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By JANET K. KEELER, Times Staff Writer deconstructing wasabi
The plant's bright green, rootlike rhizome, which is something like a bulb, is the part used to make the paste. In the past 10 years, because of low supply of fresh wasabi rhizomes, substitutes made of horseradish, mustard and food coloring have taken the place of freshly prepared wasabi, according to Pacific Farms, which grows wasabi in Florence, Oregon. The food label will tell you the ingredients. Unlike chilies, heat from wasabi does not linger on the taste buds. Because of its more mild nature, even people who are averse to hot foods may like wasabi. That's not to say caution shouldn't be taken when mixing a bit with soy sauce for a sushi dip called wasabi-joyu. Too much will clear your sinuses, that's for sure. Wasabi can also be made from a powder to which water is added. If found fresh, it can be peeled and grated on top of noodles or other dishes. That's unlikely in Florida or elsewhere around the country. Pacific Farms is the only North American grower of wasabi. constant comment
cooking class
this web site cooksCelebrating, preserving, promoting and nurturing the diverse food cultures of the American South is the mission of the Southern Foodways Alliance, an affiliated institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. The organization, whose headquarters is at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, reflects those lofty goals on its Web site, and the best part is the bibliography that lists lots and lots of books about Southern cooking and food traditions. We do wish, however, that there were some fabulous recipes included. make a listIf you're planning a Super Bowl party for Sunday, lists can keep you from running out of food and drink, cups and plates. Make your lists, one for food, and another for dry goods, beverages and decorations. Breaking lists down into categories makes it less likely to overlook items. Don't forget to jot down a handy flow chart of when tasks can be done, right through to cleanup. * * *
Everybody's got to make a buck, and that saying is never more true than when it's applied to the snack industry. It seems every few months one of the big chip manufacturers comes out with something new to get us to part with our money. This month it is Frito-Lay and its 8-inch-tall canisters of bite-size Doritos (Nacho Cheesier and Zesty Ranch), Cheetos (Original and Flamin' Hot) and honey barbecue Fritos Hoops. The press material proclaims that the worlds of snacking and ergonomics have collided with the "hour-glass" canister. The containers do make it easier to pour every last crumb in your mouth. Price is $1.29. We give them about a year.
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The popularity of sushi has spawned an interest in wasabi, the dollop of spicy green paste that accompanies the Japanese dish. Wasabi, often called Japanese horseradish, is made from a perennial herb, Eutrema wasabi, that grows wild on the banks of mountain streams or is cultivated in flooded mountain terraces of Japan and eastern Siberia, according to The Oxford Companion to Food.
try some bison
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From the Times Taste section
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