musashi

oh,,,that's really really a shame.
Sounds like my idea of paradise.
M

musashi

Mr. Lewis, I'm not exactly sure what I can tell you. I was born in Osaka
Japan and first came to the
US as a child. I returned to Japan and came back to the US for high school
and college.
I have since been back & forth. I speak Japanese and English fluently,
however in my house it is all
Japanese as well as 90% of the food. I have been a bit of an avid fisherman
really since I was a child,
and now although I simply can't spare as much time as I used to, I still
manage to sneak away to fish
a couple times a year. I enjoy both saltwater and freshwater fishing,
although saltwater provides a wider
range of tasty treats afterwards. As an avid scuba diver years ago, I have
speared and eaten many fish,
from Sheepshead off the Channel Islands to Amberjack off Islamorada.
I have been and continue to be in the shipping (maritime) business so most
of my travels have been business
related, but I always find the time to try and enjoy the local foods, with a
natural penchant for seafoods.
As to cooking, I am merely a weekend chef, but apart from preparing mostly
fish and seafood dishes, and
focusing on Japanese cuisine, I do engage in other cuisines. For example, I
grow basil each summer and
make pesto, and at least once I'll buy some eggplants and make babaganoush.
I used to be an avid beef eater, but due to issues which come with the age
(blood pressure, cholesterol,
blood sugar, etc) I don't eat as much beef these days in the quantities that
I used to. But I still do enjoy
beef dishes of all kinds from Pot Roasts to Porterhouse steaks to Korean
kalbi.
I haven't met anyone in this NG although three years ago I "almost" met Dan
Logcher when I stayed in Boston
one night. I think we were hoping to go to "sushi island" but it never
panned out.
There are others who have very obviously travelled extensively and have had
far more notable culinary
experiences than I have in this NG, which is why I enjoy reading and
participating in it.
BTW, I'm sure you know that Musashi is merely a usenet name. Anyway I do not
know if this is what you had in mind,
so please feel free to comment.
M

dan logcher

I'm still up for that meeting if you make your way to Boston again.
Sushi Island is still the best place around, as far as I'm concerned..
and the Japanese chef would really appreciate your expertise.

I enjoyed reading it.

--
Dan

musashi

I haven't been up that way in a while but I'll certainly let you know if I
do.
Likewise if you're ever in NYC, I'm 2 blocks from Hatsuhana.
M

dan logcher

Oh yeah!!! It's been 4 years since we were last there.. Not the one
at Grand Central, right?

--
Dan

musashi

No, the good one on 48th between Fifth and Madison.
I've eaten at the other one above Grand Central (they call it Hatsuhana
Park) as well
and it's definitely not as good as the "Main" store.
M

dan logcher

Excellent! Yeah, I had heard the same.. Well, if someone in my wife's
NYC family gets married soon, we'll be there

--
Dan

george

I have to say that this group has done a lot to stimulate my curiosity
and expand my 'sushi' experience. That said, we went out again to our
favorite/only sushi bar/restaurant in our area, the Ichibon in Bangor,
Maine. They had Toro for $6.50 on the specials board along with Giant
Clam. I had the Toro sashimi which was served on shredded daikon with a
large leaf of green shiso as the backdrop to about 6 2"x1"x1/4" slices
fanned out and standing vertical. It melted in my mouth. Not sure if the
shiso was just garnish, but people should be careful what they put on my
plate because I ate it all. The toro had the look of corned beef.

Then, after drawing a blank on the menu, I asked my waitress if they had
anything with nattou. She wasn't sure so went up to the bar and asked
the itamae. I heard them very well from my seat as he asked her if I
ever had it before to which she responded that I hadn't, but that I
wasn't afraid to try it. She came back with a maki which seemed to have
been split open and a small piece of folded shiso inserted into the
split. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get a fix on the flavor of the
nattou and next time will ask for some straight. The shiso, while I have
grown fond of it in my three contacts with it was a predominant flavor.
I think I smelled the nattou as it was set on the table.

Wanting something else, I remembered the Giant Clam, but by that time it
wasn't available anymore, so I settled on some maguro and saba nigiri. I
wanted to compare the saba with the shime saba that I prepared last
month. There's was good, but not as good as mine. Humility doesn't allow
me to discount freshness and mine was less than 24 hours out of the
Atlantic.

$55 bucks later and I would do it all again if I could actually afford
it. Oh, but what a wonderful habit to have.

George
--
The First Nation people call him "Walking Eagle" because he's so full of
shit he can't fly anymore.

dan logcher

Bangor??? Wow, that's up thar.

Yes, you can eat the shiso leaf. I sometimes wrap a piece of maguro with
it and some daikon and eat it. I wouldn't do it with toro though, since
you don't want to overpower the wonderful flavor and texture. Otherwise,
I just wrap the leaf around daikon, dip, and eat.

Shiso is a very powerful flavor. I've had a Supped-up nattou maki that
had so many things in it, but the shiso was all I could taste. The only
maki I like with shiso is saba-shiso maki. The two flavors works so well
together. Next time, ask for a ika nattou handroll. You get the crunchy
texture of ika and the nutty flavor of nattou. The itamae may also put some
tobiko or masago in it too.

I'm very jealous. I would love to prepare my own, just need to catch `em
first. I need a boat.

I hear ya.. if my wallet was bottomless, I'd be eating it daily.

--
Dan

musashi

When I was up in Bar Harbor three years ago I was really surprised to hear
from the local people
that Saba can be caught from shore during the summer. But made perfect
sense, the water was too cold
for swimming in mid August. Got to see some seals and harbor porpises
though.
Down here in the NY area you absolutely need a boat to cach them, and they
are only here in the coldest
months December-April.
M