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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Awesome to Find Fish in Rigor Mortis

Posted on Sep 19, 2014 in Hiroko's Blog

I bought three sea bass at Blue Moon the other day. One of them was in rigor mortis. When I find such a fantastic stage of fish, I even kiss to my fish. “After a fish is dead and its flow of oxygen and blood has stopped, its body continue to burn energy, using glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. This leads to the anaerobic production of lactic acid, which changes the flavor and texture of the flesh.” (more information on the freshness of fish can be found...

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Make Your Own No-Chemical-Added Pink Gari, Pickled Ginger

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in Hiroko's Blog

Zaid recently brought to Union Square Greenmarket his first, successful harvest of young ginger, shinshoga. Shinshoga, is a young ginger as opposed to old ginger, whose skin is light brown, flesh is yellow in color, and texture is firm & stingy. Rhizome of young ginger is moist, crisp and smooth. The color of its skin and flesh are white. This is the ginger which we use to make gari, pickled ginger, which accompanies sushi and sashimi dishes at Japanese restaurants....

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