tag:ayakoiino.com,2008:/recipes//3 2008-09-08T02:31:29Z Movable Type 3.33 tag:ayakoiino.com,2008:/recipes//3.47 2008-09-07T19:56:02Z 2008-09-08T02:31:29Z

In Japan Umeboshi making starts at the beginning of the rainy season in June. This is when the green plums take on a subtle yellow hue. Red shiso grows like a weed during this time and gives the Umeboshi...

In Japan Umeboshi making starts at the beginning of the rainy season in June. This is when the green plums take on a subtle yellow hue. Red shiso grows like a weed during this time and gives the Umeboshi its distinctive color. Once the rains have stopped, the plums are dried under the hot summer sun. Ingredients 4 kg Ume plums (green with yellow hue) 200 to 300 g sea salt 50 to 100 red shiso leaves Equipments a ceramic crock a drop lid a weight (200 to 300% of weight of plums) 1. Ume plums are ready to become Umeboshi when they have a slight yellow hue in their bright green color. When this happens rinse the plums first and then let them soak in cold water for 4 hours to over night.* 2. Prepare the container and the weight. Rinse them well and let them dry. 3. Drain the plums. Lay a handful of salt over the bottom of the container. Add the plums in a layer 1-2 deep and sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the plums and salt are used. Use more salt in upper layer as the salt will sink down naturally. 4. Place the drop lid in the container and put the weight on top. Cover with paper or plastic and tie to prevent dust from coming in. Keep in a cool and dark place. 5. Let sit until the plums release their juice to cover themselves and the liquid rises above the drop lid. This usually takes about 2 days. 6. Lighten the weight. Adjust so the plums are just submerged in the liquid. Keep in a cool and dark place until red shiso is ready(1 month). 7. Pick the shiso leaves from the stem and wash. Put the leaves in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, rub well, squeeze out and discard the first blackish juice. 8. Add a small amount of the liquid from the plums to the shiso in the bowl. Rub and separate the leaves; they will turn a beautiful bright red. 9. Add the shiso and liquid back to the crock., spreading over the top of the plums. Place the light weight back again and cover. Let sit in a dark and cool place for one more month. 10. Now it is the time to dry the plums. Take the plums and the shiso leaves out of the liquid and spread on a flat bamboo strainer. Save the liquid in a glass or ceramic jar. This liquid is called Umesu or Plum Vinegar and can be used in other recipes. 11. Leave the plums and shiso outside for three days and three nights. 12. Keep the dried plums and the shiso in a glass or ceramic jar. Umeboshi keeps for many years at room temperature. Aged Umeboshi has a milder rounder flavor. * Shorter if your plums are yellow and soft, longer if they are green and firm. copyright Ayako Iino, 2008 tag:ayakoiino.com,2006:/recipes//3.33 2006-10-30T23:35:54Z 2006-10-31T21:27:42Z

A quick and flavorful braise with no pre-made stock required. Instead, this recipe calls for dried konbu seaweed and dried anchovy both of which can be stored in your pantry. In Japan daikon radish is the most common vegetable in...

A quick and flavorful braise with no pre-made stock required. Instead, this recipe calls for dried konbu seaweed and dried anchovy both of which can be stored in your pantry. In Japan daikon radish is the most common vegetable in winter and the Japanese love to braise it with meat or fish. The daikon soaks up the hearty aroma and adds complexity to the braise. ]]> (serves 4) 2 chicken legs and thighs (de-boned, skin on) 1 medium sized daikon radish 1 piece ginger (about 3 oz.) 1 package firm tofu 1 4-inch-square dried konbu seaweed 2 dried anchovies 4 dried shiitake mushrooms 4 shiso leaves 1/3 jalapeno chile 1/2 cup sake 1 TBS soy sauce 1 TBS mirin salt for seasoning the meat sesame or olive oil 1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in water to hydrated them. This will take 10 to 30 minutes depends on the thickness of the mushrooms. When hydrated, cut away the stems and cut the mushroom into half. Save the soaking water. 2. Cut the chicken meat into bite-size pieces and season with salt. 3. Thickly peel daikon radish (or peel it twice) to get rid of the outer fibrous part and cut into batons (2 to 3 inch long, 1/2 inch thick). Slice half of the ginger thinly and grate the rest. (No need to peel it). Squeeze the grated ginger in your hand and catch the "ginger juice" in a small container. Chop the jalapeno chile into a fine dice. Split open the dried anchovies and take away the heads and innards. Put together sake, soy sauce and mirin in a small container. 4. Heat the oil in a pan with medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, put the chicken in the pan skin side down and cook until the skin is a golden brown color. Take out and set aside. 5. Put the daikon and shiitake into the same pan and sauté till the daikon starts to look slightly translucent. 6. Add the konbu, the anchovies, and the ginger slices into the pan. Add shiitake soaking water and more water to cover. Bring to a simmer cover with a parchment paper, and cook until the daikon becomes tender (about 7 minutes). 7. Test the doneness by poking the daikon with a folk. When they can be easily pierced with some resistance, add the sake-mirin-soy sauce mixture and the chicken into the pan. The liquid should half way cover the ingredients. Add water if necessary. 8. Bring to a simmer, cover with parchment paper and cook for 10 minutes. 9. Take out the ginger slices, the konbu, and the anchovies, take away the parchment paper. Make space in a corner and scoop in the tofu using a soup spoon. 10. Turn the heat to high and reduce the liquid. Turn the ingredients gently occasionally. Turn off the heat when the liquid is 1/4 way gone. Add the ginger juice, stir. 11. Transfer to the serving bowls, garnish with the chile and torn shiso leaves.]]> tag:ayakoiino.com,2006:/recipes//3.5 2006-10-02T05:11:20Z 2006-11-01T17:25:21Z

This is a homey miso soup. The flavor of red miso and the sweetness of white miso compliment the common root vegetables....

