Author Archive: jason toner
Eggplant (nasu)
Eggplant are amazing in Autumn so don’t miss out! They go exceptionally well with garlic,ginger, miso, walnuts, sesame and whatever else makes sense to you. Nothing beats them grilled quickly but a hot pan or oven will also do the trick, just don’t forget to salt them for 10 minutes or so to draw […]
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Dried seaweed
Dried seaweed doesn’t necessarily mean inferior quality as this fine green from Hayama shows with both gusto and finesse. True, there is nothing quite like the mineral rich aromatic fresh version but when you need it on hand at the drop of a hat, it’s definitely worth the extra ¥ to buy a big […]
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Wakame bread
Everyone loves seaweed, who doesn’t love bread…… The Vikings are thought to have used seaweed much like beef jerky and who knows where the first laverbread was born but a coastal area with bread making history narrows things down!! Anyway, this delicious combination becomes even more decadent when you quickly pan fry the slice bread […]
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Aloe Vera
In the West its best known as a coolant in aftersun products and in Japan you will see it in every convenience store as a somewhat sweet yogurt product which works really well other than the sweet part so if you get fresh aloe, skin it and boil it quickly for about 20 seconds(depending […]
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Koji Fried Chicken
Koji makes the most incredible bird for frying as it increases umami and essentially cures it somewhat. I will sprinkle a little powdered and shio Koji on the bird then let it sit in the fridge for a day. Then it’s time for some sliced onion along with a marinade of ginger, miso, garlic and […]
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Ishikawa Kawase
These little yams are delicious roasted, steamed or grated fresh. They can be peeled or just steam them and the skins come off real easy afterwards.
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5 day Koji-aged striploin steak
I have come to love and respect Koji for its many applications resulting in the most delicious of viands and this is yet another domain where it shines. Dry aged meats are hard to beat and I’m not saying Koji rubbed meat is better but it’s different and extremely tasty. The difference comes with aroma, […]
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Kita Akari potatoes
I had the pleasure of digging for these delicious beauties at my local JA farm. At the end of June they are supposedly just a little shy of their peak which is in Autumn although they are grown year round. The babies plucked straight from the ground were tasty but needed a little more development […]
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Edamame
So these delicious morsels of love are back and although not at their peak where I found them in Misaki, they are quite delicious. When in the sweet spot of the season all you need is salt as they are dynamic with bright floral notes, and deep vegetal umami but right now I`ll boil […]
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Mountain yam (yamaimo)
Translated as mountain (yama) potato (imo) these beauties have a long history in China, Korea and at least from the Stone Age in Japan. They are fantastic as tempura and I love them raw as above with perhaps some soy sauce, ponzu or katsuobushi for a kick. The Japanese enjoy slimy texture and so the […]
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