Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional (3 page)
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Authors: Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner
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BOOK: Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional
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For most family dinners, two to four okazu would be adequate, in addition to a soup, some optional pickles, and, of course, the rice. Although the rice served is usually short-grain white and unflavored, on certain occasions a flavored rice would be served. A perfect example of this would be in the fall when the luscious matsutake mushrooms come into season and one might make a special treat of
Matsutake Gohan
(Rice with Matsutake Mushrooms, page 44). Except for this sublime dish, I encourage you to serve brown rice as often as possible. (I have found that using a pressure cooker to cook brown rice yields the sticky texture that most resembles Japanese rice.)
Matsutake Gohan
(Rice with Matsutake Mushrooms, page 44). Except for this sublime dish, I encourage you to serve brown rice as often as possible. (I have found that using a pressure cooker to cook brown rice yields the sticky texture that most resembles Japanese rice.)
Sometimes a single one-pot creation will suffice for an entire meal along with rice. These are called
nabe-mono
and are popular in cold weather when the family huddles around a gurgling ceramic pot filled with vegetables, tofu, and, typically, seafood. The most famous of these is
sukiyaki,
although many other forms with subtler flavors abound.
nabe-mono
and are popular in cold weather when the family huddles around a gurgling ceramic pot filled with vegetables, tofu, and, typically, seafood. The most famous of these is
sukiyaki,
although many other forms with subtler flavors abound.
Meals featuring a noodle dish do not require rice and differ in composition. A popular simple lunch would be either soba or udon noodles, which fill a bowl brimming with tasty broth and perhaps some vegetables, seaweed, or fish. Generally, noodles comprise the whole meal, and okazu would not be served, except what is on top or alongside the noodles. In summer, cold noodles are served with dipping sauces and accompanied by the items that would be on top of them if they were served hot.
Dessert, when served, most often consists of seasonal fruit. In winter, a bowl brimming with
mikan
(Japanese mandarin oranges) would delight the family after most meals. In addition, a variety of colorful and beautifully shaped Japanese sweets made from ingredients such as
mochi
(pounded sweet rice), azuki bean paste, agar agar, soybean flour, and maple leaves may be served as an occasional special treat, usually with green tea in the afternoon. Another popular sweet is called
mitsumame,
a light dish featuring cubes of agar kanten (the Japanese equivalent of Jell-O), fruit, and azuki beans. Interestingly enough, one particular dish considered a refreshing dessert is not even sweet at all—
tokoroten,
a dish with noodle-like strands made from agar in a sauce of soy sauce, mirin, and Japanese hot mustard. In the same tradition, Japanese frequently eschew all sweets and opt for an
o-senbei
(a crisp, salty rice cracker) with green tea as the ending to a meal.
mikan
(Japanese mandarin oranges) would delight the family after most meals. In addition, a variety of colorful and beautifully shaped Japanese sweets made from ingredients such as
mochi
(pounded sweet rice), azuki bean paste, agar agar, soybean flour, and maple leaves may be served as an occasional special treat, usually with green tea in the afternoon. Another popular sweet is called
mitsumame,
a light dish featuring cubes of agar kanten (the Japanese equivalent of Jell-O), fruit, and azuki beans. Interestingly enough, one particular dish considered a refreshing dessert is not even sweet at all—
tokoroten,
a dish with noodle-like strands made from agar in a sauce of soy sauce, mirin, and Japanese hot mustard. In the same tradition, Japanese frequently eschew all sweets and opt for an
o-senbei
(a crisp, salty rice cracker) with green tea as the ending to a meal.
The evolution of dining and its impact on the meals served cannot be overlooked. One might say that the traditional Japanese breakfast—rice, miso soup, a little broiled fish, a few pieces of nori, and perhaps a raw egg to be mixed with soy sauce and poured over the rice—does not really go well with coffee. In a country such as Japan, where coffee houses abound and the art of brewing fine coffee has been elevated to an art form, connoisseurs will easily drop $5 for a cup of some master brew. (Many coffee houses feature unique ways of brewing coffee, and the better ones brew each cup to order.) And along with sipping coffee comes all the food that is associated with it, including bread, croissants, and pancakes. Thus, more frequently than not in increasingly busy urban areas, the traditional Japanese breakfast has been displaced by a continental breakfast.
