It aint the prettiest thing to eat but I like it anyway. In fact it looks like sand-covered amorphous blobs of something. As long as I can remember, kinako (roasted soy bean flour) mochi (glutinous rice cakes) was eaten every year after the new year had been rung in. I distinctly remember mom making it after dinner when the weather was cool outside. Mom was usually in her light blue flannel nightgown and would serve me up a serving or two. It tasted so good and warmed me up as much as mom's flannel. Funny how certain foods can take you back to a specific time in your life. I guess taste buds have memories too.
I try to eat this every year. Partly for luck (as is Japanese custom), partly the earthiness of it's flavor and texture but I think most because it conjures up warm memories when I felt safe and secure.
(Sorry for being so maudlin.) The other week, I bought packaged mochi from
Sunrise Mart in the East Village and kinda forgot about it. Until last night. It still satisfied me but it wasn't as good as when Mom makes it. Thanks Mom.
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| I brown it in a pan to help soften it up a bit. |
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| I mix super fine sugar with the kinako flour and a dash of salt. |
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| Boil the mochi til it is soft and gooey. |
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| Then you roll it in the kinako mixture. |
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| Kinda weird looking but it's comforting to eat and has a mild nutty taste to it. A little sweetness makes it dessert-like and the gooey mochi is kinda fun to eat. A perfect winter after-dinner snack. Warms you up inside and it's good for you too. |
