Japanesefood Japanese food cooking cuisine

California rolls

2007-11-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4 nori sheets
3 cups (15 oz / 470g) sushi rice
8 teaspoons ocean trout or flying fish roe
1-2 cucumbers, cut into thin, lengthwise slices
8 jumbo shrimp (king prawns), cooked, shelled, veins and tails removed
1-2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
4-8 lettuce leaves, torn or sliced (optional)
Thick rolls can be rolled in a variety of ways to make decorative patterns in the rice. Experiment in the way you lay out the ingredients and see the differing patterns that result. It is best to serve rolls immediately they are made as the rice inside expands and the nori tends to split. The rolls will keep for up to half an hour before serving if they are rolled in paper towel and then plastic wrap.
California rolls, as their name suggests, were invented in California, although thick sushi rolls originated in the Osaka area.

1. Lay 1 nori sheet on a rolling mat and put 3/4 cup (4 oz/125g) sushi rice on it. Spread rice over nori sheet, leaving 3/4 inch (2cm) of bare nori at far side and making a small ledge of rice in front of this bare strip.

2. Spoon 2 teaspoons roe along center of rice, using back of a spoon to spread. Add lettuce if desired.

3. Lay 2 shrimp along center, with one-quarter of cucumber strips.

4. Lay one-quarter of avocado slices along center. Add one-quarter of lettuce.

5. Roll mat over once, away from you, pressing ingredients in to keep roll firm, leaving the 3/4-inch (2-cm) strip of nori rice-free.

6. Covering roll (but not rice-free strip of nori), hold rolling mat in position and press all around to make roll firm.

7. Lift up top of rolling mat and turn roll over a little more so that strip of nori on far side joins other edge of nori to seal roll. Use your fingers to make sure roll is properly closed.

8. Roll entire roll once more, and use finger pressure to shape roll in a circle, an oval, or a square.

Using a sharp knife, cut each roll in half, then cut each half in half again. Then cut each quarter in half crosswise to make a total of 8 equal-size pieces. Cut gently to maintain shape.

Noodles

2007-09-20T01:43:00.000-07:00

Noodles (men-rui)
Noodles often take the place of rice in a meal. However, the Japanese appetite for rice is so strong that many restaurants even serve noodles-rice combination sets.

Soba with sliced duck breast, negi (scallions) and mitsuba
Traditional Japanese noodles are usually served chilled with a dipping sauce, or in a hot soy-dashi broth.
Soba: thin brown buckwheat noodles. Also known as Nihon-soba ("Japanese soba"). In Okinawa, soba likely refers to Okinawa soba (see below).
Udon: thick wheat noodles served with various toppings, usually in a hot soy-dashi broth, or sometimes in a Japanese curry soup.
Somen: thin wheat noodles served chilled with a dipping sauce. Hot Somen is called Nyumen.
Chinese-influenced noodles are served in a meat or chicken broth and have only appeared in the last 100 years or so.
Ramen: thin light yellow noodles served in hot chicken or pork broth with various toppings; of Chinese origin, it is a popular and common item in Japan. Also known as Shina-soba or Chuka-soba (both mean "Chinese-style soba")
Champon: yellow noodles of medium thickness served with a great variety of seafood and vegetable toppings in a hot chicken broth which originated in Nagasaki as a cheap food for students
Okinawa soba: thick wheat-flour noodles served in Okinawa, often served in a hot broth with sōki, steamed pork. Akin to a cross between udon and ramen.
Yaki soba: Fried Chinese noodles
Yaki udon: Fried udon noodles

Sushi

2007-09-20T01:40:00.001-07:00

Sushi comes from Japan and is a vinegared rice topped or mixed with various fresh ingredients, usually fish or seafood.
Nigiri-sushi: This is sushi with the ingredients on top of a block of rice.
Maki-zushi: Translated as "roll sushi", this is where rice and seafood or other ingredients are placed on a sheet of seaweed (nori) and rolled into a cylindrical shape on a bamboo mat and then cut into smaller pieces.
Temaki: Basically the same as makizushi, except that the nori is rolled into a cone-shape with the ingredients placed inside. Sometimes referred to as a "hand-roll".
Chirashi: Translated as "scattered", chirashi involves fresh sea food, vegetables or other ingredients being placed on top of sushi rice in a bowl or dish.

Ginger Pork - Shogayaki

2007-09-19T02:27:00.000-07:00

Ginger Pork - Shogayaki

Ginger Pork is called buta-no-shogayaki in Japanese.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound thinly sliced pork
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsps mirin
1 tbsp sake

PREPARATION:
Mix soy sauce, mirin, sake, and grated ginger in a bowl. Marinate pork for 5 minutes. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Stir-fry the pork slices on medium heat. Served ginger pork with shredded cabbage.

*Makes 4 servings

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Butano Kakuni

2007-09-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

Butano Kakuni

Butano Kakuni is sweet and tender simmered pork.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lb boneless pork ribs
2 clove fresh ginger root
1 green onion
1/2 cup sake
4 tbsps sugar
3 tbsps mirin
5 tbsps soy sauce

PREPARATION:
Heat oil in a frying pan and saute the pork. Chop green onion into small pieces. Boil 4 cups of water in a large pan and add ginger, green onion, and pork in the pan. Turn down the heat to low, and simmer the pork for about 2 hours.

Drain the pork. Put sake in a pan and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups of water, mirin, and soy sauce in the pan and heat. Add boiled pork in the pan. Turn down the heat to low and simmer the pork until the sauce is almost gone.

more information http://japanesefood.about.com