France
Abalone Sashimi (Awabi)
While Abalone is not so common in the West, it is considered one of the very finest shellfish in most Asian countries, including Japan where it is called awabi.
Hinamatsuri – Girl’s Day
March 3rd is hinamatsuri in Japan, a day for celebrating girls, coming just two days before children’s day, which is reserved for the boys. On girl’s day, households exhibit traditional dolls and prepare specific dishes. We went with chirashizushi (a large sushi rice platter with various toppings mixed in), hamaguri no osuimono (clam in broth) and threw […]
Japanese Salmon Dishes
I invited some colleagues over from work for a casual wine tasting at my place. Everyone brought one bottle, which would be served blind, and the theme was Salmon pairing. Mizuki prepared a variety of Japanese salmon dishes to try with the different wines, including salmon sashimi, nigiri sushi, shiozake (grilled salted salmon) and misozuke […]
Salmon Sashimi and Marsannay Rosé
I’ve found that raw salmon can be somewhat difficult when pairing sushi or sashimi with wine. Many wines will accentuate the fishy flavors, leaving a very unpleasant aftertaste. Finding the right match is extremely important, especially considering that salmon is a key component in mixed sushi and sashimi sets.
Beaujolais Nouveau 2012
It’s that time of the year again, when the first Beaujolais wines of the vintage are released under the “nouveau” appellation. While some consider it a marketing gimmick, my take is that any excuse to celebrate wine, even young wine, is a good one. The Japanese seem to agree with me, as Beaujolais Nouveau is […]
