Category Archives: Shiromono
Corn & Cabbage Buttered Miso Soup
The Japanese love corn:
on pizza, pasta, at McDonald’s, in gyoza, in soup, …so why not add it to miso soup?
As for cabbage in Japan, it is used in one of their most famous dishes: okonomiyaki, the cabbage-stuffed “as you like it” pizza.
Cabbage is also popular in soups, pickles, and as a side dish for deep-fried foods.
So why not enjoy it in miso soup?
Add a pat of butter, and you’ll experience sweetness and richness if only in a meal.
Corn & Cabbage Buttered Miso Soup
The Japanese love corn:
on pizza, pasta, at McDonald’s, in gyoza, in soup, …so why not add it to miso soup?
As for cabbage in Japan, it is used in one of their most famous dishes: okonomiyaki, the cabbage-stuffed “as you like it” pizza.
Cabbage is also popular in soups, pickles, and as a side dish for deep-fried foods.
So why not enjoy it in miso soup?
Add a pat of butter, and you’ll experience sweetness and richness if only in a meal.
Sweet Miso Soup with Udon
Miso soup is simple, a blank palette, which can be transformed with the addition of extra ingredients. When choosing the gu for your miso, think about contrasting colors, whether ingredients float or sink, strong flavors and bland; think about seasonal ingredients; most important: please your palate!
Sweet Miso Soup with Udon
Miso soup is simple, a blank palette, which can be transformed with the addition of extra ingredients. When choosing the gu for your miso, think about contrasting colors, whether ingredients float or sink, strong flavors and bland; think about seasonal ingredients; most important: please your palate!
味噌汁 Miso Soup by Mr. Tess
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup based on dashi stock mixed with softened miso paste.
Good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, miso soup is a comfort food.
This post has lots of information about making dashi and about miso as an ingredient.
Mr. Tess often cooks, but rarely cooks Japanese foods. We, neither of us, were feeling great. I suggested miso soup with salmon (which was in the freezer—neither of us wanting to go to the store). So I gave him some instructions and had a nap while he produced a lovely meal.
味噌汁 Miso Soup by Mr. Tess
Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup based on dashi stock mixed with softened miso paste.
Good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, miso soup is a comfort food.
This post has lots of information about making dashi and about miso as an ingredient.
Mr. Tess often cooks, but rarely cooks Japanese foods. We, neither of us, were feeling great. I suggested miso soup with salmon (which was in the freezer—neither of us wanting to go to the store). So I gave him some instructions and had a nap while he produced a lovely meal.
Japanese Menu for Six
 A few weeks ago, we hosted a dinner for Mr. Tess’s “new” brother, his wife, their neice, and her boyfriend. We don’t know these folks very well, and I get nervous whenever we have guests. I wanted to have most of the dinner ready when they arrived, just in case an unanticipated kitchen disaster meant I’d have to resort to pizza delivery… Yes, Mr. Tess always tells me that it’s the company and not the food that is important, but none the less, I wanted to make a nice evening where things went according to plan.My solution was a menu which I could prepare the evening or morning before, with only a small bit of close attention in the kitchen just before serving. |
Japanese Menu for Six
| A few weeks ago, we hosted a dinner for Mr. Tess’s “new” brother, his wife, their neice, and her boyfriend. We don’t know these folks very well, and I get nervous whenever we have guests. I wanted to have most of the dinner ready when they arrived, just in case an unanticipated kitchen disaster meant I’d have to resort to pizza delivery… Yes, Mr. Tess always tells me that it’s the company and not the food that is important, but none the less, I wanted to make a nice evening where things went according to plan. My solution was a menu which I could prepare the evening or morning before, with only a small bit of close attention in the kitchen just before serving. |
Tenobe-Dango-Jiru
Hand stretched wheat dumplings (noodles) are a speciality of Oita Provence in Japan, usually served in an iriko dashi based soup flavored with miso and vegetables. These noodles are also popular in Hawaii: the first time I made this dish was as a test for The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. The dumplings were quite thick noodles, similar to the savory mochi (rice-flour) dumplings sometimes added to soups all over Japan. Looking at pictures online, it seems the “dumplings” in Oita are thinner and more like noodles.
