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Bang Bang Chicken Bang bang chicken is a very popular Chinese dish in Japan - so much so that it's probably served in Japanese homes as often as it's ordered in Chinese restaurants. The unusual name of the dish deserves a little explanation - apparently it refers to the tenderising of the chicken by using a mallet. Or does it? On the other hand, some people contend that the "bang bang" refers to the sound of a chopping knife hitting a board as it strips meat from a cooked chicken carcass. Some years ago, I had some Chinese neighbours and from seeing them in their kitchen, my money is on the latter explanation. Whichever story is correct, (who knows, maybe both are!) there isn't much bang bang necessary if, as I do, you use a chicken breast for the dish. One thing's for sure, you'll certainly get a big bang bang for your buck (sorry!) in terms of flavour - the sauce I make for this dish uses tahini, garlic, ginger and soy sauce so you get a really tasty meal. Time-wise, you can have this ready in under 30 mins . If you are ready for a little bang bang in your life, you can find the written recipe below and the youtube tutorial Bang Bang Chicken or scroll to the bottom of the page. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you want to take a look at some of my other Chinese recipes, you might like to press the link to my Ma Po's Tofu recipe . Bang Bang Chicken ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 250g chicken breast 1 spring onion 5mm x 2 slices ginger 500-800ml water 1 tbsp japanese cooking sake 160g cucumber 4 thin slices of tomato 2 portions of dried yellow noodles for the sesame sauce: 3 tbsp tahini/sesame paste 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp japanese rice vinegar 3 tsp sugar 1.5 tbsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp ginger paste 1/2 tsp garlic paste how to: put the ginger, spring onion, chicken & sake in a pan, cover with water, then bring to the boil and simmer for 10-12 mins (make sure the chicken is cooked) slice the cucumber diagonally, then cut julienne style to make the sesame sauce: combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, ginger & garlic in a bowl and mix well boil the noodles according to the instructions on the packet & drain cut the chicken into 2 fillets laterally and slice then diagonally into large matchsticks to assemble the dish, place 1/2 the noodles on a plate, top with half the tomato, cucumber & chicken drizzle over the sesame sauce before serving Bang Bang Chicken

Onigiri Back at the start of the year, I posted an onigiri recipe - onigiri with tuna mayo. Here are three more onigiri recipes for you - onigiri with eda-mame & sesame, onigiri with salmon & spring onion and onigiri with sweet corn & sesame. These onigiri can be made quickly and eaten at a sit down meal or on the go - after all, they are probably the world's first ever fast food - there are records of people making and eating onigiri more than a thousand years ago! I like my onigiri to be substantial enough to be a meal in itself - but that's me & if you find the size too large, then you can always just reduce the rice and make them smaller - there is no right or wrong amount - just remember to reduce the amount of filling as well otherwise the onigiri will be difficult to form because you won't have sufficient rice to stick everything together. If you aren't going to eat your onigiri straight away, don't wrap them in the nori as the rice will make the nori soggy - you can keep the onigiri fresh by wrapping it in clingfilm and then put the nori wrap on just before you eat it for your lunch or for a picnic. You can find the video tutorials & pdf recipes below: Onigiri with edamame & sesame : click here for the tutorial and here for the recipe Onigiri with salmon & spring onion : click here for the tutorial and here for the recipe Onigiri with sweet corn & sesame : click here for the tutorial and here for the recipe Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.

