No Recipes – Techniques, inspiration and cooking tips from my Japanese kitchen

Mexican Chocolate

February 26, 2009 11 comments

Other Names Chocolate para mesa, unconched chocolate Description Chocolate as we know it has only existed for a few hundred years. Modern chocolate is “conched” by grinding it for up to 72 hours to give it a smoother texture. Before the Europeans perfected the process of refining chocolate, the cacao bean was used to make [...]

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Masa Harina

February 23, 2009 20 comments

Other Names Masa de Harina Description Masa Harina literally means dough flour in Spanish and in Mexican cuisine, it refers to flour made from maize that has been soaked in lime water (calcium hydroxide). It is not the same thing as cornmeal and cannot be used interchangeably. The process of soaking the maize in lime [...]

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Fennel

February 17, 2009 7 comments

Other Names Florence, Finnocchio Description Fennel is a vegetable that originated in the Mediterranean but now grows all over the world in coastal regions. It has long stalks with feathery dill-like leaves on top and the stems thicken into a large white bulb at the bottom. The yellow flowers of fennel grow in clusters at [...]

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Kombu

February 14, 2009 11 comments

Other Names dashima, dasima, haidai, kelp Description Kombu is a type of thick flat seaweed cultivated in the northern waters of Japan. Although it may sound like a plant, seaweed is technically classified as a type of algae. Kombu comes in many forms making it a versatile ingredient with uses ranging from soup stocks to [...]

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Niboshi

February 12, 2009 5 comments

Other Names iriko, myulchi, dried baby sardines, dried baby anchovies Description Niboshi are baby sardines (anchovies by some translations) that have been boiled once then dried. They vary in size from about 1.5″ (pictured below right) to over 3″(pictured below left) long with the smaller ones having a milder flavour. They’re used in both Korean [...]

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Udon

February 10, 2009 10 comments

Other Names inaniwa udon, kishimen, sanuki udon, okinawa soba, udong Description Udon is one of the 3 most common Japanese noodles. While there are many regional differences in thickness and texture, it is almost always made with wheat flour. As with any type of pasta, fresh udon is the best, but they also come frozen [...]

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Katsuobushi

February 9, 2009 13 comments

Other Names kezuribushi, kezurikatsuo, hanakatsuo, shaved skipjack, shaved bonito Description This is a basic ingredient in the Japanese kitchen made from dried bonito (skipjack tuna) which is a fish prized for its high concentration of umami compounds. By drying it, the level of umami is further concentrated, making katsuobushi a core component of most Japanese [...]

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Tomatillo

February 8, 2009 9 comments

Other Names ground tomato, husk tomato, mexican tomato, ground cherry, tomate de cáscara, tomate verde. Description These little guys look almost exactly like small green tomatoes, but unlike tomatoes, they naturally grow in a papery husk. While different varieties come in a multitude of colors, tomatillos are most widely known for their bright green color. [...]

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Welcome to Ingredients by No Recipes

February 8, 2009 7 comments

In a recent survey over at No Recipes a few people mentioned that they’d love to hear more about some of the more unusual ingredients I cook with. While I’ve tried to provide a primer the first time I use an ingredient, I realize some readers may have tuned in after I first posted about [...]

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