insaneneko

This is a simmered gobo (burdock) dish I got out of Watashi no daisukina yasai ryori 2 by Kurihara Harumi (my library system carried some of her Japanese cookbooks, yay!). It doesn't look like much but is absolutely delicious and super easy to boot. It really brings out the gobo flavor. *_* I think I like Kurihara Harumi's Japanese cookbooks...I flipped through the cookbook and felt a lot more inspired to make stuff, and as a bonus it's all about veggies! I also learned that "tosa-ni" means simmered vegetables with katsuobushi, which is a well known product from the Tosa region. I can't help but smile when I hear "Tosa" because my favorite parts of Mirage were set in Tosa, filled with rustic Tosa men (well, the spirits of rustic Tosa men). In any case, the recipe below:

Gobou no tosa-ni (Tosa-style simmered burdock)

gobou - 2 stalks (350 g)
kezurikatsuo (larger, thicker shavings of katsuobushi) - 10 g
sauce:
dashi - 1 cup
sugar - 2 tbsp
mirin - 3 tbsp
shoyu - 3 tbsp
sake - 1 tbsp

1. Peel the gobou, cut on the diagonal to be about 2 cm wide. Soak in water and drain.
2. Put sauce in a pot and heat. Once it boils add the gobou and put an otoshibuta over it. Simmer until the liquid has reduced.
3. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the katsuobushi.

I added a bit of vinegar in the water I soaked the gobou in per my mom's suggestion. I later read in another cookbook that adding vinegar can help brighten veggies. I also did not have an otoshibuta so I just partially covered the pot with the lid.

I made the tomato feta salad I mentioned in an earlier post. OMG SO AWESOME.

Halibut Fish Sticks with Dill-Caper Tartar Sauce from the June 2010 issue of bon appetit magazine using cod instead of halibut. Pretty good, but if I'm going to bread and saute something I think I'd rather make chicken picatta.