Lunches have become Westernized as well, with Italian-style pastas infiltrating the soba market. Curry rice, pilafs, and
dorias
(rice topped with a cream sauce containing vegetables and seafood or meat) are highly popular, as are pizzas and sandwiches. Naturally, most of these items constitute single-item meals and are not, for the most part, balanced nutritionally.
dorias
(rice topped with a cream sauce containing vegetables and seafood or meat) are highly popular, as are pizzas and sandwiches. Naturally, most of these items constitute single-item meals and are not, for the most part, balanced nutritionally.
Dinner is where the Japanese maintain a proclivity to dine in a traditional fashion. After all, they are Japanese, and the Japanese cannot go too many meals without rice and miso soup or they begin to miss them! Even here, however, some Japanese choose to forgo tradition and dine on Chinese, French, Italian, or the myriad other cuisines that are available throughout Japan.
Sample Menus
T
o eat Japanese-style, the following menus will guide you in assembling several dinners, either traditional or modern.
O-shinko
(Japanese pickles) are optional with each meal.
o eat Japanese-style, the following menus will guide you in assembling several dinners, either traditional or modern.
O-shinko
(Japanese pickles) are optional with each meal.
Fall or Year-round
steamed riceMiso Soup with Daikon Radish and Fried Tofu Pouches
(Daikon to Abura-age no Miso Shiru),
page 57Carrot and Tofu Scramble
(Iri-Dofu
to
Ninjin),
page 76Spinach with Sesame Sauce
(Horenso no Goma-Ae),
page 97Stewed Vegetables
(Ni-Mono)
page 125
Fall or Year-round
steamed riceWakame and Tofu Miso Soup
(Wakame to Tofu no Miso Shiru),
page 58Fried Natto
(Natto-Age),
page 85Cucumber Salad with Wa-Fu Dressing, page 105Stewed Okara with Vegetables
(U-no-Hana),
page 133
Spring or Summer
Oyster Mushroom Pilaf
(Shimeji Gohan),
page 43Clear Soup with Chrysanthemum Leaves
(Shungiku no O-Suimono),
page 65Deep Fried Tofu in Broth
(Age-Dashi Dofu),
page 88Daikon Salad with Lime-Ume Dressing
(Daikon Salada),
page 164Spicy Braised Yam Cake
(Konnyaku no Itame-Mono)
page 127Steamed Kabocha with Lemon Crème Fraiche
(Kabocha no Lemo Kureem Kake),
page 163
Year-Round
steamed riceTofu and Vegetable Stew
(Kenchin Jiru),
page 63Tofu with Teriyaki Sauce
(Teriyaki Dofu),
page 78
Winter
steamed ricePotato and Onion Miso Soup
(Jaga-Imo to Tamanegi no Miso Shiru),
page 59Stewed Daikon with Sweet Miso Sauce
(Furofuki Daikon),
page 130Tofu with An Sauce
(Tofu no An-Kake),
page 75Stewed Kabocha Squash
(Kabocha no Ni-Mono),
page 128Blanched Spinach or Greens
(Horenso no Hitashi)
98Braised Burdock Root
(Kimpira Gobo),
page 126
Year-Round
steamed riceDeep-Fried Pork, Vegan-Style
(Tonkatsu),
page 153shredded raw cabbage with
tonkatsu
saucemiso soup of your choice
Year-Round
steamed riceSukiyaki,
pages 122-123Cucumber Salad with Wa-Fu Dressing, page 105
Fall
Rice with Matsutake Mushrooms(Matsutake Gohan),
pages 44-45Miso Soup with Tofu and Scallions, page 61Tempura,
pages 90-94Mushroom Salad
(Mushurumu to Shiso no Salada),
page 165
Summer
steamed riceDark Miso Soup with Nameko Mushrooms
(Nameko-Jiru),
page 62Cold Tofu
(Hiya-Yakko),
page 74Fried Eggplant with Miso Sauce
(Nasu no Dengaku),
page 86Roasted Asparagus with Lime Ponzu Sauce, page 168Wakame Salad
(Wakame Salada),
page 101
Fall
Chestnut Rice
(Kuri-Gohan),
page 46Savory Steamed Custard Soup
(Chawan-Mushi),
page 64Tofu in Hot Water (Yu-Dofu), page 73Tempura of Julienne Vegetables
(Kaki-Age),
page 94Blanched Spinach or Greens
(Horenso no Hitashi)
98Mountain Yam with Plum Sauce
(Nagaimo no Ume Ae),
page 107Enoki with Sake or White Wine
(Enoki-no-Saka-Mushi),
page 134
Year-Round
Savory Vegetable Pancakes
(Okonomiyaki),
page 145fried noodles
(yaki-soba)green salad
Year-Round
Vegetarian Eel Over Rice
(Unaju or Unagi Donburi),
page 142Japanese-Style Consommé
(Suimono),
page 66Cucumber and Wakame Salad with Miso Dressing
(Kyuri to Wakame no Miso Dressingu Kake),
page 104
A Late Night “Snack”
RamenJapanese Potstickers
(Gyoza),
page 148
The following items constitute one-dish meals, accompanied by a small salad, soup, or a simple vegetable:
Curry Rice
