Simmered “Shirataki” Konjac Noodle and Deep-fried Tofu しらたきと油揚の煮物

A few days ago, we had sukiyaki すき焼き. I thought the whole bag (400 gram or 14.1 oz) of “shirataki” 白滝 (meaning white cascade) or noodle form of konnyaku (or konjac) was too much to use all of it for sukiyaki. So after I preparing it (i.e. washed, boiled, washed again and cut into convenient length) I kept 1/3 in water in the refrigerator. I was pondering how I could use this and came across this recipe on-line and decided to make it. This appears to be Kyoto “o-banzai” おばんざい style home cooking and has nice gentle and comforting flavors.

Ingredients:
1/3 package (about 100 grams) of “shirataki”, washed, boiled, washed again and cut into convenient length
1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
1 abura-age, hot water poured over (to thaw and remove excess oil), water squeezed out and then cut into thin threads
1 scallion finely chopped
300 ml Japanese dashi broth
30 ml sake
15 ml mirin
20 ml soy sauce (I used x4 concentrated Japanese noodle sauce)

Directions:
Add, the shirataki, carrot, and abura-age in a pot add the broth and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add the seasonings and cook until the liquid is reduced by 1/3.

The original recipe calls for sugar but I did not add it. Japanese noodle sauce does have some sweetness which compensated for not having any sugar. This could be a side dish for rice but it is also perfect for a drinking snack.

New Year's day 2

Encouraged by my previous success,  I again tried distributing the Osechi goodies from the large "mother" box to a smaller mini-osechi box to use as a type of serving container. This was made possible because we found an hexagonal 3 layered stackable container (plastic) with a handle (the handle attaches to the very bottom box) that we completely forgot we had. It was perfect for this purpose and I used the top two boxes. This time, I added some small covered bowls as sides.

One very good thing about this approach is that I can prepared the box ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator and just grab it when we are ready.

Most of the ingredients came from the Sushi-taro osechi box. #1=sweet simmered "Kuromame" black beans 黒豆, #2="Matsukaze" chicken patty 松風焼き (which I made), #3="Konnyaku" simmered with Japanese "ichimi" red pepper 蒟蒻一味煮 (has mild zing), #4="Kuwai" arrowhead fried and simmered くわいの揚げ煮　and Simmered Shiitake  mushroom 椎茸の旨煮, #5=Plum flower cut simmered carrot 梅人参, #6=Poached chicken tender with salted plum sauce 茹でささ身の梅肉和え(which I made, leftover from making New Year's soup), #7=Miso marinated egg yolk with walnuts 黄身胡桃 (this is also one of our favorite delicacies), #8=Salmon kelp roll 鮭の昆布巻 (which I made), #9=Kelp rolled and cured flounder with "gari"vinegared ginger 平目龍皮巻, #10=Date-maki omelet roll 伊達巻 (Osechi box also had this but this one is what I made), #11= Rib roast with Japanese mustard (leftover from Christmas roast), #12= Miso-marinated herring roe 数の子味噌漬,  #13=Pork belly シルク豚味噌漬, and #14=Daikon namasu with "ikura" salmon roe and boiled octopus 大根なますイクラ煮だこ添 (Osechi box did include a more elaborate version of daikon namasu but I served what I made here).

This box contained chicken, beef, pork. I could have added duck since duck "terini" 鴨の照煮 was included in the large osechi box (see below).

This year, I could not get boiled octopus legs and had to be satisfied with the body/head of octopus.

Close up of flounder wrapped and cured in kelp with the center of "gari" ginger. Very refreshing.

"Kimi-kurumi" 黄身胡桃. I think this is egg yolk marinated in miso. Judging from the recipes I found, it would appear that after a few days, the egg yolks attain a very thick unique consistency. In this rendition, walnuts are embedded in the center. We love this dish, although I will not even try to make this myself.

