The Time I Played Video Games

So I have a confession to make. I am a video game nerd.

Now, I know people who have it worse than me. Way worse. But I spent a good portion of my formative years playing video games. My family’s first system was the Atari 2600, whose polished wood veneer hearkened back to the system’s origins in the 1970s. We children hoarded cartridges like squirrels preparing for winter, though my hand-eye coordination at that age meant that my character in Pitfall! fell to his death every single damn time. Pixellated crocodiles and scorpions were poised to devour his corpse, and when I was at the controls, they ate well indeed.

I later graduated to the NES in 1985, where I continued to fail with alarming regularity. We were such early adopters that our system didn’t even come with Duck Hunt, and instead was packaged only with Super Mario Bros. I was miserable at classics like the aforementioned Mario Bros. (including 2 & 3), Punch-Out!!, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Mega Man. But I was surprisingly decent at Balloon Fight, Bubble Bobble, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. I think I was just too young for most of the other games. To give you an idea of my age, one of my favorite games on the NES was Sesame Street A-B-C & 1-2-3, which I remember being shockingly difficult at the time. Later, I eventually was able to play Tiny Toon Adventures and DuckTales over and over again, but I also rented terrible titles from Blockbuster like Mario Is Missing. Even though I played that awful game only once back in 1993 at age 10, I still remember how crappy it was.

But my older sister was a whiz at the NES, and I would spend hours watching her play since I couldn’t play myself without instantly dying. How did she do it? We also got a single Game Boy, which caused much strife between us siblings. The battery life was abysmal, and the graphics were only black and white, but that thing made car trips infinitely more bearable.

We purchased a SNES in 1991, which I proceeded to dominate. I’d beg my parents to rent me new games from Blockbuster every week, and I eventually hit my video game stride. I fondly remember games like ClayFighter, The Lion King, EarthBound (still one of my faves), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (ditto), Mario Paint (a console game that bizarrely came with a mouse), Pilotwings, Secret of Mana (THE BEST), SimAnt (yeah, I was into role-playing as an insect), Star Fox (fuck you, Slippy), Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario RPG, Donkey Kong Country, Super Metroid, and Earthworm Jim (I loved this so much I even submitted fan art to Nintendo Power magazine. Yes, my sister had a subscription.). I remember playing stinkers like Bass Masters Classic (UGH, what was I thinking?!), Cool Spot, The Great Waldo Search, and E.V.O.: Search for Eden (an admittedly terrible game that I nonetheless loved so much that I bought it with my allowance). I was never really into sports or fighting games, mostly because none of my friends played video games. What fun are those games against a computer?

My brother meanwhile had bought a Sega Genesis, and I recall playing Ecco the Dolphin on his system and thinking it was the stupidest game I had ever seen. He would go on to buy the PlayStation, while my sister and I stayed loyal to Nintendo and bought an N64. I plowed through Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Mario Kart 64, Pilotwings 64, Star Fox 64 (Slippy, damn you!), and Super Mario 64.

After this era, I mostly stopped playing video games, only picking up them up again after becoming addicted to rhythm games like Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. Nowadays, I have a Wii, Nintendo DS, and an Xbox 360. I still play Zelda, Metroid, and Super Mario Bros. on the Wii, and Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox. I’ve shouted at a Nintendog on the DS (not my proudest moment), enjoyed the writing of the Phoenix Wright series, and even tried Pokemon briefly before realizing it was just too damn time-consuming.

Well, now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself, what are some of your favorite games from back in the day? Make me feel less alone as a girl gamer – please?

The Time I Cooked Roast Chinjao

More Nintendo cooking, and once again we have a rather Chinese dish, but it’s very well-known in Japan. We’ve gotten through a lot of cooking words with the past few recipes, so if you see words here you don’t recognize, check back in my past Japanese cooking posts. With that said, let’s get cooking!

