Japanese Whiting ― 2012/06/01
This lovely-looking fish called Kisugo in Japanese is my husband’s favourite. He says: “It looks lovely, shows interesting reaction*, and tastes delicious.”
(*When it is caught, the Japanese whiting shakes its head in attempt to be free from the hook, which feels interesting to its anglers—sorry for my disturbing description if you are a fish rights type.)
Being a light and white-meat fish, we usually have kisugo as tempura or bread-crumbled deep-fly. But as I am on my hundredth diet, I asked my fishmonger to only gut them so that I could simply roast them without using fat. In his mind, however, the Japanese whiting might be deeply linked to tempura, so he automatically opened them as though I would cook tempura.
Today’s dinner was determined at this moment.
By the way, when cooking tempura, don’t you tend to end up with unexpectedly big amount of it? I always do so. When I make tempura at home, I can’t help myself ransacking my fridge and trying new ingredients. Based on my 20-year experience as an amateur cook, basically everything reasonably dry can make good tempura. Today I tried; broad beans, broccoli, new onions, and shiitake etc., which made three-day supply of tempura, and my waist even thicker. Who said Japanese food was healthy?
Today's Cat ― 2012/06/02
Tan and young and handsome cat
The boy from a pine wood runs away
How can I tell him I’m not dangerous
But each day he finds me, he runs straightaway
Japanese Pepper Again ― 2012/06/04
A lesson has been learnt: however gentle, heat is heat.
Today's Cat ― 2012/06/05
All of them have disproportionally big head for their body. I am feeingl like in an out-of-perspective world...
Pancake Tower ― 2012/06/08
An Unsuitable Job for a Cat ― 2012/06/08
Worrying in bed...
I can't help worrying about this and that...
In the dead of night...
I can't sleep at all...
This cat is advertising a medicine for those who suffer temporal difficulties to get to sleep.
Extraordinarily cute...but cats are the last animal that has a suitable character to advertise sleeping pills. I am quite sure no cat thinks like him. They simply sleep whenever they want.
The full advertisement can be seen here:
http://www.ssp.co.jp/drewell/fuminci/
Golden Threadfin Bream ― 2012/06/09
For the past 40++ years, I used to assume this beautiful fish was served only in high-end, decadent restaurants only for fish connoisseurs, not for everyday meals.
In fact, I found the golden threadfin bream, called Itoyori in Japanese, is quite an accessible and affordable fish when it is in season. Its flesh tastes like chicken fillet, but much more succulent and fluffy. Once it is filleted, I guess it can be fried, baked, and simmered, just like skinless chicken breast (with more care, as the flesh of itoyori can be broken into pieces if fiddled with chopstick during cooking process.)
In order to maximise its delicate taste and texture, I tried steaming itoyori with TLC.
After the itoyori dinner, despite my efforts, my husband said: “Why didn’t you fry it? White meat fish should taste better when fried.”
I know what you mean. To be honest, I thought itoyori would taste wonderful with a bit of fat…But I also think I shouldn’t be so Anglomania as to use fat to everything (sorry for my prejudice against Western cooking.)
Garlic Spree ― 2012/06/10
Maybe I am one of the most garlic-loving housewives in Japan. No vampire can get in my home, though there is no need to worry about vampire attacks as I am not attractive to vampires. I am no longer young and naturally not beautiful.
Anyway, one of seasonal events in early summer is getting and preparing the new garlic. Although garlics are available at supermarkets throughout the year, you can get a whole year supply of locally grown garlics at very reasonable price.
JPY1,000/15 bulbs at the generous greengrocer I mentioned before (for more detail, see this entry.) Today he gave me a bag of substandard-sized new onions and two bags of summer oranges. Does he get any profit from selling vegetables? Or, is selling vegetables his voluntary social service? For what?
Once I miss this seasonal opportunity, I will have to get garlics at supermarkets (usually JPY 198 per bulb) or at Tohoku, where is the major garlic-producing region in Japan, speciality shop (about JPY 700/ about six bulbs) in the city centre, both of which I would rather not go for garlics. Please don’t take me wrong: I am not against the “Eat Tohoku, Support Tohoku” movement, but there is no reason I have to buy more expensive garlics that have travelled a long way when I can get local products cheaper than them.
As you may well know, fresh new garlics can’t last very long. They can be moulded, dried up like mummies quicker than usual ones. So I keep them in freezer after breaking them up into individual cloves. In this way, the garlic will look a bit like potatoes frozen at home, but no problem if you cook it (I believe very few people bite uncooked garlic), it will regain the flavour and texture just like fresh garlics.
I also put one or two bulbs (after common garlic preparation—breaking up and pealing the skin) in soy sauce. It can make good soy-sauce-based salad dressings, and the garlic will soak up the taste and flavour of the soy sauce and can be used as seasoning for many dishes, such as fried rice, roasted chicken or fish.
Then, if I have time, which is usually plenty for me, I make garlic miso which I use as an all-purpose seasoning.
With garlic miso, you can make miso ramen, miso-flavoured stir-fry, baked onigiri, and many more.
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