My stepdaughter does not do salad but she said she’d actually like it if it was always dressed with Kayanoya’s creamy sesame miso dressing. It’s an amazing dressing. I’d brought a bottle of it back home from our trip to Japan last summer and—now that it’s gone—I was set on making a version of my […]
After a long hiatus, I’m easing back into things with this simple, delicious recipe. It comes from Nancy Singleton Hachisu’s Japanese Farm Food, a book my very generous (and wildly talented) cousin Kathy let me thumb through. It’s a fairly thick tome, with a mix of approachable recipes (like this one), and complicated ones (like […]
I recently came across a new subscription service called Skoshbox. Readers out there who have limited access to Japanese products—you’ll love this. Every month, Skoshbox delivers the best of Japanese snacks and other items straight to your door for $12 per month (includes shipping). This service model is like a CSA box for Japanese snacks […]
For anyone who thinks rice is a little boring, I urge you to make this Mixed Rice with Pork and Bamboo Shoots. This maze gohan (mixed rice) is one of my favorites for its ease and short ingredient list. But more importantly it delivers in flavor. Today is the last day of my month-long challenge […]
I found this recipe on Bread et Butter and couldn’t wait to try it. I had some leftover matcha from last week’s Matcha Roll Cake, so making this was a no-brainer. The fragrance of the matcha really came through when I was preparing the dough and I loved the deep mossy color.
When we have dinner guests, this Beer Beef Stew with Bacon and Shimeji is often on the menu. I didn’t think twice about including it in this month of recipes until my husband pointed out that he didn’t know it was Japanese. What makes a recipe Japanese? The source? The technique? The ingredients? The cook? […]
These pickles are quick and they balance the salty, sweet, and sour flavors beautifully. There’s also something gratifying about smashing cucumbers with a rolling pin, so if you have some aggression to let out, here’s your chance! The result is a more rustic pickle, crunchy, refreshing, and delicious.
Kakiage tempura is a mixed vegetable tempura, usually with carrots, onion, and gobo. I didn’t have any gobo on hand, so I made it with just the 2 ingredients. Instead of preparing a variety of vegetables and shrimp, what I like about kakiage tempura is its quick and versatile. We had tempura soba the first […]
What’s great about this Kuwayaki Pork Donburi is how the sweet and sticky sauce clings to the pork and the way the shiso perfumes each bite. When I saw the recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, I was immediately drawn to the photo. It looked amazing. So, you can imagine I was even more […]
To change things up, I baked this Matcha Roll Cake. I don’t post many sweets, but my friend Christy very casually made a similar cake and thought it was one of those easy, but impressive desserts. Impressive—yes. Light, airy, and delicious—yes. But it took me a few tries to get it right. Each time I […]