After enjoying these delicacies, we went for the second plates. The big prawns were sake steamed and "bent back" symbolizes long life since old folks in old days all had bent backs or "Koshi-ga-magaru". This dish, in Japanese, was dubbed "longevity prawns" or 長寿海老. We removed the head and, of course, sucked on it and enjoyed the tail. In the center is duck "terini". I suppose this may be similar to what I make. I served this slightly heated.

The fish is sweet miso marinated Spanish mackerel 鰆西京焼. I heated it in the toaster oven for few minutes. I also added my gorgonzola dried fig chicken patty.

We ate something else for ending dish but do not remember. Having all these prepared osechi dishes is wonderful.

Sushi Taro Osechi 2021 寿司太郎の御節 2021

We picked up our Sushi Taro Osechi box for 2021 on the last day of 2020. We opened it on the evening of January 1, 2021. I am doing this post just to remind us of all the wonderful items included in the box. Every year there are some changes although many "must-have" items remained the same. The SushiTaro osechi has been the highlight of our New Year celebrations since 2012. Before that I used to make osechi in a 3 layered juubako 重箱.  I had to spend almost the entire week before New Year cooking and the results were no comparison to the Sushi Taro box. In 2010 and 2011, (I apparently had excuses) I only made a few New Year items. On one other occasion, we tried frozen osechi from Kyoto, Japan. It was very expensive and just terrible. So, Sushitaro Osechi is indeed a God-send. Now I only make a few nostalgic items that I ate on New Year as a child. 

This picture is an overview of the upper layer of the Sushi Taro box.

 

The following pictures enumerate the contents of the box. Noteworthy is #1 smoked oyster in olive oil 牡蠣燻製. Large succulent oysters with smoky flavor are excellent and new this year. #2 is a sophisticated version of “daikon namasu” 錦なます. #3 is Kuro-mame  black beans in syrup 黒豆. #4 is grilled small "tai" red snapper 祝鯛姿焼き, #5 steamed sea urchin 蒸し雲丹.  #6 Kazunoko "herring" roe marinaded in miso 数の子味噌漬け.  #7 roasted A5 Wagyu (A5 is the top level wagyu) 和牛ローストビーフwhich is also new this year. Nicely marbled and tender.  #8 Cod roe rolled in kelp 鱈の子昆布巻.  I forgot to put the number but between the wagyu and the tail of snapper are chestnuts "shibukawa-ni" 栗渋皮煮, #9 is smoked salmon rolled in pickled radish スモークサーモン砧巻. #10 is our favorite "karasumi" botarga or sun-dried mullet roe 唐墨.  #11 is small ice fish simmered with sansho pepper 雑魚の有馬煮 (in plastic container) and #12 lily bulb dumpling 百合根まんじゅう which is new this year. Under #5 is red and white "kamaboko" fishcake 紅白蒲鉾,  under the roast beef is soy-marinated egg yolk with walnuts and truffle flavor which is also our favorite 黄身胡桃.  Somewhere under the tai fish is "gobo" burdock root with sesame dressing 叩き牛蒡. One more good dish wrapped in cellophane is hidden under the fish which is “Koji pickled Boston mackerel” 鯖麹漬. This may be also new this year. This reminded me of a Hokkaido dish called “iizushi” 飯寿司 which was made during cold winter fermented using koji/rice, dried herring, and vegetables. This version is using mackerel with crunchy daikon or kabu radish. We both really like it. 

And this is lower box.