チンジャオロース – Roast Chinjao

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English	Japanese
200 g thinly sliced beef	牛肉（網焼き用）　２００ｇ
2 tsp + 1 Tbsp soy sauce	しょうゆ　小さじ２＋大さじ１
1 tsp + 1 Tbsp sake	酒　小さじ１＋大さじ１
2 tsp potato starch (corn starch is fine)	片栗粉　小さじ２
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp sesame oil	ゴマ油　小さじ１＋小さじ１/２
4 green bell peppers	ピーマン　４個
4 cm green onion	白ねぎ　４ｃｍ長さ
1 1/3 cm fresh ginger	しょうが　２/３片
2 cloves garlic	にんにく　２片
1 Tbsp oyster sauce	オイスターソース　大さじ１/４
1/2 Tbsp sugar	砂糖　大さじ１/２
Dash of pepper	こしょう　少々
1 Tbsp water	水　大さじ１
4 tsp salad oil	サラダ油　小さじ４

 

Preparation:

De-seed and core the bell pepper, then slice lengthwise into thin strips. Mince the 4 cm green onion finely. Peel the 1 1/3 cm fresh ginger, then mince finely. Peel the 2 cloves of garlic, then mince finely. Set aside.

Cut the 200 g thinly sliced beef into narrow strips. Place the beef in a bowl, then cover with 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sake, and 2 tsp potato starch. Mix well. Pour 1 tsp sesame oil into the center of the meat, then set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, dash of pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp water. Set aside.

Add 2 tsp salad oil to a frying pan and set on high heat. Add the beef and stir until it’s color changes to brown. Place on a plate and set aside.

Add 2 tsp salad oil to a frying pan and set on medium heat. Add the green onion, ginger, and garlic, then cook until they begin to smell strongly. Add the bell pepper and stir, then add the beef again. Add the soy sauce mixture from before, then turn the heat to high. Stir until most of the sauce is gone, then transfer to a plate and enjoy.

Vocabulary:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
牛肉	gyūniku	Beef
片栗粉	katakuriko	Potato starch (very much like corn starch)
ゴマ	goma	Sesame seeds
油	abura	Oil
白ねぎ	shironegi	Green onion (though literally “white onion” in Japanese)
にんにく	nin-niku	Garlic
こしょう	koshō	Pepper (can refer to black or white, but is usually black)
種	tane	Seeds; kernels
みじん切りにする	mijin kiri ni suru	To cut finely; mince
皿	sara	Plate; dish
さいばし	saibashi	Long chopsticks for cooking and serving food
手早くほぐす	tebayaku hogusu	To quickly loosen or separate (here, used to decribe quickly stirring the meat in the pan)
香り	kaori	Smell; scent; aroma; fragrance

The Time I Cooked Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Have you ever wondered how to make sweet potatoes into a dessert, Japanese style? Probably not, but read on and learn how anyway!

スイートポテト – Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English	Japanese
400 g sweet potatoes (0.88 lb or 14.1 oz)	さつまいも　４００ｇ
32 g butter (about 2.5 Tbsp)	バター　３２ｇ
60 g granulated sugar (about 1/3 cup)	グラニュー糖　６０ｇ
4 Tbsp whole milk	牛乳　大さじ４
Dash of salt	塩　少々
2 egg yolks (divided)	卵黄　１個分＋１個分
1 Tbsp dark rum	ラム酒　大さじ１
A little bit of water	水　少々

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F). Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut into rounds 3 cm in width. Place the sliced potatoes into a bowl of water as you cut them, then drain when ready to proceed to the next step.

Fill a saucepan with plenty of water, then put in the potatoes and heat until the water is boiling. When they can be easily pierced with a chopstick or fork, remove from heat and drain the hot water.

While the potatoes are still hot in the drained saucepan, quickly crush them until they are broken up into small pieces. Add the 32 g of butter and mix well. Then add the 4 Tbsp of milk, 60 g granulated sugar, and salt, then heat on low heat. While stirring constantly, let the moisture evaporate, and mash until the potatoes become smooth.

Quickly cool the potatoes by placing the hot saucepan into a bowl of ice water. When they have cooled a bit, add one of the egg yolks and 1 Tbsp rum, then mix well.

