The Accidental Vegetarian: Grilling the Japanese way
Contributed by VeggieGirl
The first time I ate Japanese food was in the Japan pavilion at Epcot
Center in Disney World, when I was 9. It was here among the koi-filled
ponds and the Japantown-esque architecture that I slurped my first
bowl of fat, slippery udon. I still remember the steamy broth loaded
with seaweed and vegetables, and the chewiness of the thick white
udon. Watching my father try to use chopsticks had me roaring with
laughter.
While it still makes me laugh to watch my father use chopsticks, my
taste in Japanese food has extended beyond the easy-to-love big bowl
of udon.
The subtley nuanced vegetarian, often vegan, preparations in Japanese
cooking make me feel like I'm eating a healthful, guilt-free dish.
Many of the dishes use very few ingredients to convey a lot of flavor,
depending on various seaweeds, misos and mushrooms to add depth.
A few vegetarian Japanese restaurants have opened in the Bay Area
during the past few years, and it was at one of them that I was
reminded of how simple, yet how full-flavored good Japanese dishes can
be.
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read full article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/27/FD5P10NRD3.DTL
Approved by andyba on June 08,2008 | 12:59:15
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