Do you have the same dilemma as I do when it comes to chopping onions? I remember silly old me, wearing eyeglasses to protect my eyes from getting all teary and stingy. I’m glad to say that’s a thing of the past now! Thanks to my sister, she shared me what she learned from her Thai cooking class.
Before you slice or chop the onion, you simply have to wash it, and the knife, with water. Another tip, which I saw on one of the cooking shows on cable, is to allow the onions to cool in the freezer prior to …read more

I still remember the time when I was a newly-wed, grocery-shopping and cooking felt like going to school for the first time, without my mom to accompany me. I recall making sure the cupboard had an ample supply of the essentials: fish sauce, soy sauce and vinegar. If you chance upon a Filipino household, you’re sure to find these. Add to that, some shrimp paste too! But after some time, cooking became second nature to me. Moreover, my taste and my husband’s leaned towards Asian cuisine. When we used to have those lazy nights (and we still do!), we order …read more

Yesterday’s little mystery was, of course, long leaves of konbu kelp drying in the sun.  Small boats head out from the shore with one or a few old men and a rake or plow like tool.  They drag up the plants up from the ocean floor and when they are loaded they head back in.  When they arrive a small group of (usually) old women drag out the plants, separate the leaves and spread them out to dry in the sun and wind.  After a while the slimy fat leaves end up as you would find them in the shop …read more

I couldn’t walk by this.  Omochi (cake made out of pounded rice) flavoured with Uni (sea urchin roe).  It has the colour and flavour of uni but the texture of soft chewy omochi.  Sort of a departure from sweet versions and still very delicious.  I am guessing that the options for flavouring omochi are endless.  Sweet, savoury salty or spicy all work well with it.  Is there anything you can’t do with omochi?

Here it is folks.  The scandalous food that most of the world condemn Japan for eating.  Whale bacon.
No I haven’t eaten it. 
No I haven’t hunted it.
No I don’t agree with it.
Yes it does look good.

Maybe I’ve lead a sheltered existence but is this normal.  Where I come from spam is what you eat when the cupboard is empty not what you advertise on big billboards in restaurants.  Maybe I’m missing something here and I’m being culturally insensitive but I don’t think this is a Japanese phenomenon?  Where does it come from?

What is the story with mushrooms that cost 6800 yen (about $68) for two.  These cheeky little guys are matsutake, the king of mushrooms.  In the wild they are rare and in the shops they are exorbitant.  They are nice, but really they would want to be.  The basket, pine leaves and flower make up more bulk than the actual mushrooms.

I think I’ve found a new favourite.  This tofu was bought at a supermarket in Hakodate and is just the creamiest most delicious that I have ever tasted.  It came in a cool little basket with a sachet of some kind of green stuff.  Apart from that I can’t really tell you much.  Maybe you can help me out.  What do you know about tofu?

Well as luck had it, I chanced upon the most natto that I have ever seen.  Three large triangles of the sticky smelly mass and it was all so beautifully packaged I didn’t even suspect it.  It just goes to show that I should take the time to read before I buy, if I want to have a say in what I eat.  Needless to say I went straight back to find something else to eat and palmed the natto off on some friends who hate it less than I do.

You’ve probably seen photos of cube watermelon from Japan before.  Trust me they are an oddity here too.  But their round ones are so round.  And they come in these string bags that make them look so much like a soccer (football) that it takes my mind to the world cup and I wonder if Japan can make it this time?
I’ll ponder this some more as I eat this delicious suika (watermelon)