recipe: chikara udon soup

Kirimochi, an ingredient I had not heard of, and the quick prep time drew me to make this udon soup from the cookbook, Mochitsuki. Kirimochi is typically made from a short grain white rice. However, the only kirimochi I could find when looking in stores in my area or online was this Eden Foods sweet brown rice mochi from Azure. Despite it being brown instead of white rice, it turned out to be a great find! I tested it out in both a toaster oven and frying it in a pan. Both turned out similar - crispy on one side, but not so much on the other. The advantage of the toaster oven was that it didn't require any oil. I do need to practice/experiment a little more to get it crispy on both sides. Yet my initial attempts still gave me a proper chance to see what it tastes like - crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. It's a bit of a strange texture, but not at all a bad necessarily - It adds an interesting element to a brothy soup. The udon noodles I used were ones I had on hand from a prior Vitacost order. Azure also carries them. The cookbook author, Kristen Morita, says that "some expert home cooks make their own broth from scratch, it's very common to use a store-bought soup base called mentsuyu." I could not find anything of this name, however did find Mizkan udon and soba broth concentrate, which seems to be the same/similar. The bottle says how much concentrate to add to water (just check the expiration and don't get one that is almost four months past like mine haha). So, with just these few simple ingredients (and a bit of green onion sprinkled on top) I had a warming flavorful soup in a very short amount of time! I'll definitely be keeping these ingredients on hand to throw them together in this way, or with other ingredients, to make varying easy soups.

Chikara Udon

Serves: 1

Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pieces kirimochi or refrigerated fresh Mochi

1 package frozen udon noodles (or packaged shelf stable noodles like I got)

3 tbsp mentsuyu (I bought something called a udon and soda broth concentrate)

1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tbsp chopped green onions (optional)

2 to 3 slices kamaboko (optional)

Instructions:

Line a toaster oven tray with aluminum foil and set the toaster oven rack to the lowest position available. If using a traditional oven, line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a rack in the highest position. 

Put the kirimochi on the tray and broil on high for 6 to 8 minutes, or until puffed and lightly brown on the edges.

While the mochi is toasting, bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the frozen udon noodled and cook according to the package instructions, usually about 2 minutes (my cook time was more aligned with typical pasta).

Drain the noodles and put in a serving bowl. Add the mentsuyu and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of warm water to dilute the mentsuyu into a broth, according to your preference. Top with the toasted mochi, along with the green onion and kamaboko (if using), or other toppings of choice. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I didn't get much of a noticeable browning (or even cooking) of the kirimochi in 8 minutes, so I moved the toaster over tray to the top rack and then saw some movement. But, it did take a decent amount of time. 

book review: Mochitsuki by Kristen Morita

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Chronicle Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Kristen Morita, the creator behind the popular Mochi Momma blog, is out with a fun new cookbook, Mochitsuki! I had so much fun poring over swoon worthy page!

Morita welcomes readers with personal stories and family traditions in a charming, album-style layout. Her humor and warmth shine through the writing, especially in the personal anecdotes sprinkled throughout. My favorite story detailed her first trip to Japan — it actually inspired me to jot down a list of unique convenience foods to try on my own future travels!

As a mochi-making novice, I appreciated how approachable this book feels. Morita provides a clear overview of the history and terminology without getting bogged down in detail, alongside handy lists of essential tools and ingredients. Living far from a major city with a Japanese grocery store, I was relieved to find that most ingredients are highly accessible.

The visual layout is exceptionally user-friendly. Every recipe features high-quality photos, including step-by-step technique shots and helpful "cross-section" views of the finished products. Paired with practical substitution notes, the variations feel incredibly straightforward once you master the base technique.

I plan to start with the Cookie Dough Daifuku, Classic Butter Mochi, and Mochi Pancakes before tackling more adventurous dishes like Mochi Pizza, Mitarashi Dango, and Ozoni — a savory soup Morita notes is "arguably the most important mochi recipe in all of Japan."

Whether you are a beginner looking to expand your skills or an experienced baker wanting to create unique delights, Mochitsuki has something to offer. It would make a fantastic gift for teens and adults alike, or a great introductory read for anyone wanting to learn about Japanese food culture.

book review: On The Equality of All Things by Carlo Rovelli

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5

Thank you Scribner for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

I discovered another great writer in Carlo Rovelli to continue learning about physics through his approachable teachings. On the Equality of All Things was a quick read focusing on the immense discoveries seen in quantum theory, general relativity, observers, time, space, existence, and morality.. Rovelli pushes thinkers to be open to adjustments to our beliefs as once-inconceivable ideas come to light. He also warns that the concepts we use on Earth to measure time and space simply do not apply in the broader vastness of the universe. 

Even having learned this in similar works, I still cannot get over the craziness of it. As Rovelli writes, “On Earth gravity is more or less the same everywhere... This is not the case in the wider universe. Time passes at different speeds for different travelers: when they meet again, they have generally not aged by the same number of years." Equally eerie is how general relativity describes reality as a set of fields that define spatial extension and time themselves, rather than sitting inside them. As he notes, "The location of an event only makes sense in relation to others. There is no 'where' or 'when,' except in a relative sense.”

While the book does discuss theories and their relationships, I found that as it progresses, it primarily makes a case for Rovelli's personal stances on how much value should be placed on each. I was interested in his perspectives on the flow of time and whether the future is open or fixed. However, I lacked the background in the intricacies of many other theories to fully engage with his arguments. Readers with a deeper understanding of physics will appreciate these perspectives, but I was hoping for more instruction on actual physics rather than debates on nuanced details. Even so, it successfully opened my eyes to what is important to consider so as not to fall into the trap of hyped-up theories pertaining to the flow of time and the Observer Effect.

Due to this, I found the concluding paragraph in lesson 5 gives a better synopsis of the book's true heart than the publisher's summary: “The reasonable question, it seems to me, is to ask what, given the current state of our knowledge... are effective concepts for thinking about the world, accounting for it, and navigating it?... Things all exist equally, in relation to others, each in its own way — a way that evolves as we learn.”

I highly recommend picking up this book if you have a foundation in physics and philosophy and want to engage in a discussion about the importance of certain areas of the field. The detailed footnotes are also a major benefit for those looking for a heavily researched work. I will certainly be picking up more of Rovelli's books.