Cheese and Ham Onigirazu If you read my blog, you'll know by now that I am a big fan of onigirazu - rice and nori wraps that you can make in 10 mins and eat for lunch, eat on the go or just enjoy as a snack when your body needs a quick refuel. What you choose to fill your onigirazu with really has no limit - I like to have a little food fusion fun and fill mine with classic food combinations - so, the other day I made a "Full English" onigirazu and a little while ago a BLT onigirazu. These are great fun to create, (kids like to do it too!) easy to prepare and tasty to eat - what could be better? The ingredients for my Cheese & Ham Onigirazu are fairly basic - all you need to get started for Ingredients for Ham and Cheese each onigirazu is a sheet of dried nori seaweed, some cooked rice, cheese, some sliced ham and some leaf vegetable - I chose rocket for my recipe but spinach or mixed leaves would work well too. Oh, and you'll need some mayo. I used some slices of Red Leicester cheese but a mature cheddar would be equally good - generally stronger cheese flavours work better in an onigirazu. What tips do I have to make the most of this? First, remember that your nori sheet will absorb any moisture very quickly, so you need to keep wetter foods out of your recipe. for example, if you want to put tomato into your onigirazu that's fine but remember to deseed the slices - otherwise your nori will get wet and may disintegrate when you reach the wrapping stage. Second, don't be tempted to put too much filling into your onigirazu. If you do that, the seaweed may tear when you wrap it and you won't get such a nice looking result. Cheese and Ham Onigirazu Third, when you spread your rice on the nori sheet, remember to layer it a little more thinly where the fold in the nori sheet will be - that way you get a nice, clean fold with no risk of bulging or tearing. I think that's about it. If you think this is a recipe you'd like to try, then either press Cheese & Ham Onigirazu to watch the video tutorial or scroll down to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is below. Cheese & Ham Onigirazu ingredients: (for each onigirazu) 100g cooked Japanese rice (wet weight)* 1 sheet of nori 2 slices of ham 1 slice of cheese (red leicester or a strong cheddar) a handful of rocket some mayo 30cm square sheet of greaseproof paper** *If you don’t have a rice cooker, see my “how to make a perfect Japanese rice in a saucepan” recipe **You can use clingfilm to wrap your onigirazu but I use greaseproof paper as a better environmental option. how to: cut the ham slices in half place the greaseproof paper on the chopping board, then place the nori on top using scissors, make a cut in the nori to the centre from the middle of the bottom edge spread the rice over the right hand half of the nori, leaving a little less rice in the middle as this will help when you fold next place the ham on the bottom half of the left side of the nori, then the cheese on the top left pile the rocket onto the cheese and squeeze some mayo over the rocket now fold the ham onto the cheese, then fold the cheese & ham over the rice, then fold once again downwards to form your first onigirazu wrap the onigirazu into a parcel using the greaseproof paper & use gentle pressure to create a uniform shape cut your onigirazu in half with a sharp knife happy wrapping! kurumi XXXX. Cheese and Ham nigirazu

Egg and Avocado Onigirazu Here's my latest onigirazu recipe for an easy to make lunch, lunch box, picnic or anytime pick-me-up. This one is filled with one hard boiled egg, half an avocado, half a lettuce leaf and a chilli sauce / mayo flavouring. (I originally made this just using mayo but I decided it tasted a little bland and needed a spicy boost, thus the chilli sauce - in this case, I used Thai sriracha but any chilli sauce will do the job.) Other than that, the rest of the ingredients are as for any other onigirazu - a sheet of nori, 100g / 3.5 oz of rice and a square of greaseproof paper for your wrapper - what could be more simple? The ingredients on the recipe sheet and in the tutorial are for one onigirazu. Two of these would be enough for a filling lunch to keep you on the move until dinner. Onigirazu are at their best eaten on the day they are made. You can refridgerate them but the rice tends to dry out if you do so for more than 12 hours. I hope you get to make this recipe - if you want to do so, you can find the youtube tutorial by clicking Egg & Avocado Onigirazu or scroll down to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. Egg & Avocado Onigirazu ingredients: (for each onigirazu) 100g / 3.5 oz cooked rice (wet weight)* 1 boiled egg 1/2 small avocado 1/2 small lettuce leaf 2 tsp mayo a little Thai sriracha or chilli sauce 1 sheet of nori approx. 