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 […]
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned I’m allergic to soy. Which is ironic, given the title of this blog and how much Japanese food depends on it. I’m mostly sensitive to tofu and miso, so I almost never make misoshiru. It pains me because I loved my grandmother’s misoshiru growing up! Instead, I’ve been making […]
Heard of kinpira gobo? It’s the dish that uses the earthy flavors of burdock root, combines it with carrots, and cooks it in a salty and sweet sauce. Kinpira Kabocha is a great alternative to that staple side dish. Instead of gobo, it’s the kabocha that soaks up the flavors of the sauce. The profile […]
I’ve decided to be a pescatarian for a month, just to see if it will make me feel any different. I’m not a huge meat eater, but I consume it out of habit, without thinking. This month, I want to be deliberate about what I put into my body and part of this is making […]
Savory rice with mushrooms and just a hint of ginger. My mom made this when we visited over the holidays and it reminded me how much I love this dish. There are 3 types of mushrooms used here: shimeji, shiitake, and eringi. First, the mushrooms are cooked in dashi and strained. Then, you take this […]
Somen is served in the summer as a cold noodle dish. When the heat is unrelenting, cool off with this quick, refreshing meal!
Many, many years ago, my cousin told me she made udon from homemade dashi. When I asked her about the taste, she said it added more depth to her broth and raved about how delicious it was. Dashi is a simple fish stock frequently used to cook any number of dishes like miso soup, namasu, […]
