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Welcome! Cooking experiences and experiments in Japan... A personal blog with recipes, food-related thoughts and ideas. New recipe every weekend! var sc_project=10581814; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="bbed5c96"; var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://secure." : "http://www."); document.write(""); (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-100729620-1', 'auto'); ga('send', 'pageview');

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Have you ever seen the inside of a cooked takenoko (bamboo shoot)? 

Nature makes some pretty design, don't you think?

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We were gifted this drink the other day at Matsubara shotengai - corn makgeolli. Makkoli/Makgeolli is a korean alcoholic drink, it's quite known here in Japan.

I've never tasted this flavor before, the alcohol+corn scent is really nice. Will try it later cold with our dinner!

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It's been years since the last time I ate Sido's delicious dishes! It's good to be back to Hodogaya area and being able to enjoy this super flavorful curry again. 

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Having a relaxing moment with Senjo amazake, from Nagano Prefecture. We opened the pink one, labeled as the addictive-free version. Will try the germinated brown rice one later!

The product design of this set is just so lovely. The rock ptarmigan (raichou) are the official bird of Gifu, Nagano and Toyama Prefectures.

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How are you all doing? The weather is getting warmer now and the house plants are growing really quickly. We've been doing some garden maintenance and planting some new stuff here at home.

Made some herbal tea with our Hillary's Sweet Lemon mint. It's really sweet and refreshing, I'm very impressed with that delicious flavor!

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Today we restocked our white rice box with a Tsuyahime (Yamagata Prefecture) bag. I'm quite entertained by the explanation guide that comes on the back of the package - if you own a Japanese rice cooker, that should be helpful. 

(Cute lLittle rice grain is sleeping while it's soaking inside the water...)

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I got a renkon snack for today - Lotus root chips, French dressing flavor. 

(Recently I've seen around few different renkon snacks with different flavors - I hope it's a permanent trend, I like how light and crispy are those... )

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In Japan, you can often find in meat shops not only meat cuts but also some deep-fried goods. Marushin's big juicy fried onion skewer, what a nice take-out option for a hungry belly. 

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Went out for a walk. The plum blossoms looked so pretty - plus I had the chance to try Tera Coffee's delicious latte while going back home...

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Otona no jyagariko, a jagarico branded for "adults": spicy mala + garlic seasoning. 

(Hmm, it's pretty good, I'd try this one too even if I were younger, hahaha.)

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Shiroi koibito! A classic favorite from Hokkaido Prefecture, white chocolate drink version.

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Ishikari Nabe

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Salmon, vegetables, miso… Cold days are perfect for nutritious meals that warms the soul – Ishikari Nabe is Hokkaido’s famous seafood hotpot that will conquer your heart!

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You know, I’m not from Hokkaido Prefecture and I’m dying to visit the region someday – it’s such an interesting place but I haven’t found the chance to go there yet.

Well, in the meantime… Since we’re not going out too often at present time, why not enjoy ourselves with their delicious food at home? The local cuisine from the largest and northernmost prefecture of Japan is simply mouth-watering and often a perfect plan for cold days. Today we will make one of their undeniably wonderful dishes: Ishikari Nabe.

Basically, Ishikari Nabe is a traditional hotpot recipe that brings together the best ingredients from the seas and land of Hokkaido. Mixing salmon, potatoes, corn, as well other assorted seafood and vegetables, the dish is served in an appetizing butter miso stock.

The origins of Ishikari Nabe are most likely connected to the fishermen from Ishikari River in Hokkaido – it is possible to trace a connection between the dish and another traditional recipe called Sanpei Jiru (三平汁), a miso soup with salmon cut leftovers and cooked vegetables.

The Kindaitei (金大亭) in Ishikari city is known for being the first restaurant to serve Ishikari Nabe on their menu. This place serves an assortment of dishes that celebrates the best ingredients available from the Hokkaido region. I presume that’s why butter – an unconventional ingredient in traditional Japanese dishes, but also a very famous local product – is added to the broth.

So, let’s start cooking! My seafood selection for tonight: fillets of salmon, scallops, oysters and salmon roe – as these are in season right now. Other often recommended seafood ingredients are shrimps, crabs, mussels and white fish fillets. Of course, as I usually say, look out for what is fresher and more available in your area.

For the shime (also known as the “end of the meal”), well… What goes best with that amazing broth? It’s very interesting, when you google it, the online debate on which is the best shime for ishikari nabe is quite never-ending.

Traditionally, Hokkaido nabes uses udon noodles or zōsui. However, nowadays many people prepare/order ramen noodles for shime, since the worldwide famous Hokkaido miso ramen is also very beloved dish. Another even more modern approach is… pasta noodles! Which one do you like the best? (It’s hard to choose, isn’t it? They all sound great…)

Ingredients

1L of dashi stock (katsuobushi and kombu)

2½ tbsp miso

2 tbsp sake

2 tbsp mirin

Salt, sugar

20 g of butter

100g of boneless salmon pieces

50g of scallops

50g of oysters

25g of salmon roe

1 potato, cooked until soft

1 corn cob, cooked and without the cob

¼ of hakusai (chinese cabbage), cut in slices

1 carrot, cut in slices

4 shiitake mushrooms

a bunch of shimeji mushrooms

White portion of negi, cut diagonally

Half square of tofu

Ramen noodles

Steps

First, prepare the dashi stock.

Stir in the miso, the mirin, and the sake to the dashi. Taste test and adjust seasonings to taste.

Prepare the ingredients. Cut the carrot and the negi in diagonal slices, cut the tofu block in bite-size cubes.

Arrange the ingredients in the pot.

After that, turn the heat on to medium-low and add the hot stock.

Place the butter on top and put the lid on.

Let the ingredients cook until done.

Finally, add the scallops and the oysters, letting them cook very briefly (until tender) in the broth.

Serve the dish with salmon roe and white rice.

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Tips

If you have a whole salmon in hands, try using the head and the bones for an extra flavorful dashi stock.

Do not let the seasoned dashi stock boil, as this affects the miso flavor.

It’s very easy to overcook some of the seafood included in this recipe – for instance, pay a good attention to scallops and oysters. Also, do not add the fresh roe directly to the boiling broth, overcooked roe is not flavorful as its fresh version.

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Capsule Toys | Sushi dragons of all types: kappamaki, ikura, hamachi, salmon and shime saba...

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Kuri senbei - sweet chestnut crackers. Lovely scent and cute shape! That flavor and crispy texture are great with our daily afternoon coffee break.

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Virtual nomikai drinking parties are a good opportunity to try some local drinks - for instance, last time I had one of these events, I picked this beer from Yokohama in our local supermarket and I really enjoyed it! I'll probably buy it again someday...

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Machi Beji -> Machi Veggie -> Veggies from Machida, a city within Tokyo prefecture. This lovely package of horenso (Japanese spinach) will become tonight's sukiyaki~

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Bought some hot tea before coming back home: chestnut with houjicha. I've never tried this combination of flavors before - they match so nicely, it's actually a very nice blend...