1365 Osage Street
Denver, Colorado 80204
303-595-3666
info@domorestaurant.com
ITAMEMONO is a new side dish at Domo inspired by the owner/chef Gaku Homma’s travels around the world to teach Aikido and provide support for the many humanitarian projects sponsored by his Aikido Humanitarian Active Network (AHAN).
This side dish uses thinly sliced vegetables, rice noodles and Ika (squid) seasoned with miso, chili paste and topped with a sprinkle of pine nuts. The chili paste is not a traditional Japanese flavoring, but Domo is known for expanding the scope of traditional Japanese cooking by integrating new ingredients from around the world. Combining the familiar flavors of local chilis with Japanese miso, gives new guests at Domo a little something familiar as they explore a new world of tastes and textures from Japan.
Background knowledge and personal experiences shape our perspectives, and they can vary greatly from person to person especially between people from different cultural backgrounds. When we think of squid in the United States, the image of a giant squid in the film classic “20,000 Leagues under the Sea” comes to mind. The Japanese see something very tasty when they watch this lively mollusk swimming gracefully.
Ika and tako (octopus) are members of the mollusk family. Ika has 10 tentacles (mistakenly called “arms” or “legs”), a head with two eyes, a mouth with a beak and fins. The ika has no backbone, but a quill-like pen for a spine and a mantle which contains an ink sac. Ika can eject ink to make an effective smokescreen when confronted with danger. They feed on small fish and crustaceans, and the numerous species of Ika can range in size from one inch to more than 7 feet long. “Calamari” is the Italian name for ika, and they’re loved by Italians almost as much as they’re loved by the Japanese. Ika can been cooked in a number of ways -- sautéed in stir-fries, simmered in sauces and stews, barbequed over an open fire, stuffed with fillings and deep-fried or eaten raw as sashimi or sushi. When heated, the translucent meat of the ika turns a milky white and if cooked properly is tender and sweet.
There are more than 80 species of used in Japan for cooking. Dried ika is also a popular gift in Japan for special occasions and is used for making soup stocks and creating a variety of dishes. Dried, shredded ika is a popular chewy snack in Japan and a tasty compliment with beer and sake.
One serving of ITAMEMONO provides approximately:
75 calories (4%), 9 grams carbohydrates, 0.4 grams dietary
fiber (1%), 3.2 grams protein, 3 grams fat (5%), 20 % cholesterol, 10%
Vitamin A, 2 % vitamin C, 5% potassium, and 11 % sodium.
Supplier: Nishimoto
Trading Co., True World Foods, Pacific Ocean Market, H-Mart Market
Product origin: Japan, Spain, Korea, USA