30cm / 12 in square sheet of greaseproof paper (you can also use clingfilm but greaseproof is better for the environment!) how to: mix the mayo and sriracha and set aside cut the boiled egg into 4-5 slices and cut the avocado into 5-6 slices lay the nori onto the greaseproof paper on the cutting board, make a cut from the middle of the bottom edge of the nori sheet to the centre spread the rice over the right side of the nori following the cut, spreading a little less rice in the middle as this is where you will make a fold place the sliced boiled egg on the bottom half of the left side of the nori side, then place the sliced avocado on the top right put the lettuce on the avocado, then spoon the sriracha/mayo mixture on top now to create your onigirazu: fold the egg up and over the avocado. next fold the egg & avo to the right over the top half of the rice, then fold once more downwards to complete your onigirazu now wrap the onigirazu in the greaseproof paper and gently shape with your hands to achieve a nice, uniform finish finally, cut in half using a sharp knife Egg and Avocado Onigirazu

Halloween Mummy Rice Balls The witching hour is almost upon us so here is a fun Halloween recipe that kids and not afew grown ups will adore. (They are also serious fun to make!) Halloween Mummy rice balls, or OnHalloweenigiri as the Japanese call them, are gorgeous little triangular balls of rice wrapped in nori "bandages" to create the "mummy" look. The eyes are made from little pieces of cheese and little dots of nori. There are a couple of methods you can use to create the basic rice ball. The method I use here is the easiest one which is to use a plastic rice ball mould. You can find these on the internet for less than $5 / £5, and they will last for years. Apart from the mould, you just need some Japanese rice, a sheet of nori seaweed and some cheese. I peeled the cheese from a block of cheddar but you could also use a square of sandwich cheese and get the same result. Each Halloween Mummy rice ball takes less than 5 minutes to make and you can get everyone involved - as I said they are great fun so you won't have a problem fnding volunteer creators! If you would like to see how I made these, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Halloween Mummy rice balls - Onigiri or by scrolling to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy Halloween! Kurumi XXXX. ingredients: makes 3 Halloween Mummy rice balls 250g / 5oz cooked Japanese rice 1 tsp salt 1 sheet of nori a block cheddar cheese or 1 square of sandwich cheese 1 large straw 1 normal size of metal straw if you have 1 rice ball mould 1 bowl of water for rinsing the mould how to: Sprinkle the salt over the cooked rice in a bowl nd gently mix in. Set aside Next, cut some narrow strips of nori from a nori sheet. The strips need to be about 8mm / 1/3 inch. You'll need 12 strips of nori to decorate three rice balls. Keep the rest of the nori sheet close by as you will be using this to makes your Mummy's eyeballs! Using a fruit peeler, peel off 1 or 2 thin strips of cheddar cheese. (Alternatively, you can use a sandwich cheese square.) Use the end of a large plastic straw to punch out 6 “eyeballs” from the cheese. Then, use the end of a chopstick to push the “eyeball” out of the straw. Next, create 6 “pupils” for the eyes. Use a small metal straw to press down on the nori sheet to form a small circle, then use a pair or scissors to cut out the small roundel. Dip the rice ball mould in the small bowl of water. Wetting the mould will stop the rice from sticking to the mould. Pack the mould with rice and then use the mould lid to compress the rice into a firm shape. Remove the lid and use your thumb to press on the bottom of the mould to push the rice ball out. If the rice ball doesn't come out, give the mould a few taps on a plate or your counter top to help it along. Now to the fun part - the decoration. Gently wrap the nori strips like bandages around each rice ball, using 3 or 4 strips per rice ball. Last, add 2 cheese "eyeballs" to each rice ball. Add the nori dots to create pupils in each eye. Repeat for as you Halloween Mummy rice balls as you wish to make! Halloween Mummy Rice Balls - Onigiri

Yaki Onigiri / Grilled Rice Balls Onigiri is one of the oldest known Japanese foods and is probably as old as rice cultivation itself in Japan. Nowadays, the Japanese make these at home and also buy them in their millions ready-made from convenience stores. Another perennial favourite is to order them grilled as a final tummy filler when visiting a yakitori bar - these are the ones that are called Yaki Onigiri or Grilled Rice Balls. But you can also easily make these yourself - when I make Yaki Onigiri / Grilled Rice Balls, I pan fry them in a hot, slightly oiled pan - about 4 to 5 minutes on each side so that the rice is nicely browned. No Yaki Onigiri would be complete without a teaspoon or two of soy drizzled over the top before serving. These can be eaten as they are or wrapped in a strip of dried nori . For this Yaki Onigiri recipe, I "cheated" and used an Onigiri mould to shape the onigiri instead of using my fingers. I have to admit an Onigiri mould does produce a perfectly shaped Onigiri and they can be bought quite cheaply. These Onigiri make a perfect snack or you can serve them as the rice component of a larger meal - best of all, they take only minutes to prepare. If you'd like to try these