Maybe because I have too much free time on my hands these days, I've acquired some pretty "granola" habits. They're sort of fun so I'll share:
Thanks to this Add an Egg post that was featured on Tastespotting, I found a Gourmet mag spread featuring some simple Japanese food recipes. Everything looks mouthwateringly tasty and easy to do. I'll definitely be trying the shrimp and daikon salad (ume-shiso! YUM) and the spicy glazed eggplant, and the black cod recipe adaptation in the Add an Egg post also sounds amazing.
There are a lot of things I miss about Japan (hello, suddenly a full-time job seems like a glorious thing), but I'd say the food ranks near the top. This is not so much the food that's available for you to purchase and prepare at home, but the options that you have when you go out to eat. It's not like you can't find good Japanese home-style food here, but it's really hard to get it on the cheap. And forget sushi and sashimi - that's not what I'm talking about. Sadly, unless you go to a pricey "Asian tapas" -style place, your other options are often limited to a mediocre slab of misoyaki fish, pork katsu, or teriyaki chicken. BUT, I guess we have a pretty fantastic selection of Japanese food here, in California, compared to the dearth of any decent ethnic food in Japan.
Traditional Japanese cooking is quite light and healthy, and ingredients shine for their freshness and subtle flavors. If compared to, say, typical Chinese food, it can seem rather subdued, but it's also much easier to stomach on a day-to-day basis. Hm, then again, Chinese food is nectar and ambrosia if you haven't had it in a while. Maybe what I'm saying is this: Japanese food is to Chez Panisse as Chinese food is to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles (...drool). Both definitely have their strengths.
