Food Adventures in Japan: Part 4: Conveyor Belt Sushi

I had good memories of a particular sushi restaurant Helen and I went to during our 2007 trip. The restaurant , "Edomae Sushi", has a counter around the middle of the restaurant and sushi chefs are busy making different types of sushi and placing it on a conveyor belt which passes in front of the seated diners. You simply choose a plate of sushi as it passes by, stack your plates as you finish each dish and pay according to a color coding system. Each plate has a different color rim corresponding to a price list posted on the wall. There is also a spigot right there at each spot with hot water for tea and instant green tea powder to make your own.

We watched as various plates passed in front of us and started selecting what looked good. There were some good ones, particularly the tuna trio, and some not so great. I mistakenly chose a natto sushi. Natto can best be described as rotten beans, but it's really fermented beans but I think they smell and taste rotten.

I guess we got spoiled at Sushi Dai because I just didn't think the sushi was so good here.

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 3: Takoyaki!!

Takoyaki??

I had seen an episode of Andrew Zimmern where he sampled takoyaki in Japan and made a note to try it if I happened to see any. Well, the day arrived when walking in the Harajuki area I spotted a big sign, Gindaco Takoyaki. I walked over to it and saw a photo of the little balls of batter with sauce on top, however the restaurant was not open yet. Later we came back and tried some.

Was it good? Well, Andrew Zimmern didn't like it much, nor did Steve, but I fell in love with takoyaki. It was a very, very hot (temperature-wise) ball of fried batter filled with pieces of very fresh cut up octopus and red ginger, topped with savory sauce and sprinkled with katsuobushi (dried bonito) and nori (seaweed) with a little mayo, of course. I don't know why I loved it so much but I did. In fact I ordered my own takoyaki pans when I returned from Japan and successfully made some and it was fantastic. One problem is finding good octopus, which I didn't, so I substituted pork just to try making it. Next time I'll try it with shrimp until I can get some good octopus. I guess I'm not the only takoyaki fan around. I saw a Facebook fan page called "Takoyaki Addicts".

Below is a video of the Gindaco cooks making it:

The first one shows the ingredients going into the takoyaki, batter, pieces of octopus, bits of tempura batter, sakura ebi, and scallions, then more batter is poured on top.

The next video shows how the balls are formed after the batter cooks enough to start shaping it.

If you want to try making takoyaki order a special pan from Amazon.com which comes with a good recipe. Good luck!

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 2: Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji Fish Market Trip: We set the alarm for 4:45 AM (Tsukiji opens at 3:00 AM!) and got there around 6:00 AM. We went on a crazy walking tour of the entire inner market, dodging the many motorized vehicles and vendors with carts. The floor is wet and slippery and the activity is frenetic. Don't expect the feel welcomed in this area--it was about the only place in Japan where people didn't smile and act happy to see us.

It's the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world with 900 wholesale dealers in the inner market and streets full of kitchen supplies and more seafood products outside the market.

There are over 400 different types of seafood for sale at Tsukiji Fish Market. As you can imagine there are sushi restaurants all over Japan that rely on the fresh fish from Tsukiji, but the best sushi restaurants are right there at the market. I researched a little bit before our trip and found many references to a place called Sushi Dai, reportedly the "best sushi in the world".

The first challenge was finding it because it had no sign in English. I had printed out the sign and showed it to Steve and we started looking. Steve was the one to spot it first and we proceeded to get in line. Yes, at 7:30 AM there was a line to eat sushi. Not just a short line but a 3-4 hour wait line! The owner kept coming out to the line and telling us it was a 4 hour wait as if to discourage people from waiting. Several left but we didn't. By the way, most of the people in line were Japanese--not foreigners.

Can you see me in the line wearing the orange scarf? Yes, we waited 3 and a half hours to eat at Sushi Dai. When my Aunt Yasuko heard about this later she said, "That's stupid--just go somewhere else!" Hmmm, that sounds exactly like something my mother Tommie would have said. Once we got inside the very small 12 seat restaurant with barely any room for the woman serving tea to move around behind us, we were in for a real taste experience.

We ordered the "Omakase" (chef's choice), at 3,900 yen (about $40.00) a person and consisting of the best selections of the day. Our sushi chef was friendly, tried to talk to us in English a bit, mentioned Texas Rangers when he heard we were from Texas, that type of thing. We were served one piece of fish at a time right on the wooden ledge. The chef would tell us what it was, then advise us to use "no sauce" or "sauce" depending on each piece. In Japan they do not drown their sushi in wasabi mixed with soy sauce, rather the sushi chef puts wasabi on the sushi as appropriate and may brush a sauce on the piece of fish. With fish this fresh and tasty the idea of smothering it in heavy sauce and wasabi makes no sense.