#1 is Monkfish liver terrine 鮟肝豆腐, again our favorite, #2 pickled flower-shaped "renkon" lotus root 花輪蓮根、#3 is red and white shrimp dumpling 海老真蒸, #4 cured Spanish mackerel 鰆喜寿し, this is new and great, it is cured (with salt and vinegar, I suppose) but almost taste-like sashimi, no fishy taste and absolutely fantastic. #5 glazed duck 鴨照り煮, #6 caramelized crispy small shrimp 小海老甘露煮, #7 sake-steamed prawn 長寿海老, #8 Yellowtail sushi wrapped with pickled turnip 鰤かぶら寿し, #9 New Year's stewed vegetables (satoimo, carrot, bamboo shoot, shiitake, hana-fu,  snow peas, and "konnyaku", all individually delicately seasoned and cut into decorative shapes), #10 simmered "ayu" sweet fish with roe 子持ちあゆ甘露煮, #11 "Date-maki" New year's omelet 伊達巻 and #12 Burdock root, squid ink coated and stuffed with mustard からし牛蒡. Hiding underneath #1 and #2 is "kurikinton" mushed sweet potato with chestnuts 栗きんとん and underneath #5 is grilled yellowtail marinated in sake lee 鰤酒粕焼き.

　

Everything was carefully prepared and packed. All possible superlative adjectives can not begin to describe how wonderful each dish was.  I do not know how many orders they prepare but I got some glimpse of how much work this is from Chef Kitayama's instagram "chefmasayakitayama" and "togimax". Our only task now is to enjoy all these delicacies, something we are very good at.

Sukiyaki すき焼き

When I think of Sukiyaki, it conjures up two unrelated memories in my mind. One is a Japanese popular song called "Ue-o muite arukou" "上を向いて歩こう"; translated into English, as "Let me gaze up while I am walking (and holding back my tears)". This was sung by Kyu Sakamoto 坂本九, who was later killed in a tragic commercial airplane crash in 1985. This is a melancholic song without any reference to food but, for some reason, was named "sukiyaki" when it was introduced to the U.S. The lyrics of the song and this English title have absolutely no relation to each other whatsoever except that both were from Japan--it is the equivalent to introducing "Moon River" as "Beef Stew".) Despite this, it was reportedly #1 on the Billboard magazine hit chart in June 15 of 1963.

Sukiyaki also reminds me of the very first time my wife and I visited Kyoto together so many years ago. Although we had visited Japan frequently we usually headed straight to Hokkaido occasionally staying only a few days in Tokyo. So the Japan my wife knew consisted of only Tokyo, Sapporo and other parts of Hokkaido. For her, Kyoto was an eye-opening experience--until then she thought all of Japan was like Hokkaido and was surprised to see how different it was. 

On that trip, one evening, we stolled along a narrow and crooked alleyway in Pontocho 先斗町. Since I did not do good research ahead of time (this was a time way before internet Tabelog and food blogs), we did not have any idea which restaurant we should try. Then, I found what appeared to be an old Kyoto house with a small wooden sign saying "Sukiyaki". Although it looked more like a residence than a restaurant, I made an executive decision and we went in. As we said "hello" or "konbanwa" at the small and deserted  "genkan" 玄関 entrance, a kimono clad "nakai" san 仲居さん or waitress, came out from behind the sliding "shoji" screen and greeted us. After removing our shoes, we were ushered up into a large Japanese room (10 tatami-mat room or 十畳間) upstairs which was just for us. We did not see any other customers and the "nakai" san made conversations with my wife (through my translation) and I while preparing sukiyaki at the table. It was such a different and pleasant eating experience. The room was elegant in a slightly shabby chic. It was so quiet and peaceful after the bustle on the streets below. I do not remember exactly but it was not outrageously expensive. (In later years, we visited Kyoto many more times. Every time we visit Pontocho, we see that the stores in the alleys have changed and new (chain?) restaurants and girly bars have started replacing old traditional restaurants and drinking places. Although we tried, we were not able to find our "sukiyaki" restaurant again. That meal turned out to be one of those poignant but fleeting experiences--kinda like the song. 

(Image borrowed from http://shigeking.exblog.jp/10388168/). 

