Japanese Food Weekend

Labor Day Weekend
Japanese Raw and Cooked

I went to see la familia this weekend. That means Japanese food. A sample from the food journal:

Somen noodles

For lunch my mom made noodles which were served in a cold s0y sauce broth, with sliced scallions--a refreshing summer treat. I added lots of wasabi, which not only adds a nice spike of flavor, but clears my sinuses.

My mom likes to top her salads with mini rice crackers.

Prosciutto-wrapped figs.

No, this is not Japanese cuisine. The bro prepared these with figs from the yard that the dog couldn't quite reach.

On a Saturday night, we went out to Akebono in Granite Bay. (Ownership is changing soon. Not sure how this will affect the food.)

Toro

Snow crab legs

I am mostly pesceterian, but have mixed feelings when I see this.

Chirashi platter

Next night, it was mom's cooking:

Kabocha - Japanese pumpkin.

These pumpkin chunks were steamed and cooked in a soy and mirin (sweet rice) cocktail. The result: soft on the outside, cantaloupe-like texture on the inside, with a slightly sweet flavor. Candy to my palate. A mom-specialty. She insists that the success of this dish (its texture and ability to impart flavor) is almost entirely dependent on the quality of the pumpkin, which can be watery, hard or mealy. On this evening, we had a pumpkin that was just right.

Another specialty of my mom's: clear noodles and slivered cucumbers in a light vinegar dressing. Topped with egg and sesame seeds.

Mizutaki - Japanese hot pot.

Bathing in this fish broth were veggies (Chinese cabbage, Japanese mushrooms, scallions, onions), shrimp, tofu and hunks of white fish. Served with rice.

Dessert from Osaka-ya. Real and scrumptious Japanese manju.

Sakura manju.

These classic Japanese sweets are soft like a baby's behind.

Red bean filling

Gochi-so-sama. I never eat like this on the Peninsula.