For today’s look back, I want to re/introduce you to Tuna + Avocado Donburi. This was one of those one-bowl meals that sprung out of necessity and surprised me when it turned out as good as it did. I love that the ingredients are few and the method is simple, and yet you get a […]
I make this Chinese-influenced soup when serving a batch of gyoza or fried rice. I don’t know how it’s traditionally made, but here dashi is used as a base, which gives it a smooth, smokiness I like. If you have dashi on hand (I usually double a batch and freeze what I don’t use), this […]
Chicken soboro is ground chicken cooked in shoyu, mirin, and sugar. It’s layered on top of rice and sprinkled with sake-cooked scrambled egg on top. It’s great for bentos and you could also use it as a filling for musubi without the egg. I made this the other day and my stepdaughter loved it, so […]
Hamburger steak is essentially Japanese meatloaf in patty form. Many of the ingredients are the same—softened onions, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, etc. The only difference is meatloaf takes an hour in the oven and this is cooked on a stovetop in minutes. I usually make a sauce that combines tonkatsu sauce, ketchup, and sake, but lately […]
I’m reserving Fridays of this month to spotlight a recipe from the archives. These are recipes that made a strong impression on me and ones that I’d like to incorporate into my regular repertoire more often. This week I’m taking another look at Sukiyaki Donburi. Growing up, sukiyaki was a leisurely meal. We’d fill our […]
Do you love sushi? Is it becoming an expensive habit? Making sushi at home doesn’t have to require any rolling technique or special equipment. Temaki zushi (which translates to hand rolled sushi) is DIY—you prepare all the ingredients and everyone makes their own hand rolls. It feels communal and the best part is creating your […]
A close cousin to the commonly known Japanese fried chicken, karaage, tatsuta age is different in that the chicken sits in a quick marinade before dusted in a coat of katakuriko and fried in hot oil. I know deep frying seems like a lot of work but as a side dish, it’s no big deal. […]
Have you ever had hayashi rice? It’s a beloved dish, right up there with omuraisu and curry rice, but doesn’t get as much attention here in the U.S. I ate it growing up, but it fell off my radar until our last trip to Japan. Quickly, it’s become one of our favorites so I knew […]
We’ve been getting great daikon at the market. I wanted a recipe with a well-seasoned broth that gently cooked its flavors into the daikon. I found this Chinese-inspired dish in haru-mi, Harumi Kurihara’s quarterly magazine. The savory broth is made from the reserved liquid from rehydrated shiitake, chicken broth, shoyu, oyster sauce, leek, and smashed […]
I’m going to make this short and sweet. I sprang into action with a kabocha I had in the fridge after watching Mark Bittman’s latest video. I had other plans, but quickly changed course after I saw jammy caramelized onions being smashed into roasted kabocha and layered with fresh ricotta on toast. And wow. I […]
