by Elizabeth Andoh | Jul 1, 2020 | Recipes, Summer
COLD NOODLES: Part TWOそば・蕎麦・SOBA Most soba noodles are made from 80% soba (buckwheat) flour and 20% wheat flour; these are known as hachi wari soba (literally 80% soba). If you wish to make your noodle dish gluten-free you will need to buy jū wari soba, noodles made...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Jun 18, 2020 | Recipes, Summer
Survival strategy for hot, humid days: Chilled Sōmen Noodles-on-the-rocks! DOWNLOAD information on buying, storing and cooking sōmen and serving the noodles. © Photo by Leigh Beisch Styling by Karen Shinto ネバネバそうめん Slithery Sōmen Noodles Mouth feel (the way a food...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Jun 1, 2020 | Recipes, Summer
RAINY SEASON KITCHEN TSUYU (梅雨 literally, “plum rain”) comes to the Japanese archipelago every year as spring turns to summer. The constant dampness of tsuyu encourages the growth of kabi (mildew, and molds) requiring a strategy (taisaku 対策) … and...
by Elizabeth Andoh | May 22, 2020 | Recipes, Spring
The Japanese developed two very special graters for two specific foods: 鬼おろし機 oni oroshi ki (“monster graters”) made from bamboo used to coarsely grate daikon into shards and鮫の皮 samékawa graters made from nubbly sharkskin that transform tough, fibrous wasabi roots...
by Elizabeth Andoh | May 12, 2020 | Recipes, Spring
初鰹 HATSU-GATSUO First Catch of the Season Japan’s seasonal sensibility is always on display at table; here the transition from spring into early summer is celebrated with hatsu-gatsuo (skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) prepared tataki-style. Whole loins of katsuo...
by Elizabeth Andoh | Apr 22, 2020 | Recipes, Spring
Fava Beans: Sora Mamé そら豆 (Fava beans have been part of the eastern Mediterranean diet (Egypt, Greece, Italy) for at least 4000 years. There are stories of monks from India traveling through China who brought fava beans to Japan in the Nara Period (710-794...