Tess's Japanese Kitchen

The Japanese are not the only ones eating ketchup on spaghetti!

Tess — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:45:22 +0000

The memory of all that No, no they can't take that away from me a 1937 song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced by Fred Astaire in the film Shall We Dance. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExmoiGZuiFQ&w=130]

Yes. I'm still on about spaghetti with ketchup—I really did want to like spaghetti Napolitan. I have fond memories of the summer and fall of 1974, when I shared a house with three other girls, poor students all. Almost the only times we spent together were unpredictable weekday lunches when we'd find ourselves gathered in the kitchen. We'd cook up a nice pot of macaroni stirred with butter, tomato juice, and ketchup, then sit in front of the television to watch Days of Our Lives—those were noteworthy meals. Ah. Student days…

Spaghetti Napolitan

Tess — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:35:42 +0000

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My husband doesn't like ketchup very much. So, with J out of town, it's my chance to make spaghetti Napolitan: spaghetti with ketchup sauce—hardly a typical Italian pasta dish. The recipe comes not from Naples but from Yokohama, Japan. Recipes include mushrooms, peppers, onions, hot dogs, tonkatsu sauce, and ketchup. Sometimes other kinds of sausages, slices of ham, or bacon are used instead of the hot dogs. Sometimes the sauce includes other vegetables such as Eggplant, D, Carrots, Broccoli, And so on. [no dill, dates, daikon, dandelion, durian, nor dioscorea (yam)]

Golden Kimizu Sauce

Tess — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:51:29 +0000

http://1tess.wordpress.comThis meal is very pretty with slices of the palest pink chicken breast, bright green asparagus, and golden sauce. The breast is steamed with lemon slices and sake so it's luscious and juicy. The kimizu sauce is made with egg yolks, sugar, and vinegar so it is sweet and smooth. I discovered that sometimes Ms. Shimbo adds a little Japanese mustard, and the bit of heat wakes up the flavors. The other advantage of this meal is that it is equally satisfying hot, room temperature, or cold. J. took a container to eat on the road. And in the creative spirit of wafu pasta, I finished it for dinner on spaghetti.

Chicken and Chestnuts

Tess — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:25:51 +0000

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Chestnuts are an autumn favorite in Japan. And chestnuts are now a favorite of mine; this is the third time I've made this special recipe and is the best. Frozen, peeled chestnuts are a reasonable compromise for convenience. Using skinless, boneless chicken thighs, though more expensive, are a convenience well worth the cost. To replace the extra flavor added by cooking meat on the bone, I used a cup of strong homemade chicken stock rather than the dashi. If you are concerned that this compromises the Japanese flavor, you could add a piece of kombu as the food cooks, or add shiitake. By caramelizing the sugar before adding the chicken, I could be sure that the sugar really did darken and deepen the flavor. This is now a recipe I can make more than once a year. I think we will enjoy!

Hijiki and Shiitake Wafuu Spaghetti

Tess — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:27:26 +0000

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Here is my version of Hijiki and Shiitake Spaghetti. I began with the classic hijiki gohan—rice with sea vegetable. I wanted to make a simple dish which could be made with pantry staples. I always have spaghetti, dried hijiki, dried shiitake, soy sauce, shichimi togarashi, and mirin. I also always have carrots and frozen peas. And I think this recipe would be tasty enough left at that. But, the darn cats drank all the coffee (they only like the white part, of course), so I had to go to the grocery for half and half. While I was there, I noticed…