Posted December 17, 2011 by Jonelle Patrick Food

Pizza of December

I didn’t think Shakey’s could top the red bean, marshmallow and squash dessert pizza, but their winter specials just might surpass that creation for sheer originality. When the most ordinary offering among them is called “Roast Chicken & Pineapple,” you know you’re in for some culinary surprises.

GoboKombu — This creation features burdock root and seaweed. If you’ve ever seen burdock root (known here as gobo) you’ll wonder who was the first desperate person who thought it might be edible. The long, straight, stick-like roots are so tough they need to be cooked twice if you don’t want to be chewing them until next year.

PotatoMayo — Yes, that’s cod roe mayonnaise decoratively squeezed over the potatoes on this one.

MarcoPolo — Would you like your spaghetti with cod roe, squid and seaweed or with leafy greens, ham and white sauce?

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Jonelle Patrick View All

Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!