Musashi wrote:
> Actually the verb Aburu includes to sear, roast, grill.
> A good example is how a sheet of nori is lightly "roasted" over a
flame
> before use.....Nori wo karuku aburu (lightly roast the seaweed).
> It has nothing to do with the toppings etc.

Thanks for the clarification. Only one itamae in San Francisco (Ino
Sushi) does the "roasting" of the nori. He preheats it in an electric
grill (clam style lids), so the end result is a very crispy tasting
norimaki or temaki. I wish more chefs would take that extra step! He's
the same guy who has a nice ika zuke, and has artfully served Japanese
ika nigiri last time I had omkase with a small dab of mentaiko on the
inside (between the rice and the bottom side of the ika slice).

> That is probably Yuzugoshou (sometimes written yuzukoshou) where
> yuzu + koshou(pepper). It is mostly a product of Northern Kyuushu,
> and while available in green or red, most of the ones you see are
green.
> Some of the best ones are in unlabled little jars made by small yuzu
farms
> in the country.

Yes it is exactly as you described. The pepper grinds are fine small
almost like tiny spheres, and are indeed green. Definitely would work
good on shiromi in general.


> > Same guy also serves Japanese snow crab nigiri with dabs of kani
miso
> > on top (only upon request!)
>
> Ahh..he is buying snow crab whole then, not just legs.

Not really. I believe he just gets the legs. I believe the kani miso
came from a round tin jar/can (similar to a small shoe polish container
in the old days). Definitely from Japan. He showed it to me a while
ago, though I never saw the lid.

On an unrelated note, have you (or Nona/anyone else) ever had hotaru
ika (baby squid), the small whole little ones? Definitely a seasonal
item, but what fascinates me is the sweet miso paste sauce that some
chefs artfully create and serve with it (either a small amount on the
gunkan, or as a side of dipping sauce if served as sashimi). Does
anyone know where I can find this sauce, or how to make it (if anyone
knows what I'm talking about?)