We had: o-toro, red snapper, sea bream, uni, o-toro maki, anago, maguro, horse mackerel, spanish makerel, baby shrimp, clam, chu toro served with a delicious miso/fish soup and lots of green tea. Was it worth the wait? Yes! This really was the most amazing sushi I've ever eaten and Steve agreed. Every bite was a taste explosion in our mouths. We will go there again (maybe try to get there earlier though : )

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Food Adventures in Japan: Part 1

I am looking out my window here in Azle, Texas watching two bluebirds chasing one another around the yard. Getting my mind back to the first ten days of April when I was in Japan will take some effort. Fortunately, I kept detailed notes of all the places we went along with the meals we had.

Day 1: Yamato Restaurant

We arrived at the Hotel Dai-ichi, Tokyo, after a very long day. We left DFW airport at 11:30 AM on Wednesday, March 31 and arrived at Narita Airport, Tokyo at 2:30 PM on April 1. After a long wait to fill out forms, a long drive into Tokyo and a short stop to say hello to my Aunt Yasuko, we were pretty exhausted. We spotted a restaurant across the street from the hotel (don't eat in the hotel--very expensive and fussy) but I couldn't tell what type of restaurant it was by the sign. Later my cousin told me it said, "Yamato". It was primarily a yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) restaurant, busy, noisy, full of businessmen. We were handed the English menu and ordered salmon sashimi, Japanese fried chicken pieces, white meat yakitori, assorted yakitori, and grilled onigiri (rice balls). We had some wine as well. I should have suspected that the "assorted" yakitori would be weird but I guess I was too tired to remember that all parts of the chicken are used. I wasn't too fond of the chicken hearts, gizzard, skin, and unknown parts, however the sticks of chicken meat were excellent and their tare (sauce) was excellent.

A surprise was the grilled onigiri--toasty, crisp on the outside with hot rice inside, dipped in soy sauce. Overall, very interesting and we planned to go again and order more of what we liked.

Day 2: Okonomiyaki in Kamakura

After sleeping from 9:00 PM-7:30 AM we woke up ready for a trip to Kamakura by car with my cousin, Minako Kato. Walking through streets full of blooming cherry trees, up to Hase-dera Temple, high on a hill overlooking the ocean, was Steve's introduction to some other worldly scenery. Kamakura was one of my favorite places on the trip I took with my daughter, Helen, in 2007. We went to an Okonomiyaki restaurant where diners sit at a table with a built in griddle and cook their own food. We ordered the okonomiyaki and yakisoba.

Top photo: Minako, the expert cook getting the okonomiyaki started, lower photo finished pancake

As you can see the okonomiyaki looks like a pancake, but it is a savory pancake filled with cabbage, meat, shrimp, bean sprouts and served with a salty, sweet soy based sauce and sprinkled with red ginger (gari) and ao-nori (small bits of toasted seaweed) and mayonnaise. We also order yakisoba, fried noodles with vegetables and meat in a soy, worchestershire sauce, also sprinkled with ginger and seaweed.

As you can see from the top photo the condiment tray allows diners to choose their own blend of sauces and seasonings. Although this is humble festival/street food I have fond memories of eating these foods when I lived in Japan from 1975-1980 and my mother always made different versions of yakisoba at home. Since the trip to Japan I have experimented with both okonomiyaki and yakitori and made excellent versions of both which I will share in a later blog.

Dinner:



We found a neighborhood cafe with a big display case of all the foods served inside. A bit of down home katsudon sounded good. Steve made the mistake of ordering a tempura dinner and was disappointed by the small plate of tempura with only 1 small shrimp. I gave him some of my katsudon (pork cutlet, sauce and egg over rice). The udon soup was delicious, hot, chewy fresh noodles, delicious broth. The total bill was around $25.00.

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Farmers' Market in Azle, Texas

