Japanese Homestyle Cooking - Susie Donald Learn To Cook Series

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or Calamari

       Braised Fish (Karei Nitsuka)

       Stir-fried Tofu with Egg and Vegetables

       Seafood and Chicken Hotpot

       Pan-fried Chicken Loaf with Sesame

       Chicken and Vegetable Hotpot (Mitzutaki)

       Japanese Mixed Grill

       Japanese Grilled Steak

       Stir-fried Pork with Cabbage and Ginger

       Beef and Potato in Sweet Ginger Soy Gravy

       Shabu-Shabu Beef and Vegetable Hotpot

       Quick Green Tea Ice Cream

       Japanese Sponge Cake (Kasutera)

      The traditional Japanese meal is a work of art from the kitchen—balanced in color, texture and design. Applauded for its elegant simplicity and appreciated for its reliance on the freshest ingredients, the Japanese way of cooking fits easily into today’s culinary scene, appealing to those who appreciate healthy eating, lighter portions and artistic presentations. At its best, a Japanese meal, with each course served on specially selected dinnerware, resembles a still life painting rendered in food and ceramics.

      A Japanese meal can be put together quickly and easily. Most recipes call for only a handful of ingredients: rice, soy sauce, wasabi powder, saké, sesame seeds, dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, wheat or buckwheat noodles, dashi stock, and tofu are some of the cornerstones of a Japanese meal. The trick is to keep a larder stocked with the Japanese essentials and to plan ahead—purchasing the fish, meat or vegetables the day they should be cooked.

      The best known of all Japanese foods, sushi—tasty morsels of vinegared rice with slices of raw fish and a touch of wasabi underneath—has become so popular in the West that many restaurants now serve it as an appetizer. In large metropolitan areas, fresh sushi packs are even sold in well-stocked supermarkets. This volume includes easy-to-follow instructions for preparing various types of sushi, from the well known “finger” or nigiri sushi and california rolls, to the hand-rolled “cone” or temaki sushi. Also presented are other Japanese all-time favorites such as miso soup, sashimi platter, tempura, hotpot and grilled skewered chicken (yakitori).

      All the recipes are light, healthy and delicious, and require no special skill or ingredients. This book promises a delightful venture into the world of Japanese cuisine.

      —Susie Donald

      JAPANESE COOKING UTENSILS

      Bamboo rolling mat (Makisu): Widely available from Asian supermarkets and very inexpensive, this simple bamboo mat is a must-have utensil for rolling rice inside wrappers of seaweed and for rolling Japanese omelets.

      Makisu

      Fish-bone tweezers (Hone nuki): A pair of flat-ended tweezers is always present in a Japanese kitchen for deboning fish.

      Hone nuki

      Hotpot A circular clay pot with a cover, used for cooking soups and stews. It can be placed directly over a gas flame or on an electric hotplate. Its main advantage is that it can be transferred to the table, where it will keep food hot during the meal. Substitute with an earthenware casserole pot or a Dutch oven.

      Omelet pan The Japanese omelet pan is usually square-shaped, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep, traditionally used for making sushi omelets. It can be substituted by a conventional round skillet about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter; trim the sides of the omelet once it has been cooked to make it square.

      Rice-cooling bowl (Hangiri): This low, wide wooden bowl is used to cool cooked rice to give it the desired texture. The wider the bowl, the better to separate the rice grains.

      Hangiri

      Rice paddle (Shamoji): The wooden rice scoop is used to spread cooked rice in the hangiri to cool. It traditionally represents domestic authority; whoever controls the shamoji in a Japanese household is in charge of the household affairs.

      Shamoji

      BASIC JAPANESE INGREDIENTS

      Agar-agar (kanten) is a gelatin made from seaweed and can be purchased as strands, sticks, flakes or powder. It is commonly used to thicken ice cream, jelly and pudding. It is readily available in the dried foods section.

      Bamboo shoots must first be peeled, sliced and simmered for 30 minutes till tender, before use. If using canned bamboo shoots, it is best to boil them in water for 5 minutes before preparing. Canned bamboo shoots are available at most grocery stores, however, Chinese grocery stores often carry the fresh shoots packed in plastic pouches.

      Crab sticks are long, narrow cylinders of compressed seafood that are intended as an inexpensive substitute to king crab legs. Sold in larger supermarkets and Japanese fish stores.

      Daikon is a large white radish often eaten raw—sliced or grated—with sashimi and tempura. It is also pickled and sold in jars. Daikon is readily available in most supermarkets.

      Dashi stock is the basic Japanese fish broth made from water, konbu (dried kelp) and dried bonito flakes; it is also available in an instant version in packets. This is very useful when a small amount of stock is required for sauces and as a seasoning.

      Dried bonito flakes (katsuo bushi) are sold in plastic packs in Asian food stores; larger flakes are used to make Basic Dashi Soup Stock (page 12) whereas the finer ones are used as a garnish.

      Fish sauce is a fermented fish product made by layering fish and salt in large jars and then siphoning off the liquid. It is sold bottled and is a common seasoning in Thai and Vietnamese food.

      Furikake is a topping for rice dishes; it comprises toasted seaweed, sesame seeds, ground dried fish and salt.

      Ginger is widely used in Japanese recipes. Fresh ginger is always used instead of ground ginger, which has a very different taste. Young ginger is preferred as it is more tender and juicy. Pickled Ginger (page 46) is a popular accompaniment to sushi and sashimi.

      Glutinous rice is a variety of rice that becomes very sticky when cooked. Mainly used in snacks, sweets and desserts. This rice must be washed thoroughly and soaked overnight before steaming. Also available as finely milled glutinous rice flour.

      Green tea powder (matcha) is readily available from Asian food stores. It is great for making Quick Green Tea Ice Cream (page 94).

      Japanese cucumbers are small and do not have the coarse seeds or high water content of Western cucumbers. Substitute baby cucumbers or pickling gherkins.

      Kanpyo are long, thin, dried gourd strips used in sushi and slow-cooked dishes;

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