Lust, episode 12

Some perpetually stylish inspiration

or perhaps a bit of...

unless you're in the mood for...

and of course...

XX

A sugar rush of the educational variety

I've often wondered what it would be like to try to feed myself in a country where I don't speak the language, read the alphabet or even recognize many of the main ingredients.  A trip to Nijiya Japanese Market is a mild version of this experience, so I just enter with an open mind. Today, I turned the corner into their technicolor candy aisle and suddenly...What. Is. This?

It's a candy kit, something the maker, Popin' Cookin', refers to as "educational candy" as it requires following directions, mixing powders and water, and building your own treats.  Here's what the kit looks like:

All those little packets are filled with white powders that, when mixed with water, turn colors and change texture.  There's not a smidgen of English anywhere on the box and the drawings only tell you which color packet goes into which well.  I figured out to use the little plastic squirt/dropper thing to add water up to the embossed line, the tiny shovel for mixing and the dowel for rolling out that Tootsie Roll block.  Considering I was winging it, I think things went okay.  Here's a "during" shot:

That orange part on the left? Super cool. I mixed the orange powder and water in the lower well, then used the dropper to drop pearls of it into the blu-ish water mix above and, Voila, instant roe!  So pretty, and quite real looking- and they even burst when bitten.  After about 5 minutes of setting, the yellow and red firm up to a strong jelly and are embossed with egg and tuna patterns, respectively.  The taste? Varying intensities of Tutti Frutti. I'm definitely no sushi chef, but here are my assembled pieces:

My little maki roll on the left is a mess and my rice is a bit deformed, I will not be quitting  my day job- but...it's pretty sexy in close up!

  By the time I was done, my Mad Scientist was satisfied and I didn't really feel like eating it.  Hmm, educational and slimming! Oh, and I think I paid about $4.00, not bad for an hour's entertainment on this rainy day.  

Epicurean Adventures in West L.A.

I found myself on L.A.'s West Side the other day with a few hours to kill, hmmm what to do?  Luckily I remembered the Japanese stretch of Sawtelle, just north of Olympic; gift shops, sushi, noodle houses, bonsai nurseries, the Yakitoria chicken joint and, best of all, Nijiya Market. This traditional Japanese market is great for browsing. Find black cotton swabs (meant for men), ready-made food - some of it recognizable, and the most intriguing junk food selection in town.  I found Japanese Kit Kat!

Nestle releases limited edition flavors like Candied Sweet Potato, Sweet Roasted Corn, Watermelon with Salt and of course, Green Tea. Nijiya had Ginger Ale flavor as well as Royal Milk Tea, now I'm a bit obsessed.
So, do they taste "true"?  Sure, in a candy kinda way. Ginger Ale: yep, pretty close to a soda, with a hit of lemon to make up for the missing bubbles and, thankfully, not as sweet as most ginger ale sodas.
Royal Milk Tea: I love this one! Really does tast like a combination of English Breakfast and Earl Grey teas with enough sugar and milk to make it creamy. Sooo good!  At about $3.00 a pack, they're not cheap but they're a great treat!  Now, if I can just find the Caramel and Sea Salt flavor...
Find a Nijiya market at http://www.nijiya.com/store.html
As soon as I figure out the sushi candy kit, I'll share that with you.