[Elissa]

I'm beginning a fun project, testing Japanese recipes for a new Elizabeth Andoh cookbook. Anyone else have her gorgeous Washoku?

The new book's about a 13th C. vegetarian (and basically vegan) Japanese cuisine. Apparently there are 2 kinds of rice used in Japanese cooking: Uruchi Mai, the most commonly used one; and Mochi, mostly for sweet stuffs. Then there are the other many kinds of semi-polished and brown rices... so in addition to deciding what caliber rice cooker I'm going to buy (they were really popular in 13th C. Japan! Who knew.) I'm kinda wrestling with rices. Do kindly weigh in if you've any thoughts one way or t'other. Also: 'tis the season of fresh bamboo shoots. Anyone else game?

[Carolyn Tillie]

Oh, man, am I ever tempted... That is the one cuisine I have always adored and would love to be able to cook. Guess I should start by buying the cookbook, huh?

[Aaron T]

Maybe Tamar will join you. She recently posted about her Bento box exploits here!

[TheMatt]

Well, I use short-grain rice exclusively, namely Hitomebore rice. This is, as I'm not rich, a California Hitomebore but of all the Japanese varieties I can find, I like it best. Plus, it is a "keisenmai" rice. This is similar (the same? not sure) to a "musenmai" rice which doesn't need to be washed. Most fancy rice cookers nowadays will have two cups, one for rice you need to wash, and one for pre-washed. However, with Hitomebore, I still give it a wash and treat it like a standard rice.

Frankly, though, I recommend buying small, 5-lb bags of different rices and seeing what you like. As indicated above, I like short-grain over medium-grain, and I'm not a fan of the "lower-end" Japanese-style rices like Kokuho Rose (although that company makes a high-end product that is nice). They just don't seem to cook up the way I like.

But, as you stated, mochigome (sweet, glutinous rice) is not regular rice. You only make that mistake once. But, on the positive side, it was like eating Laotian food for a meal.

[lovelynugget]

I actually tried out that cookbook, Washoku, in the hopes of buying it, and I was disappointed. I thought it was unnecessarily difficult. It has a lot of recipes that are multiple-parters: you make the stock or sauce or whatever ahead of time before you can make a particular dish. It reminded me a lot of the Thomas Keller books -- pretty to look at with lots of nice color pictures, but I would never really cook from it.

Perhaps good for an advanced cook who really wants to do everything from scratch and has lots of time to do it.

[Elissa]

Thanks Matt! That's helpful. What are your thoughts about rice makers? I'm sorta undecided as to $24 Panasonic dealie on Amazon and the more elaborate but small Japanese ones... not least since I do want to be able to make brown and other rices in it.

Lovely: I like slow cooking and your more arduously tasked, deeper explorations of doing stuff, so this isn't a problem for me. Paula Wolfert is my standard for deliciousness, so Andoh isn't such a far cry. And actually, her dashi recipes, even though you have to make them the day before, really couldn't be much simpler: put some dried kombu and shittake in water in the fridge overnight, et voila: a really flavorful broth.

That bento site is really great - its sister site Just Hungry has a lot of good info about rice n'stuff too.

[beccaboo]

Thanks Matt! That's helpful. What are your thoughts about rice makers? I'm sorta undecided as to $24 Panasonic dealie on Amazon and the more elaborate but small Japanese ones... not least since I do want to be able to make brown and other rices in it.

I used to use a cheap Panasonic rice cooker, then changed to a Sanyo fuzzy logic one. The Sanyo one really does a better job on brown rice--though it takes a lot longer than with the Panasonic--plus it can make congee and work as a crock pot, and I can use the timer so that my mush is ready for me at 5 in the morning. It's reall worth the $90 or so.

[Behemoth]

I'm planning to work my way through Izakaya: the japanese pub cookbook starting in late May. I don't know if that fits your plans but I'd be happy to share my results.

[The Scream]

What are your thoughts about rice makers? I'm sorta undecided as to $24 Panasonic dealie on Amazon and the more elaborate but small Japanese ones... not least since I do want to be able to make brown and other rices in it.

My kids eat rice several times a week, but rarely more than once a day. IMO rice cookers are practical for people who eat a lot of rice on a regular basis, more than once a day (especially the ones that keep the rice hot, the more expensive models seem to do this better without the bottom burning or overcooking). Otherwise, it's not a piece of equipment that I'd recommend unless you really want one.

I use the stove top method in a heavy bottomed pot. I have a stone one and a cast iron one, both Korean.

On the other hand a rice cooker can make life easier. You can wash the rice, add water, set the timer and forget about it. With the stove top method, there's the soaking, boiling, resting and steaming phases that you have to tend to.

[Rich]

All of you can still afford rice?

[TheMatt]

All of you can still afford rice?

You mean you didn't hedge rice? You haven't been stockpiling 50-lb bags as a rule? What kind of investments advisor do you have?

ETA: About rice cookers: I have a Zojirushi Fuzzy Logic jobby. The middle size one (10-cup...10 rice-cups). I love it especially when I want to make brown or mixed rice or congee. It is not an impulse machine, though. It takes its time in order to produce a good batch of rice.

[The Scream]

I make jook (congee) in a slow cooker.

[The Scream]

I'm planning to work my way through Izakaya: the japanese pub cookbook starting in late May. I don't know if that fits your plans but I'd be happy to share my results.

Will you let me know if there's a recipe for sauteed lotus root? I had this at Japanese small plate restaurant in L.A. years ago. It's very thinly sliced lotus root seasoned with mirin and Shichimi Togarishi. It's been more than 10 years since I tasted it. IIRC, the lotus roots were blanched before stir frying.

[Behemoth]

I'm planning to work my way through Izakaya: the japanese pub cookbook starting in late May. I don't know if that fits your plans but I'd be happy to share my results.

Will you let me know if there's a recipe for sauteed lotus root? I had this at Japanese small plate restaurant in L.A. years ago. It's very thinly sliced lotus root seasoned with mirin and Shichimi Togarishi. It's been more than 10 years since I tasted it. IIRC, the lotus roots were blanched before stir frying.

Hey Scream, sorry I didn't answer sooner. I thought I had mailed the book home last week but just found it under a pile of stuff in my closet. Unfortunately, no recipe for sauteed lotus root.

[The Scream]

Thanks.

I've thought about it more and I think it's pretty straighforward. Lotus root sliced potato chip thin. The seasonings were probably a touch of soy, mirin, and Shichimi Togarishi. Really simple. They're very lighly cooked, still a bit crunchy.