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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
