Japanese Druthers
Posted
Wed, 03/26/03
If hard-pressed to name my favorite type of food, I'd have to say Japanese. Not sushi, but the vegetables, rice and tempura. It's a far cry better than Chinese food - there is too much breading on most Chinese food - and if I had my druthers, I would probably eat Japanese several times a week.
My husband Wilbert and I had Japanese for dinner on a whim. We ordered from our favorite restaurant, Kyoto. The establishment has been around since the end of last summer, but it seems as if their business is very slow. The restaurant is located in a rather strange area (on an industrial road by the post office). The building is small and ill-kept. In fact, it looks like one of those "greasy-spoon" dives, although nothing could be further from the truth. When Wilbert and I order food from Kyoto, no matter the time of day, the restaurant area is almost deserted.
The place needs some decent advertising in my opinion, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that they stay open. The aromas emanating from the establishment would drive a hungry person mad. Foofer knows when we are going there, too. As soon as we pull into the parking lot, his tail starts wagging and his ears perk. Teriyaki is Foofer's favorite "chicken" mode. Since teriyaki is what I always order, he gets plenty of it.
The food is to "die for" as Wilbert would say. My order consists of teriyaki chicken, and Wilbert gets the beef version (both come with rice and seasoned vegetables). The total order only comes to about $12.00, and there is enough food for two meals each. Sadly, Kyoto has stopped taking personal checks because last month alone they had to collect on several bad checks. The ambiance may need sprucing, but Kyoto is a goldmine just waiting to be "discovered." Perhaps they need a web presence?
My first "food culture" article at Food Fare was about Japan. The recipe below is one of my absolute favorites (although I have yet to persuade Wilbert of its goodness):
Curry Stew (Kareh Raisu)
1 LB pork, cut into cubes
Combine garlic and oil in a skillet or electric wok. Add cubed pork, salt and black pepper. Stir. Brown pork; drain the excess fat. Return meat to a cooking pot; add the potatoes, carrots and onion. Add one or two cups of water; add the curry bar. Allow the curry bar to melt into stew; stir well. Cover; simmer until vegetables are cooked, stirring frequently (about thirty to forty-five minutes). Suggestion: Ladle stew over hot-cooked white cooked rice; serve.
The curry bars (also called paste), can be found in the Oriental section of most grocery stores. The most common brand is S & B.
(Above): Curry Bar; curry bar melting in stew. Click on images to view larger size in a new window.
*POSTSCRIPT (Thu, 11/20/03): Many years ago I used to make Curry Stew on a regular basis – but neither my previous husband nor my parents cared for the dish. It has remained one of my favorites nonetheless, and I try to make it at least once a year for myself. It's not a hard recipe but the yield is always so large I tend not to make it too often. Some people use beef, but I prefer pork in combination with the flavorful curry bar instead. This evening I prepared the stew for my husband Wilbert, certain he would hate it. But I was wrong – he loved it, and in fact packed a portion in a Tupperware bowl for his work-lunch. Will wonders never cease?
Tags: Culinary Collection;
Food Photos;
Japan;
Soups & Stews
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