By Azusa | Published:
January 30, 2012
I stop at the Little Tokyo Public Library from time to time and go through stacks and stacks of food magazines and cookbooks. And this recipe keeps popping up. Harumi Kurihara’s books are my favorite and I noticed this carrot and tuna salad recipe making an appearance in a couple of her books, some Japanese, [...]
By Azusa | Published:
November 17, 2011
I can’t say enough good things about this oshiruko. Oshiruko is a sweet porridge traditionally made with azuki beans and a few pieces of shiratama (dumplings made of shiratamako—glutinous rice flour). This recipe uses kabocha instead, blending it with creamy coconut milk and condensed milk to allow the natural, earthy sweetness of the kabocha to [...]
Posted in Contemporary Recipes, Favorites, Sweets | Tagged coconut milk, condensed milk, dessert, kabocha, mochi, pumpkin, shiratama, steam, sweet |
By Azusa | Published:
October 26, 2011
Japanese love mayonnaise. They bake it on toast, on pizza, toss it straight up with sliced cabbage, and mix it with mentaiko (spicy cod roe). Here, it’s combined with shoyu and wasabi, poured over sliced avocados and tomatoes, and baked. Maybe it sounds strange, but I was immediately drawn to this recipe.
Posted in Contemporary Recipes, Vegetables | Tagged avocado, bake, gratin, japan, japanese, lemon, mayonnaise, panko, shoyu, tomato, vegetarian, wafu, wasabi |
By Azusa | Published:
October 22, 2011
It was a busy summer with the move and I overlooked a big thank you I wanted to send to Heather at FOOD & WINE Magazine in Ireland. Their May issue focused on Japanese cuisine and they were kind enough to mention Humble Bean as a part of their “10 Foodie Facts You Didn’t Know [...]
By Azusa | Published:
October 19, 2011
Chewy udon noodles blanketed in thick curry and topped with a pan-fried tomato seemed just the right thing to welcome the cool autumn weather… except that we’re still experiencing 90+ degrees, here in Los Angeles. No matter. Hot weather calls for hot food. My dad would tell me that after sweating over a steaming bowl [...]
By Azusa | Published:
October 13, 2011
I had the most unexpected epiphany while eating the Arturo pizza at Folliero’s in Highland Park, CA. I love this pizza. It’s mozzarella, eggplant, and garlic—that’s it. No sauce. Imagine crunchy, chewy dough with ribbons of roasted sweet eggplant, salty melted mozzarella, and an occasional bite of garlic. I love it so much, it’s pretty [...]
Posted in Contemporary Recipes, Favorites | Tagged bake, dough, eggplant, italian, mozzarella, nasu, nori, pizza, ricotta, roast, seaweed |
By Azusa | Published:
September 21, 2011
We moved to a new house over the summer. My mom visited, carefully carrying 2 small green Japanese shiso plants with her on the plane. She planted them in our yard and they’ve thrived all summer, exploding with leaves—almost to the point where I can barely keep up. My mom suggested making preserved shiso or [...]
By Azusa | Published:
June 6, 2011
Back in February, I collaborated with Chris from Freshly Diced on a piece that’s featured on their site: a recipe for Goma Ozoni. Ozoni is typically eaten for New Year’s and yes… I know it’s June. Keep it in mind for next year, or make it anyway! It’s a lovely soup—nutty, salty, and punctuated with [...]
By Azusa | Published:
June 2, 2011
This is a classic Japanese recipe. It’s one of those sides you see tucked into a corner of a bento. Easily overlooked, but one of my favorites. You could also use black sesame, which also is delicious and looks more dramatic. I used a Japanese mortar and pestle to grind the sesame, but I’ve seen [...]
By Azusa | Published:
May 27, 2011
Have you eaten a cooked radish? Lately, the recipes I’ve come across all seem to use them in raw form. I love the crunch of a raw radish in a salad or tea sandwich, but there’s something more exciting about a radish that’s been slow simmered. Cooking it brings out a mellow sweetness with a [...]
