Tag Archives: Japanese

In praise of mom-and-pop ethnic restaurants

Ethnic mom-and-pop restaurants are a treasure. I’m thinking of small places that have been in business for a while, so the proprietors have developed a well-oiled routine which is highly efficient but also entertaining to watch just because it is … Continue reading

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Recipe: Japanese Restaurant Salad Dressing

This is our version of the Japanese restaurant salad dressing that’s often served in neighborhood restaurants and sushi bars. Feel free to add even more ginger! Makes 1 c. Ingredients 2 T onion, chopped 2 T carrot, chopped 1 inch … Continue reading

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Time to plant the shiso!

We have two nice pots of shiso which reseed themselves every year, but if you’re not so fortunate it’s (past) time to plant the shiso for a summer harvest. What is shiso you ask? According to this excellent Australian food … Continue reading

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Affordable food porn

We don’t worry too much about food presentation here at Burnt My Fingers, as you may have noticed. But sometimes you want to gild the lily just a bit. And we got thinking about affordable food porn… ways you can … Continue reading

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Recipe: Tonkatsu (Japanese breaded pork cutlet)

Katsu or Tonkatsu? The helpful UPB Foods site informs us that katsu was introduced to Japan at the turn of the 20th century as part of Emperor Meiji’s drive to open the country to modern/Western influences. The original dish resembled … Continue reading

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Recipe: Copycat Bulldog Tonkatsu Sauce

Tonkatsu sauce is a ketchup/Worcestershire mix served with pork or chicken that has been breaded, fried and cut into strips. Bull-Dog, the most popular brand, has a mystery sweet/astringent element that might come from the prunes listed in the ingredient … Continue reading

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Recipe: Spicy Eggplant with Miso

We had fond memories of the spicy eggplant with miso recipe from Japanese Country Cookbook, an artful paperback issued by the long-closed Mingei-Ya in San Francisco. But when we picked up a used copy we were surprised to discover most … Continue reading

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Recipe: Shime Saba (pickled sushi-style mackerel)

Shime Saba means, literally, shiny mackerel. This saba recipe is very easy to make at home and the taste will be close to what you enjoy in a quality sushi bar. The visuals? Not so much, until you practice filleting, … Continue reading

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Why we love haiga rice

Haiga rice is the equivalent of high-extraction wheat flour: it has the husk (bran) removed while retaining the germ. As a result, it is more nutritious and also (in our opinion) tastier. We’ve started using it as our go-to when … Continue reading

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Recipe: Japanese Spinach with Sesame Seeds

Japanese spinach with sesame seeds is inspired by a recipe in Japanese Country Cookbook, a long out-of-print book from the revered Mingei-Ya restaurant in San Francisco. Unlike most recipes for spinach salad, this doesn’t include sugar. You won’t miss it. … Continue reading

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