(With Sea-ling Cheng, originally contributed for Sid’s 80th
birthday celebration)
On the 30th of November 2001, after a long day at
the AAA meeting, Sidney and the two of us (foodies in every sense of the
word!)had dinner together at the Japanese restaurant Sushiko on Wisconsin
Avenue in Washington D.C. It felt like being taken to a pastry shop by our most
beloved grandfather whom we hadn't seen for a long time. Sidney recalled this
occasion somewhat differently. "I felt," he wrote in his e-mail to us
shortly afterwards, "like a Hollywood producer having dinner with two
actresses from his movie." (Now we know how far anthropological
imagination can take us!) Despite this slight difference in perception, we had
a wonderful time.
The fun started as soon as we entered the
restaurant —when the three of us rushed upstairs giggling for reasons we would
rather not reveal here. We spent the rest of the evening chatting and laughing
over delightful Japanese delicacies. It was one of those enchanting evenings
that stay in our memory with a warm yellow glow, like sitting in front of a
family fireplace with grandpa—only this time, grandpa was munching on sushi and
sipping sake!
Since the restaurant didn't
have Sidney's favourite dish on the menu, we've included a recipe for this
delicacy here.
Simmered Fish Head (Kabutoni)
Ingredients
Head of red snapper, yellowtail, salmon or other
large fish
1/2 cup fish broth (dashi)
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (if not available substitute
with sake and add some sugar)
Some fresh ginger (finely chopped)
Preparation
1. Split the head in two
2. Rinse with hot water and clean the remaining dirt and scales
with cold water. Bring all the liquid
ingredients to boil in a shallow pan and place the two parts of the head there
with eyes up.
3. Skim
carefully and let to simmer for a few minutes.
Serve sprinkled with fresh ginger.
