Ask Maki anything, well almost anything (or just say hi)
posted on 13 Jan 2008 by maki ::
270 comments
This post is now closed to new comments. It’s now replaced by the new forum section, Ask Maki Almost Anything.
Thanks to you (yes, I’m looking at you!) Just Hungry and Just Bento have really grown in popularity recently. This has also meant that I’m getting more emails. I do very much appreciate getting your emails, but there’s a couple of disadvantages to email.
- It’s a one on one communication so your question will only benefit you. It might just benefit a lot of other readers. I do actually end up answering the same thing several times.
- I may not know the answer but someone else might!
- I’m really bad at email. Don’t ask me why. I try to answer things as fast as possible but sometimes emails languish in my inbox for days, or I forget about answering them. Then you get mad at me and think I’m ignoring you, etc.
- Answering lots of individual emails takes time away from me writing new posts, not to mention spending time with my family/friends, exploring new foods, and all that kind of thing.
Hence, this is Ask Maki (almost) Anything. comments here will remain always open, to ask me anything that doesn’t fit into the context of a particular post. Unless it’s something that must remain private, please post here before emailing. Thank you!
But before you ask….
There’s nearly 5 years worth of content here. Chances are your question has already been answered. Please try the Search function, right at the top of the page, before asking something. Thanks!
[Edit:] Do not use this post to pimp your refrigerator parts, miracle diet, whatever site. Such comments will be deleted.
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270 comments so far...
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Just Hungry is a site about food. There are 
Manjuu
i’m alergic to pork so I wanted to know if there is any recipe with beef or chicken or anything else that I can put in to a Manjuu that I don’t have to use pork?
Try substituting ground
Try substituting ground chicken for ground pork (if you grind your own, use the dark meat). I think this is a better substitute for pork than beef. Instead of roast pork, try some roasted chicken thighs.
Thank you
Thank you! Maki
Mirin Substitute
Hi! I love your site; all the food looks so yummy ^_^
I have a question about Mirin. My religion’s dietary laws do not allow me to use any kind of alcoholic substance whatsoever in cooking. So, is there any kind of substitute for Mirin?
Also, the same goes for sake… What is it’s purpose in a recipe and is there a substitute?
And rice vinegar doesn’t contain alcohol right?
･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆♪( ^-^)/ｱﾘｶﾞﾄｳヽ(^-^ ）♪･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆
I forgot to reply directly
I forgot to reply directly but there really is no substitute for sake or mirin, so you will have to omit them if they go against your religion’s dietary laws I’m afraid. Alcohol when it’s used in Chinese, Japanese and other Asian cooking serves a specific purpose beyond flavor: see the role of alcohol, onion and ginger. You might want to be aware that many Chinese or Japanese dishes are likely to have some form of alcohol in the form of mirin, sake and so on, though just about all of the alcohol will have evaporated in the cooking process.
I have found this forum thread has some useful information, pertaining to halal/Islamic food laws. (I don’t know if that is your religion but it should be useful nevertheless)
Rice vinegar is just like other vinegars…I don’t know if vinegar is forbidden by your religion, but if not it should be fine!
Thanks very much!
Your reply was really helpful; thanks!
Have a great day!
just found this site
It is amazing! I’m already copying and pasting like a fool. I can’t wait to share it with my friends.
japanese breakfast items
Hi Maki
what kind of bread based items are served in japan for breakfast if any and would they be available in england?
Toast!
For breakfast, Japanese people love white toast - and it’s made from loaves that are just like the ones you get in England (big square loaves), either pain de mie or Pullman loaf type where it’s square and all soft crust, or with a slightly crust or buttery top. The latter type is actually called “English bread”! Other types of bread are rarely eaten at breakfast time, though you might occasionally have small butter rolls or croissants.
What is that...
Hi Maki,
I’ve been reading along with you for a little bit, both here and JustBento. Thank you for all the great explainations, you really make it easy to follow the recipes! I know you must get tired of people asking about the food that they get in restaurants, but I have another…
I have been served a small salad-like dish here in europe. I can’t remember eating it state-side, but it’s possible! It is served in small quantities, and is made with long, thin, green crunchy veggies of some sort. There are usually sesame seeds as well, and the overall taste is semi-sweet. Do you have any idea how to make this? It is one of my favorites, and I’d love to make it at home, or even know the name to ask for it when we move back to the US.
Thank yoy for your time!
~~Alie
hmm…it could be any number
hmm…it could be any number of things. I’m really not sure unless I saw it (and probably tasted it too..)
Hi Maki, I know you said
Hi Maki,
I know you said it’s ok to add this blog to my blogroll in the “About” section but I just want to let you know that I did. I’ve been reading your blog on and off for about 2 years, captivated firstly by the catchy title and then by the content. The fact that you’re also in Switzerland is a big bonus because I can count on finding the ingredients (esp. seasonal ones) at the same time as you do.
So, thanks for the hardwork (Quality blogging is indeed hardwork!).
V
Nice and thanks!!!!
Wow. I cant believe now then i found this place.. When i enter, the fight impression to me is nice and cute.. Not sure why though.. ^^ I like food and especially Japanese food. I hope you continue writing about it for many years!! ^^
Japanese for a Day
Our family loves Japanese culture and food, particularly my eight-year-old son. After enjoying a packed lunch of Miso Soup and Inarizushi at school today, he came home and asked, “Mom, why don’t we try to eat like Japanese people all day long - you know, breakfast, lunch AND dinner.”
I did do a search, I know you have all these meals separately, including the afternoon snack, but I was hoping for a little direct information about how you piece all of them together - what might a typical (or a couple typical) Japanese day be, as it relates to food?
I really enjoy your blog, both as reference, and for pure enjoyment - and have been borrowing ideas (like your excellent method for Onigiri) right and left. Thank you!
