Kibo ( Brimming With Hope ): Recipes and Stories From Japan's Tohoku

by Elizabeth Andoh

  Repeat the rice-washing process as needed with fresh cold water until the rinsing water runs clear. Drain the rice well after the final rinse. You will notice that the rice has become slightly more opaque as the kernels absorb moisture from the washing process. They are more likely to split or chip now, so be careful not to bruise the grains as you transfer the rice to your cooking pot or rice cooker bowl.

  Cooking Rice Using the Stove-top Method

  Choose a deep, straight-sided pot made of a material that can withstand sudden temperature changes; heavy-duty, enamel-lined pots are especially good, though multilayered stainless steel or nonstick-surfaced metal is fine. Your pot must have a lid that fits it snugly.

  Fill your pot with the washed and drained rice and the water indicated in the chart. Ideally, the rice should sit in its measured water for 10 minutes before cooking, but if you are pressed for time, add a few extra drops of water and cook right away. Place your pot, tightly lidded, on the stove over high heat. When the liquid comes to a boil (about 5 or 6 minutes for 2 or 3 cups of uncooked rice), you will hear bubbling noises and possibly see the lid dance a bit. Without removing the lid, lower the heat and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until nearly all the water has been absorbed. You will know this point has been reached when you hear a dry hissing sound. If it is difficult to rely on the sound, slide the lid off, peek inside, and then quickly replace the lid.

  Increase the heat to high again for 30 seconds; remove the pot from the heat. Let the rice stand, still tightly covered, for at least 10 minutes (even if you plan to serve the rice piping hot). In these final minutes of self-steaming (called murasu), the rice becomes tender, but not mushy.

  Cooking Rice Using a Rice Cooker

  Place the washed and drained rice in the bowl of your cooker. Add the water. It is important to use cool liquid when cooking rice in a thermostatically controlled appliance; using warm or hot liquid from the start will cut short the cooking cycle. This is true even with the most technologically sophisticated “fuzzy logic” machines. Close the lid, press the start switch, and let the appliance do the cooking. The time required to complete the cooking cycle will vary with the appliance, but most models take about 40 minutes to cook 1 to 1½ cups uncooked rice.

  Measuring Rice and Water

  Remember that if you are using a rice cooker and want to use the horizontal markings on the side of the rice cooker bowl, you need to use the measuring cup that came with the appliance, not the cup measures listed in the recipes. The cups that are packaged with appliances hold either 180 cc or 200 cc; standard American cup measures hold 237 cc of liquid.

  Buying and Storing Japanese Rice (Okomé)

  All types of uncooked rice should be stored at cool room temperature, kept dry and away from bright light. Traditionally in Japanese homes, uncooked rice was stored in wooden komé-bitsu containers. In most kitchens nowadays, containers are of plastic, similar to Tupperware. Many Japanese home cooks place sticks of charcoal bamboo called takésumi or chikutan—the two words are written with the same calligraphy, but pronounced differently—in their rice containers. The charcoal deters spoilage, retards rancidity, and absorbs unwanted odors and moisture.

  ABOUT STOCKS

  When preparing most Japanese dishes, dashi (stock) of one sort or another is needed. Various foods are simmered in (seasoned) stock, or sometimes blanched and then allowed to cool in (seasoned) stock. In addition, stock is used to adjust the consistency of various sauces. The simplest stock is made as a cold-water infusion from kelp. If you have chosen a plant-based diet, feel free to use kelp stock in lieu of other stocks that include fish. This simple but umami-rich kelp stock will greatly enhance your cooking.

  Dashi

  BASIC SEA STOCK

  Dashi looses its delicate aroma and subtle smokiness when frozen; it is best to make it fresh when you need it. Any unused dashi will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. A filmy surface or stickiness when pouring is an early sign of spoilage.

  MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

  4 generous cups room temperature water

  2- to 3-inch piece kombu (kelp)

  ½ to ⅔ cup loosely packed katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes)

  Fill a pot with the water, add the kombu, and let it soak for at least 5 minutes (and up to several hours). Place the pot over medium-high heat. As soon as small bubbles begin to break on the surface of the water and at the rim of the pot, remove the pot from the burner and add the katsuo bushi. To keep the stock from tasting “fishy,” strain it after 2 minutes—even if the flakes have not yet sunk to the bottom. In Japanese professional kitchens, and most old-fashioned home kitchens, stock is strained through a fine woven muslin cloth called sarashi. A paper coffee filter will also work well.

  Kombu Dashi

  KELP STOCK

  If you have been able to source high-glutamate ma kombu, you can make two stocks from the same 4- to 5-inch piece: a deeply flavored cold-water infusion (after unlocking water-soluble glutamates in the kombu) and a subtle-tasting simmered broth.

  None of the kelp stocks freeze well but can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Kombu that remains after stock making can also be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Use it to make Kelp-Alone Scrolls or Salmon-Stuffed Kelp Rolls.

  MAKES 4 CUPS KOMBU DASHI (PLUS 2 CUPS SECONDARY KELP STOCK)

  4- to 5-inch piece kombu (kelp), preferably ma kombu

  6 cups room temperature water

  To release every precious drop of flavor from ma kombu, soak it in 4 cups of the water in a glass jar or beaker for at least 30 minutes at room temperature; 2 or more hours would be better. Remove the ma kombu: the liquid is your kelp stock, kombu dashi.

  To make a secondary kelp stock, take the softened kombu you removed from the jar and put it in a pot with the remaining 2 cups water. Place the pot over medium-high heat. As soon as small bubbles begin to break on the surface, lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the kombu; the liquid is your secondary kelp stock.

  Variations

  If you are using Hidaka kombu, it is best to apply heat to extract full flavor. Place the kombu in a pot with the 4 cups water, ideally letting it soak for 5 minutes (and up to several hours) before placing the pot over medium-high heat. As soon as small bubbles begin to break on the surface and at the rim of the pot, remove the pot from the burner. Let the kombu sit in the pot for 5 minutes (or longer, up to several hours) before removing it. The liquid is your stock.

  If you are using naga kombu it is best to apply heat to extract full flavor. Place the kombu in a pot with the 4 cups water, ideally letting it soak for 5 minutes (and up to several hours) before placing the pot over medium-high heat. As soon as small bubbles begin to break on the surface and at the rim of the pot, remove the pot from the burner. Let the kombu sit in the pot for about 5 minutes before removing it. The liquid is your stock.

  Sankai Dashi

  KELP AND DRIED SHIITAKÉ STOCK

  When you plan to cook mushroom caps and need to soften them first, break off and set aside the stems for when you need only stock. Dried stems and broken caps will keep for years in a jar or canister set on a cool shelf. Softened mushroom caps alone will produce a flavorful water extraction that can be used as stock. If you are looking to make stock from stems or broken bits, you will obtain a more intense broth after applying heat. Both methods are given here. If you have chosen a plant-based diet, feel free to use this kelp and mushroom stock in lieu of Dashi (Basic Sea Stock), which includes bonito fish flakes.

  MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

  2 whole hoshi shiitaké (dried shiitake mushrooms) or 4 or 5 dried shiitaké mushroom stems

  2-inch piece kombu (kelp), preferably ma kombu

  4 generous cups room temperature water

  To make a water extraction from whole mushrooms, place the dried mushroom caps and kombu in a glass jar or beaker with the water and let it soak for at least 30 minutes (preferably 2 or 3 hours). Remove the kombu and save it to use in other recipes, such as Salm
on-Stuffed Kelp Rolls or Kelp-Alone Scrolls; kombu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Remove the softened mushroom cap and use it in other recipes such as Celebration Hot Pot.