out, you can find the youtube tutorial by clicking Yaki Onigiri /GrilledRiceBalls or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. If you would like to understand how to create an onigiri without using a mould, take a look at my other onigiri recipes, for example, my Onigiri with Salmon and Spring Onion recipe. Yaki Onigiri ingredients: (makes 4 onigiri) 320g cooked Japanese rice* (wet weight) 1/8 tsp salt 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds a little vegetable oil 8 tsp soy sauce onigiri mold (you can buy these quite cheaply if you don’t have one) a square of kitchen paper *see my how to make perfect japanese rice recipe how to: add the sesame seeds & salt to the cooked rice in a bowl, and gently mix wet the mold lightly , then fill with the rice, put the lid on the mold and press down firmly tap the mold and knock the onigiri out and repeat again (don’t panic if it doesn’t come out at once - just tap a few more times) heat and add a little oil to a hot frying pan, wipe the oil around with the pan kitchen paper, so that the pan is almost dry cook the onigiri for 3-4 mins or until lightly browned on the bottom turn the onigiri over and cook for a further 3-4 mins lastly, pour 2 tsp of soy sauce over each onigiri Yaki Onigiri / Grilled Rice Balls

Chicken Nanbanzuke Here's a recipe from my good friend Yumiko Nikaido who lives in Tokyo. The dish is called chicken nanbanzuke . The word "nanbanzuke" translates roughly as "southern style taste." The nanbanzuke method of cooking originated on the southermost of Japan's main islands, Kyushu, where it was learned from Portugese traders several centuries ago. In Portugal, the method is known as escabeche and consists of a vinegar marinade usually combined with olive oil and herbs - the Portugese traders, travelling very long distances across the oceans no doubt used it to preserve food for their long voyages. Nanbanzuke dishes usually feature fish, mackerel and salmon being popular choices but it's also used as a way of preparing meat, in this case, chicken. The marinade has a "sweet and sour' tang to it that is unusual in Japanese cuisine but I think you'll find it is a tasty way to flavour chicken. Most recipes will tell you to slice the chicken into strips but I prefer to keep mine hole - that's a personal preference, so if you prefer to serve in smaller pieces, do so once you've marinated the chicken. This dish is normally served with a bowl of white rice although I have an idea, it could be equally good serve on a bed of noodles....but that's another story...sorry, I mean, recipe! If you think chicken nanbanzuke is something you'd like to try, you can find the youtube tutorial by clicking Chicken nanbanzuk e or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is jsut below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. For another tasty Japanese chicken dish, why not check out my Simmered Chicken with Daikon ? Chicken Nanbanzuke ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 15cm dried kelp 2cm dried chilli 50ml rice vinegar 50ml soy sauce 2 tbsp sugar 50ml japanese cooking sake 1 tbsp mirin 1 onion 50g carrot 1/3 green bell pepper 500g boneless chicken thigh* 1 tbsp vegetable oil a little salt * chicken breast works equally well with this dish how to: put the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cooking sake & mirin into a small saucepan using scissors, snip the kelp in half and add it. snip the chilli into pieces and add that too bring the pan to the boil, then turn off the heat and leave to cool a little, then remove the kelp halve the carrot lengthways, slice widthways and julienne halve the pepper lengthways & julienne spread the vegetables in a shallow dish, pour over the marinade & set aside tenderise the chicken a little using a steak hammer or the back of the blade of your heaviest kitchen knife. pierce the flesh a few times with a fork then season with the salt heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and fry over a medium heat for 7-8 mins or until lightly browned turn the chicken over and cook for 7-8 mins. make sure the chicken is cooked, then remove from the heat add the chicken to the marinade and marinate for 30 mins, turning the chicken a few times your dish is now ready - serve with white rice. you can cut the chicken into 1.5cm strips before serving if you prefer that effect Chicken Nanbanzuke

