some of my favorite japanese things, such as the miraculous binchō-tan, oishinbo and kurumi-ae

Thinking about Japan... I received this binchō-tan as a gift, with the instruction/suggestion that I use it to cook rice. Basically, this is a traditionally prepared charcoal that can be used to purify air and water. It is thought to improve the flavor, but I notice a texture change as well. I am a little smitten with this piece of charcoal. You can buy them to use in lieu of a brita filter (same concept, so much cooler) and I've found some interesting other applications online- a toothbrush being my favorite. Though the idea of bincho windchimes is also delightful.

One of my other favorite (japanese) things are the Oishinbo! Comics. I regret that I am assuredly missing out on a lot of the jokes as my knowledge of Japanese culture is limited. It's still hilarious to read comics outlining a few characters obsessive searching for the ultimate culinary expressions and experiences. If you live in Brooklyn and would like to see them/like comics, you should go to Bergen Street Comics. They have the whole series.



This particular episode reminded me that it's time for me to eat more kurumi-ae! aka any green vegetable dressed with walnut sauce. Some people use miso, or mirin... I make mine easy. 3/4 C walnuts + 2T soy sauce + 1t sugar, blended with a little water to make the blender agreeable. It doesn't sound like much but I am hard pressed to think of a more delicious thing to happen for a green bean. Suggested Cooking Jam: Real Iron Chef episodes, spotlight on Sakai, obviously