The dinner rotation is an unspoken, yet essential schedule. Most of us have five or six reliable recipes tucked away in our back pockets, ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice. Sometimes this means cooking the same dishes week in, week out. Venturing outside this routine should be an exciting prospect. Maybe you’ve been inspired by a travel documentary or a new cookbook caught your eye. It doesn’t look that hard, right? But hunting down the right ingredients can feel like a minefield when you don’t really know what you’re looking for or even where to find them. Shopping well is crucial for success in the kitchen. God only knows the number of times I’ve come home with the wrong thing or given up because I was overwhelmed by the supermarket aisles. What if I end up wasting money on a new meal that turns out catastrophic? Some cuisines are more daunting than others. Japanese food has such a reputation for perfection that the idea of making anything other than a katsu at home terrifies me. But it wouldn’t be so scary if I had a real-life expert to walk me through the supermarket shelves, show me what to look for and demonstrate that I could indeed be churning out beautiful sushi, delicious broths and other Japanese dishes from my humble kitchen. Enter: cookbook author and teacher, Atsuko Ikeda, who has offered to take me to an Asian cash and carry to teach me how to shop for Japanese ingredients. We meet at Tazaki, a major distributor of Asian ingredients in the UK that has a warehouse in North Greenwich. It was previously owned by SeeWoo but was acquired by Tazaki last year and is currently in the process of revamping stock. However, it still carries just about everything you need to get started on a Japanese culinary adventure. Ikeda, who has authored three cookbooks on Japanese small plates, comfort food and sushi, is a frequent visitor. We begin by perusing the fresh ingredients, like daikon (white winter radish), whole lotus root and mustard greens. The whole lotus root can be sliced thinly and fried to make crispy lotus chips, while the snow-white daikon can be grated into sauce or cubed and added to soups. But we’re starting simpler. Ikeda picks up shimeji mushrooms, small round cap fungi with medium-length stems that grow from a single base. These have an earthier flavour and are denser in texture than regular button or chestnut mushrooms, which means they retain their size and shape a little better. Spring onions, avocado and carrots also make it into the basket, common vegetables that can be found in any supermarket. We move onto carbs and delve into the rice section. As Ikeda is teaching me how to make sushi later, she explains that it is made with Japanese short-grain rice; it has a more glutinous, starchy texture than long-grain rice, which is more popular in the UK. This starchy quality of short-grain rice makes it stickier, an essential feature to make sure sushi rolls and nigiri bites don’t fall apart. A trusted brand for most Japanese ingredients, including sushi rice, is Yutaka, which can be found almost anywhere – I’ve seen it stocked in my local fishmonger. Plenty of other brands abound, with some supermarkets even providing their own brand products, but Ikeda’s recommendation goes straight into my basket. She points out a variety of noodles, and we’re talking much more than udon. There are bouncy shirataki noodles, almost transparent noodles made from konjac yam that can be eaten hot or cold. You can purchase frozen ramen noodles if you’re experimenting with making your own ramen, but Ikeda winks as she tells me she usually just goes to her favourite ramen shop when she’s craving it. Soba noodles, which can be bought dried, are perfect for the summer when tossed into a cold peanut sauce with an assortment of vegetables. The list goes on and on, but Ikeda reassures me that most noodles are versatile and it mainly depends on what type of texture you’re going for rather than flavour. Next is the condiments aisle, where miso resides (can miso be considered a condiment? I’m not so sure). Miso is, of course, a must-have staple. Ikeda points out three types: white miso, sweet rice miso and barley miso. Later, when we taste them, I’m surprised to learn how vastly different they taste from one another. The white miso, which is the most common type used in recipes, has a slight tang and a savouriness that makes your mouth water, while the barley has a deeper, maltier flavour that is mcuh more comforting. I highly recommend buying different types to taste for yourself. Ikeda also introduces me to yuzugosho, a spicy, tart condiment containing the yuzu fruit and fiery green chillies. It brought a tear to my eye, both from the heat and delicious flavour. Ikeda also teaches me that most commercial wasabi contains more horseradish than wasabi, so buyer beware: if you’re seeking the real deal, you may have to be prepared to shell out more money than you initially think. Some brands are 100 per cent horseradish, marketed as wasabi, so checking the label is essential. The same goes for mirin, a Japanese sweet rice wine which varies in alcohol content. A good rule of thumb is that the cheaper the mirin, the lower the alcohol content. Soy sauce is another staple for most Asian cuisines, but there are differences. Ikeda prefers to use tamari soy sauce, which is thicker and, I find, not as intensely salty as the soy sauce you usually get in tiny fish-shaped plastic bottles from takeaways. At home, I’m a Kikkoman soy sauce fan, but Ikeda recommends Yutaka’s organic tamari soy sauce for a more mellow, sweeter flavour. In terms of proteins, it depends on what dish you want. We’re focused on fish, particularly sushi-grade