Ochazuke Hello everyone. You might have seen a post I made in January titled, "..a little detox anyone.?" The recipe was for " ochazuke " - a simple dish consisting of a bowl of rice in hot water with some fish and vegetable toppings. Ochazuke must be the oldest dish in Japanese history - it certainly goes back 1,000 + years. Apparently, it began because people hit upon the fact that they could make cooked rice that was a few days old more palatable by re-hydrating it. So, they started to add hot water to old rice. Then someone hit upon the idea of adding tea instead. When the fashion for consuming green tea hit Japan in the sixteenth century, this also became a popular addition to a bowl of rice. More recently still, dashi stock became another way of creating an ochazuke. Ochazuke nori Nobody seems to know quite when, but at some point toppings were also added and suddenly, you had a simple, one bowl meal that could be eaten at home or on the go. Fast forward to the twentieth century and the 1950s saw the creation of instant ochazuke, little packets of dried toppings and flavourings that you just sprinkled over a bowl of rice before adding hot water. The first maker to market was a tea company called nagatani-en and they are still a brand leader today. Packs of instant ochazuke are founds in every supermarket in Japan and I doubt there's a Japanese home that doesn't have a pack or two somewhere in the kitchen. In the last few years, some manufacturers have realised that there might be more to instant ochazuke than the little packs available. One such Ochazuke company, yamane-en (which, like nagatani-en , also has its roots in the tea business), has started producing high end instant ochazuke that come with toppings but also a broth concentrate and, say, a small fillet of fish to place on your rice. The one on the left actually has a fillet of "fugu" or blowfish, to add to your ochazuke - now that makes for a pretty luxurious ochazuke! The last time I was back in Japan, I purchased a few of their packs, the "fugu" on the left, a pack with clams, one with a salmon fillet and one which came with three different types of seaweed. I have to admit, they are a big step up from "normal" instant ochazuke. Thinking about it, they would make a great souvenir from Japan! If you haven't come across ochazuke before, I've put together two quick Youtube tutorials which you can find here and here (there's not too much involved in making instant ochazuke as you have probably gathered!). On the other hand, if you want to try making your own, then check out the Youtube tutorial for my Salmon Ochazuke or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. For a "high end home made" ochazuke, take a look at my friend Yumiko's Sea Bream Sashimi Ochazuke - you can find the written recipe for Yumiko's recipe below as well. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. Yumiko's Sea Bream Sashimi Ochazuke ingredients (makes 2 servings): 350g cooked short grain rice 150g fresh sashimi grade sea bream (marinade) 2 tbsps sesame seeds, toasted and rough ground 2 tbsps soy sauce 2 tbsps mirin 400ml japanese dashi stock 1 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp salt (topping) 1 nori sheet cut into small shreds 3 shiso leaves cut into shreds wasabi how to: slice the sea bream diagonally in 3-4mm slices marinade the sea bream in the sesame, soy sauce and mirin for 5 mins put 1/2 the rice into each serving bowl sprinkle the shredded nori onto the rice top with the sea bream garnish with the shiso and a piece of wasabi heat the stock to simmer and add soy sauce and salt pour the dashi over the bream and rice and serve immediately Kurumi's Ochazuke with Salmon ingredients: (makes 2 servings) 1 spring onion a handful of rocket 1/2 nori sheet 250g salmon 1/2 tsp salt 400ml boiling water 1 heaped tsp of japanese dashi granules 500g cooked rice 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds a little wasabi how to: rinse & finely slice the spring onion rinse & roughly cut the rocket halve the nori sheet and then halve twice more, then shred using scissors saute the salmon in a non-stick frying pan with a little salt for 3 mins turn over and sprinkle over the rest of the salt & cook for a further 3 mins remove the skin from the salmon in a bowl and break them into small pieces pour the dashi granules into the boiling water in a jug & stir until the granules have dissolved to assemble: place 1/2 the rice in each serving bowl, then scatter 1/2 the flaked salmon over the rice, sprinkle over the sesame seeds, spring onion & shredded nori, then add a little ball of wasabi & top with 1/2 the rocket finally pour 1/2 of the dashi stock into the bowl before serving immediately Ochazuke with Salmon

Kikkoman Soy sauce You'd be forgiven here in the UK for thinking that there's only one brand of Japanese soy sauce and that its name is Kikkoman. It's true that the Kikkoman brand and its iconic hourglass shaped table bottle finds its way into most homes and restaurants in Japan. Kikkoman counts as one of the 4 big soy sauce makers in Kapan. that list also includes Yamato, Marukin and Yamasa that produce nearly 50% of Japanese soy sauce. But there is much more to soy sauce than Kikkoman (and these days, a lot more to Kikkoman than soy sauce). at the other end of the scale, There are an estimated 1500 small soy sauce makers in Japan, most of whom produce very small quantities for local consumption. I use Kikkoman soy sauce for much of my everyday cooking but whenever i am back in Japan, I like to buy soy sauce from smaller Kayanoya Soy sauce producers because there is a wide regional variation in the flavour of locally made products. So, on a recent trip, I went to the Kayanoya store in Ginza, Tokyo. Kayanoya is better known for its dashi stocks but they also produce