Japanese cooking, for the novice Options

[Elissa]

Scream, I asked about this for you and Japan weighed in:

That sounds like kinpira renkon. Here's a basic recipe:

1 small lotus root, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, julienned
1 1/2T sesame seeds
1 1/2T sesame oil
2T sake
2T sugar
2T soy sauce
2T water
dried chili peppers

Toast sesame seeds in a hot skillet. Saute lotus root and carrot in sesame oil until tender, about 4 minutes. Add sake, sugar, soy, and water & cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Sprinkle with dried peppers and sesame seeds. Voila.

[The Scream]

Thanks, Elissa. That sounds right. I'm going to use mirin instead of sake and sugar, because that's what I have.

[Behemoth]

Tried out three from the izakaya cookbook, for a light lunch:

Adaptation of green beans with sesame dressing -- I had lots of arugula (blanched, squeezed) but no green beans, so that's what I used instead.


1) Tuna and avocado salad, from the cover, and 2) (Not the best photo...) Roasted new potato, shiitaki mushroom, asparagus and creme fraiche.



I think all three will be added to the regular Behemoth household rotation.

[Elissa]

Tried out three from the izakaya cookbook, for a light lunch:

Adaptation of green beans with sesame dressing -- I had lots of arugula (blanched, squeezed) but no green beans, so that's what I used instead.

Looks good. Would you kindly share the sesame dressing recipe?

[Behemoth]

Bog standard but tasty: sesame paste, soy sauce, sugar, sake.

[The Scream]

I make a quick sesame sauce with tahini, soy sauce and rice vinegar.

[Behemoth]

I make a quick sesame sauce with tahini, soy sauce and rice vinegar.

sub mirin for the rice vinegar and that's basically what this is. None of the recipes are complicated, which is mostly why I bought the book in the first place.

[Elissa]

Have been cooking up most delicious white rices with an old brass bottomed pot, but recently discovered that just down the road (and for quite a song: $180!) I could have a Japanese CLAY rice cooker...