  To make a broth from mushroom stems, place the mushrooms stems (and/or broken bits) and kombu in a pot with the water. Let soak for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour or longer. Set the pot over medium-high heat. As soon as small bubbles begin to break on the surface and at the rim of the pot, lower the heat and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and let the liquid cool for 10 minutes before straining it (mushroom broth may be gritty). The stock (strained liquid) does not freeze well, but can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar for up to 3 days. Save the kombu to use in other recipes; kombu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

  Niboshi Dashi

  DRIED SARDINE STOCK

  The (contorted, shriveled) appearance and (mildly funky) smell of dried sardines can be a bit challenging for the unititiated. Please, don’t let this keep you from making niboshi dashi. You will be surprised at how the stock extracted from these dried sardines can unlock flavor in other foods. This is especially true of wheat noodles. The recipe for hittsumi (pinched noodles) benefits from using dried sardine stock.

  MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

  4 to 5 whole niboshi (dried sardines), also known as iriko

  2-inch piece kombu (kelp), any type (optional)

  4 generous cups room temperature water

  Remove the heads from the dried sardines (most dogs and cats love these). Break open the body—it is brittle and easy to do—and remove and discard the crumbly black portion (the innards). Put the remaining dried pieces in a glass jar with the water to cover and soak for at least 2 hours at room temperature, up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Dried sardines soaked in this fashion will produce a delicate water-extraction that can be used as stock. Adding kombu to the soaking water will intensify the flavor. If you want even more pronounced flavor, apply heat. Transfer the contents of the jar (liquid and solids) to a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as you see small bubbles begin to break on the surface and at the rim of the pot, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and let the liquid cool for 10 minutes before straining it and discarding the bits of fish. Save the kombu to use in other recipes such as Salmon-Stuffed Kelp Rolls; kombu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

  The strained liquid is your niboshi dashi. It does not freeze well, but can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar for up to 3 days.

  ABOUT SAUCES

  Miso and tōfu, both soy foods (though very different from each other), play an important role in Japanese cookery. Most often encountered as a main or featured element of a dish (think miso soup or blocks of chilled tōfu with condiments), miso and tōfu are also used to make basic sauces—neri miso and shira aé, respectively—that complement a wide range of other foods.

  Neri Miso

  STIRRED MISO SAUCE

  You will want to have this versatile sauce on hand not only to make Tohoku dishes such as Oysters-on-the-Riverbank Hot Pot, Miso-Seared Scallops, and Walnut-Miso Stuffed Shiso Leaves, but also to expand your mealtime repertoire: slather it on slabs of well-drained tōfu and place it under the broiler until bubbly; whisk a spoonful of sauce into a basic oil-and-vinegar mixture to make a Japanese-style salad dressing; use the sauce as a dip for raw veggie sticks. You can easily double the quantities of this sauce and refrigerate any unused portion in a tightly capped glass jar for up to 10 days.

  MAKES ½ CUP

  ½ cup Sendai miso or other red miso

  3 to 4 tablespoons sugar (depending on the specific miso used)

  2 tablespoons saké

  1 to 2 tablespoons stock such as dashi or water

  Combine the miso, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the saké a small, heavy saucepan or skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of stock. Stir to mix thoroughly, then place over low heat and cook for about 3 minutes, until the mixture becomes bubbly and glossy and thickens to the consistency of tomato ketchup (when you scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula, the stroke remains visible).

  Let cool and taste. If the mixture seems very salty, add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and the remaining tablespoon of stock; stir to mix. Return the pan to the stove and cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute to be sure the flavors meld. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

  Matsu no Mi Shira Aé

  PINE NUT TŌFU SAUCE

  Foods dressed with a creamy tōfu sauce are called shira aé—a classic dish in Japan’s culinary repertoire. To make the sauce, some cooks merely mash the tōfu and season it with a drizzle of mirin (sweet rice wine) and a drop of usukuchi shōyu (light-colored soy sauce); others will blend mashed tōfu with sweet, pale miso or a spoonful of rich sesame paste. In the Tohoku region, many cooks will add toasted, crushed pine nuts to enhance their rendition of shira aé.

  The sauce goes marvelously well with fall fruit such as grapes, pears, and tart, crisp apples (see Persimmons Stuffed with Fall Fruits in Pine Nut–Tofu Sauce). Think of this dish as a Japanese Waldorf salad, minus the mayo. The fruit can be tossed in the sauce alone, or in combination with blanched leafy greens (slightly bitter ones, such as dandelion greens or watercress, are especially good).

  MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP, 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

  ¼ to ⅓ large block firm tōfu, about 4 ounces, drained

  ¼ to ⅓ cup pine nuts (matsu no mi), untoasted

  Pinch of salt

  Drop of mirin

  Bring a pot of water to a vigorous boil, add the tōfu, and cook for 1 minute (boil for 2 to 3 minutes if the tōfu is left over from a previous use). With a slotted spoon, remove the tōfu, draining it well as you set it aside.

  In a heavy skillet set over medium heat, dry roast the pine nuts, stirring them with a spatula or gently swirling the skillet to keep the nuts in motion. When the nuts are aromatic and very lightly colored, about 2 minutes, remove the skillet from the stove. The nuts will continue to roast with retained heat, so remove when the color is on the light side. While still warm, transfer the nuts to a suribachi (grooved mortar) to crush them the old-fashioned way or to the bowl of a mini-sized food processor to crush them the modern way.

  If you are using a suribachi, grind the nuts until completely crushed and slightly oily. Then add the drained tōfu. Continue to grind until the mixture is smooth and thick. Sprinkle with the salt and grind further. Finally, drizzle in a few drops of mirin.

  If you are using a mini-sized food processor, pulse the nuts until crushed and slightly oily. Scrape down the sides. Add the drained tōfu. Continue to pulse until the mixture is smooth and thick. Sprinkle with the salt, drizzle in a few drops of mirin, and pulse to blend.

  If you made the sauce in a suribachi bowl, you can use the bowl for salad (add the greens to the bowl and mix). If you made the sauce in the food processor, scrape out the sauce and use immediately, or store in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

  SPECIAL INGREDIENTS

  Burdock Root (Gobō)

  Earthy flavored and rough textured, burdock root is used in a variety of stir-fried, sautéed, simmered, and fried dishes in Japan. It is found in many Asian groceries outside Japan. If you can, buy it with soil still clinging to the roots. Slender roots are usually less fibrous than thicker ones. Store in damp newspaper in the veggie bin of your refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.

  Just before cooking, rinse the burdock root under cold running water, lightly scratching away soil with the back of your knife. Burdock root’s woodsy aroma is concentrated in its outer layers, so avoid heavy scraping that would remove too much of the peel while cleaning the root. The surface will turn brown even as you scrape. Some Japanese will soak burdock in cold water to which a drop of vinegar has been added to prevent discoloration; others abhor this practice. When you cannot find gobō, substitute salsify or parsnip—both root vegetables.

  Chrysanthemums, Edible (Shoku Yō Kiku)


  Japan’s northeast, the Tohoku, is known for its edible chrysanthemums; nearly all the flowers that come to Japan’s domestic markets are grown in the region. The season for harvesting fresh flowers is relatively short (mid-October through November) and most of the flowers are used to make sheets of dried chrysanthemums. To make the sheets, petals are plucked from thousands of vibrantly hued yellow mums, spread out on mesh trays to be steamed, and then set out to dry. Today handmade but machine-dried sheets are the norm; left to nature, the sheets sometimes spoil before completely drying. When you open your package of dried flowers, tear off the amount you will need and immediately transfer the remainder to a resealable bag. If the dried flowers come with an antimoisture packet, keep it; press out air as you close the bag. Dried flowers will keep for months, though their bright color and fresh floral aroma will fade with time. A musty smell is a sign of early spoilage.

  Japan is not the only Asian food culture to cook with chrysanthemums; if you are having trouble sourcing fresh or dried flowers in your community, I suggest you check your local Korean and Chinese markets, too.

  In Western kitchens, edible marigolds (Calendula officinalis), nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus), and primroses (Primula vulgaris) are often prepared like their Asian cousin, the shoku yō kiku (Chrysanthemum coronarium). In addition, zucchini squash blossoms are often available in food markets. Flowers, though consumed in relatively small quantities, are typically rich in minerals and vitamins, especially A and C.