Taiyaki. Little mochi fish. I first tried these at a farmers market in HI. They can be found at some Japanese ice cream shops where they are used as the cone.
I have no business writing about Japanese food. I love it, but I am no expert. I've not yet been to Japan or studied it's cuisine formally.
For years I insisted on cooking rice on the stovetop. It was all chef ego & a lack of appreciation for how difficult it is to prepare rice well. Every little detail matters: the pot you use, the type of rice, how hot the burner is. Even when you've reduced all the variables, it's hard to repeat one success.
As a mom of little ones, I finally acquiesced and bought a Japanese rice cooker. The kind that has a moisture sensor in it. I can't believe I waited so long. Like I might know more about cooking rice than millions of cooks in rice eating cultures! Even sushi chefs at the most revered restaurants in Toyko use them.
Needless to say, my rice has gotten a million times better since I invested in one. It has functions for sushi rice, brown rice, and even “Gaba” rice, which takes over three hours to finish. I use it for brown rice I haven't already sprouted myself.
The GABA setting on advanced rice cookers (such as Zojirushi) pre-soaks brown rice at about 104°F (40°C) for two hours before cooking. This automated germination process multiplies the grain's gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content up to four times, lowers the glycemic index, softens the outer bran layer, and improves digestibility.
I bought the best one one the market 7 years ago and it still works like new. The price has almost doubled since I purchased it, but I'd still get it again.
There are cheaper ones out there, but get a Japanese one with a moisture sensor- those are the two non-negotiables IMO.
When I don't have a meal plan but we come across some really fresh fish, we have “Lazy Sushi” for dinner. This is something I created while living on a boat in the Caribbean, where we often caught or had access to fresh fish, but no energy to roll sushi by hand.
Some versions of “Lazy Sushi” we've had in the past
Here's the formula:
Make some sushi rice in a rice cooker Or a pot.
Add a vegetable to the table. Simpliest is cucumber in seasoned rice wine vinegar. Or a salad with Japanese Carrot Dressing (recipe below). Or sautéed broccoli with garlic.
Add an asian ferment to the table if you have one (pickled turnips, kimchee, sea kraut)
Cut up Nori sheets in quarters, or get the small ones for snacking.
Slice fish thinly (you can freeze for 20 minutes to make cutting in thin easier). Or you can make a spicy tuna with sriracha mayo + canned tuna
Add condiments you have: soy sauce, pickled ginger, Sriacha sauce mixed with mayo, wasabi, Furikake.
Let everyone build their own sushi tacos. Kids love it. I usually go more for the veg with fish and maybe a little bit of rice.
A very good rice cooker
I have amassed a nice collection of Japanese recipes that lend themselves to home cooking. Here's a few I make most frequently:
Miso Mustard Salmon, a three ingredient dish that I've been making for 20 years. With whole roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, the best sweet potato I've encountered.
And here is a marinade I use on skirt steak (though I use Tamari + Coconut Sugar)
For a simple side with Japanese food, you can marinate cucumbers with seasoned rice wine vinegar (and add some furikake or black sesame seeds if you want to get fancy). If you are getting standard cucumbers, it's important to peel the skin & remove the seeds so they aren't bitter. English & Persian cukes you can use the entire thing, skin & seeds.
Sometimes I cut them by hand, sometimes I use a mandolin. There are so many fancier mandolins out there and none work as well as this one. Be sure to use the safety attachment to save your fingers. I love the mandolin because it saves time and elevates the cut of your vegetables, thereby elevating whatever you are making. Win-win, just watch your fingers.
The best (and cheapest) mandolin out there!
Carrot Ginger Dressing
(Japanese Restaurant Dressing)
For One Big Salad:
Ingredients:
32 oz wide mouth mason jar
1 small carrot, Washed and cut into big chunks
A couple of slices of red onion, cut into chunks
1 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons ginger, Roughly Chopped
1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea Salt
3/4 cup organic Avocado Oil
For a week's worth of Salads
Ingredients:
32 oz wide mouth mason jar
2 large carrots, Washed and cut into big chunks
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
¼ small red onion, cut into chunks
3" piece of fresh ginger, Roughly Chopped
¼ cup Maple Syrup
½ cup soy sauce
1 ½ cups rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sea Salt
3 cups organic Avocado Oil
Directions:
Put all ingredients except the oil in a big mason jar. Let sit for 10 minutes
Put a hand blender in the mixer, turn it on, and slowly add the oil.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Is it too acidic? Add more salt or Oil or maple syrup
Too basic (boring)? Add more salt or acid or ginger
Don't be afraid to experiment and taste. Even if you don't love how it comes out, think about what it could use to improve on it next time!
You can use this dressing on the simpliest salad with greens, or add some julienned jicama, corn, dandelion greens, shiso - anything you have around that goes with Japanese flavors.
This prayer is partially based in Shintoism—the idea that spirits (kami) reside in all elements of nature, including mountains, rivers, and even a single grain of rice. The phrase honors the spirit of the food itself
Ready to elevate your health & your cooking and at the same time? Let's talk!
