Yesterday lunch @Wasabi (for 2 people).

Japanese often take onigiri, especially rather large oval or triangle-shaped ones, for lunch when they go flower-viewing in the spring or to sporting events in the autumn. onigiri tastes good even after it has cooled.

Ingredients (8 balls):

4 cups japanese rice
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 sheets nori
1 slice of salmon
salt

Directions:
- salt the salmon slice for 30min
- grill or fry the salmon slice until edges are a little burned
- after the salmon cools, flake it into small pieces and set aside
- cut nori seaweed into a medium rectangler shape. (need 8 of these.)
- put warm cooked rice in a large bowl and mix in the salmon flakes and sesame seeds well
- wet your hands in water so that the rice won’t stick
- put a pinch of salt on your hands and grab a half cup of warm rice
- form the rice into a round or a triangle shape, by pressing lightly with your both palms
- wrap the rice ball with a sheet of nori

You can find in grocery fresh-made onigiri with Tuna, or Umeboshi (japanese plum).

This salad is very easy to cook. Use green asparagus (gurin asuparagasu) to enjoy this fresh dish in a small bowl.

Ingredients (4 servings):

20 spears of green asparagus – trimmed
1/2 tea spoon salt
2 tea spoons Karashi (yellow Japanese mustard)
2 tea spoons water
1 egg
1 tea spoon soy sauce

Directions:
- cut off the hard part near the root of asparagus
- scrape off the outer skin and cut into half, keep only the spears
- cut spears into bite sized pieces
- mix the mustard with the water
- fill a pot with water and salt
- bring to boil, add asparagus simmer until tender
- add egg and soy sauce to mustard mixture and stir
- put asparagus into bowl, top spears with this sauce

Did you know?

For a healthy dietary balance, Kikkoman launched a less Salt version of its famed
soy sauce. The special recipe uses a unique fermentation process which keeps all
the unique flavour and aroma of original soy sauce but has 43% less salt.

Like the original, there are no artificial colourings or flavourings.

Nice, simple and interesting blog with tasty recipes, tips and a selection of food shops in town.

Sooishi is also a boutique, online shop with many items like Marmelade, kitchen utensils and Sooishi branded cooking aprons for adults and kids.

Sooishi blog

Sooishi boutique

Squeamish about Sushi by Betty Raynolds.

An illustrated English guide book to eating in Japan. It shows various situations that you may experience in Japan, eating in a restaurant, stay in Japanese style inn (Ryokan), going to Sumo stadium and more.

The most funny part includes  a guide to going to toilet in restaurant (put on toilet slippers, play with the technology buttons).

Love it! Addicted!

Anago
Salt-water eels, often simmered for sushi or tempura. Less rich and oily than unagi.

Unagi
Freshwater eels which are usually served with a kabayaki sauce.

Ingredients (4 servings) :
4 cups of cooked japanese rice
2 onions2 potatoes
2 carrots
120 gr japanese curry
3 1/2 cups water
250 gr meat (pork, beef or chicken)

Directions :
- cut potatoes, carrots, and meat into bite-sized pieces
- slice onions
- heat a deep pan and saute the onion
- add meat, potatoes, and carrots in the pan and saute together
- add water in the pan and bring to a boil
- turn the heat down to low and cook for 40-50min, to foam often
- add curry and simmer for 10 min
- serve the curry over plain rice