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...
Read MoreHave Fun With….Tofu: She Is Great!
Do you always pass by tofu at the market, glance it but never pick her up? Do you eat tofu only because it is vegetarian/vegan, but not because of its taste? Tofu will weep if this is how you treat it. . Here is a great way for you to begin with a real, tasty tofu dish and the ability to enjoy it in so many ways. This quick & easy tofu dressing makes a great sandwich filling by itself or with other sandwich ingredients, a delicious pasta sauce and is wonderful on a...
Read MoreVery Creamy and Flavorful – The Japanese Way
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...
Read MoreSnack On Healthy Shiokoji+Gochugaru Cucumber
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...
Read MoreSuribachi is Powerful
This obsolete Japanese kitchen tools, Suribachi & Surikogi, which requires manual labor, have been used in Japan for over 300 years. I sometimes choose them over food processor because of several reasons. Here I made avocado dressed with tofu dressing with them. Mortar & Pestle is ubiquitous culinary tools in the world kitchens. The best guacamole is made in molcajete. To achieve the best texture and flavor of nam prik all necessary herbs, chiles and spices are...
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