...Elizabeth Andoh is, arguably, the world's leading English language expert on Japanese cuisine, and, as such, has earned a place on the Gourmet Live list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food. While she has lived in Japan for the past 40 years, she was born in America to a family of doctors and it was expected that she would pursue a career in Anthropolgy. After completing her undergraduate work, she was urged by a faculty adviser to apply for a postgraduate fellowship in Japan that would allow her to hone her language skills. The fellowship took her to the island of Shikoku where she fell in love with the country and the man who would become her husband. She married into a traditional Japanese family that came, of course, with a mother-in-law, so she had to adapt quickly to the culture, language and culinary traditions of her new home. Her curiosity about Japanese food led her to attended the Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine in Tokyo, and shortly after graduation she began her own culinary arts program, A Taste of Culture, which today operates in Tokyo and Osaka. Over the years, she has devoted herself to teaching the finer points of Japanese cuisine through her school programs and extensive writing. To date, she has five cookbooks and hundreds of magazine articles to her credit. She was also Gourmet Magazine's resident expert on Japanese cuisine. Her cookbooks are unusual in the way they examine and present Japanese food. Her goal is to get people to think differently about how they eat and to teach them how to use ingredients in a less wasteful and more esthetic manner. She speaks of the harmony of food (Washoku) and the ancient principles of balance that should be used in its preparation. She also speaks of Kansha, an appreciation of nature's bounty and the ingenuity that transforms unlikely ingredients into wonderful food. She is currently involved in an effort to make sure that traditional dishes from Japan's slowly recovering disaster zones do not disappear. The spare simplicity of Japanese food is not to everyone's liking but her books are treasures and she has earned the honors and distinctons that have come her way.
I have chosen a very simple recipe to highlight the work she has done. Donburi is a simple rice dish that is made flavorful with the addition of meat that is cooked with a mixture of soy sauce, sake and fresh ginger juice. Ginger juice is commercially available, but I made mine by crushing slices of ginger in my garlic press. The corn and peas give the dish wonderful color and symmetry enhances its eye appeal. The one ingredient that you may find difficult to find is nori. Nori is an edible seaweed, farmed in coastal areas of Japan, that contributes protein, vitamins and minerals to dishes in which it is used. It is not a vital ingredient in these rice bowls, so if you are unable to find it, don't stress. I think you will enjoy this version of donburi. It is mildly flavored and will appeal to many who prefer less spicy food. Here's the recipe.
Gingery Ground Chicken - Tori Soboro
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken (a combination of dark and light meat)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sak
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