One more kuri gohan (chestnut rice)

Kuri gohan is one of the many classic Japanese rices, and well there are different versions.

Kuri is Japanese chestnut, slightly different from the European one (see here).
Sometimes it’s called gohan, as it’s standard rice. Other times, it’s okowa, which means it’s steamed sticky rice.

yaki kuri gohan (grilled)

kuri okowa

A more common style (from a commercial site I am not related to, I just needed to borrow a photo for a while) :
kuri source
That’s white rice cooked with chestnuts in syrup. That’s more like a dessert version. I like it too that’s I also… no, I’ve never cooked it so far. I eat it with pleasure when it’s served but I always end up with a grilled version.

The list is open… Add your oen version.

This time, it’s yaki (grilled), of course.

I have soaked the rice (half brown, half white) in water 24 hours, then added the grilled chestnuts with their inner skin, a glass of white wine, a dry chili pepper and a pinch of salt, and let one more night. Before starting the rice cooker, I’ve added goji berries.

Lotus and edamame eggs in a soba nest

As Spring arrives, I have to cook my quota of Easter eggs.
What comes first ? The egg or the nest ?

Let’s say it’s the egg. Some eggs, like those of quail are irregular in colors, just like that.

The eggs are made of pasted edamame beans and broken renkon lotus root. There is also onion, garlic, white miso and for a cheezy touch some bits of sake kasu. I have cooked the paste then shaped.

The nest.

I had seen some “cookies” made from soba noodles, so I knew they were tasted after being dried.
I have simply baked fresh soba buckwheat noodles under the grill of the oven toaster. The noodles are boiled, but cold. I have not added any flavoring, they are delicious that way.

It’s crispy around and soft inside.

Tsubomina and lotus root stir-fry as a side.

Sakura okowa as a second side (details here).

That’s a Spring lunch for me.

Sakura okowa. Blossom rice.

A delicious and simple way to savor the season. Yes, they are arriving. Most are like this :

But a few are opened…

Mochigome (sticky rice).

御強 okowa, steamed stick rice.
How to ? It’s explained in the tutorial.

I have added rinsed pickled cherry after 30 minutes.

The rice is firm, glossy and sticky. It’s easy to form balls.

I’ve put them on pickled sakura leaves.

Monthly pick, October in a pumpkin

That was a quiet month of October, with a come back of Autumn fruits (nashi pear, ringo apple, kaki persimmon, akebi, green yuzu lime…) and veggies (potato, sweet potato, oya-imo taro, , kuromame black beans, togarashi peppers…)
You can browse photos :

To see most menus last month (click)
To see mostly desserts
To see only vegan meals

Everything pumpkin was a hit, photo kabocha menu

Bread ::: Velouté of kabocha
erissery ::: risotto
okowa in kabocha ::: kabocha kibbeh
kabocha salad ::: kabocha pizza
tofu kabocha cake ::: samosa
tarte au potiron 1 :: tarte au potiron 2 :: tarte au potiron 3

****
And I made a few culinary trips :

To Brazil

++ Pão de queijo

To South-East-Asia

To Sweden

To France’s countryside :

I experimented a few pretty desserts :

apple pastis

pon de rin and millefeuilles

Ryori, a Japanese classic menu… (compilation by cooking techniques)

Quick list of Japanese “classics” to help you navigate on this site. That’s not complete at all. I tried to make it representative. I often make them with a twist, but I tell you in the post.

Short memo about the Japanese meal

-all dishes are brought at the same time, ideally served in individual dishes, one plate per item.
-there is rice + soup + three items. Or more.

The items, called okazu tend to be side-dish sized. On the menu in restaurants, traditional style was to present the okazu by cooking technique.

ONE :

GOHAN, rice
rice cuisine list ***** sushi list

and ONE :

吸い物,SUIMONO
A soup to drink !