Lay down some parchment paper on a flat surface like a counter or table. Divide the sweet potato dough into four equal sections and place on the paper. Form each into a football-like shape by wrapping them in the parchment, then using a dish towel on the outside of the wrapper to manipulate the hot dough.

In a small bowl, put in the other egg yolk and add a little water, then mix. Place the football-shaped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then lightly brush the tops with the egg mixture.

Put the baking sheet on the top rack in the oven, which should be between 180-200°C (356-392°F). For two potato shapes, bake for 15-20 minutes. For 4, bake for 20-25 minutes. When the tops dry out after baking, take the potatoes out of the oven and brush with the egg mixture once more. Then put them back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. When the tops have browned, they are ready to be taken out of the oven and served.

(Note: Japanese dessert sweet potatoes are often served with a bit of honey on top.)

Vocabulary:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
はかり	hakari	Scale (ie. Cooking scale)
ピーラー	pīrā	Vegetable peeler
オーブン	ōbun	Oven
オーブンシート	ōbun shīto	Parchment paper
ふきん	fukin	Dish towel; dish rag
ハケ	hake	Brush (here, refers to a cooking or pastry brush)
バター	batā	Butter
牛乳	gyūnyū	Milk
卵黄	ranō	Egg yolk(s)
たっぷり	tappuri	Fully; amply; generously
細かい	komakai	Small; fine
つぶす	tsubusu	To crush; smash; mash
氷水	kōri mizu	Ice water
敷く	shiku	To spread; lay out
生地	kiji	Dough
溶きほぐす	toki-hogusu	To scramble (an egg)
表面	hyōmen	The surface; face; ouside; exterior
上段	jōdan	The upper row, tier, step, or rack

 

The Time I Cooked Miso Soup with Tofu and Mushrooms

豆腐となめこのもそ汁 – Miso Soup with Tofu and Mushrooms

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English	Japanese
120 g momen tofu (coarse-grained tofu) (4.23 oz)	木綿どうふ　１２０ｇ
100 g nameko mushrooms (3.53 oz)	なめこ　１００ｇ
1 bunch scallions	細ねぎ　１本
4 cups dashi-jiru (bonito and kelp stock, sold in pouches in Japanese food stores)	だし汁　４カップ
2 and 2/3 Tbsp shinshu miso (yellow miso paste)	信州みそ　大さじ２と２/３

 
Preparation:

Mince the scallions finely, then set aside. Drain the tofu, then cut into 1.5 cm cubes.

Boil some water in a small saucepan, then add the nameko mushrooms. Allow them to steam for only a short time (the Japanese recipe says “until moistened with steam”), then quickly drain the water in a collander. Divide the mushrooms among four soup bowls and set aside.

In a large pot, add 4 cups dashi-jiru and the cubed tofu, then turn on the heat and boil until the tofu cubes begin to float and bob on the surface. Add the shinshu miso, then lower the heat to a simmer. Add the scallions, then remove from heat.

Pour the dashi and tofu soup over the mushrooms in each bowl, then serve.

Vocabulary:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
なめこ	nameko	Japanese nameko mushrooms. Can be found in specialty Asian grocery stores.
細ねぎ	hosonegi	Scallions (literally “thin onions”). I’ve also seen this translated as “thin leeks.” The images on the recipe show mostly the green parts being used.
もそ汁	miso-shiru	Miso soup
だし汁	dashi-jiru	Concentrated kelp and bonito stock that can be bought as a powder, or as a paste in a pouch in Japanese grocery stores. The recipe is referring to 4 cups of the broth made from this mix.
信州みそ	shinshu miso	Shinshu miso paste, also known as yellow miso paste. It is light brown in color and salty, and is usually sold in small plastic tubs.
ふっとうする	futtō suru	To boil
沸く	waku	To boil; grow hot
さっと	satto	Suddenly; quickly
湯通しする	yudōshi suru	To moisten with steam
浮く	uku	To float; rise to the surface

The Time I Cooked Tonkatsu

Here is another recipe from the Nintendo cooking game しゃべる！ＤＳお料理ナビ.