a range of interesting soy sauces, so i thought i would try these out. i bought two bottles. one is a twice brewed soy sauce with added mirin for a sweeter flavour. The other bottle (in the picture on the right) is a naturally brewed soy sauce using "maru-daizu" or whole soy beans. A lot of soy sauce (including Kikkoman's product above) use what are called "de-natured" or "de-greased" soya beans, which means they have been subject to treatments which, among other things, allow a much quicker fermentation to produce soy sauce. (In fairness, Kikkoman also sell a "maru-daizu" soy sauce in their product range). Kayanoya brew their soy sauce in Fukuoka prefecture on the island of Kyushu. I tried them out against some Kikkoman sauce with some sashimi and sushi. There was quite a difference in taste between the three soy sauces - the Kikkoman soy sauce was by far the saltiest of the three. The naturally brewed "maru-daizu" soy sauce was much lighter in colour and had an almost floral taste. The twice brewed soy sauce was also less salty and had an extra sweetness from the mirin. I found that the naturally brewed soy sauce with its light flavour, was a perfect partner for sashimi - it complemented the flavours of the raw fish while the Kikkoman soy sauce tended to overpower it. On the other hand, this lighter flavour tended to be a little lost with sushi - here the twice brewed soy sauce lent the sushi an almost fruity taste - quite different from the dominant saltiness of the Kikkoman product. Don't get me wrong - Kikkoman soy sauce is a great product and a good all purpose soy sauce (that's what it says on the label after all) - but you might like to try other options when you can find them. Unfortunately, choice is a little thin on the ground in the UK but if you're ever in Japan or you know anyone going there/living there, ask them to bring back something different for you - hopefully, you'll discover a new world of subtle soy flavours! Happy cooking. Kurumi XXXX.

Fake foods? In Japan? Now, don't worry, it's not what you might think. I'm not going to scare you with stories of horse dressed up as beef or anything like that. I was back in Japan recently and walking around in Tokyo, I was reminded of the displays of the "food samples" in many Japanese ramen plastic food model in Kappabashi, Toyko. restaurants, cafes and other eateries in Japan (like the one on the right here). Correct me if I'm wrong but I think displaying food samples outside of restaurants is unique to Japan - I haven't seen it anywhere else. So, I wondered, why did this become "a thing" here in Japan but nowhere else? I'm not sure that there is a definitive answer to this question - one theory I found is that food samples were first used by restaurants serving Western style foods in the early twentieth century to show an un-knowing public what those foods actually looked like (something which a written menu obviously can't do). These restaurants started by displaying the real thing but this had obvious drawbacks and someone had the idea of producing wax models of food dishes from molds. Japanese "Tsuke Soba" noodles plastic food model. Another theory goes that the Japanese "eat with their eyes" - meaning that the visual aesthetic of food is more important to the Japanese than other people. Yet another explanation is that food samples took off during the post-war occupation of Japan as it helped the occupying forces (who couldn't read the language) understand what food they could order. Whatever the reason for the popularity of food samples, they've become something of an art form in Japan - the first food samples used paraffin wax but this discoloured quite quickly and was also prone to melting so plastic became the material of choice. The first stage in the production of fake food involves making a mold - this is done by dipping the real foodstuff into silicone. Liquid plastic is poured into the silicone mold and heated until it solidifies. When the plastic has set, the sample is trimmed to remove any excess plastic and then painted. When a food sample of, say, a hamburger is produced, the sample is assembled from individual items, ie a burger, bun halves etc. Japanese Katsu Curry plastic food model Food samples are usually made by hand, so as you can imagine, they don't come cheap. A meal on a dish like the katsu-kare right can cost Y25,000-30,000 (£175-200). A restaurant wanting to represent its complete menu can end up spending thousands of pounds/dollars on food samples alone! On the other hand, they do last a lifetime. If, like me, you're thinking that food samples would make a fun gift, you can buy them in Japan. (I bought the little tsuke soba and chopsticks model above for Y4,000) Japanese "sando" plastic food model. If you are ever in Tokyo, the best place to find food sample models is kappabashi-dori, which is a street dedicated to selling catering equipment. There, you'll find a shop called maiduru which only sells food samples (their website is here ). You don't have to spend too much, there are miniature items like key rings or fridge magnets that you can pick up for $5 - $10. On the other hand, a lobster will set you back a cool $850! You can get to kappabashi by using the Ginza subway line. The closest station is tawaramachi . If you want to delve deeper into the art of the food sample, another producer, ganso-sample, even provides lessons in making food samples. You can book lessons at their website which you can find here . Happy modelling! Kurumi XXXX