(Karei Rice),
pages 146-147Mushroom Doria, pages 157-158Spaghetti with Mushrooms
(Kinoko Spaghetti),
page 162Pasta with Shiso Pesto
(Supageti to Shiso no Basilico Sauce),
page 161fried noodles
(yaki-udon)
with miso soupAny type of rice dish with topping
(donburi)
with miso soupAny type of hot or cold soba or udon noodles
A
note on the Pronunciation of Japanese Terms
note on the Pronunciation of Japanese Terms
Japanese is phonetically simple, with a total of only fifty sounds. All vowels are pure and regular as in the following
A—ah as in art
E—eh, a short e sound as in red
I—a short i sound as in it
O—a shorter o sound than in open, like the o in Spanish pronunciation
The consonant G is always hard, as in get. Thus in age-mono, age has two syllables, a and ge.
Glossary
Ingredients, Kitchen Concepts, and Tools
N
ote: Some of the following terms will be followed by a parenthetical alternative preceded by an “O.” The “O” is an honorific letter that precedes many Japanese words. Where this is given, the honorific version is the preferred term.
ote: Some of the following terms will be followed by a parenthetical alternative preceded by an “O.” The “O” is an honorific letter that precedes many Japanese words. Where this is given, the honorific version is the preferred term.
Abura-age (Fried tofu pouches)—
Abura-age
is made by deep-frying thin slices of tofu. The results of this culinary trick produce golden brown pouches that resemble a form of skin. Abura-age can be simmered in stock, soy sauce, and other flavorings to render a succulently flavored and textured soy product that can be added to noodles, vegetables, and other dishes. It can also be split open and stuffed with sushi rice to make
inari-zushi.
It is sold in plastic bags, usually in packs of three pouches.
Abura-age
is made by deep-frying thin slices of tofu. The results of this culinary trick produce golden brown pouches that resemble a form of skin. Abura-age can be simmered in stock, soy sauce, and other flavorings to render a succulently flavored and textured soy product that can be added to noodles, vegetables, and other dishes. It can also be split open and stuffed with sushi rice to make
inari-zushi.
It is sold in plastic bags, usually in packs of three pouches.
Agar agar (kanten)—A tasteless, clear sea vegetable product that is the vegetarian equivalent of gelatin, made from a sea vegetable called
ten-gusa.
In the winter of 1647 Lord Shimazu of Kyushu discovered that a dish made from ten-gusa left outside in the cold froze overnight, then melted under the sun by day and then dried out. He called this freeze-dried product
kan-ten
(kan is the character for “cold,” ten, for “heaven”) and went on to invent its first dish,
tokoroten,
a dish of slippery kanten noodles.
ten-gusa.
In the winter of 1647 Lord Shimazu of Kyushu discovered that a dish made from ten-gusa left outside in the cold froze overnight, then melted under the sun by day and then dried out. He called this freeze-dried product
kan-ten
(kan is the character for “cold,” ten, for “heaven”) and went on to invent its first dish,
tokoroten,
a dish of slippery kanten noodles.
Agar agar has virtually no calories and is high in fiber. It is available in three forms: bars, flakes, and powder. The bars must first be soaked in water for several minutes to soften, then they are squeezed and shredded by hand into the liquid used for dissolving them. The flakes can be added to the liquid, allowed to soften for a moment, then dissolved over heat. The powdered form is the easiest to use, requiring only whisking into the liquid. All forms of agar agar must be boiled for a couple of minutes to produce a gelling effect, although once gelled, they will remain congealed at room temperature. Dishes containing a high amount of an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice, will require more agar agar to gel. The Japanese company Sokensha has a powdered form that is vastly superior to any other I have used. It renders a gelatinous quality that is very similar to gelatin. (Generally, agar agar produces a firmer, less “wobbly” texture than gelatin.)
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