This time, it’s a popular dish found at many Japanese restaurants all over the world. It’s tonkatsu, which is a thin, deep-fried cutlet of pork. Let’s get cooking!

とんかつ – Tonkatsu

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English	Japanese
4 pieces of tonkatsu pork (thin pork loin cutlets)	豚ロース肉（とんカツ用）　４枚
Dash of salt	塩　少々
Dash of pepper	こしょう　少々
Flour (as needed)	小麦粉　適量
2 eggs	卵　２個
Panko (as needed)	パン粉　適量
Frying oil (as needed)	揚げ油　適量
2 cabbage leaves	キャベツ　２枚
4 tomato wedges	トマトのくし形切り　４個
4 lemon wedges	レモンのくし形切り　４個
1 stalk parsley (small)	パセリ（小）　１本
6 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce (sold in Japanese and Asian grocery stores)	とんカツソース　大さじ６
4 Tbsp ketchup	トマトケチャップ　大さじ４
2 tsp + 4 tsp mustard (type not specified, so yellow would be fine I think)	マスタード　小さじ２＋小さじ４

 

Preparation:

In a small pot, add 6 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce, 4 Tbsp ketchup, and 2 tsp mustard. Stirring constantly, heat under low heat until warm.

Cut the cabbage leaves into thin strips, then briefly soak in a bowl of cold water. Drain and set aside.

Using a pestle or rolling pin wrapped in plastic wrap, lightly pound the meat until it’s flattened to a even thickness throughout. With a knife, lightly make 3-4 horizontal indentations into each piece of meat, making sure each cut goes through both the muscle and fat. Season the top of each cutlet with some salt and pepper. Discard the plastic wrap.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then set aside.

Prepare three separate plates with flour on one, panko on the next, and the beaten eggs on the other. Dip the pork into the flour mixture, coat evenly, then shake off the excess. Next, dip the meat into the eggs. Then place the pork into the panko and make sure that it’s coated evenly. Do the same for all 4 pieces.

Take a cookie sheet or other flat pan and line it with a layer of paper towels. In a pot suitable for frying (deep and heavy), heat the frying oil until it reaches 160°C (320°F). Use a kitchen or candy thermometer, or test the oil by dropping in a small piece of bread. If it turns brown quickly, the oil is ready. The Japanese recipe suggests sticking dried cooking chopsticks into the oil. When bubbles rise from the wood, the oil is hot enough. Gently place a piece of breaded pork into the oil, but beware of splashing! Fry until the meat rises to the surface of the oil and the frying sounds begin to sound “metallic.” (This is what the Japanese recipe says. I would let it fry until it’s a nice golden brown.) Lift the meat from the oil using a strainer, and place on the paper towel-lined pan. Repeat with the rest of the pieces of pork.

Cut each fried piece of pork horizontally into small bite-sized strips. Plate next to the rinsed cabbage, and serve with the lemon, tomato, and parsley as garnishes. Serve with the tonkatsu sauce mixture and 4 tsp of mustard (divided).

Vocabulary:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
塩	shio	Salt
卵	tamago	Egg(s)
パン粉	panko	Panko (Japanese bread crumbs that can be found in most grocery stores)
キャベツ	kyabetsu	Cabbage
パセリ	paseri	Parsley
なべ	nabe	A cooking pot or pan; saucepan
すり鉢＆すりこ木	suribachi & surikogi	Mortar and pestle (this recipe called for a pestle instead of a rolling pin. Odd!)
ザル	zaru	Colander
バット	batto	A shallow pan a bit deeper than a cookie sheet; tray
ラップ	rappu	Plastic wrap
キッチンペーパー	kicchin pēpā	Paper towels
せん切りにする	sankiri ni suru	To cut into thin strips
さらす	sarasu	To soak; rinse (at least in this recipe? The dictionary told me it meant “to bleach”)
水をきる	mizu o kiru	To drain water (from)
厚み	atsumi	Thickness; depth
ほぐす	hogusu	To quickly loosen or separate (when used with eggs, it means “To beat”)
溶き卵	tokitamago	Beaten egg(s)
そえる	soeru	To attach; to accompany; to garnish

