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:
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 [...]
By Azusa | Published:
February 25, 2010
As a kid I called it “suki yucky” because I was tickled by the oxymoron (suki means like or love in Japanese). Sukiyaki was a treat growing up. My mom would plop the portable electric stove on the dining table and the meat, vegetables, and tofu would bubble as we filled our bowls, then dipped [...]
Also posted in Favorites, Rice Dishes, Traditional Recipes | Tagged beef, donburi, enoki, konnyaku, leeks, napa cabbage, rice bowl, shungiku, tofu |
By Azusa | Published:
October 27, 2009
This is what they mean when they say umami.
I say this surprisingly because the recipe was relatively simple. Slices of pork loin (I used kurobuta from the Japanese market) goes in a quick 5 minute marinade, gets a coat of katakuriko (potato starch), then pan fried and cooked in a shoyu, mirin, and sugar. [...]
By Azusa | Published:
October 14, 2009
If you don’t have nimble fingers, no matter. This gyoza is simple to assemble—the most low-maintenance version I’ve seen. The gyoza skin is filled, folded in half, and the top section is pinched at one point. No laborious crimping, no fear of air pockets, no mending needed when the filling pokes out.
The filling is made [...]
By Azusa | Published:
October 7, 2009
There isn’t anything easier than shoyu chicken. Mix, pour, simmer. That’s it. But it simmers for a good hour, so be sure you’ve planned ahead. The meat soaks up the sauce and becomes very tender and could win over anyone, even the most picky eaters.
This recipe is from one of those community cookbooks from [...]
By Azusa | Published:
July 15, 2009
Fellow eggplant lovers, hope you give this a try. This recipe is similar to an amazing miso eggplant dish my mom makes, but differs in many respects. Hers is boldly salty and sweet, rich, and hearty. This one is mild, delicate, and delicious. I used shiro miso (which is sweeter than red miso), so [...]
By Azusa | Published:
July 2, 2009
I’ve never cooked a cucumber before. Does it turn soggy? Does it turn soft? I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea, but the photo in the book was working hard to sell me on the idea. I love eggplant and all things spicy so decided it was a go.
My love for this recipe are [...]