salmon, which you can buy from Tazaki or most fishmongers. This is where I’m especially nervous, because it’s easy to get the cut wrong. However, knowledgeable fishmongers are your best friends when it comes to choosing the cut, so ask plenty of questions. Ikeda shows me how to slice the salmon for different types of sushi rolls and nigiri, as well as how to steam the fish in a baking parchment parcel, slathered in miso and accompanied by the shimeji mushrooms we’d purchased earlier. You can also add fish roe or masago caviar to your Japanese dishes. The bright orange spheres add a unique saltiness and a satisfying texture to sushi, but can also be used to top rice dishes or stirred through Japanese-inspired pastas. A reliable brand is Elsinore, which can be found in Waitrose. I still find the idea of making sushi daunting, but the supermarket aisles no longer feel so intimidating now that I have a clearer idea of what to look for. 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Rachel Zegler has divided people over the comments she made about Disney's upcoming Snow White live-action remake, declaring the princess is "not going to be dreaming about true love". The 22-year-old actor who plays Snow White in the new adaptation set to be released next year has revealed what viewers can expect and how it will diverge from the original 1937 film. Rather than being a damsel in distress, Zegler described how her take on the character will portray her as "leader." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "It's no longer 1937. We absolutely wrote a Snow White that is not gonna be saved by the prince," she told Variety in September last year alongside co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen and also agreed with Zegler. "She’s not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love.” Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot on Bringing a New Modern Edge to 'Snow White' www.youtube.com "She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true." She added: "So, it’s just a really incredible story for young people everywhere to see themselves in.” In another interview with Entertainment Weekly, Zegler admitted she had only watched the original film once as she discussed the remake. Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot on 'Snow White' | D23 2022 | Entertainment Weekly www.youtube.com "I was scared of the original version. I think I watched it once and never picked it up again. I'm being so serious," she said. "I watched it once, and then I went on the ride in Disney World, which was called Snow White's Scary Adventures. Doesn't sound like something a little kid would like. I was terrified of it, never revisited Snow White again." Zegler also conveyed this message in an interview with ExtraTV where she called the Prince a "stalker" and joked that scenes from the remake including the Prince (played by Andrew Burnap) may get cut. Rachel Zegler Teases Hunger Games Prequel and FANGIRLS Over Jennifer Lawrence (Exclusive) www.youtube.com "The original cartoon came out in 1937, and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird! So we didn't do that this time," she said. "We have a different approach to what I'm sure a lot of people will assume is a love story just because we cast a guy in the movie," "All of Andrew's scenes could get cut, who knows? It's Hollywood, baby!" Since then Zegler's comments have prompted discussions online about the upcoming remake, with some criticising the actor's take that Snow White shouldn't dream about love. "It is not anti-feminist to want to fall in love, to want to get married, to want to stay at home, to be soft, to want to be a homemaker. None of these things makes you less valuable as a person or a woman," @cosywithangie said in a viral TikTok. "Criticising Disney princesses is not feminist. Not every woman is a leader. Not every woman wants to be a leader. Not every woman wants or craves power and that's ok." "You're right, it's no longer 1937, and you know what else women no longer have to do? Choose between a career or love, we can have both," @thechickflicksshow said. She then noted how other previous Snow White adaptations such as Snow White & The Huntsman (2012) and Mirror, Mirror (2012) allowed the princess to be her own saviour but she also found true love too. While @nuttybutter96 questioned why a remake was being made if Zegler "hated the original so much." "I don't think I've ever seen such a condescending, smug, Disney princess ever in my life," the TikToker said. "She made us sound like women only matter if they're hateful of love, hateful of any kind of romance, and we only exist to thrive and be a leader." However, some people have defended Zegler and believe the hate and criticism she's received is unwarranted. "Rachel Zegler is just another 22-year-old actor who has cameras in her face all the time and didn't give a perfect answer one time," @jstoobs said and called out those getting "weird" about the situation. “She made one comment about how Snow White has ambitions of her own that has nothing to do with romance, and suddenly everyone decided that women being damsels in distress is [feminist], actually," @waitforme_II tweeted. "But don't u guys remember Maleficent? That movie was good but she wasn't saved by the prince?" one commenter wrote, in reference to Maleficent (2014), the Disney live-action remake of Sleeping Beauty. "Robert Pattison is always hating on Twilight and Edward [Cullen] but everyone loves him for that," someone else noted. The live-action remake of Snow White is set to be released in March 2024. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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