Matsuri in Matsudai (10′15″ 9.4 MB MP3)
Every year on August 26th, the village of Matsudai in Niigata prefecture holds its summer festival. This year I was was in town to see some of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial and I stayed over to enjoy the festival. I recorded some of the singing and dancing fun to share with you.
Credits
Singing by the townspeople of Matsudai; background music from the Kinseees! performance soundtrack.
Japanese Kitchen (12.1 MB MP3)
In this program, you’ll learn about miso soup, including how to make dashi, the simple sea stock that is the base of miso soup, and all the two classes of ingredients you should include in your soup.
RECIPES
Dashi (sea stock) Broth
(1 serving)
150 ml water
1″ dried kombu
small handful katsuobushi (bonito) flakes
Put the kombu in the cold water and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle katsuobushi over the water. When the flakes sink, strain the material from the broth. Done!
Miso Soup
(1 serving)
150 ml dashi
splash of sake
1 Tblsp miso
80-100 grams of umami and scent ingredients (at least one of each – see lists below)
If you choose onion or leek for your soup, sautee briefly then splash in some sake. Pour in the dashi and bring to a simmer. Add any ingedients that need to be cooked (carrot, diakon, etc) and simmer for about 10 minutes. If you are using tofu, add it to warm. Turn off the heat and stir in the miso. Lay any leafy scent ingredients in the bottom of your bowl and pour the soup over.
Scent ingredients – choose one or more
mitsuba, crysanthemum leaves, celery leaves, leek, scallion, fresh ginger, celery, onion, mushrooms
Umami ingredients – choose one or more
carrot, daikon, tofu, abura-age, cabbage, chinese cabbage, gobo (burdock root), wakame, celery, onion, mushrooms
Credits
Conveyor Belt Sushi theme music by Haco.
Japanese Kitchen (12.1 MB MP3)
In this program, you’ll learn about tsukemono, Japanese pickles, and pickling techniques from food culture expert, Elizabeth Andoh. Kristen McQuillin invites you to her kitchen to try a simple pickle recipe. And we hear a little bit about Washoku theory and Elizabeth Andoh’s forthcoming book.
Recipe
Impatient Pickles
1 Japanese or English cucumber
1 carrot
1/6 wedge green cabbage
1/2 tsp salt
2 1×3 cm strips kombu (dried)
Slice the vegetables thinly–the thickness of a 1 yen coin (American dime) or thinner. Mix with the salt and allow to sit until the vegetables begin to wilt and weep. Press them gently between your hands, taking care not to bruise them. Increase the pressure until liquid drips from them. Discard the liquid.
On a plate, lay a strip of kombu. Spread the vegetables in an even layer over the plate. Top with another strip of kombu and the second plate. Weigh the plate down with a can of tomatoes or soup. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
Rinse the brine from the pickles in cool water and gently squeeze dry. Serve with rice and miso soup for a simple Japanese meal, or use them in a Western-style salad.
Links & Resources
Taste of Culture, a Japanese cooking school in Tokyo
Washoku, Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh
The Well-Flavoured Vegetable by Eri Yamaguchi
Credits
Conveyor Belt Sushi theme music by Haco.
Youkoso Hanashi Station (14 MB MP3)
Hanashi Station’s premiere highlights segments of future shows.