This dish, sukiyaki, was invented after the Meiji restoration (1868) when Japanese adapted to eating meat (beef) and also is one of the Japanese foods accepted and popularized in the U.S. long before sushi and sashimi became popular. Sukiyaki 鋤焼 (suki 鋤 means a type of Japanese spades and "yaki" 焼き means to grill or cook. But I am not sure that was how this dish was originally cooked.) has two distinct styles; Kansai 関西 (includes Kyoto) and Kanto 関東 (Tokyo) -styles. Mine must be a Hokkaido 北海道 style. Actually, when I was growing up, my mother used to make sukiyaki with thinly sliced pork rather than beef, which was (and maybe still is) common in Hokkaido.

We have not made sukiyaki for ages but I found thinly sliced sukiyaki beef (frozen), which was not as nicely marbled as Japanese beef, at a Japanese grocery store and decided to make sukiyaki. Sukiyaki is traditionally cooked at the table and "the man of the house" is supposedly in charge of cooking and seasoning sukiyaki even though he usually does not cook. A traditional sukiyaki pot or すき焼き鍋 is made of cast iron、round and shallow with folding handles like one you see here. 

Ingredients: Besides thinly sliced beef, the most common items include tofu (especially grilled tofu or 焼き豆腐), Konnyaku thread or shirataki (白滝) (boiled for few minutes in water and washed in cold running water to remove its distinctive (read:awful) smell, shiitake mushroom (I used shimeji here), onion (either regular, thinly sliced, or Japanese "negi" scallion cut in 1-2 inch long on a slant), some type of greens such as spinach (I used a mixture of spinach and arugula here, which were very briefly blanched). My wife likes the more traditional edible chrysanthemum or shungiku (春菊)*. As seen on the left in the image below, I arranged the ingredients on a large plate before starting.

(*We love shungiku for its distinctive taste and even tried to grow it without much success. You could occasionally get it fresh at the Japanese grocery store but the availability is sporadic at best.)

Seasonings: You should have your seasonings handy while cooking sukiyaki; soy sauce, sugar, and sake. I do not use a premixed seasoning liquid or warishita 割り下. Just add these seasonings as you add more ingredients; sprinkle sugar, splash soy sauce and then sake. Since this is done by the man of the house, he does not measure anything (right, image above).

Cooking:  We did not cook the sukiyaki at the table this time. I placed a sukiyaki pot on the stove on medium low heat. I first melted a bit of butter (or you could use a chunk of beef fat) and spread the beef over the butter. The proper and traditional way of serving sukiyaki, is to season the meat after it has browned with sake, sugar and soy sauce. Then all the diners taste a small portion of this first cooked meat, since this is the only time browned meat was available to taste. (The rest of the beef added later is just cooked in the seasoning liquid). I do not see much advantage in this custom and I cooked everything together as you see on the right in the picture above. The vegetable and tofu exude water but if the liquid is not enough or the seasoning is too strong you could add more sake or dashi. I put on the lid and cooked it for 5 minutes or until the onion was done.

Serving: The classic way is to serve a raw beaten egg in the bowl as a dipping sauce (shown in the second picture above.) (of course, I used pasteurized shell eggs for this). The egg will cool the suskiyaki and make it taste better for sure. We just had this as a drinking snack rather than a meal with cold sake. This is such a classic dish and even the inferior quality of the beef did not detract.

New Year 3rd day evening 正月３日夕

The 3rd day of New Year, we started with all small dishes that go with sake including a tasting of three different preparations of herring roe. I wheeled out the miniature covered bowls we got in Kyoto sometime ago.

All are from the Sushi taro osechi box. From left to right are daikon in yuzu sweet vinegar or "Nishiki namasu" 錦なます which was toped with soy sauce marinated salmon roe 青竹いくら.  The center is steamed uni 蒸し雲丹, the right is a rare totally Western-style dish, oil marinated smoked oyster with feta cheese, dried tomato and olive 牡蠣燻製オイル漬け. All the dishes were heavenly. The yuzu flavor was very nice. What's not to like about uni in any form? The oysters were smoked, fat and succulent. We really liked this these dishes. They were good for sake or red wine.

