Basic table setting

This is the very basic Japanese table setting. 

When you are looking for a nice Japanese restaurant in your town, you can easily see that this restaurant would be offered the authentic and traditional meal or not. Just examine the display of the tale setting. 

The display of the chopsticks is the key to think of good meals they would offer you or not. 

If the chopsticks were displayed vertically, I don't think it's good restaurant for Japanese cuisine.

A bit shorter chopsticks with pointed in the picking side are displayed horizontally in front of you, this is what I expect in the authentic and traditional Japanese restaurant. 

Korean use a pair of metal chopsticks and a spoon, whilst Chinese use very long chopsticks, which quite slippery for picking up the food for me, so they display the chopsticks vertically. But NO WAY in the Japanese culture, we never ever do this way. In my opinion, if you called yourself a chef of the Japanee cuisine, you should know the cluture well. 

When you are in Japan and go to the Chinese or Korean restaurant, they would be displayed them in the Japanese way. Different approach in a different country, isn't it?

Very important part of the Japanese cuisine would be the RICE. It's very very different to the other Aisin cuisines. They use non sticky long grain rice, but the very sticky short grain rice called "Japonica rice" for the Japanese meal. also the quality of the rice is very important, especially for Sushi. 

When you had the long grain rice, might be dry, in your meal, I don't think you can get the quality Japanese food there.

Those two points would be the huge success to have the quality dinner in a Japanese restaurant or if you think of establishing the Japanese restaurant in the future. 

Anyone want to own a Japanese restauran, which is the proper, authentic and traditional one, I'll be able to help you? Actually I can't find any good Japanese restaurant in Bristol area. Sad, isn't it?

very Happy New Year, 2015!

My blogs (in Japanese language),

「英国通信」http;//ids-mnewman.blogspot.com

「英国歳時記」http;//masuyo-no-eikokusaijiki.blog.jp

「マスヨのキッチン」http;//masuyo-no-kitchen.blog.jp

Facebook page  -  Masuyo

It'll be a very very good year this year for all of you, my friends!xxxx

Japanese Rice

The sushi lunch pack is now quite common, isn't it? 
I think most of the people experienced having a pack of sushi once their life time?  Do or did you like it? If you're a real sushi or Japanese food lover, I don't think you do try another one again. I had a some packs myself before, they were just OK. But I don't think they're not Japanese food. Actually the sushi packs from Waitrose are the best I had ever eaten.

Firstly, the packs are kept in the open fridge, we never put the cooked rice in the fridge. It's getting so dry. Dry cooked rice, NO WAY! You can freeze the cooked rice in a air tight container or freezer bag, though.
Secondly, the quality of the rice (because kept in the fridge for a long time?). And the toppings or the fillings are far from Japanese ingredients sometime, however, I don't mind using any ingredients for sushi. You can use anything, if you wish. That's not the problem at all.

「Ordinary Japanese rice, or uruchimai (粳米), is the type most commonly grown, and is the staple foodstuff of the Japanese diet. It consists of short translucent grains. When cooked it has a somewhat sticky texture such that it can easily be picked up and eaten with chopsticks. Outside of Japan it is sometimes labeled as sushi rice, as this is one of its common uses. It is also used to produce sake.」

from Wikipedia

So, the rice is very important part of the Japanese cuisine. You cannot replace another type of the rice. You have to use only Japonica rice. But if you cannot find a proper one, you can buy a Korean or Italian risotto rice. Do NOT use a pudding rice for the Japanese meal!

 Japonica (short) rice and long grain rice - Wiki

How to cook the proper Japanese rice?

I usually cook my rice in the small pan (pic).

