Southern Style Cooking: The Food That Transports Me to Japan

Saturday, July 24, 2021

The Food That Transports Me to Japan

The Food That Transports Me to Japan: What Every Chef (and I) Want Now

Kristin Stangl, Editor

Last weekend I ducked into a movie theater for the first time in nearly two years to watch the newly released Anthony Bourdain documentary, Roadrunner. I read his first book, Kitchen Confidential, again and again like a woman possessed. But it was through his journeys around the globe, eating and drinking his way through time zones in shows like A Cook's Tour, No Reservations, and Parts Unknown, that my love of both food and travel began to crystalize.

And where in the world does Bourdain name as the one of the places he would eat for the rest of his life if he had to choose? Japan. In fact, the city of Tokyo played host to Tony's very first episode of his very first show. It also happens to be the very first place I plan to venture when trips that big are possible again. I can't wait to wake up in a bustling city like Osaka or Tokyo, or to the lush and remote Kawagoe, and immerse myself in all that Japan has to offer, just as Bourdain did. But while I wait, there's no better way to kill time than by cooking (and eating) like I'm there.

Sushi and sashimi come to mind first when I think of Japanese cuisine. If sushi-master Jiro taught me anything, it's that the rice matters as much as the fish. So, I'll lean on this sushi rice recipe for starters before using the freshest fish my monger can find in order to build a tuna sashimi or chirashizushi, bedazzled with pieces of jammy-egg, marinated mushrooms, and crisp cucumber. Then I'll use any leftover fish in this spicy tuna bowl.

Noodles, freshly made with a hand-pulling technique that makes the strands dance, is something I will also seek out on my yet-to-be-planned trip to Japan. In the meantime, I'll make do with shoyu ramen, a cold somen for these hot summer days, or classic miso ramen with some store-bought noods.

Fried bites are the perfect foil for a crisp Orion beer; these little fried mashed potato pucks (korokke) or any veggies of your choice will do the trick. Don't forget the dipping sauce! For something more substantial, the quintessential comfort food katsudon (panko-crusted pork cutlets) reminds me of my Austrian grandmother's schnitzel. It's a small world, after all.

For dessert, chewy and flavorful mochi-based confections, in flavors like grassy matcha green tea or coconut, are solid choices.. Pillowy Japanese cheesecake will make you think "New York, who?" And for a wow-worthy ice cream dessert that's all about assembly and not about baking, this honey-butter ice cream filled toast is the move.

I can't wait to immerse myself in one of Bourdain's favorite cuisines this weekend and reignite my appetite for travel.

- Kristin Stangl
Editor