Monthly Archives: May 2008
Takoyaki
Takoyaki is a round dough dumpling, generally with some onions, cabbage, and other random veggies thrown in. In the center of each is a piece of octopus – tako in Japanese. The batter is poured into round, golf ball sized, molds. The veggies are sprinkled on top and the chunks of octopus are dropped in each one. Continue reading
Konnyaku
Warning! Gelatinous mass alert
Konnyaku is made from the flour of a small variety of a palm that is sometimes refered to as Devil’s tongue. Let’s get this straight: gross, wiggly, giggly gelatinous mass made from something called Devil’s tongue…yea, that actually makes sense. The flour from the plant is transformed with limewater into a super viscous gelatinous mass. This starch reportedly has very few calories and is a… Continue reading
Matsutake
Folks regularly ask us what we eat. The easy answer is whatever we are hungry for. I am prone to fixing whatever is in season and looks best at the numerous food shops we have in our neighborhood. Within a short walking distance of our home we have three butcher shops, five fish mongers, another shop that specializes in fresh shell fish and eel, two fresh fruit and vegetable shops… Continue reading
In need of a laugh
This tale was originally posted on my old site www.thewalkerhomeplace.com back in January. Given its popularity I have decided to repost it here.
After two solid weeks of recovering from jet lag, a process that was prolonged due the competitive projectile vomiting contests my wife and daughter were having, I was in need of a laugh. Not a chuckle, not a smirk, not a “ha… Continue reading
What’s burnable?
I feel uniquely qualified to answer this question. I have a long, albeit largely secret, history of determining if something is burnable the old fashion way: striking a match. There is something magical about striking a match. That slight whiff of sulfur, a few sparks, the flame, a hint of smoke, the thrill of letting it burn down with a hint of danger as your finger tips warm as the… Continue reading