Conversation 097 - Recipe

Todd: OK, Hisa, why don't we talk about food?
Hisa: Good.
Todd: OK, first of all, actually, can you cook?
Hisa: Yes, I can.
Todd: Yeah. What can you cook?
Hisa: I can cook most of the Japanese dishes. And then I also like baking.
Todd: Oh, really? OK. Since you're Japanese can you tell us what things you cook in Japanese cuisine.
Hisa: OK. I use a lot of vegetables in my cuisine, in cookery, and then I prepare lots of Japanese type of salad, which is sometimes we call it suna-mono.
Todd: Suna-mono. OK
Hisa: Yes, with vinegar which is especially good for spring? And the summer time, and then also pickles, is one type of thing and then I use vegetables, even a cooked kind of salad I use, that is, we call it O-hi-tashi, green leaves, throughout the year, I use a different kind of green vegetables for salad.
Todd: Can you talk about one type of salad that you can make? (Yes) And how do you make it?
Hisa: OK. For example, this is spring, I'll tell you one kind of salad with udo.
Todd: Udo.
Hisa: That is a white stick, kind of vegetable. Just you peel them very thick because outside is quite bitter, so inside you slice up and then put them in the water with vinegar because that's how you can keep this white color. It lasts long, yes, and then, usually I put some wakame, sea vegetables, and then two ingredients I use, and then add some ginger, which I love very much. Chop up some ginger, and then those three things I mix with vinegar, a little bit soy sauce and then salt and then just sometimes you can even marinate if you like.
Todd: Wow, sounds good.
Hisa: Very light.
Todd: And I can buy these ingredients at the Japanese supermarket?
Hisa: Yes, green grocer's, and it is only for spring time. Udo! Sounds like Udon. Just you remove "n". Udo. Good luck.
Todd: Alright, I'll try and make it.