We’ve all seen those Chinese master noodle chefs (perhaps only on YouTube) pulling long strands of lamian from a lump of dough: great entertainment and a real mystery about how it can be done without breaking the strands!
Tenobe-Dango-Jiru
Hand stretched wheat dumplings (noodles) are a speciality of Oita Provence in Japan, usually served in an iriko dashi based soup flavored with miso and vegetables. These noodles are also popular in Hawaii: the first time I made this dish was as a test for The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. The dumplings were quite thick noodles, similar to the savory mochi (rice-flour) dumplings sometimes added to soups all over Japan. Looking at pictures online, it seems the “dumplings” in Oita are thinner and more like noodles.
We’ve all seen those Chinese master noodle chefs (perhaps only on YouTube) pulling long strands of lamian from a lump of dough: great entertainment and a real mystery about how it can be done without breaking the strands!
Corn Cream with Crab
Corn cream is comfort food in Japan, bringing memories of mom and happy meals at home. Mr. Tess was out of town when I made this soup last summer, so this was his first taste of the Japanese childhood treat. This version is a little bit grown-up because I used real crab rather than chicken or surimi. Something satisfying, sophisticated, and simple for lunch, dinner, or even guests.
Corn Cream with Crab
Corn cream is comfort food in Japan, bringing memories of mom and happy meals at home. Mr. Tess was out of town when I made this soup last summer, so this was his first taste of the Japanese childhood treat. This version is a little bit grown-up because I used real crab rather than chicken or surimi. Something satisfying, sophisticated, and simple for lunch, dinner, or even guests.
Oxtail Soup 곰탕 (テールスープ)
Oxtail soup is the broth of the gods! It’s deeply robustly beefy delicious.
Shopping so often in the little Korean grocery store means that I see many foods which are unfamiliar. Though it leads me to a neighboring cuisine, I can’t help but be curious. I rarely see the tails of cattle for sale anywhere else! Imagine my surprise when I saw some lovely fresh oxtails in my regular grocery store. I grabbed a couple of packages and hurried home to find my Korean cookbook.
Oxtail Soup 곰탕 (テールスープ)
Oxtail soup is the broth of the gods! It’s deeply robustly beefy delicious.
Shopping so often in the little Korean grocery store means that I see many foods which are unfamiliar. Though it leads me to a neighboring cuisine, I can’t help but be curious. I rarely see the tails of cattle for sale anywhere else! Imagine my surprise when I saw some lovely fresh oxtails in my regular grocery store. I grabbed a couple of packages and hurried home to find my Korean cookbook.
Eat-a-Lot-Wakame Soup
Wakame-healthy sea vegetable soup, full of vitamins and minerals, is a restorative for a lack of sleep, headache, or upset tum. The end of summer starts with glowing yellow leaves, the energetic blooms of purple asters, white Chinese chives, autumn clematis shimmering with bees. I keep the windows open to the prolific chorus of frogs and insects though we need an extra blanket on the bed…
Eat-a-Lot-Wakame Soup
Wakame-healthy sea vegetable soup, full of vitamins and minerals, is a restorative for a lack of sleep, headache, or upset tum. The end of summer starts with glowing yellow leaves, the energetic blooms of purple asters, white Chinese chives, autumn clematis shimmering with bees. I keep the windows open to the prolific chorus of frogs and insects though we need an extra blanket on the bed…
Tsukimi: Moon Viewing
Tsukimi (月見) refers to the Japanese tradition of holding parties to view the harvest moon. Moon viewing was introduced to Japan from China during the Nara (710-794) and Heian periods (794-1185).
Tsukimi udon (or soba) are hot noodles served with a raw egg on top to represent the moon.
