Hi, new here ^_^ I'm considering buying a rice cooker and whether I should go for a model with a preset timer. If I did purchase one that has this feature I'm wondering, not having used a rice cooker before, how I would go about having rice ready in the morning when I wake up. Would I have to leave the rice soaking in the water until the start time, in that case wouldn't that spoil the rice?? Or would I be simply using a warmer function... or both. Help please: Thanks! R.

Hi Maki, Good day! I was wondering if you could share how you make ponzu sauce. I really enjoy tasting the ponzu from the Japanese restaurants. Tried making my own from a recipe I was given and did not care for the taste too much. It tasted quite different from the ones I have had at the restaurants. Do you actually make your own or do you buy the pre made bottles from the grocery store. If so, could you share which brand you actually buy? Thanks!

Cooking rice usually takes me at least an hour, and I usually only get home at 5 in the afternoon. I also don't like eating very late in the day, so naturally cooking is a bit of a time conflict, and I'm usually trying to find ways to cut down on the time I use to cook rice. I figure cutting out rice washing would cut time in half. But is it a good idea to store rice after it's been washed and drained for a long time, or should it be used pretty soon after?

I was trying to translate this word, 各, but I'm still puzzled after finding the meaning. I read that it means, "each, every, either", but I'm not sure how that works in a recipe. In one recipe, it was used twice with liquids, "酒各小さじ1" and "水各大さじ1/2". Any help is much appreciated. Thanks! :)

Alright... I don't usually impulse buy foods online that I've never tried, but I did this time and I'm really regretting it. I ordered Katsuo Furikake, thinking "Oh, that sounds great!" only to open it, sniff, and become repulsed at the aroma. Will it keep its retched smell over time or will it subside? Would anyone want to buy this off of me? $2.00 (was bought for $2.19? plus s&h ? 0_0?

Hi Maki, I've been to a japanese restaurant and I asked a bento bok for lunch. It had (among lots of other things) a simple green salad with a dressing that was to die for. I had it on some other restaurants so I guess this is a common recipe... The sauce was rather... "solid" i guess it has grated ginger... I'd love to dress my salads with it. Can you help me maki? :D Thanks!! :D

I'm having a dinner party on Saturday night, and I REALLY wanted to make some of those cute pink hamaguri-zushi as part of the first course. But can I find salmon roe, or for that matter ANY sort of fish roe, in any sort of shop? No I can't. I can't find fresh (the fish place said that season finished a couple of weeks ago), I can't find frozen, and I can't find it in little jars the way I have had it before. So, help Maki! What can I sprinkle on top of hamaguri-zushi that is not any sort of fish egg?

I've had them quite a number of times and I've been pondering how to make them myself. They're pretty costly here.. $3 for 150g at asian grocery stores (they're made by a Korean Kimchi manufacturer) or $4.50 as a full (small) salad at japanese takeaways. I have seen some types of dried seaweed at the nearby grocery store and judging from the picture, there are those that can be made into salad. Today, I've just had it with finely julienned cucmber and my verdict: too good for summer. I think they work well for cucmbers (an alternative to seaweed) and I hope I can get the recipe here..