This is a homey miso soup. The flavor of red miso and the sweetness of white miso compliment the common root vegetables. This is a homey miso soup. The flavor of red miso and the sweetness of white miso compliment the common root vegetables. The punch of spicy raw arugula adds a nice contrast to the mild flavor of the soup. Japanese vegetarian stock, known as Dashi, gives the soup a subtle but deep flavor. The stock can be easily made by soaking the dried ingredients in water over night. (serves 4 ) 3 cups Japanese vegetarian stock (5 inches dried konbu seaweed, 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, 3 cups water) 2 TBS red miso 1 TBS white miso 1 small carrot (2 oz) 1/8 onion (5 oz) 1 medium sized yukon gold potato (6 oz) 1 usuage (thin fried tofu) A handful of arugula leaves extra virgin olive oil 1. To make Japanese vegetarian stock, soak the konbu and shiitakes with 3 cups of water in a jar with a lid. Keep refrigerated over night. This part should be done a day earlier. 2. Transfer the stock to a medium sized pot and remove the konbu and shiitakes. Cut and discard the tough stem part of shiitake and cut into 8th. Add back to the pan. 3. Peel the carrot, the potato and the onion. Cut the carrot into half lengthwise, and slice into 1/8 inch thick half moons. Cut the potato into 1/2 inch dice. Cut the onion into thin wedges. Cut the thin fried tofu into flags. Add all of them into the pot. 4. Bring the pot to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer. Cook till the vegetables are tender. (About 8 minutes) 5. Meanwhile, prepare the miso mixture. Put both types of miso in a small bowl. Add a spoonful of the broth from the pot and mix well. Repeat until the mixture becomes slightly runny. 6. Test the doneness of the vegetables by poking them with a fork. Turn off the heat when they are done. 7. Add 2/3 of the miso mixture into the pot, give a stir and taste. Add the rest if needed. (Note: The saltiness of miso varies from brand to brand.) For smoother texture of the soup, add the mixture through a tea strainer. 8. Turn on the heat to warm the miso but do not boil. Boiling will kill the living culture in the miso and lessen the flavor. Turn off the heat when you see the surface of the soup starts to move. 9. Pour the soup into the bowls. Place the arugula leaves on top of the soup, drizzle olive oil over and serve. tag:ayakoiino.com,2006:/recipes//3.3 2006-10-02T03:15:01Z 2008-09-08T02:33:21Z

Without having a Japanese rice cooker this recipe assures you the Japanese favorite texture of steamed rice, slightly sticky yet not sticking together....

Without having a Japanese rice cooker this recipe assures you the Japanese favorite texture of steamed rice, slightly sticky yet not sticking together.]]> Without having a Japanese rice cooker this recipe assures you the Japanese favorite texture of steamed rice, slightly sticky yet not sticking together. This rather complicated procedure resembles the traditional method of cooking rice over a wood fire. Imagine that you start the fire and it catches slowly but eventually burns vigorously. When the pot comes to a boil you’ll pull out the burning wood leaving only the embers underneath the rice pot. Don't take the lid off the pot during the entire cooking process. This will maintain the pressure and circulation necessary to get the desired consistency. Well made rice releasing its aromatic steam from the bowl is the central element of a Japanese home meal. -serves 6- -ingredients- 2 cups rice (sushi rice= white short-grain rice) 2 cups + 1/2 cup water (125% of rice) -equipment- a heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid (size that holds the rice 1/4 to 1/3 full.) a wooden rice spoon a dry kitchen towel 1. In a bowl or pot, under a faucet, rinse the rice with cold water, changing the rinsing water several times(3-5X) until the water is almost clear. 2. Drain the water and let the rice sit in a strainer for 10 to 30 minutes. 3. Combine the rice and 2+1/2 cups of cold water in a heavy bottomed pot. Put the tight fitting lid on and don't take it off until the cooking process is finished. 4. Start cooking with low heat for 5 minutes. 5. After 5 minutes, turn the heat to a higher level and bring to a boil. 6. When it come to a boil and the strong steam come out from edge of the lid (in about 5 to 7 minutes), slightly lower the heat so the rice juice won't over flow. 7. After about 5 minutes the steam coming up from the pot will become weaker, reduce the heat as low as possible and cook for another 5 minutes. 8. Turn the heat to the highest, count to 3, and shut the heat off. 9. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Don't touch the lid (I mean it!) 10. Take the lid off (for the first time!), being careful not to let the water on the lid drop into the rice. 11. Dampen your wooden spoon with water (it's a good idea to have a water filled container to hold the wooden spoon), and go around the edge of the pot with it separating rice and the side of the pot. Then, stir the rice to incorporate air into the rice. This makes the rice fluffy. Scoop from the bottom and turn over. Be careful not to smash the rice kernels. 12. Cover the rice with a dry kitchen towel to keep it warm and prevent the steam from returning to the rice. Put the lid back on the pot over the towel till you are ready to serve.]]>