Tips of Enjoyable Nabemono Dinner

Posted on Feb 9, 2018 in Hiroko's Blog

Here are some tips for enjoyable nabemono dinners at your home. By the way the attendees of my Kyushu with Hiroko 2018 (November 11-23) will have Fugu (blowfish!) nabemono experience in Oita Prefecture. This is surely one of the many excitements which you experience during the tour.  You can find Trip Overview and Photos on my Tour Page. Send me an e-mail to Hiroko if you want to join the tour. Hiroko also run the same tour in 2018, November 3-14. Everyone should share...

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Gingko Nuts: Hard to Do, but Limit to Ten

Posted on Oct 24, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog

When something is delicious it is hard for us to stop eating. When it comes to gingko nuts, we should limit consumption to about ten nuts at a sitting. Over-eating can bring a reaction to methyl pyridoxine, a chemical found in the nuts.  This can cause a stomach ache and, in extreme, vomiting. On other hand, gingko nuts has been used as a constituent of Chinese medicine to cure some illness for centuries, so limiting to about ten nuts a day seems to be a good idea.  This...

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Very Creamy and Flavorful – The Japanese Way

Posted on Jul 19, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog

Sign up the Essentials of Japanese Cuisine – August 21-25 – at International Culinary Center, New York City https://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/new-york-campus/amateur-classes-ny/essentials-of-japanese-cuisine-with-hiroko-shimbo/. You will learn how to prepare this yummy Japanese summer time eggplant dish, and find out why I pour boiling water over just-deep-fried eggplant. The dish is called Nasu no Age-ni. It is one of the most popular eggplant dishes in Japan, in...

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Snack On Healthy Shiokoji+Gochugaru Cucumber

Posted on Jul 13, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog

Do you have home-made shio-koji in your refrigerator? If not, summer is the time to make it, and enjoy using it to pickle summer vegetables. Here is the link to the shio-koji recipe. https://hirokoskitchen.com/2012/06/shio-koji-recipe/ Recently I have added Korean Gochugaru in my shio-koji pickling base. Gochugaru is hot pepper flakes. It is not just hot. Gochugaru comes with sweet and fruity taste. The pair produces exciting pickles which I cannot stop snacking on. I made...

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Okonomiyaki Evolution

Posted on Oct 29, 2014 in Hiroko's Blog

Evolution happened to sushi. When sushi arrived to America, new ingredients joined in the American sushi kitchen. Avocado, cream cheese, smoked salmon, tempura shrimp,…few to name. The technique of making a roll has also changed. In order to satisfy American customers who are unfamiliar with black sheet of nori, inside-out roll was born. Now what is happening to Okonomiyaki is worth to pay an attention. I have Okonomiyaki recipes in my two books; The Japanese Kitchen...

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