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 chopping.

Try these for yourself! Or how about sharing your own technique?

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How not to cry over onions

What else do you think I need?

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What’s in your pantry?

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 – thin, dry and rigid.  When I see all of the work involved I  really appreciate the food that I eat more.  Especially when it is hard physical work in a difficult environment.  Konbu is such a simple ingredient but there is so much involved in getting it into my kitchen.

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Konbu the answer

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?

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Uni 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.

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What the fuss is all about

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?

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Spam sandwich

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.

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Matsutake gone riot

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?

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My new favourite tofu

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Natto on a grand scale

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)

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Suika – watermelon