muy bonito (not that I'm eating bonito)

[dymphna79]

I am really into Japanese food all of a sudden.  If "really into" can include someone who hasn't actually eaten any yet.

I might have had a couple of Japanese dishes in my life; I'm not sure.  But I don't like seaweed, and there isn't a lot of vegetarian Japanese food, so it's not something I've ever sought out.

But I read a couple of books about

Comments

[alirose]

I always get Kokuho Rose rice. We get it in those big bags that look like they should be for dog food because we eat so much Asian food (although mostly Chinese and Thai)

I'm curious what you do with tonkatsu sauce without meat to put it on. (fwiw I hate tonkatsu meat, it's always fatty and gross)

I always get the cheapest sake out there for cooking.

Japanese food doesn't have a lot of variety, especially if you don't eat fish, but soba is good, and Udon can be done well. Also the vegetarian sushi can be good (especially the egg-custard one, yumm), if you don't like nori much (I don't) then I suggest making your maki (rolled sushi) "inside out" style, then you don't taste the nori much.

I;m curious to hear what you end up liking!

[dymphna79]

Eggs, I think. I have a recipe for a Japanese-influenced omelet with fried rice in the middle. I didn't realize it was really a meat sauce until I saw the label, so I don't know what else; but I think it might be good on tofu, too.

[unflexible]

Hm. And now I am going to pull Sundays at Moosewood off the shelf and see what I can make. This post has made me hungry for udon.

[laurieab]

You should read this book about Japan; Matthew and Iris love it. (I liked it too.)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31033.A_Year_in_Japan

[mamster]

Hey, Wendy. I totally understand what you mean about getting into Japanese food without actually eating it. I mean, I like Japanese food and eat it a lot, but it's so systematically great that you can enjoy it just from an artistic or engineering perspective.

The best book on Japanese cooking, by far, is Shizuo Tsuji's _Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art_. I got a used copy on Amazon for like $10 and read it in bed frequently.

The small, cheap bottle of sake is perfect for cooking. I have the same bottle on my shelf.

Did you read [my column today about Asian noodles](http://www.culinate.com/columns/bacon/homemade_asian_noodles)? Try the yaki udon, without chicken and with homemade or store-bought udon. It's really good. It's as much Chinese as Japanese, but that's not a criticism.

[dymphna79]

I have the Tsuji book on hold at the library (I think I got the title from your national cookbooks post). I am anxious to try the homemade udon, so I will have to start charting the times when my downstairs neighbors tend to be gone. They are very nice, and I already have to sweep a bunch of fallen leaves from my balcony onto their porch, so I don't want to risk annoying them too much.

[thebigbinsideme]

Shari and I make sushi sometimes. You can put carrot, cucumber, avocado, sprouts, mushrooms, just about anything inside and it is so delicious! I don't know if that would be too much seaweed for you but you should try it if not. Also, people tend to find it very impressive that we make our own sushi... you too can be the envy of your friends and acquaintances.

Good luck!