You know Cha siu bao. It is a flavorful, mouthwatering barbecue pork stuffed wheat flour bun that we enjoy at Chinese dim sum restaurants. In Japan we have a lesser known sister bun called Manju. It is a steamed bun stuffed with azuki beans. The preparation of manju was brought to Japan by naturalized Chinese monk. Luckily and unluckily azuki beans replaced pork because of ban of meat eating was exercised in Japan at that time. For about 600 years this simple and humble...
Read MoreNutty Black Sesame Ice Cream
Whenever I have a chance to order a black sesame ice cream sometimes found at local Japanese restaurants I never fail to order it. This wonderful flavored dessert is frequently found in Japan, but seems to be much less available in the US. Once you taste it you will be hooked up the very distinctive, nutty flavor of this black sesame ice cream. Now using the double toasted and already ground black sesame seeds, Nido-Baisen Kuro Surigoma (available at...
Read MoreSake Braised Short Ribs
(excerpt: Hiroko’s American Kitchen – 2013 IACP Winner, Page 33) In this recipe you will learn a technique which is new to you. The result is a clean, clear tasting delicious braised short ribs. You will find more new cooking techniques in Hiroko’s American Kitchen. Ingredients 7 tablespoons shoyu 5 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 5 to 5 1/2 pounds bone-in short ribs (about 6 whole bones) 2 tablespoons...
Read MoreHomemade Udon
Udon noodles, thick wheat noodles, are known to have pleasant chewy texture. Home made udon presents the best of its characteristic. Prepared udon can be refrigerated for 2 days, but in order to enjoy the very fresh taste and texture, consume it on the day of the making. Unlike bread or pizza dough udon dough contains significantly less water, so it requires patience and strength for kneading. The dough is twice rested between the kneading. This helps gluten relax and...
Read MoreCorn and Ginger Rice with Shoyu and Butter
This is a recipe which I have developed for Hiroko’s American Kitchen; cooking with Japanese flavors; 6 easy sauces; 125 Modern Recipes. In this recipe I religiously always used fresh ginger cut it into thin julienne slices. Yes, that requires some time consuming labor. So, I tried the dish with Wellington’s ginger powder (available at theingredientfinder.com). The result was very good. I use a portion during cooking and add a second portion after the rice is...
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