Hey!
hey!
ive been trying out a few recipes from justbento and justhungry and they’ve been awesome!
its also really great that your recipes are quite authentic, unlike most cooking sites (in english) featuring japanese dishes as they contain more fusion style japanese food.
also love the fact that your instructions are so detailed and some recipes that have a picture by picture instructions are just god-sent!
last but not least, thank god this website is in english, or i would have never understood it otherwise!!!
thank you soooo much!
xoxo
Ramikin substitute for steaming
Hi Maki.
Since you’re resourceful when it comes to kitchenware(or lack thereof) maybe you can help me solve a problem?
Project Make Your Own Fishcake (PMYOF?) is leading me in strange directions: Steamed Curry Fish Cakes in Cucumber Water. Sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it? With baking powder for extra fluffiness!
The steamer I can work around, but do you have an idea as to what I can steam them in instead of ramikins to get the same effect?
http://www.norecipes.com/2008/07/12/steamed-curry-fish-cakes-in-cucumber...
You could use teacups or
You could use teacups or small mugs instead of ramekins in a steamer…
Carack dessert from Switzerland
My nephew was showing slides of his trip to Switzerland. He showed a picture of a green, I think kind of half round, dessert, with I think some kind of chocolate round shape on top. He said it is his favorite dessert. He said it is called carack. They bought it from a bakery or store. Google did nothing to help me find anything at all. Have you heard of this? I’m looking for a recipe to surprise him with.
The name ‘carack’ for a
The name ‘carack’ for a dessert draws a blank, but from your description could it be a cassata? Here’s a picture of one on the Betty Bossi site (Betty Bossi is the Swiss equivalent of Betty Crocker). It’s a sponge layer cake with a green pistachio icing (sort fo a fondant really), and is supposed to have originated in Sicily. It can have chocolate on top sometimes, but the main feature is that green pistachio icing. It’s a favorite cake in Switzerland. Hmm, now I want one!
More information on carack
Unfortunately it is not a cassata that my nephew had in Switzerland, but I did get more information from him about it.
“I did find that they have many different spellings, but none actually lead to the carack/carrak/caraque that I am looking for. It should be a small round chocolate filled tart, with green frosting on top. Other countries other than Switzerland don’t have it, and the only place I have found them is at the store called Migros. The Migros website did not have caraque either.”
It seems that Migros is a grocery store chain in Switzerland? Perhaps if you ever shop there you could investigate.
Thanks,
Wendy
Picture of caraque
I found a webpage with a picture of the caraque - it is at the bottom of the page.
http://roseschatter.com/blog/?cat=2
red
dos the coler red make you hungry
shiso nomi
Hi,
My shiso plants have many flowering stalks (shiso nomi). I’ve been told that the flowers can be pickled to be eaten over the winter. does anyone have any idea how one would go about pickling the flowers of the shiso plant?
Thanks,
Moris
Preserved shiso pods (ho-jiso)
You can preserve them in salt. Basically, take the stalks that have formed seedpods, wash them, take the seedpods off the stalks, and salt them fairly lightly with kosher or coarse salt (non-iodine). Leave under a weight in a bowl for a day or so, then drain and rinse (this gets rid of the bitterness), add more salt (this time salting a bit more) and if you have it, add a little ume vinegar (ume-su). After a few days start tasting - it should be salty-sour but still fragrant. You can then keep it in sterilized jars, or in the refrigerator. (Note: this is transmitted from my mother…I haven’t tried it myself yet)
ochazuke question
I hope this is not a silly question: Can ochazuke be made with dashi (the bonito type)? I’ve sometimes felt confused by the various tastes present in ochazuke and now I’m begining to think that the dashi tastes may come from whatever is put on top of the rice. Still, are there versions with dashi?
Incidentally,it’s interesting how Japanese food can be quite playful and addictive…It becomes like a sort of lego-game, things to build upon, in intuitive ways, creative,etc. And I noticed that when I can stick to a Japanese/Asian diet (I hate this word), I lose weight instantly, if I re-introduce dairy/wheat/meat and sweets, the weight returns and trust me it’s easier to gain than to lose, but lose you do with a bit of discipline when and if you stick to the great Japanese pantry and ways of cooking.
Thanks so much for your amazing site, Maki.
From NYC
Eve
Commercial ochazuke powder
Commercial ochazuke powder usually has some MSG in it, which is what you may taste as dashi. You can add some dashi granules, or an umami-rich ingredient to your ochazuke bowl such as bonito flakes, nori, kobucha, dried fish of some kind, soy sauce and so on, if you need that shot of umami (or if can even add MSG (Ajinomoto) if you like!)
Buying Bento Books
Hi there,
Japanese ingredients are readily available in London if you know where to look, but none of the online stores seem to stock the recipe books recommended on this site. Has anyone had any joy finding them anywhere?
cheers,
r.
If you are talking about the
If you are talking about the Japanese bento books listed on Just Bento, you can try asking at Japan Centre whether they stock them or know of a bookstore that may in London. Otherwise you may have to get them from Amazon Japan. It’s not hard to do - just follow the links (you can turn the shopping parts of the site to English). Though of course, the books themselves are in Japanese.
Maki! I love your site, it
Maki! I love your site, it makes me homesick of Asian food in general with all the different ingredients you put in your recipes that are special in Asia. I’m wondering, have you ever had guest speakers or columnists write in recipes and articles? If you had that I would LOOOOVE to help out! Let me know please because I have all sorts of recipes and experiences that I would love to tell about. Domo!
I’ve never had a guest
I’ve never had a guest writer per se, but I may consider it in the future. I do occasionally have reader-contributed recipes, and I’m always happy to get them (but no guarantee of course that they will be featured…)