Last month I read an article in the Azle newspaper about a grassroots effort to start a farmers' market here. This immediately got my attention. Not only do I drive 20 miles to go to the Cowtown Farmers' Market in Ft. Worth, but I also grow vegetables and herbs. Additionally I make a weekly trip for fresh produce at Central Market, also in Ft. Worth The thought of driving a few miles down the road for garden fresh vegetables is very appealing. I also had the idea of offering to do cooking demonstrations at the farmers' market. I sent an e-mail to Kristoffer and Lisa Rasmussen, the couple who are organizing the market and was pleased to get a call back from Kristoffer. He was interested in my idea and it looks like I'll be doing something when the market opens in June. I have lots of ideas and since I'm growing lots of things I'll have plenty to with which to experiment. I have planted several types of tomatoes, Ichiban Japanese eggplant, Japanese cucumbers, bell peppers, hot peppers, okra, summer squash, zucchini squash, butternut squash and onions. I always grow basil, thyme, rosemary, shiso (perilla leaves), oregano, chives, tarragon, and parsley and there are lots of strawberries and raspberries from the last couple years.
I love it in June when I come come home from work, walk out into the garden and pick the vegetables I'll use for dinner, stop at the herb garden and grab some herbs and in a short while enjoy the freshest meal. Home grown vegetables taste great!
For now, I buy a bunch of fresh vegetables every weekend, wash and prepare them ALL on Sunday (or Monday this week) and use them every day for lunch and dinner. It's easy to eat healthy salads for lunch when all it takes it combining the already washed lettuce and cut up vegetables and I look forward to making dinner now. I conduct a little "mystery basket" exercise in my head on the way home and start listing all the veggies I have on hand, the contents of my pantry, and the proteins in my freezer or fridge and decide what I'll make.
Monday night was chicken and vegetable soup, Tuesday was a delicious spicy stir fried soba and vegetable dish with shrimp, tonight was grilled salmon with a spicy rub with brown rice and salad. I've decided I'll make pizza tomorrow night with mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and Italian sausage, and Friday will probably be okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) with vegetables and pork.
I have managed to make a home cooked meal almost every night since we've returned from Japan on April 10. This was not easy given the fact that every night after work we have worked in the garden or flower beds doing all the things we should have been doing while we were on vacation in Japan March 31-April 10. I don't even get into the kitchen until after 7:00 and we've managed to be eating by 7:45, sometimes sooner. If I don't cook my husband is too happy to run to Go Go Gumbo in Boyd and get take out food--hard on the budget and way too easy to overeat.
My next project now that the garden is well on its way is to blog about my Japan trip. I have so many great food memories and photos to share!

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Recipe testing for Japanese cooking class

Spicy Tofu with Beef

I was asked to do a cooking demonstration for the Fort Worth Japanese Society in June so I am working on ideas. I've been a member of the Japanese Society for many years. I joined after I took my mother there when she moved to Texas in 1990. She didn't know anyone here and the "society" became a favorite place where she met with her friends at least one week each month. Over the years I attended a few events and the gracious members provided origami, dance, and calligraphy presentations for me at the prison (where I work). My mother always wanted me to go with her to the Sunday lunch events but I was always "too busy" to go. Wish she was around now to take there because I sure miss her.

I came upon an interesting cookbook by a Japanese woman, Harumi Kurihara, who is quite famous in Japan. She has some interesting recipes for Japanese Home Cooking, a type of cooking most Americans haven't been exposed to. I adapted one she called, "Tofu with Spicy Minced Topping" and the results were outstanding. I've had similar dishes before, called "Mabo Dofu" made with a package mix (ick!) or in Chinese restaurants but did not care for them.

Although I used a lean steak (NY), sliced paper thin, this dish would be just as good with no meat, sliced chicken or pork or even shrimp. The sauce is sweet, spicy, and a little salty with the ginger/sesame/garlic giving it layers of flavor.

Spicy Tofu with Beef

Serves 4

1 14 oz box silken tofu

12 oz beef, thinly sliced (freeze, thaw slightly and cut with sharp knife)

1/2 tsp each beef bouillon and chicken bouillon powder dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water

or 1/2 tsp each beef and chicken base dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water

6 T soy sauce ( I use low sodium)

2 tsp sugar

2 T sake

1/2 tsp sesame oil

2 T vegetable oil

2 cups scallions, finely chopped

1/2 T minced garlic

1 T grated fresh ginger

1/2 T chili paste (toban jan) or 1/2 T Sambal

1 T cornstarch mixed with 1 T water

Salt and pepper to taste

Shichimi Togarashi

Use 1 T of soy sauce, 1 T sake, and 1/2 tsp sesame oil as a marinade for the meat while preparing the other ingredients.

Wrap the tofu in paper towels and leave in strainer to remove water.

Mix the soy sauce, sake, sugar, sesame oil and bouillon water together and set aside.

In large saute pan heat oil and saute 1/2 the scallions. Add garlic and ginger, then chili paste.

Mix well. Add beef and let it brown. Add tofu, gently breaking it up. Add the liquid ingredients and stir in cornstarch mixture after it comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the extra scallions and garnish with Shichimi Togarashi. Serve with hot Japanese rice.

Enjoy!

