A girl and her grandmother spend the day making mochi together in this gentle and joyous celebration of family, tradition, and the memories that matter most. Includes information on mochi and a recipe.
A girl and her grandmother spend the day making mochi together in this gentle and joyous “storytelling treat” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) celebrating family, tradition, and the memories that matter most. Emi and Obaachan are making mochi. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down for generations. Obaachan brought it with her when she first came to America from Japan and now, Emi is about to become her family’s newest mochi maker! They mix and pound and twist and wrap. The Japanese rice cakes are sticky and chewy, colorful and tasty, and—most importantly—made with love. For Emi and Obaachan, making mochi becomes a way to remember those they’ve lost, make lots of new memories, and have a fun and family-filled day.
Eager to do something her big sister has not done first, Jasmine Toguchi, eight, decides to pound mochi with the men and boys when her family gets together for New Year's.
Toys, people! Who doesn't love toys? They make you smile, give you something to squeeze and hug, and can even sit on the couch and watch TV with you. But could the toy be a couch, or an old-fashioned television? Is that too weird? Not if the toy is mochimochi, the super-cute and strange knitted toys author Anna Hrachovec created after fallingi n love with the bizarre character designs that are popular in Japan. A mochimochi can be anything, from fearsome baby gators to pigs with beehive hairdos, from the toe-nibbling monster slippers to an assortment of itty-bitty hamsters, micro mountains, and human beans complete with comb-overs! And what knitter doesn't need a diversion from the usual socks, hats, and scarves? Many of these toys take less than an hour to make. Don't worry, even a beginner can learn to knit mochimochi. If your toy comes out a little lumpy, it'll only add to its personality! Whether it's a bite-free bed bug, a smiling smokestack, or a grouchy couch--these 20 toys are quirkier than teddy bears but every bit as adorable.
This beautifully illustrated guide by the author of Japanese Farm Food includes essential Japanese pantry tips and 125 recipes. In Preserving the Japanese Way, Nancy Singleton Hachisu offers step-by-step instructions for preserving fruits, vegetables, and fish using the age-old methods of Japanese farmers and fishermen. The recipes feature ingredients easily found in grocery stores or Asian food markets, such as soy sauce, rice vinegar, sake, and koji. Recipes range from the ultratraditional— Umeboshi (Salted Sour Plums), Takuan (Half-Dried Daikon Pickled in Rice Bran), and Hakusai (Fermented Napa Cabbage)— to modern creations like Zucchini Pickled in Shoyu Koji, Turnips Pickled with Sour Plums, and Small Melons in Sake Lees. Hundreds of full-color photos offer a window into the culinary life of Japan, from barrel makers and fish sauce producers to traditional morning pickle markets. More than a simple recipe book, Preserving the Japanese Way is a book about community, seasonality, and ultimately about why both are relevant in our lives today. “This is a gorgeous, thoughtful—dare I say spiritual—guide to the world of Japanese pickling written with clarity and a deep respect for technique and tradition.” —Rick Bayless, author of Authentic Mexican and owner of Frontera Grill
TINY IS THE NEW HUGE! It’s an indisputable fact: Everything is cuter in miniature. And while it’s true that knitted toys are cute to begin with, they’re even more adorable when they’re tiny. In Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi, designer Anna Hrachovec presents more than 40 patterns for her funniest and most delightful knitted Tinys—three-dimensional animals, objects, and people, all with Anna’s quirky, Mochimochi Land anthropomorphism that knitters love. Tinys make cool gifts for any occasion, are some of the fastest, easiest projects you’ll ever knit, and can be turned into pins, magnets, Christmas ornaments—anything that could use some scale-model silliness. So pick up your sock yarn and size 1 needles and get started—you’re certain to make even a grouch giggle like a schoolgirl!
Recent winner of a prestigious award from the Julia Child Cookbook Awards, presented by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Lauden was given the 1997 Jane Grigson Award, presented to the book that, more than any other entered in the competition, exemplifies distinguished scholarship. Hawaii has one of the richest culinary heritages in the United States. Its contemporary regional cuisine, known as "local food" by residents, is a truly amazing fusion of diverse culinary influences. Rachel Laudan takes readers on a thoughtful, wide-ranging tour of Hawaii's farms and gardens, fish auctions and vegetable markets, fairs and carnivals, mom-and-pop stores and lunch wagons, to uncover the delightful complexities and incongruities in Hawaii's culinary history. More than 150 recipes, photographs, a bibliography of Hawaii's cookbooks, and an extensive glossary make The Food of Paradise an invaluable resource for cooks, food historians, and Hawaiiana buffs.