A while ago, I posted some lemon Japanese cucumber pickles that I had adapted from Just one Cookbook. She pickled the cucumbers whole and I found them just a bit lacking in lemon flavor. recently, one of Jan’s friends (Jennifer Anderson) gave her three yuzu. Yuzu’s flavor is describes as a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin orange.
Karl’s Yuzu Japanese Cucumber Pickles
Filed under Pickles, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
Adapted from a California Citrus Specialties recipe
Several day ago, a friend of Jan’s (Jennifer Anderson) gave her three yuzu to pass on to me. Yuzu’s flavor is describes as a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin orange. They are the size of small oranges, but not particularly juicy—the three yuzu produced ⅓ of a cup of juice. This sour fruit juice is the key ingredient in authentic Japanese ponzu sauce.
Karl’s Ponzu Sauce
Filed under Sauces and Spices
When I make teriyaki chicken I usually use the traditional Japanese (and my mother’s) simple recipe—soy sauce, mirin, saki, ginger, and sugar. Years ago—like 30—I had a friend who added wasabi and brown sugar to his teriyaki sauce. For this meal, I decided to go a bit less traditional and do a variation of my friends recipe.
Karl’s Barbecued Chicken Teriyaki Skewers
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces and Spices
I bought some lettuce stem for a Chinese stir-fry that I ended up not making. This is a vegetable that I learned to cook while I was in Chengdu. I have always called and thought about it as lettuce stem, but its proper name is celtuce (or wōsŭn; 莴笋 ; asparagus lettuce).
Karl’s Celtuce Pickles
Filed under Pickles, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I love Japanese pickled vegetables and I frequently get the urge to make them. The day before my Sunday dinner I started to make a bunch. Sometimes the side dishes leads you to the main dish, rather than the other way around. Today, pickles, fresh tofu and rice balls led to teriyaki chicken skewers.
Karl’s Carrot and Daikon pickle II
Namasu 紅白なます
Filed under Pickles, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Onigiri are the Japanese equivalent of a PB&J sandwich, something to take for a school lunch or on a picnic. One of Eilene’s Japanese class friends taught her how to make these a couple of years ago. While they are commonly formed into triangles and may have savory or salty filling, they may also be formed into simple round balls.
Karl’s Onigiri (Rice Balls)
Filed under Rice, Sauces and Spices, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian
I am made a Japanese meal last Sunday. Chicken teriyaki skewers, rice balls, inari and various pickles. No Japanese meal would be complete without miso soup.
Karl’s Miso Soup II
This is not so much a recipe as a presentation—one does not actually cook sashimi. I make a Japanese dinner once or twice a month—sashimi, inarizushi, fresh tofu, miso soup, wakame salad, and fresh pickles. This week I had bought two different pieces of Maguro (tuna), some akimi and chutoro.
Note: Some might bring up tataki at this point, but while mostly raw, I would argue that it is cooked and therefore not sashimi.
It did not seem right just to slice the pieces of tuna up and throw them on a plate. That would be very much against the aesthetics of Japanese cuisine—eating should feed both the body and the soul. Looking at the contrasting colors, I decided on my arrangement.
Karl’s Sashimi
Filed under Fish, Main Dishes, Weeknight
Adapted from a Smitten Kitchen recipe and a Just Bento recipe
Once again, Eilene is having friends over. I decided I would make chicken teriyaki and rice. I wanted to make a side dish, but it was too late to make pickles. I have been making blended soups lately, so I thought I would make a carrot soup with an Asian twist.
Karl’s Japanese Style Carrot Soup
Filed under California Fusion, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Miriam asked for Surf-and-Turf for her birthday and we are having several friends and relatives over, I decided I needed several starters to keep them at bay while I finished cooking.I though that a selection of small plates would give them something to nosh on while they waited. In addition to the cabbage, I made cucumber pickles and Shishitō.
Karl’s Salt Pickled Cabbage with Japanese Chilies II
Kyabetsu Shio-zuke Tsukemono
Filed under Green Vegetables, Pickles, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
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Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 