Nukazuke Report: Nanohana Nukazuke

Nanohana (Rape Blossom) Nukazuke 菜の花ぬか漬け Nanohana (Rape Blossom) Nukazuke 菜の花ぬか漬け
Homemade nukazuke is turning out to be one of my all time favorite foodie discoveries! I cannot stop! I have been pickling springtime vegetables like kokabura (baby turnip), uri and nanohana (rape blossom) in my nuka pot the last few weeks and having great fun.…
Read More »

Wagashi: Sakura Mochi (Kanto-Style)

Sakura Mochi (Kanto-Style) 関東風桜餅
Sakura Mochi 桜もち
Late March and early April is sakura time in Kyoto. For about a month, it’s sakura this and sakura that, — even sakura mochi! Sweet, chewy, salty and above all fragrant and perfumy. This wagashi confection is mochi wrapped in a salted sakura leaf, sometimes a salted sakura blossom garnishes the top.…
Read More »

Yakizakana: Grilled Hon Maguro Tuna Misozuke

Grilled Hon Maguro Tuna Misozuke 本まぐろの味噌漬け Hon Maguro Tuna Misozuke 本まぐろの味噌漬け
Misozuke creates a wonderful taste for grilled fish, chicken and even beef. Sake and mirin is added to miso paste, just like the kind used for soup, and then the fish is marinated for a day or two. I used a cut of tuna ‘throat’ for this.…
Read More »

Sake Kasu Zanmai: Grilled Hon Maguro Tuna ‘Throat’ Kasuzuke

Grilled Hon Maguro Nodo ‘Tuna Throat’ Kasuzuke 本まぐろ ‘のど’ 粕漬け
Grilled Hon Maguro Nodo 'Tuna Throat' Kasuzuke 本まぐろ 'のど' 粕漬け
What do you do when grilled ‘kama‘ fish collars no longer do it for you? Try fish throats! Yes, throat! (I had never even heard of this one.) I spotted these beautiful slices of maguro tuna throats in the store the other day and knew I had to…
Read More »

Sake Kasu Zanmai: Chicken Turnips and Nanohana Kasujiru Soup

Late Winter Kasu Jiru Soup with Chicken, Turnips and Nanohana 小蕪菜の花鳥肉粕汁 Late Winter Kasujiru Soup with Chicken, Turnips and Nanohana  小蕪菜の花粕汁
Meet Kasu Jiru: Kasu-jiru is soup made with sake lees. The sake taste is pronounced and the sweet, fruiting bouquet of fermented sake mash is obvious as well. We made this with late winter veggies and chicken.…
Read More »