 

The Time I Cooked Yellowtail Teriyaki

In addition to hitting the books, a fun way to learn new Japanese vocabulary is by making a Japanese dish. While I lived in Japan, it was tempting to resort to Cup Noodle or instant curry every night, but I eventually bought a video game called しゃべる！ＤＳお料理ナビ (Shaberu! DS o-ryōri nabi) for my Nintendo DS when it was released in 2006. This game—which will work on Japanese and American systems alike—is a portable, interactive cookbook with 200 common Japanese recipes. Sadly, an English translation of the game was never released, though an American version with mostly Western recipes called Personal Trainer: Cooking can be bought on Amazon.

A little animated chef walks you through each recipe, timing steps as needed and providing helpful videos regarding cooking techniques. As such, it’s perfect for beginner chefs, and all the often-repeated cooking vocabulary makes for great language study!

Some of my favorite recipes are some of the easiest such as teriyaki fish/beef or sukiyaki (a one-pot meal where almost anything can work as an ingredient). Though cooking authentic Japanese food in the states can be difficult because of a lack of ingredients, NYC has ample resources for international chefs. In my opinion, one of the biggest differences between Japanese and American cooking is the relative subtlety of flavors in Japanese dishes. Flavors tend to be balanced, but understated compared to some American classics like spicy BBQ or hamburgers with spices folded into the meat. That and traditionally, much Japanese food is cooked using very long chopsticks instead of a wooden spoon for sautéing. I cheated and used a spoon most of the time because I was tired of clumsily dropping and ruining my food.

Anyway, here is a simple recipe translated from the DS game that you can make yourself! Most of these ingredients can be easily found in most US grocery stores, but there are a few such as pickled ginger and mirin that might be a little more difficult to locate. I’ve included the ingredients list in English and Japanese, and more useful cooking vocabulary is listed below. Enjoy!

ぶりの照り焼き – Yellowtail Teriyaki

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English	Japanese
4 yellowtail fillets	ぶり（切り身）　４切れ
Flour (as needed)	小麦粉　適量
2 Tbsp salad oil	サラダ油　大さじ２
40 g pickled ginger	しょうがの甘酢漬け　４０ｇ
4 Tbsp mirin	みりん　大さじ４
4 Tbsp soy sauce	しょうゆ　大さじ４
1 Tbsp sugar	砂糖　大さじ１

 

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp sugar, 4 Tbsp mirin, and 4 Tbsp soy sauce. Set aside.

In another bowl or plate, add some flour. Coat each side of the fish evenly.

Add 2 Tbsp salad oil to a frying pan and set on medium heat. Place the fish in the pan skin side down. Cook until you see a nice brownish golden color and flip over (a few minutes per side). Turn the heat to low. Soak up the excess oil with some paper towels.

Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan. Cook until the fish looks nice and coated.

Put the fish on a plate and add the ginger on the side for garnish. (I also cooked up some rice to make this more of a meal.)

Vocabulary:

Note: Japanese vowels are pronounced similarly to those in Spanish. Vowels with lines over them indicate that they should be held for a longer amount of time – approximately two beats.

Vowel	Pronunciation
a	The “a” in “father”
i	The “y” sound in “meaty“
u	The “u” in “Tuesday”
e	The “e” in “egg”
o	The “o” in “old”

 

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
ぶり	buri	Yellowtail
小麦粉	komugiko	Wheat flour
適量	tekiryō	As needed
しょうが	shōga	Ginger
しょうがの甘酢漬け	shōga no amazutzuke	Pickled ginger
しょうゆ	shōyu	Soy sauce
砂糖	satō	Sugar
タレ	tare	Sauce
計量カップ	keiryō kappu	Measuring cup
計量スプーン	keiryō supūn	Measuring spoon
入れる	ireru	To put in (an ingredient)
混ぜ合わせる	mazeawaseru	To mix
まぶす	mabusu	To cover (smear, sprinkle) (with)
熱する	nessuru	To heat
中火	chūbi	Medium heat
弱火	yowabi	Low heat
焼く	yaku	To bake or grill