The winter sun-light, reflected by new white snow, makes harsh shadows on our grey and brown landscape. This amplification of the brightness is false. It’s neither warmer nor cheerier, a vision without substance.
I want the pleasant consolation of color! This pale yellow Japanese soup, with bright red and green accents and the tang of a summer sea, is a perfect recipe for this season.
The first time I made this Japanese crab meat omelette, Mr. Tess said it tasted just like egg foo young! Wikipedia notes that creative Chinese cooks in the U.S. invented egg foo young in the 1930′s. (see this note.) Eggs are beaten together with minced ham, crab, or chicken, then fried and served with a chicken stock-soy sauce gravy thickened with cornstarch. Since the 1950′s kanitama-don is a popular dish in Chinese restaurants in Japan. It’s a fine example of a well-traveled yoshoku (multi-cultural!) recipe: a recipe sort-of-from China, to the U.S. and then to Japan.
I wanted to use the container of crab in my fridge before the start of Passover. What would be simpler than to make sushi? Nice crab, some chopped fresh dill, and vinegared rice!
This dumpling, sort of like a Japanese pierogi, is made with potato dough enclosing a filling of crab or shrimp. You can make it with pumpkin dough, and use fish, beef, pork or chicken too.
French influence is evident in these deep-fried dumplings, from the name (croquettes) to the béchamel sauce they are made of. Imagine how delicate and delicious fried white sauce is.
Inspired by my visit to Sushi Nara, I have finally ventured into making my own sushi. I used real crab, and though some of my first rolls did not look so beautiful, it was delicious!
Tess's Japanese Kitchen 