fwiw, this is Migros' Sélection line of 'premium gourmet' food. So, everything is very, very expensive. But good. And pretty! (Migros is Switzerland's leading supermarket chain - they dominate the market, with about 30-35% share. They are like Tesco's in the UK.)
This is their M-Budget line's design (the inexpensive no-brand house label), which is also rather nice I think.
@CandyAddictSera: 'Authentic' Italian restaurants do just fine in Japan, and live happily with restaurants serving yohshoku - just like Italian-American places that serve very unauthentic fare as far as the 'purists' go like spaghetti with meatballs and bright red sauce do in the U.S. (try finding that in Italy! But it's delcious anyway, no?)
Judith, what makes you think it's a joke? I'm really curious.
Traditionally, mochi and azuki beans together are never eaten as a savory dish. The azuki are always sweetened. There is osekihan (red rice and beans) which uses mochi (sweet) rice, and is savory...but that doesn't help you since you have the mochi cakes I am assuming, not the rice. So...you can try making a savory version of zenzai/oshiruko I guess by omitting the sugar...or using minimal sugar and adding salt besides.
What i would do myself though is have the beans on their own (I am not overly fond of sweet oshiruko myself, and have no idea how omitting the sugar would affect things) and make yakimochi with cheese or something (just bake them in the oven until they start to puff up, put some slices of sharp cheese on top, and bake some more until melty.) Cheese + mochi = very good.
The little boy got 0 on a test and is depressed.
The dog tries to cheer him up by holding up obscure cultural reference signs. The first one says '7:3 split'. The second says 'Vice-Principal'.
Next the dog dresses up as a farmer (not necessarily a granny) and does a "dojo-sukui" motion (scooping loaches, which are sort of like freshwater eel with whiskers). Dojo-sukui wearing a funny conical mask thing is a Japanese Comedy Touchstone.
When that fails, the dog takes the boy to the store where they get a bag of Kalbee Consommé Punch potato chips.
It's not supposed to make any sense.
Toraya used to have a full tea room / restaurant in New York, on the UES. Unfortunately it didn't do as well as they expected, and it closed down a few years ago. My sister was a chef there...now she's basically out of the restaurant biz (not much demand for wagashi shokunin (chef) in the US...and she did not want to move to Japan.) The Toraya in the Kinokuniya bookstore just sells their readymade things, like yokan.
I have one wagashi recipe on my blog, for ohagi or botamochi...this is something that people do make quite often at home in Japan, or at least my mother and aunts do. (There's also a basic recipe for tsubuan, and also, though it's not wagashi, castella.)
Other than that I have to say it didn't occur to me to post wagashi recipes...I didn't think people would be much interested. I'll try to if there is the demand for it though... I'll ask my sister for tips!
I know a lot of non-French people have this romantic notion that French people only eat (or buy) wonderful food, but I've found some of the vilest packed food I've ever encountered at French supermarkets...and I always visit supermarkets wherever I travel. Stuff like canned cassoulet that had odd, pale sausages in it that looked eerily like fingers...
To be fair, David was focusing on the French side on the Paris markets. He knows way more abou Paris than I do, but elsewhere in France (Provence, Burgundy, Languedoc) I've found an abundance of locally grown produce. No problem at all finding French grown tomatoes, in season, either. The hypermarchés are another issue...
wow...you've reminded me what I miss about living in NY. Thank you.
Sliced thin and eaten like sashimi, dipped in soy sauce with a bit of wasabi.
@maki: thanks for the link. M-Budget looks really cool!
@CandyAddictSera: 'Authentic' Italian restaurants do just fine in Japan, and live happily with restaurants serving yohshoku - just like Italian-American places that serve very unauthentic fare as far as the 'purists' go like spaghetti with meatballs and bright red sauce do in the U.S. (try finding that in Italy! But it's delcious anyway, no?)
because yoshoku cuisine sometimes seems like our parallel evil twin universe's take, totally delish in a weird and warped way
I've had some of that ketchup spaghetti....yuck, to say the least! I couldn't help but wonder how an *authentic* italian spaghetti would go over. ;)
Omu rice though....mmmmm!
@Maki: I was wondering the same thing.. ;_;
Karen Resta,
While I have never made real wagashi, I would imagine that it is very, very demanding!
I don't believe that Westerners can't appreciate wagashi. Culture has been moving from West to East for centuries now. That is a very important factor to consider. And, I suppose that wagashi will never be nearly as popular as sushi or karaoke.
Maki,
That is really unfortunate that Toraya in NYC closed. I would think that a big, cosmopolitan city like NYC could support a Toraya. Too bad, so sad.
Oh, I love your sites! Thanks for sharing all the recipes!
One of the recipes I've been meaning to try from Elizabeth Andoh's book Washoku is the Wafu Waffle. It's a fresh waffle topped with chunky red bean jam and vanilla ice cream, drizzled with brown sugar syrup then sprinkled with a mixture of kinako and cinnamon.
The weather is becoming perfect for this right now, I do believe. :)
I think pre-poached eggs are a great idea!
Now, if only they made pre-toasted bread I could heat up in my toaster I'd have time for breakfast!
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