason
Japanese rolled egg omlet
Kazunoko (herring roe). Herring row contains many small eggs. A lot of eggs means a lot of kids and which interperted as prosperity of desendants.
Kuro Mame (black soybean) In Japanese beans is "mame" and associate Japanese phrase "mame ni hataraku" which means work diligently.
Kuri Kintoki (sweet chestnut). Gold/yellow color represnt money, Fortune.

Not associated with Osechi, but I also had:
Hatahata no Kraage (deep fried sea bass). Hata-hata is a family of sea bass cought aroung coast of Akita.
Sujiko (salmon roe).

Sujiko and ikura is both salmon roe, but difference is:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...27410052f2.jpg

On left is sujiko (筋子) and on right is ikura (イクラ). Both are salmon roe but sujiko has eggs still inside of a sack, where ikura is eggs removed from a sack. That is the only difference.

With the meal Hiraizumi sake from Akita. My proper osechi for 2021!

おしるこ
 

There is not a lot we talked about sweets here.

Since practicing stay at home holidays and I had so much time to kill at home, I tried another common New Year dish in Japan, Oshiruko even though Oshiruko is found year around.

I cheated on this dish. Oshiruko is sweet dish made from soy beans cooked and simmered in water and sugar. I think the proper way is to use brown sugar...? But I simply used store bought one...

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6c7fcff90d.jpg

If you had Anko, which is sweet bean paste, it is same ingredient. But I did not make it from scratch. Just add one cup of water and that is it!

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ff1dd0d118.jpg

Simply add cooked mochi and ther is Oshiruko! Japanes madarin orange is another common item on Japanese New year.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7d0c444370.jpg

:)

The other potential option, which I have yet to try as I have an Ankarsrum Assistent Stand mixer which does a splendid job (and a commitment to reduce my carb intake!) is to use a meat grinder - perhaps without the blades.
We have had such a relaxed, stress free Christmas, that I have not pushed myself into doing even a little more than I had to this year. I still had one of those dried mochi squares AlwaysAisle used left to slice and toast and drop into Ozoni (a New Year Soup) but never got round to making Ozoni as we instead had Toshi Koshi Soba - and also shared the traditional Spanish dozen grapes on a FaceTime call with my parents. Since we haven’t been visiting our Japanese friends in London (or anyone at all this year), there just wasn’t the motivation to get the sticky rice and then mochify it.

The best “lo-fi” suggestion I can make that requires the minimum of equipment is to take a “boil-in-the-bag” approach. Take a small quantity of cooked mochi rice and pack it loosely into a shallow rectangle which you wind round and cover thoroughly in sturdy Saran Wrap. Put it in when it’s piping hot, place it on a warmed surface and pound/press it firmly with a rolling pin. Assuming it doesn’t turn to mochi before it cools on the first go, put the package into a saucepan of lightly simmering water to warm it up again before retrieving it and pounding/pressing some more. Repeat as necessary, but keep the rice hot as you pound it. (Have no idea if a microwave would be better as I don’t own one)

If you do decide to pound/grind sticky rice into mochi, the key is to make the bowl/utensils as hot as possible for as long as possible and work quickly. Have plenty of boiling water to hand before you start. And you’ll need hot water afterwards to clear the mess, thankfully a long soak will do most of the work for you.

Mochi or no mochi, Akemashite Omedetou everybody!

Thanks for the tips LapLap! I hadn't seen the Saran Wrap & pound approach or a meat grinder. Did you see the lo-fi method with pictures somewhere? I wouldn't want to make it too easy to do either, as it helps deter consumption frequency. Heh. It's like having a lot of junk food options right next to me vs a short walk. Some effort deters me from mindless consumption. My friend calls it "required activation energy".

I recently learned about the Spanish New Year grapes from Animal Crossing New Horizons :)

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9faa985746.jpg
Saga Prefecture Wagyu
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f19402482f.jpg
After braising .
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4fabb3d277.jpg
Miyagi Prefecture Sake
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a7fe552c74.jpg
Hanabira Mochi

Mmmm..., I can use some good wagyu right now...:tu:

I got restless last night and decided to use the Saran Wrap technique to make a kind of gohei-mochi type senbei. I took some leftover rice from the rice cooker, placed it within Saran Wrap and (with a bit of salt) went for it with a rolling pin. You can get it very close to mochi if you don’t use too much before it cools, If you then warm it up again, it will definitely be mochi like with the next vigorous rolling and bashing session. It definitely works, just cut up your results and dust with potato/corn starch or rice flour.
There are a few entries in Japanese cookpad describing the way to make standard rice into senbei
https://cookpad.com/recipe/2407389
(senbei was a hit, btw. Brushed the crushed rice sheets with olive oil, sprinkled a little more salt on and popped them into an air fryer for ten minutes. My kid loved them)

Others recommend rolling rice between baking parchment for this kind of senbei. If you then gather up the rice and reheat it in a submerged ziplock bag, that should work too if you want to make glutinous rice into mochi.

The meat grinder; can’t give you a tried and tested recommendation... yet... but it does look like those old skool mochi machines you see some Japanese people use in their farms or garages where the mochi comes out like a sausage. There’s a plastic modern version from Tiger that people use in their homes. This video shows the inside of it, looks just like a meat grinder but without the blades. If you can heat up the grinder parts first, I’d do that.

Setsubun tomorrow!

MrLapLap went to our favourite Japanese grocery store in London’s Soho to get a few provisions and pick up some soy beans.
They were sold out. Seems EVERYBODY wants to clear out last year’s demons.
I got some from a local Korean store and now wondering what the best way to make them edible is within the tradition. It is very important that I get this right as I have to eat considerably more than everyone else in the household. Will probably soak a load overnight and toast them in a pan tomorrow. Will save the unprepared beans to throw at those tedious oni, nice and hard!
Have to figure out which direction to face for the ehomaki also.

Anyone else going to perform the setsubun rituals?

Phew! Soy beans turned out fine. I unwisely tried one after it had soaked all night. Yuck! But after drying and then toasting them in a pan over a stove for 15 mins they are very nice.

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Thanks for sharing your setsubun. Did not realize it is setsubun till you mentioned. I have not done much of setsubun but as you mentioned right now is the time we sure can use setsubun.

Oni-wa-soto, fuku-wa-uchi!

Hope this year will be that!

Thank you, I’m going to allow myself to hope that traditions can count for something and that we have a peaceful new year, we’re all in for an Ancestor approved “reset” on the 12th February.
Took a month to clear my head of all the seasonal Christmas songs, now I have “Funiculì, Funiculà” circling around it.

I made my kid a hot setsubun lunch. I’ll make the futomaki later, but for her school “dinner” I fiddled around with an omurice. Alas, the cheese eyes got a bit sweaty but my client was more than satisfied.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...10263e82c.jpeg

I've been making S&B curries once a week to keep warm during the winter and I'm about to start making our reservations for next attempt at a trip in January 2022. That lunch looks delicious!

And we ate our ehomaki silently facing SSE. Yum!

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...edcd07411.jpeg

And... it was just pointed out to me that Setsubun this year was a once in a century anomaly:

2nd day of the 2nd month in a year ending 22 = 2.2.22