This was followed by a tasting of herring roe or "Kazunoko" 数の子 prepared in three different ways. The top and bottom was what I prepared; the top is marinated in sake lee and miso and the bottom is marinated in dashi broth mirin and soy sauce. The center is from the osechi box; marinated in miso 数の子味噌ずけ (probably sweet miso like saikyo miso.

In the picture below,  on the left is my sake lee miso marinated, the middle is my soy sauce marinated and the right is Sushitaro's miso marinated.

All three were very good and very distinctly different. It was a treat to be able to taste them all together like this. The center one appears a bit darker because I used regular or "koikuchi" soy sauce for the marinade instead of light colored "usukuchi" soy sauce. Although it looked different it tasted ok. (center).

This was followed by assorted dishes from the osechi box. I put the simmered vegetables in a separate bowl and microwaved briefly to take the chill off but didn't really warm them.

The plates included two grilled fish, Spanish mackerel marinated in saikyo miso and Japanese snapper with "kino-me" sauce. Both were heated in the toaster oven. Others included simmered sweet fish with it's roe, pickled myouga, flower cut pickled lotus root, date-maki omelet roll and burdock root dressed in sesame sauce or "Tataki gobo"  たたき牛蒡.

Veggies included simmered Taro root or satoimo, kuwai, flower cut carrot, konnyaku and shiitake mushroom and snow pea.

Now we were in the last stretch of finishing the box. Even for us, this has been a rather wonderful decadent 3 days of New Year.

Octopus rice 瀬戸内海蛸めし

 We have been getting Japanese rice from the New York Rice factory. It may be hard to believe (we our selves are somewhat incredulous) that there could be such a difference in something as subtly flavored as rice but the rice from the rice factory is really good. It is hard to identify what sets it apart from the rice we used to get but in general we really like the texture, the taste and especially how well it can be reheated and still tastes like it just came out of the rice cooker.

 Whenever I order rice from the rice factory I usually supplement the order with other items. In the past, we got a kit to make “red snapper rice” or “taimeshi” 鯛めし, a type of seasoned rice famous in the Japanese inland sea area or "seto-naikai" 瀬戸内海.  Another time I ordered a similar seasoned rice kit made with octopus called “seto-naikai tako-meshi” 瀬戸内海蛸めし. After I bought it, however, the kit sat in our pantry for some time. When I checked the expiration date, it had expired the previous month, so I decide it was time to make it as a shime 〆 or ending dish one weekend. The kit came in several pouches; one with seasoning sauce, one with small bits of octopus, one with freeze dried items. It also included a rectangle of kelp. I made the octopus rice according to the instructions. I served it with a side of simmered Japanese root vegetables I had made and salted cucumber, daikon and nappa cabbage or "oshinko" お新香.

 

The octopus was in really small pieces as you can see on the top of the rice in the next picture. I used a one to one mixture of glutinous “mochi” rice 餅米 (called "Hakucho" はくちょう or swan from Hokkaido and regular "uruchi" rice うるち米 called "Yumepirika" ゆめピリカ also from Hokkaido. (These two rice varieties came from the Rice Factory.) 

The simmered vegetables included shiitake 椎茸 (from dried and hydrated), "renkon" レンコン lotus root, "gobou" ごぼう burdock root, carrot, small bamboo shoot "or sasatakenoko" 笹筍 and konnyaku or konjack 蒟蒻.

The next picture shows the modified "oshiko" salted cucumbers and other vegetables I made. I modified the original recipe by increasing the salt from 2% to 3% weight of the ingredients and adding a small amount of Vodka. As a result this dish lasts much longer than when I made the 2% salt version.

This octopus rice was ok but we thought the tai rice 鯛めし was better (the octopus pieces were really  very minuscule). My wife said that the seasoned rice I make including chestnut rice 栗ご飯 and matsutake rice 松茸ご飯 are better and there is no reason to buy seasoned rice kits. In any case, this was a nice "shime" dish.