2 cups each time for the 2 night meal. Enough for 3 people. (My husband, daughter and me)

If you could buy the real Japanese rice from Japanese store. The rice imported from Japan, is very very expensive. Over £ 35.00 per 10Kg!!   1 cup of rice = 1 to 1.1 cup of water. No salt please. I usually buy a 10Kg of Italian made rice in a Chinese shop in Bristol at £ 18.00 -ish. I don't like the Californian rice, because they use too much pesticide in America, don't they?   1 cup of rice = 1.1 to 1.2 cup of water.

If you like soft rice, add a bit more water.

Rice the rice quite well before you cook. (See picture, the water is quite clear, isn't it?))

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the water absorbed.

Turn the switch off and give it a good light stir. Then leave the pan on the hob at least for 10 minutes. Steaming the rice is very important. Otherwise, your cooked rice is still hard inside.

If you have a Rice cooker, no problem at all, you just need to mesure the water properly or as you wish, basically it is the same as the cooking in a pan. 

My other blogs in the Japanese language, 

英国歳時記 and 英国通信 and マスヨのキッチン

Long time no see you!

How are you everybody? Hope all you are alright!!

Sorry for I haven't uploaded this blog for ages. My Macbook have finaly dead! Using my husband's Window 7 machine doesn't give me a proper work, unfortunately. Maybe I can't managed the machine well? Too slow as well!!!!!

So I bought an iPad mini and also got an iPhone 5C from Virgin Media recently. Those gadgets aren't newest and the cutting edge models, but still work well. I'll buy a Macbook Air some day. I need a proper machine!!!!!!! Actually and luckily my daughter has a Macbook so I can use hers very occationally. (She's back from London.)

You hear so many time the word "UMAMI(うまみ or 旨味)" nowadays, though, you don't cook much. As pleasant savory taste, one of the five basck tastes as sweet, sour, bitter, salty. Umami is conbined the word "umai(うまい) delicious" and mi(味)taste.

Japanese couisine "Washoku(和食)" as you know now, the stock-making(Dashi だし取り)is very very important part of the cooking. It's quite a time-consuming work so not many Japanese people do this nowadays. There're many instant Dashi-stocks in Japan.

If you do proper way, yes, it't quite complecated, but I give you a tip that more easy way to make dashi-stock. This is suit for all people including vegans.

Konbu and dried Shiitake ms

just soak over night

That's it! No hastle at all. 

After soaked, you can cook them with your ingredient as usual. It would work parfectly using only Konbu or Shiitake. 

Those dried stuff can be buy in an oriental super store. If you're lucky to live near London, go to a Japanese food shop. Expensive, but the quality is really good.

If you live near Bristol, I can help you to buy Japanese goods. 

New year, 2014!!!

This is the first up date for this year!!

Have you read this article as below, that was on the newspaper in the very beginning of this year.

Japanese cuisine gets UNESCO heritage status / Telegraph

Japan will become only the second nation after France to have its national cuisine designated heritage status.

The decision to protect Japan's traditional cuisine, known as "washoku", was made against a backdrop of rising concerns that fast food and western dishes are increasingly eclipsing the nation's culinary heritage. With its emphasis on harmony and the passing of the seasons, the art of washoku has been compared to writing haiku poems and normally consists of separate bowls of white rice, miso soup and pickles alongside main dishes. Other characteristics that have traditionally defined washoku include minimal meat, plenty of seafood and often the use of a fish stock base known as dash. Its new status was confirmed exactly 1,000 days after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami triggered the on-going Fukushima nuclear crisis, shattering global confidence in the safety of the nation's previously respected food industry.

This news is so fantastic for me as a Japanese person. My cooking career is more than 20 years since I started to cook the meals for my family using the special ingredients suited my daughter. She had a allergy to the daily products, cheese, milk etc., but luckily not to the soya products. No additive products neither, of course!! I cooked every meals from scratch.

My cooking techniques had been developed spontaneously.      

I had a a chance to open my Japanese food shop when we lived in Luxembourg. My daughter was just born! So I could learn how to run the Japanese food shop. Very good experience, wasn't it? Actually my parents run a small convenience shop in a small village in Japan. Some times I helped them. It helped me to establish my base career. In both the management and cooking field.

