Hey there, I have a surplus of Korean Takuan-type pickles (I bought a big pack of beautiful sun-like slices) and was wondering how long one should keep them in the fridge? They're in a tupperware type thingy, but as there was no date on the packaging, I keep getting the fear - I have a bit of an obsession with use-by-dates, which my other half finds very odd. As they are preserved, I figured they could live in there for a while, but as I say...I got the fear now, and so keep using them in EVERY meal in my haste to get through 'em!

I have purchased some cute, hairy little satoimo, and have suddenly remembered that I only know of one recipe for them. I was a lovely mash with mushroom sauce, from the Enlightened Kitchen... that book still lives down south with my parents (must get them to send it...) but I guess I could remember the recipe, but other than that... what other recipes can you good people recommend? If they are bento-friendly, all the better, but one can't have everything. Thanks in advance for any taro ideas! x

This is the sweetest reason I've heard for washing rice. Such a cute story! http://kimchimamas.typepad.com/kimchi_mamas/2006/04/washing_rice.html

Hey everyone, As an average student I was wondering if there was a Japanese equivalent of the super cheap meal beans and rice. I mean something healthy, cheap, and easy that isn't instant ramen. :P I'd also be interested in learning what your country's version of a cheap and healthy meal is! Thanks! :D

I just found the cutest cooking show on YouTube, it's called, "Cooking With Dog" and it's a lady and her darling mini poodle showing how to cook many Japanese recipes. She's very good with the step by step and the ingredients are shown at the end of each segment. The dog is the "narrator", lol! Anyway, I just thought it was very entertaining and informative. Hope you check it out and enjoy it! Here's a link to her oden- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTLhU2rI130

It looks like the post is kinda old so everyone may have already seen it - but I stumbled across this today: http://www.chow.com/stories/11340 Maki is #7.

On Sunday afternoon me and some friends are going to run a Murder Mystery Party. It will be the kind where there are some "actors" playing the part of the suspects and the "public" plays detective trying to solve the murder. We are going to offer something to drink and something to eat. Since much of the story revolves around Bloody Mary (the drink) and strawberries, I'd like to keep a "red" theme. I'm going to bake a strawberry yogurt cake and cover it with red icing, but I could use some suggestion for red finger food.

Niceties mentioned the "five principles of Japanese cooking" in her guest post last month. Apparently they should all be part of traditional cooking. They go something like: Five colours - white, red, yellow, green, black/other dark colours Five tastes - salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami/spicy (which is right?) Five cooking methods - simmering, grilling, steaming, frying, aemono (cooked salads) Five senses - taste, smell, sight, sound, touch