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Getting Focused

I find myself increasingly unfocused lately when it comes to my cooking. One day I'm making casseroles and cupcakes for my sick friends who are home recovering and the next I'm cooking for a chili contest and making key lime pie for a silent auction. I did not enjoy making old fashioned chicken pot pie too much and probably won't be making it again and although the cupcakes were wonderful--very gourmet with chocolate ganache filling, cream cheese frosting, fresh banana cake, or moist chocolate cake with Sharffen Berger cocoa powder (very intense)and fresh strawberry frosting--they are time consuming to prepare. My Southwest Chili and Short Rib Chili were both entered in a chili cookoff at work, for a fund raiser. Although I didn't win a prize I noticed both my crock pots were empty whereas several others were still quite full. I received many compliments on both chilies but my personal favorite will always be the Southwest Chili. I buy and roast Hatch chilies every August and freeze both hot and mild ones. For the chili I use a combination of hot and mild Hatch chilies which gives it some really nice flavor. I was surprised to find my key lime pie being auctioned for $60.00! People really wanted this pie. I made it with real Key limes and a crust which included graham crackers and toasted pecans I had picked up in San Saba from the Millican Pecan Company. The pie was made in a 2" tart pan, so imagine a tart twice as big as the normal one. I wish I had taken a photograph, so now I have to make another one just for the picture. I'll be looking for a special occasion.
In the meantime I have been working on eating healthy, if you can believe that. I have been losing weight, just a few pounds so far, by eating less, a lot more vegetables, and fewer snacks. Walking on the treadmill a hour several days a week also helps. I found the best system for eating healthy, but tasty food is the following:
1. On the weekend buy a big assortment of fresh vegetables and fruits at Central Market, or the farmer's market. I always get lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and scallions, but then vary the other vegetables and choose spinach, mushrooms, zuchinni, other squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, avocados, etc. depending on what looks good. Fruit includes apples, tangerines, strawberries, bananas, grapes, etc. I also buy whatever is on special for proteins (meats/fish/poultry) such as salmon, shrimp, pork, chicken breast, steak, etc. My pantry is stocked with canned beans, tuna, noodles, canned tomatoes, stock, sauces, etc.
2. Sunday night I spend a hour or so washing, cutting, dicing, and placing all the vegetables and herbs into zip loc bags. Also, I mince garlic, ginger, chop cilantro and parsley) Yes, this can be a lot of bags but the cost of purchasing take out food, restaurant food, and pizza is a lot more!
3. Briefly plan a menu based on the types of vegetables and herbs. Example of a week:
Sunday--Smoked chicken (made on the smoker outside), salad, hummus
Monday--Salad with goat cheese, cranberries, pecans, and smoked chicken pieces with soup leftover from last week and kept in the freezer.
Tuesday--Open faced quesadillas with mushrooms, spinach, onions, jalapenos, bell peppers, and
sauteed thinly sliced beef. (Slightly defrost frozen steak and slice paper thin, saute quickly.)
I had mine without meat, husband with meat. I had lots of leftover sauteed vegetables and used them to make an omelet one morning and a veggie breakfast taco another. It's a lot easier to eat healthy when the food is right there already cooked.
Wednesday--Tortilla soup made with the already cut up onions, peppers, and garlic, and a rotisserie chicken, purchased earlier in the week and frozen. Also made vegetarian version with black beans for myself. (Husband always has to have meat : )
Thursday--Frittata with mushrooms, shallots, spinach, sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, tarragon and thyme made with 3 egg whites and 1 yolk. Regular omelet with cheese and applewood smoked bacon for Steve.
Friday--Take out from Go Go Gumbo in Boyd. OK, I'm not perfect. I couldn't resist a Cedar Plank Salmon, whole grain blend, spinach and salad dinner.
Additionally, I used the cut up vegetables and prepared lettuce to make salads to take for lunch.
My strategy for losing weight and eating good is to take a delicious salad or homemade soup for lunch. Frozen Amy's dinners are good in a pinch, but they can be a little high in fat and sodium so they are only used once a week.
Although the weekend preparation is a bit of a pain, I felt so much happier during the week knowing I could quickly throw together a meal I would feel good about eating. I like to work out as soon as I get home from work and this can take anywhere from 1-2 hours. At 6:30 or 7:00 PM I pull out the bags of vegetables and herbs and have my own Mystery Basket event--meaning I look at what I have and make something that appeals to me.
There you go--Saturday and time to go shopping, except I am going away for a week to a field deployment training with my real job. This will be a food disaster for me.
Like I said earlier, my focus is shifting constantly. I will be staying in the Knoxville Convention Center, sleeping on a cot, and eating who knows what. They mentioned MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), same food the soldiers eat. I hate to be negative but these things have about 2,000 calories and smell horrible. I tend to gain weight when I'm away from home so this will be a challenge. My duffle bag is packed with a bunch of Clif bars and bags of almonds with dried fruit.
Wish me luck!

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