Chopstick How so? you might be thinking. After all, chopsticks are just something you eat with, no? Well, no, to the Japanese, chopsticks (or ohashi as they are called in Japanese) are about quite a bit more than simply eating. There is an etiquette that surrounds them and they have a spiritual importance that might surprise you. "Support for life" is a Japanese expression ( seimei no tsue in Japanese) and it reflects two ceremonies in which chopsticks are central - the first traditionally happens usually before a Japanese infant reaches 120 days old. One of the infant's parents will feed the infant rice with a special pair of plain willow wood chopsticks. The ceremony is call o-hashi-zome-shiki and is meant to bring the young child a good life, free from hunger. The second ceremony occurs at the end of life when a family present a deceased relative with their last dish, a bowl of rice with the chopsticks placed upright in the bowl (which the Japanese call tate-bashi ). so "life support" is no exaggeration! Unlike a knife, fork or spoon, each member of a Japanese family will possess chopsticks for his or her exclusive use - because of how they are used, chopsticks come into frequent and intimate contact with their user - maybe this explains the spiritual element? - chopsticks are one of the most popular items bought from shinto shrines (can you imagine buying a knife and fork from a church?) Chopsticks also differ by gender, with male chopsticks being longer and of plainer design (polished or lacquered wood) while female chopsticks are shorter and usually brighter and often with decoration down the stem. A child's chopsticks will be shorter still and infants learn to use chopsticks using the sort you can see below on the right with finger inserts to help toddlers master this essential skill early on. chopsticks for children Chopsticks differ around Asia too. If you visit a Korean restaurant or (lucky you), the country itself, you'll probably find yourself eating with a pair of steel chopsticks (and more often than not, a spoon as well). Korean chopsticks also tend to be quite flat in profile. Chinese chopsticks, on the other hand, are usually longer and have a square profile (compared to the round profile of Japanese chopsticks) - they are also likely to be decorated with Chinese calligraphy down the stem. Apart from being able to pick up a pair of chopsticks and eat with them, there's also a few of do's and dont's that surround them and some of these rules relate to the cultural importance that chopsticks have for the Japanese. I've listed some of the faux pas below, if you want a closer look - - jika-bashi (direct chopsticks) - when food is presented in a communal bowl, it shouldn't be transferred to an individual plate or bowl using one's chopsticks. instead, food should be transferred using tori-bashi (serving chopsticks - normally larger and plainer than individual chopsticks) - saguri-bashi (searching chopsticks) - to let one's chopsticks hover over food while deciding whether to take it up or not - namida-hashi (crying chopsticks) - to pick up food and let the juice or sauce run off the chopsticks onto the table (or worse your clothes!) - neburi-bashi (licked chopsticks) - this is self-explanatory! - sashi-bashi (pointing chopsticks) - to use chopsticks to point or indicate something - tate-bashi (upright chospticks) - to leave chopsticks stuck upright in food - hashi-watashi (passing chopsticks) - to pass food between chopsticks - yose-bashi - (pulling chopsticks) - using chopsticks to move chinaware or other objects - watashi-bashi - (bridged chopsticks) - placing chopsticks like a bridge across a bowl or plate when a meal is finished. instead, chopsticks should be placed neatly in front of you on the table or back on a chopstice rest if provided (disposable chopsticks should be placed back in their paper wrapper) You are more likely to avoid any mishaps if you can handle your chopsticks properly, so I''ve produced a short tutorial here , if you need a little practice. The basic rule of using chopsticks is that only the upper chopstick moves - the lower one doesn't. Remember that when you are eating rice, you can raise the bowl with your free hand and bring it closer to your mouth - you shouldn't do this with other dishes however. Eating noodles with chopsticks is easier than it looks - just remember that once you have captured some noodles in your chopsticks, you can put them into your mouth and then slurp them up - the noisier the better! If you're reading this and you're not on at www.kurumicooks.co.uk , I guess you haven't signed up to my site yet, so please do so for weekly new recipes (it's free!). Happy cooking! kurumi XXXX.

