Hellooooo there. I ate these cucumbers at a potluck a few years ago. It was salty, crunchy, garlicky, and sweet. I asked for the recipe and permission to post it here. Then I planned, shot (with my daughter), and edited a video, and then guess what. I joined a preschool co-op! …and it sat in my queue […]
As you can imagine, a lot has changed since I had my daughter a year and a half ago. I used to enjoy the challenge of recipes that took a bit of time, skill, and rapt attention and thought the extra work and care gave it the made-with-love charm. I’ve since revised that opinion and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
Gyoza is one of the most convenient foods to have around. I make this recipe and freeze what I don’t use right away (it makes a lot!). Since I always have a bag tucked in the freezer, when I’m feeling lazy or there’s nothing else to eat in the house, I can make an instant […]
I wish I could eat tofu so I could eat spinach prepared this way. I love the gentle flavor of the sesame and the richness of the miso combined with the tofu. I’m intolerant to soy, but I had a little bite and wished I could eat more. This would be a great addition to […]