After we came back to England, I didn't have a chance to do the same sort of business. Instead, I gain the diplomas of the therapies. It sound like totally the different area, but for me, it's nothing different at all. Therapy would help to make the high quality life and Japanese food is one of the healthiest foods in the world. 

Last year, I helped to establish a Japanese restaurant in Bristol. I had worked for the owner, mainly to offer some ideas of the menu, culture club and many more. 

There're, I think, five or six Japanese restaurants in Bristol area, but none of then are not a standard at all, unfortunately. The restaurant that I helped is better than others.

So I really want to have a very nice proper Japanese restaurant here, not only here but anywhere, if anybody need me to advice to establish the cafe or restaurant or even in the home cooking, Just call me loudly. I would come to you! E-mail me or Skype me!!!

My business card is here!

Nearly the end of year!!!

Ready for Christmas? 

We're not ready yet as usual. We're very last minute persons.

We're doing our family Christmas dinner at our home this year. It's our turn.

Will have 10 people including us (my hus, Daughter, son and me). 

This year, we have my son who lived in Japan for 2 ½ years. 

Hope you enjoy your Christmas.

Lot of love, 

Masuyo xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I've got a good news for you.  (Actually, long time no see you, readers.)

"Washoku 和食" traditional Japanese cuisine was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list Wednesday.



Here are some articles from the papers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10496326/Japanese-cuisine-gets-UNESCO-heritage-statusj.html
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/AJ201312050050
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131205p2g00m0dm001000c.html

ⒸMainichi Shinbun

Washoku o Nihonshoku, 和食 or 日本食／Japanese cuisine, usually traditional Japanese dishes.




When you think of Japanese food, you would say "Sushi"?
Yes ,"sushi" is very very popular in the western countries nowadays. Most of people, I think, have tried a pack of sushi sold in the big supermarket in the UK before?  Or you have been to a Japanese restaurant near your place. There're so many Japanese restaurants and shops in London. Even many  of those restaurants owned or cooked by non-Japanese, I don't mind if the restaurant offer the proper manner and taste. 
If you luckily live in London or near there, there're many choices. Unfortunately in Bristol, I can't recommend any restaurant (sorry to say, but,,,), because even not one restaurant that meets my favour. I can cook the food much, much, much, so much better than them!!!  If you don't know mach Japanese taste, it would be OK, but please do not think they're the proper Japanese cuisine. 
Maybe my opinion is too strong for someone. But I wouldn't except, if it didn't properly follow the tradition and the manner, of course the taste!! Out of question!!! Check the chopsticks, they must displayed horizontally in a Japanese restaurant. Chinese and Korean (nowadays) display their chopsticks vatical.

 This is one of my dishes called "Teriyaki chicken/照り焼きチキン". The rice and Miso-shiru (miso soup) are a basic set of the dinner. I usually some shredded cabbage for the side, but this time I didn't have a cabbage so I used the boiled red cabbage.
"Teriyaki sauce／照り焼きソース" is quite versatile, you can use any meat and fish.  
The variation of the sauce;
Shoyu(soy sauce), Sake(or Sherry/Cider), Mirin 
Shoyu and butter, it works perfectly.

Hoso-maki／細巻き, Chirashi-zushi／ちらし寿司, Nigiri-zushi／にぎり寿司.
I usually use smoked salmons, herring rolls, boiled prawns, instead the row fish. I don't think it is easy to get a very fresh fish in this area, unless you have a good fishmonger or a farmers market near your house.
However, other ingredients like sushi rice, nori, gari-ginger, etc, can be sold at a big supermarket. Nowadays, you can bay a packed sushi/nigiri in the supermarket. But they're not proper ones as I always say. Because they're getting too dry in the fridge. We, Japanese, don't put the cooked rice in the fridge. Never!!