I found this gem at my mom’s house. It’s a 1973 issue of a magazine called 秋ã®ãŠã‹ãš • 基本ã¨ç§˜è¨£ (Fall Side Dishes • Basics and Tips). 1973 is the year after my mom and dad married, here in California. Without the presence of their parents at the wedding, they flew back to Japan to formally […]
On a recent visit to my husband’s hometown, we visited his aunt and uncle who live across the street from his parents. Auntie Jackie is one of those home cooks I greatly admire. She can decipher recipes from taste, has a discriminating palate rooted in Japanese cuisine, and is incredibly confident in the kitchen. All […]
Have you disliked a certain food all your life? I hated walnuts for a long time until I came across Mark Bittman’s Beets with Garlic Walnut Sauce. I realized the walnuts I’d been eating were rancid and inappropriately inserted into things (like brownies and banana bread!). But the beet recipe made me discover the true […]
The misoshiru (miso soup) of my youth was hearty. My grandmother made it with chunks of vegetables and sometimes white fleshed fish. She used cabbage, daikon, kabocha, yellow onion, enoki, tofu, carrots, sweet potato, and other ingredients that probably needed to be used up. I loved her misoshiru, full of flavor and sustenance—not like the […]
Making dashi is easy and it’s used in many Japanese dishes, so it’s worth knowing the basics. All you need is a kombu (dried sea kelp), katsuobushi (bonito flakes), and water. I’ve written about it before, way, way back when I first started this blog. I decided to revisit the recipe and make a video […]
I’m always asked for the recipe when I serve this salad. Always. It comes from the Hawaii Soto Mission Cookbook, a spiral bound community book that my husband brought back from one of his business trips. I’ve cooked from it before, but I’ve made this salad more than anything else. The key is the ramen […]
People may criticize Oahu as being commercialized, but the vibrant food scene reflects its history of immigration, integration of diverse cultures, and tourism—and the result is some pretty amazing eats. Before we left for a quick summer trip, I pulled together a list of places to visit. I restricted it to budget-friendly restaurants and I […]
I don’t like cold soups, so you can trust me when I say this one is good. I spotted this recipe flipping through a Japanese food magazine and quickly skimmed the ingredients. They were accessible and simple so I went all in, totally overlooking the recipe’s title. It’s a good thing because I don’t think […]
The sweet and bitter juices of a grapefruit are refreshing on their own, but when doused with a dressing of olive oil, simple syrup, shiso, and wasabi, it’s magic. I know the wasabi may strike you as odd, but trust me on this. The flavor is not overpowering, but just adds to the feeling of […]
Chikuzenni is a classic Japanese dish often served on New Year’s Day, but I also find it in bentos from the Japanese market. This recipe is leaps and bounds better than what you find pre-made and it’s one of my favorite everyday dishes. This particular chizukenni recipe came from my mom and is a homey […]
