Musubi mean making a knot. They are also packages of rice, to take with you as lunch pack. The plastic film gives the shape to the ball.
A mix of genmai (brown rice), mochigome (sticky rice), kurogome (black rice, sticky too) and takakibi (sorghum).
Pickled sakura leaves, rinsed.
Wrap. Keep a few hours, or better the next day. The leaves are not very tasty but give a sakura flavors and saltiness to the rice.
There exist mabo tofu and mabo aubergine, two sister Chinese dishes widely adopted in Japan. Today they are on the the same meal.
My lunch tray. Yes, that was delicious and filling.
The base is the same : onion, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper and azuki beans. After simmering, I add miso, paprika and I pass the mixer. I’ve added slices of green hot chili.
Aubergines steamed, then stir-fried with garlic. I’ve added the sauce and more paprika, water and reheated. On the finished, a tbs of fragrant sesame oil and a few roasted sesame seeds.
To the rest of the sauce, I’ve added green sweet chilis, a little more Sichuan pepper, then cubed silky tofu.
Served with rice of course. It’s Thai jasmine rice with a little sticky black rice.
Veggie side : okra sprouts, topped with zucchini (grated, mixed with salt and turmeric, let 1 hour).
Sakura, a cherry blossom cheese. It’s a delight.
A special offer at the local shop. It’s as costly as imported cheese, as it has no relation with the mass produced standard “Japanese cheese”.
The packaging is nice too. It’s a cow milk cheese, with the addition of a salt pickled cherry blossom and leaf.
It got a prize in Switzerland as you can see.
It is made in this farm in Hokkaido. They have cows from Switzerland. I see that they even make raclette. It’s tempting. Maybe you’ll see some here…
It’s a strong cheese, and yes, it clearly tastes of cherry blossom.
I bought the bread too. It’s a black rice bread. It’s a bit different from mine.
So now, we can have a nice tray of Japanese cheese and bread.
That’s another style, the black paella. But it’s called arròs negre meaning black rice. The color is of course calamari ink.
I’ve used brown rice and made it small size in a pie dish. That dish was too thin to go directly on my induction stove, it was starting to melt… so I have placed it on the cast iron plancha.
That’s how I made it. I used a dose of nero di sepia (bought) and the juice that got out of the seafood as broth.
That’s slow food… like 3 hours of cooking on low heat.
The rice is cooked. It didn’t take the color as much as polished rice would.
I added the topping put on high heat to get the bottom crust.
Sweet red pepper to contrast the color.
The seafood is nothing great, a frozen mix (shrimp, clams, calamari) so I’ve stir-fried in olive oil with paprika and turmeric till crispy.
Yummm…..
Coconut power !
A light summer version of the doria gratin, with very sweet coconut and cinnamon flavors. The black rice is a sticky rice that naturally brings a sweet texture and flavor. It’s nearly a dessert. I could have eaten 2 or 3.
Black rice, young onion and carrot, stir-fried in coconut cream.
Layer 1 : cooked chick peas.
Layer 2 : the rice
Layer 3 : white sauce
It’s a leftover of millet white sauce. I have added more coconut cream. Reheated. Just poured on the rice.
Yummy !
GOURMANDE in OSAKA 