A blog about food, history, data visualization, and more
When you’re looking for something hearty and warming as days become shorter and colder, consider the Japanese dishes called nabemono. These “simmered dishes” are often cooked in one pot (called a “nabe”), sometimes in the middle of the dining table over a portable burner. In the West, the most famous nabemono is probably sukiyaki — beef and vegetables […]
As a follow-up to my piece on okara — which is a by-product of tofu — I’m happy to report that I have finally seen okara “in the wild” and gave it a try. When I visit San Diego for work, I often stay in the Kearny Mesa area near the intersection of CA-163 and […]
People often say that the San Francisco Bay Area doesn’t really have seasons. Weather-wise, they have a point – we have wet and dry, nothing nearly as dramatic as New England, for example. But for those who obsess about local food, there are scores of seasons, each one marking the appearance and disappearance of certain […]
One of my minor frustrations with Elizabeth Andoh’s “Kansha” (my review is here) is that quite a few recipes feature burdock (a.k.a. great burdock, gobo, Arctium lappa), but all of the supply in local markets seems to be grown in Taiwan, even in Berkeley Bowl and Tokyo Fish Market, two markets that have many types […]
Long-time readers of Mental Masala will know that I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Andoh’s Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen, with almost a dozen posts related to my Washoku cooking experiences. In October 2010, Ten Speed Press released another book by Andoh, Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions. I got my copy […]
(Updated, 11/26/16: fixed broken links) During my last haircut, the conversation turned to chocolate (a regular topic), and so I told my sad story of scheduling stupidity, chocolate and soy. As part of their “Taste Project,” Recchuiti Confections’ collaborated with Hodo Soy Beanery to explore the pairing of chocolate with the many incarnations of the […]
Dinner at the Mount View Hotel in Japan was one of the few times I’ll need to use the panoramic feature on my camera to capture a meal (photo above). At this hotel, a fixed menu dinner and breakfast were included in our room price, with meals taken in shifts in a large dining room […]
Most Americans have one of two opinions about tofu: 1) it’s an abomination, 2) it’s a convenient source of protein for vegetarians but not much more. In Japan, however, tofu is appreciated as a special delicacy. Across the nation, you’ll find entire restaurants that are devoted to the many incarnations of bean curd and soy: […]
Last weekend, I went to a series of talks about Japanese food and culture sponsored by UC Berkeley’s Institute of East Asia Studies. The forum was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University, with five distinguished scholars from around the world touching on various topics in Japanese food […]
When looking for souvenirs in Japan, the 100 yen shop is a great place to visit (100 yen is about $1, so these are the equivalent of the “99 cent shop” or “dollar store”). They have all sorts of interesting pieces of Japanese culture, like cute glassware, notebooks with interesting inscriptions, and a fun variety […]