A blog about food, history, data visualization, and more
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 […]
Continuing post-Japan-trip blogging, a few photos and comments about seasonality and urban farming in Japan. Seasonality Although the Japanese can get any food at any time, seasonality still plays an important part in their food culture. I was there in October, which is apparently chestnut season, as advertisements for chestnut ice cream and other chestnut […]
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 […]
(Updated, 12/24/16: fixed broken links) Real ramen — not the factory-produced product with instant noodles and a powdered flavoring packet, but fresh noodles and painstakingly prepared, flavorful broth — inspires strong feelings. It’s inspired two movies, the cult favorite Tampopo (which I found nearly unwatchable when I last viewed it) and the poorly written and overacted […]
One of my ‘go to’ recipes in Elizabeth Andoh’s marvelous Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen is a simple preparation of kabocha squash in a lemon-infused sauce. It can be prepared with little and made ahead of time because it is excellent when served at room temperature. The method for cutting the squash is […]
My short trip to Japan provided a lot to blog about, and I think I have finally run out of material (at least until I buy the Washoku cookbook and start cooking my own Japanese cuisine). This will be a mix and match post to bookend the first one. The object in the photo to […]
In a world of “faster, cheaper, newer,” he stands for tradition. He still believes in the old ways, believes in concentrating on a single task and doing it right. He is the chef in a tempura restaurant. His focus is on small tasks: preparing the batter, dipping the vegetable or seafood morsel into the batter […]