Japanese Cream Stew This recipe is full of memories for me. It was something of a treat in my childhood as during the 1960s (yes, I am that old!) creamy chicken dishes were still a rarity in Japan. My mother used to tell me a story of when she was first married and my father, a man from the countryside of Japan. One day soon after their marraige, she made this dish for their dinner. My father was aghast - he had never eaten a creamy stew dish before and wasn't sure if he could eat it! I can understand this - Japanese cream stew is a dish that was invented in Japan soon after the end of the Second World War. It's said that it was the introduction of milk powder by the American armed forces to combat malnourishment in Japanese children that was the start of this recipe. The milk powder was used to create the creamy white sauce that is the keynote of this dish - it doesn't actually contain cream. Japanese Cream Stew is easy to make - no need to make a separate bechamel sauce - and it's quite quick - you can make it in under 20 minutes. Even better, you don't need any special ingredients to make this dish. What's not to like! In Japan, you would serve this dish with bowls of freshly steamed Japanese rice. But, it goes equally well with some fresh, crusty French bread - I leave that choice to you! If you'd like to try this dish, just click Japanese Cream Stew for the Youtube tutorial or scroll to the end of the page. The written recipe is just below. Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX. Ingredients: Makes 2 servings: 120g / 4oz peeled carrot 3 medium button mushrooms 1 large peeled potato (about 250g / 9oz) 1 peeled medium onion 3 florets of broccoli 2 boneless chicken thighs (250g / 9oz) 100ml / 3.4floz white wine 150ml / 5floz water salt and pepper 1/2 chicken stock cube 1 tbsp vegetable oil 200ml / 7 fl oz milk 3 tbsp plain flour 30g / 1 oz butter How to: First prepare the vegetables. Slice the carrot into bite size pieces. Remove the bottom stem from the mushrooms and cut them in half. Cut the potato into medium bite size pieces. Cut the onion into bite size pieces. Cut each broccoli floret in half. Lay out the chicken thighs and cut them into bite size pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a small or medium casserole. Add the chicken and fry until the flesh has slightly coloured. Add the carrots, potatoes, onion and mushrooms to the casserole. Stir well. Next, add the white wine. Sprinkle generously with black pepper and sal. Add the water and the half chicken cube stock. Bring everything to the boil and simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes or until the potato has softened. Meanwhile, bring some water to the boil in a small pan. Add a little salt, then add the broccoli. Simmer for 3 mintes before draining and setting aside. Next, combine the milk and the plain flour in a jug. Give the milk a quick whisk to bring up any lumps. Set aside. Add the butter to the stew and stir a little until the butter is melted. Then, add the milk mixture and flour to the stew. Stir and cook for about a further 5 minutes. Make sure there are no floury lumps. Adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Add the cooked broccoli and simmer for 1 minute. Serve immediately. You can pair your Japanese Cream stew with a bowl of Japanese rice or some fresh French bread. Japanese Cream Stew