We made a meal of this when Mr. Tess returned from Philly after working there for nearly two months. As a dyed-in-the-wool noodle-lover it was the best thing I could think of to welcome him home.
I don’t think he was disappointed in the menu; at any rate he was happier than the cats were.
Sweet white miso and sweet orange carrots make a harmonious pair, a crunchy nutty flavor to savor! This unconventional combination reveals how even a common root vegetable can be exotic.
• Hot, spicy, zippy sweet ginger and pepper pickles appealed to my desire for distinct flavors.
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While some pickles are made especially to preserve food, others celebrate the time of year by transforming the best seasonal vegetables into annual traditions to look forward to.
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Japanese pickles play a role similar to Korean banchan, making a dinner more than the sum of its parts. They are like little salads—almost as if one picked out the best most flavorful items without having to chew through the acres of greens, drenched in oil based dressings.
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This salad is another favorite from last summer! It doesn’t look beautiful, but don’t be deceived because it tastes lovely. Steaming the eggplant makes it sweet and creamy, without adding fat. The light dressing is flavored with ginger and sesame and is perfect to bring out the sweetness of the vegetables.
Tori nambon-zuke (chicken in spicy vinegar marinade) is another favorite of mine. This Portuguese-influenced recipe is very useful for your summer repertoire because it can be prepared ahead of time—in fact it will keep as long as five days in the refrigerator—and can be served hot or cold.
Asparagus with Lemon and Onion from “Easy Japanese Pickling serves 4 page 19 a large bunch of asparagus 1/4 cup water 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 4 Tablespoons vinegar 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced 1/4 onion, thinly sliced thin lemon slices Blanch asparagus. Spread out in a colander to…
Last year I did a recipe test called Hobak Namul. I did not think about the name of the recipe at the time, but now I’ve learned that “hobak” is a Korean squash with green skin and yellow flesh. I’ve never seen one! Namul is a Korean term for a seasoned vegetable dish. The test recipe used green and yellow summer squash, but here I’ve used only yellow squash, with carrots.
The most common turnip (Tokyo turnip) in Japan is only about 2 inches in diameter, but the Kyoto turnip (shougoin kabu) is extraordinarily large and is used for the famous senmaizuke pickles, which translates literally as thousand sheet pickles and that is exactly what they look like. Pickling them is a traditional preparation for winter around Kyoto. The thin slices are layered in barrels with salt and weighted for several days. This recipe is a quick version—it takes only a few hours.
Tess's Japanese Kitchen 