Wholesome Vegetables: Welcome Kohlarbi!

Posted on Dec 7, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

Are you looking for more vegetables to add to your diet? Forget about processed vegetable protein products or other similar items. To me they are just another form of processed foods. Today most people are getting rid of them from their diet. Why don’t we enjoy vegetables as wholesome ingredients, just as they are? Starting two weeks ago I began to notice at the Farmer’s Market here in Union Square that my favorite winter vegetable, kohlrabi is back. To tell the truth I did...

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Wholesome Vegetables: COOKING KABOCHA

Posted on Nov 25, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

After the harvest when kabocha is stored properly it remains fresh and delicious for the next 2 to 4 months. In order to survive this long kabocha is protected by a hard, green skin. Attacking it raw with a dull knife can cause you injury. The best way to soften it is to heat it in the oven. First rinse the kabocha thoroughly under tap water and clean with a hard scrub brush. The attractive green skin is quite edible so it should be clean. The skin becomes tender when it is...

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Hey New Ginger! Why Don’t You Turn To Pink Color?

Posted on Oct 24, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

The new ginger season is over….but let me tell you this story before getting too old. Anthocyanin, color pigment in new ginger reacts with vinegar in the pickling liquid and turns the sliced ginger to petty pink color.  No synthetic food coloring is involved. Changing of the color, however, does not happen all the time. This summer I pickled new ginger roots that came from two different farmers at Union Square Market here in New York. One farmers’ new ginger did not...

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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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Rolling Cucumber on Chopping Board

Posted on Aug 17, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

Did you watch my hands rolling cucumbers on Instagram scant video? Instagram: hirokoshimbo Technique tip: Don’t roll your eyes; let’s roll cucumber! Cucumber has rather thick skin whose taste is a sort of ‘too green’ and rather unpleasant. This is why, I think, I see most cucumbers served in America are peeled in prepared dishes. In order to tackle this problems this is what we do in Japan. Sprinkle some sea salt over the cucumber and with both of your hands, roll them...

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A GOOD Mirin Substitute

Posted on Aug 2, 2017 in Hiroko's Blog, Recipes

If you read my previous blog post – Have Fun With ….Tofu, you have to find the answer to the GOOD mirin substitute question. I had several unused bottles of a similar specialty product in my kitchen pantry for a couple of years. All of them came as gifts. I do not make pancakes or French toast, so the bottles were left unopened. Recently I visited Vermont and tasted some of the best products there. Then, my unused bottles came to mind. I promised myself to start using them...

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