Tag Archives: sushi

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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Japanese aquaculture at Winter 2024 Fancy Food Show

Japan had a powerful presence at the 2024 Winter Fancy Food Show, including a large booth offering examples of Japanese aquaculture for tasting. The highlight of my experience was a 90 minute demo by Chef Hiroo Nagahara, a renowned kaiseki … Continue reading

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Making poke with Trader Joe’s ahi tuna

We bought and accidentally defrosted a brick of Trader Joe’s ahi tuna. What to do? Make some poke! Don’t try this at home (unless you want to) because the fish, which you will eat raw, needs to be absolutely fresh … 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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Eating habits

When I was a kid, I had a health science teacher who told us our eating habits change every seven years. While I no longer hunger for Lik-M-Aid and cinnamon toothpicks, I have always regarded that lesson as fake science. … Continue reading

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Live Uni: one and done

On my recent trip to San Francisco, I indulged in a bucket-list checkoff: ordering live uni from Santa Barbara Fish Market. Overnight shipping is a ridiculously cheap $9.95, to California addresses only. (Elsewhere it’s $49.95.) The sea urchins themselves are … Continue reading

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Salting away shiso

Success! A few weeks ago I wrote of my scheme to make salt shiso pickles by sprinking a bit of salt on each of my homegrown shiso leaves and stacking them up in a jar. The leaves were then pressed … Continue reading

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How to rate suburban sushi

I live in a town of 30,000 that has five restaurants specializing in sushi. Can a community our size really support that many establishments providing a top quality dining experience? My suburban sushi tour aims to find out. I go … Continue reading

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