After Myra pointed out that it was Girls' Day last week, I was overtaken by an irresistable urge to have mochi. The only problem is that I live in a small community in the desert, with a noticeable lack of fresh Japanese comestibles. So the only solution was to make my own.
Regular mochi on the left, azuke mochi on the right. Sorry about the pictures, it was dark and my flash does weird things to colors. Since this Monday was my night to host our weekly sewing group, I subjected everyone to my mochi. I could have eaten the whole batch, but I restrained myself. I especially liked the koshi-an (sweetened red bean paste), which I made myself. I used to hate it but I found that I really like it now. I had leftover pancakes from breakfast, so I made dorayaki too. We decided that we should open an international deli, with all the foods we each miss from our previous lives in larger cities: mochi, real bagels, gyoza, I can't remember the many other suggestions. But there were a lot.
Amanda, your mochi looks delicious! I love an, koshi or tsubushi. My husband thinks its gross that I love it so much I can eat it straight from the can. What recipie did you use?
Posted by: myra | Wednesday, 09 March 2005 at 01:56 PM
Thanks! I used a recipe from my really old "Japanese Cooking" book by Susan Fuller Slack. Synopsis: soak, (boil/drain) twice, boil for 3 hours, mash, strain out skins, mix in sugar, more sugar, mirin, corn syrup. It came out a little loose, so it doesn't really roll into a ball, but it's still good! The recipe made quite a bit so I have some in the freezer now. I think that next time I'll have to try tsubushi an. The directions sound a bit simpler, the hardest part was the straining and I wouldn't need to do that. Happy an-eating!
Posted by: Amanda | Saturday, 12 March 2005 at 06:21 AM
I am still so impressed that you made your own an. That sounds like so much work! It must have made your mochi a thousand times more delicious.
Posted by: myra | Monday, 14 March 2005 at 07:09 PM