A Poisonous Weed for Fairy Gardens?
Or an Edible Dyestuff?
Purple Perilla Plant
Purple Perilla is the purple-leafed variety of the more familiar Green Perilla. People often call Perilla by its Japanese name Shiso. 紫蘇 It’s also called Beefsteak Plant, and the green variety has a lot of uses, especially in Continue reading
Elegant Replacement for Fingers
The Most Refined Eating Utensils
What They Are: Chopsticks are the principal eating tools of a large part of East Asia, centering on what Toynbee calls the Sinic culture sphere.
They are about 10 to 12 inches long, with longer ones used for cooking and serving. Children’s chopsticks are about 5 inches long. In Japan, chopsticks for use by women tend run smaller than men’s chopsticks.
Chinese chopsticks tend to be longer than Japanese, and have more rounded ends, while Japanese ones tend to have pointed ends. Continue reading
The Most Famous Fusion Chef
Hooked on Kimchi
“No single chef has made more influence on the way…other chefs cook and other restaurants look.” — New York Magazine
Ovaltine
You have probably noticed an explosion of Thai-inspired restaurants run by Westerner chefs. You will find them in many places, even in Bangkok.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the Alsatian-born French chef, may be the single person most responsible for this phenomenon. Continue reading
An Answer to the Storage Problem
From Zojirushi to Tupperware
Rice Dispenser
Buying Rice in bulk saves time and money. But how do you store it at home? And it can be a hassle to wrestle open the big rice sack just to get a cup of rice. And there’s mold, mice, dust, and the list goes on.
Rice Dispensers are a form of kitchen equipment that’s getting more popular. They are used to store rice after you have bought it and brought it home. Continue reading
Clay Pots and Cooking
Flavors Captured in a Pot
Clay Pots
You’ll see them in Asian markets, in a variety of sizes, often with metallic rings holding them together. Are these any good for cooking? [1]
Some people think so. As Charles Phan, owner of the Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco, says Continue reading
Chopstick Pillows for the Table
Chopstick Rests,
a Weight Management Tool
Chopstick rests are a form of tableware. They have two purposes:
Chopstick rests are used in China and Japan. They are known as —
The Best Ramen in San Francisco
“Tanpopo is awesome. I like that movie a lot.” — Richie Nakano
Miso
Richie Nakano serves the best ramen in San Francisco. At least that’s the reputation he has earned with his small Hapa Ramen stall on the city’s Embarcadero.
For five years he has been serving the Japanese-style noodles to huge numbers of hungry San Franciscans and his reputation has grown. [1]
Ritchie is also known for his unusual fondness for spoons. [2] Continue reading
Vietnam on the Embarcadero
Bill Clinton’s Favorite
Clay Pots
Even presidents head for Charles Phan’s Slanted Door Restaurant on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. Or anyway President Bill Clinton had the Vietnamese restaurant on his to-do Continue reading
A Great Chinese Delicacy
Mencius’ Favorite
“If I cannot have both Bear’s Paws and Fish, then I would prefer Bear’s Paws.” –Mencius
Imperial Chinese Jade Censer
Collected by Berthold Laufer
Bear’s paws 熊掌 have always been considered a rare delicacy in China. This is still true today.
Even in ancient times, when there were more bears roaming the wilds in China, bear’s paws were a food for the elite, not the common diner.
The Chinese philosopher Mencius said, “If I cannot have bear’s paws and fish, then I would prefer bear’s paws,” and from this we know that fish Continue reading
Shichimi Togarashi
A Unique Japanese Spice Blend
Shichimi Togarashi, used by Bruioza in
Prize-Winning Pork Recipe
You see it on the table in Japanese restaurants and on the shelves in Asian markets. The spice Shichimi Togarashi 七味唐辛子, is usually packed in a distinctive little round red tin.
There may even be some in your Continue reading