By Azusa | Published:
June 23, 2009
I’ve never made an exceptional fried rice. Maybe my ratios are off. Maybe it always tastes better when someone else makes it. My dad once made fried rice with kabocha and it was delicious. When I tried making it, it was very mediocre.
But this recipe isn’t about kabocha, but about two of my favorite things: bacon and shiso! Oh, and let me tell you—it was as delicious as it sounds. Shiso is wonderfully fragrant. Sometimes used in sushi as an accent, fried in tempura batter, or pickled, shiso’s distinctively bright flavor makes it one of my favorite herbs. Add bacon and how can you go wrong?
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
June 17, 2009
I’ve loved Daikokuya from the time they first opened their doors. They had replaced an okonomiyaki restaurant (which at the time I sadly mourned) but was happy to discover what was to replace it. This is ramen as it should be.
Daikokuya’s tonkotsu ramen is made from kurobuta and is the best ramen I’ve eaten outside Japan. Their ramen is topped generously with green onions, slices of kurobuta chashu, menma (pickled bamboo shoots), bean sprouts, and a soft-boild egg. The egg is marinated overnight and the result is flavor-packed perfection—one of the things I look forward to most when the steaming bowl lands in front of me. Before digging in I cover it in a blizzard of white pepper and a small spoonful of the mashed garlic set out on the table.
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
June 12, 2009
I’ve been drooling over the kitchen and tableware products at Merchant No. 4. The hook was a beautiful limited-edition ceramic vase I saw on Design Milk by Japanese artist Emogayu. Sadly, this piece is sold out, but exploring the site was like being a kid in a candy store. I want it all!! The wood/glass canisters, Acacia wood measuring spoons, Molecule Dish, and Kami Cup are all high on my wish list.
I like Merchant No. 4’s modest selection of products. No need to search page after page to find a beautiful must-have. Everything on this site is a composite snapshot of things I’d want laying around my kitchen. Figures, since their tag line isn’t Design Objects We Kinda Like, but Design Objects We Love. This is a very carefully curated group of objects with a strong focus on materials and simple forms. Forget my wish list, I’d be happy to take home anything from Merchant No. 4.
By Azusa | Published:
June 10, 2009
When it comes to natto, there are two camps: the lovers and the haters. They say you’re not truly Japanese unless you enjoy eating this stuff, but most Kansai people don’t like it. I grew up with natto because my family strongly believes in its health benefits. My grandmother says it makes your blood sara sara—meaning it thins your blood and reduces clotting.
Read More »
By Yoko | Published:
June 4, 2009
In 2003, my husband and I moved out of the San Francisco Bay Area and made a Santa Rosa hillside our home. Since then, both of us have become serious gardeners. How serious? We turned every square inch of our lot to planting trees, bushes, flowers, and vegetables. By trial and error, we learned not only how to grow things, but about irrigation and garden management.
Last week we harvested garlic. Usually we plant garlic cloves in the fall, but we were late last year and almost missed the planting season entirely. It was early December when we bought garlic from a local farm for planting. Garlic is one of the easiest vegetables to grow because they are practically care-free. There are no diseases to worry about and regular watering assures you a crop (even if you miss the normal planting time!).
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
May 31, 2009
Tofu salad usually comes either with a refreshing shoyu-based or a creamy sesame-based dressing. I tend to prefer sesame, but this recipe popped out at me when I was perusing my mom’s collection of Japanese cooking magazines. The colors were beautiful and the combination of textures—the soft tofu, juicy tomatoes, shaki shaki lettuce, and the crunch of the fried wonton skins—was what did it for me.
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
May 13, 2009
A beautiful bag of Lupicia matcha sits in my freezer. I’ve baked with it on occasion, but each time I’ve walked away unsatisfied, thinking the end product never lived up to the irresistibly delicious thing I imagined. Matcha’s delicate flavor makes it challenging to incorporate into a recipe. Other flavors can easily dominate or the matcha can be very bitter. Finding the balance is tricky.
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
May 13, 2009
My mom has an extraordinary green thumb. In the spring, she spends most of her time tending it and finds joy in doing the things most of us would rather hire someone to do. Visiting her over the weekend for Mother’s Day was a breath of fresh air (literally)—a weekend of inspiration and good mother-daughter bonding.
Even though I appreciate the flowers, usually I head straight toward her vegetable garden where she keeps six planter boxes and a modest greenhouse.
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
May 5, 2009
I made this by accident. For Sa’s lunch I packed musubi and had leftover tuna that was sautéed in shoyu, sake, and sugar. On the counter was a very ripe avocado and suddenly I had the fixings for what I now call tuna avocado donburi. If you’re having a hard time imagining what this tastes like, think of a deconstructed California roll, sans the crab and sumeshi (vinegared rice).
Read More »
By Azusa | Published:
April 28, 2009
Tsuru tsuru! That’s the sound I made when I slurped up cold somen during a heat wave in Los Angeles. With 100-degree temperatures in the middle of spring, I desperately needed something to cool me down. Somen is typical summer food in Japan because it’s light, served cold, and fantastically refreshing. The bonus is you don’t have to labor over a hot stove—it’s almost as quick to prepare as it is to slurp up. On a sweltering hot day, the cool noodles, the salty goodness of the tsuyu (dipping sauce), and the bite of the wasabi make for a perfect meal. This was going to hit the spot.
Read More »