Tsukimi: Moon Viewing
Tsukimi (月見) refers to the Japanese tradition of holding parties to view the harvest moon. Moon viewing was introduced to Japan from China during the Nara (710-794) and Heian periods (794-1185).
Tsukimi udon (or soba) are hot noodles served with a raw egg on top to represent the moon.
Niboshi Dashi: dried sardine broth
☛ → ♪ night and day ♪
☾☆★☆★☆♥♥Ô♥♥☆★☆★☀
N
iboshi are baby sardines (anchovies in some translations) that have been boiled once then dried. Compared to katsuobushi, stock made with niboshi has a fishier flavor. They vary in size from about 1.5″ to over 3″long with the smaller ones having a milder flavor. This stock is used in both Korean and Japanese cooking for miso soup, hot pots (nabemono), and strongly flavored noodle dishes. Some bloggers note that niboshi dashi is more commonly 
in the Tokyo area than in Osaka/Kyoto; and katsuo dashi is used more in the summer, niboshi in the winter.Niboshi Dashi: dried sardine broth
☛ → ♪ night and day ♪
☾☆★☆★☆♥♥Ô♥♥☆★☆★☀
N
iboshi are baby sardines (anchovies in some translations) that have been boiled once then dried. Compared to katsuobushi, stock made with niboshi has a fishier flavor. They vary in size from about 1.5″ to over 3″long with the smaller ones having a milder flavor. This stock is used in both Korean and Japanese cooking for miso soup, hot pots (nabemono), and strongly flavored noodle dishes. Some bloggers note that niboshi dashi is more commonly in the Tokyo area than in Osaka/Kyoto; and katsuo dashi is used more in the summer, niboshi in the winter.Kinokozukushi Miso-shiru
http://1tess.wordpress.com Miso Soup with Mixed Mushrooms and Udon Buna-Shimeji, ブナシメジ (or ブナしめじ), Brown Beech Mushroom, Brown Clamshell Mushroom, Hypsizigus tessellatus. These mushrooms are native to East Asia, though the cultivated mushrooms look different from the wild ones. They are sometimes
Kinokozukushi Miso-shiru
http://1tess.wordpress.com Miso Soup with Mixed Mushrooms and Udon Buna-Shimeji, ブナシメジ (or ブナしめじ), Brown Beech Mushroom, Brown Clamshell Mushroom, Hypsizigus tessellatus. These mushrooms are native to East Asia, though the cultivated mushrooms look different from the wild ones. They are sometimes
Ozoni: Happy New Year 2010
In Japan, the new year holiday is called Oshogatsu. Auspicious foods play a role in the festivities. On December 31 people eat toshikoshi soba—long noodles for crossing over to the next year. Traditionally, ozoni ( お雑煮 ) is the first meal of the year. ‘O’ is an honorific, ‘zo’ means “this and that,” and ‘ni’ refers to boiling (nimono). The boiled things include vegetables, and chicken, or seafood. The broth can be made with chicken or pork bones, or dashi, or even a vegetarian with shiitake and konbu. Some people include miso, some add light soy sauce.
No matter what is added, or left out of an ozoni recipe, the one constant thing which makes it ozoni is mochi. The various morsels in the soup are chosen because they symbolize good fortune in the coming year.
Ozoni: Happy New Year 2010
In Japan, the new year holiday is called Oshogatsu. Auspicious foods play a role in the festivities. On December 31 people eat toshikoshi soba—long noodles for crossing over to the next year. Traditionally, ozoni ( お雑煮 ) is the first meal of the year. ‘O’ is an honorific, ‘zo’ means “this and that,” and ‘ni’ refers to boiling (nimono). The boiled things include vegetables, and chicken, or seafood. The broth can be made with chicken or pork bones, or dashi, or even a vegetarian with shiitake and konbu. Some people include miso, some add light soy sauce.
No matter what is added, or left out of an ozoni recipe, the one constant thing which makes it ozoni is mochi. The various morsels in the soup are chosen because they symbolize good fortune in the coming year.
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