Yakinasu: Eggplant without Oil, Cheese & Tomato Sauce

Posted on Oct 14, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog

You may be surprised that, if you are given a chance to taste simply grilled eggplant prepared by the Japanese Yakinasu method, how delicious eggplant is. The texture is amazingly creamy; the flavor is a combination of smokiness, natural sweetness and hint of pleasant bitterness. Now we are in the midst of autumn. It is the very best time for you to discover the true flavor of eggplant! I have posted three short videos related Yakinasu preparation techniques on Instagram...

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Aaron Bludorn, Union Square Market, NYC, Voyage to Japan & Eggplant

Posted on Oct 9, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog

What excites me about Chef Aaron Bludorn is that he comes to Union Square Market, NYC, four times each week and has been doing this for five years! No matter how late he leaves his restaurant the night before he heads to the market in the early morning. I have been a frequent shopper at the Union Square Market in the past 15 years. Early in the morning Aaron and I may have rubbed shoulders, and eyed the same produce or even stepped on each other’s feet. But we did not know...

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Voyage to Japan

Posted on Oct 6, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog

You don’t need to fly; you don’t need to take a boat; the destination is 20 East 76th Street at Cafe Boulud. Join us for a very special, delicious experience!...

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Awesome Shiogama Blue Fish

Posted on Oct 5, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

The Shiogama , salt encrusted, technique is used for the remaining filleted blue fish described in my previous blog and it produced a gorgeous and delicious result. French do it. Chinese do it. And also Japanese do it. Legend has it that this particular cooking technique in Japan is said to have been developed during the civil war era of the 16th century. Before leaving for the battlefield, a prominent warrior sent his mother a whole gorgeous sea bream cooked in a solid...

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