Hiroko’s Kitchen | Blog

Welcoming a New year in Japan means welcoming the year with a new god of the year (2013), who takes care of us throughout the year. So, December is the month during which we work busy to finish unaccomplished matters in businesses and at homes, and prepare ourselves so that we can express our thanks to the god of the year (2012) at the end of the year. By doing so, we can start a new year mentally and physically refreshed.

If you are looking for an idea of New Year’s Resolution, I would like to suggest Hiroko’s American Kitchen. Eating through this book for this coming year will introduce you and your family a delicious and healthy year. Bringing Japanese flavors, cooking techniques and the way of eating into an American kitchen with readily, seasonally and locally available ingredients has become very easy with this book. When you try the recipes in the book please be flexible. Always use seasonally and locally available ingredients. During miserably cold winter time there is no reason for us to cook up summer vegetables, many of which simply cool our body and is not suitable. Recently I am enjoying locally grown kale and carrot, both of which have increased sweetness in cold air. Kale also acquire beautiful pinkish purple color on its stem. I rinse them many times in a bowl of changing cold water, drain them, remove their stems or peel them, and cut the leaves and carrot into fine julienne. The robust flavor and texture of kale and carrot are a god-sent match to Spicy Miso Sauce dressing.

Happy and Healthy Holidays!

Yesterday I visited Judith, my editor for The Sushi Experience, at her house at upper East, NYC, to cook up our lunch using the sauces from Hiroko’s American Kitchen. The sauces used were Spicy Miso Sauce and White Sumiso sauce, which I pre-made them at home and packed in jars. The lunch ingredients were local Brussels sprouts, lamb chops, parsnip and bitter greens for salad. Without using the particular recipes in the book I showed Judith how she can use these sauces with the ingredients which we have in her kitchen.

While Judith was cleaning the Brussels sprouts – cutting off the very end bottom part and peeling off a couple of outer layer leaves (Judith was telling me that this labor really turns shabby looking Brussels sprouts shine) – I peeled the parsnip, cut it into thin slices and cooked in water to cover. After the parsnip is tender, I pureed it in a food processor and flavored it with my White Sumiso Sauce and pinch(es) of salt. Well, I never done this before. Since it was a bit loose/watery, I transferred it to a small saucepan and cooked until slightly thick. Judith tasted the puree and was pleasantly surprised with apple-tinged fragrant and exciting flavor. “It does not taste like miso nor parsnip,” said Judith. No butter and no milk. “White Sumiso Sauce does a magic!”. A wonderful approval of White Sumiso Sauce by Judith Jones.

I did not include lamb recipe in the Hiroko’s American Kitchen but I have been enjoying the lamb with the Spicy Miso Sauce since I conceived the idea of the book 3 years ago. This is how I do. Salt and pepper the lamb chop and add to the thinly oiled, hot skillet. Cook the lamb over low-medium heat until the bottom is golden. Turn over the meat, reduce the heat to low and cook the meat until medium done. Towards the end of the cooking spoon 1 to 2 teaspoonful Spicy Miso Sauce over each lamb chop. When meat is done, scrape and push the sauce down to the skillet and transfer the cooked lamb into individual serving plates. In the skillet you find the lamb fat, lamb juice and miso sauce. Stir and cook the mixture until it sizzles and bubbles. I added a bit additional miso sauce to the skillet to make it enough for 2 servings, then, spooned it over the plated lamb chops.

For the Brussels sprouts (halved – about 1 1/2 cups), I tossed it lightly with the olive oil and sea salt in a bowl and cooked them in a mini Chinese wok – Judith owns a fantastic, non-stick mini Chinese wok! over moderately high heat until each piece acquired golden color. Then, added a teaspoonful Spicy Miso Sauce and stirred until the sprouts are evenly flavored.

Judith made the dressing for the salad greens. Spicy Miso Sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, sea salt….she put all in guessed quantity in a small glass jar and shook it up. “That’s what I do, Judith”, I told. Then, I realized I learned this technique from Judith when I worked with her. I am grateful to have a wonderful mentor and teacher at this time of my life.

I am back on the Essentials of Japanese Cuisine teaching at French Culinary Institute. Day 1′s highlight was the preparation of dashi stock (requires a state of zen mind), fun home-made udon noodles and perfect tempura using seasonal vegetables. Here are some of the photos from the class. To roll the dough out I had to stand on a stand….short person’s dilemma. Everyone rolled out the udon dough into perfect thickness, resulting delicious cold udon dish (gomadare udon). We prepared tempura with beets, zucchini, maitake mushroom, shiso and carrot. Careful attention to the temperature of the oil and properly made tempura batter created crisp, light and delightful tempura. Everyone also challenged the kakiage, a thick tempura pancake, and all came out PERFECT. They loved it.

Today’s focus was yakimono, grilling. Chef Jiro of Aburiya Kinnosuke joined us again as a guest chef. Jiro built the bincho-tan grill and taught us how to make yakitori from cutting meat and vegetables into bite sized pieces, putting them on skewers and cooking over bincho-tan fire. Bincho-tan, which creates about 1000 degree F, produces infra red ray. So, every items which are cooked on the bincho-tan acquire crispy outside and juicy, moist inside. We wished that we had a glass of beer with delicious yakitori!

After yakitori, we made nasu no dengaku, eggplant with miso sauce and MISO MARINATED COD (I have recently modified my traditional miso marinade recipe to the one which suits to American pallet – how I did? I added lots of sugar to it….this is how it is done at restaurants here). We made miso soup – no scallion, tofu and wakame – with seasonal vegetables. I added little toban jiang (for slight heat) into the soup and Jiro commented that it was delicious…better than the one from his house..! On your future trip to Aburiya you may taste the miso soup with little toban jinag.

Tomorrow we will work on nimono, simmered dishes.

I am not a vegetarian, but I do love vegetables and fruits.  So, vegetables and fruits occupy 50% of our diet.  The other 50% is consists of protein and wholesome carbohydrate.  Summer is one of the best time to enjoy an extensive variety of vegetables.  And, the most important tip is that you are not eating just a few kinds of vegetables in your salad.  In your preparations you should employ vegetables from all categories, such as

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