A vegetable-loaded alternative to plain rice On a lazy weekend morning when I’m hungry but unwilling to spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen, healthy and vegetable-rich dishes often take a backseat. But to prevent such habits, I have a repertoire of quick and simple ways to add more fresh vegetables to my meals, […]
cookingtips
A Vegetable Unexpectedly Rich in Umami
A common powerhouse ingredient you probably enjoy anyways There are some vegetables that I have always known to be rich in umami: sea vegetables like kombu or nori, or mushrooms like shiitake and shimeji. These vegetables are staples in my home, and have been a fundamental part of Japanese food for thousands of years. But […]
Add Any One of These Ingredients to Punch Up Flavor
The secret of soy sauce, dashi, sake, and miso The seasonings for traditional Japanese food are usually quite simple: soy sauce with a bit of grated ginger, or soup with miso paste and a bit of wakame in it. In recipes, the ingredient list tends to only be a few lines long and the directions […]
Shiso Pesto: A Japanese Take on Traditional Italian Flavors
Shiso pesto is the fusion of two food cultures I went to Italy for the first time two summers ago with my family, and I still bring up the food every chance I get. “Do you guys remember that Amatriciana we had? Oh my god, it was so good.” “But that gelato! I’d fly back […]
Japanese Food and Why Everything Comes With Ginger
A healthful spice, that makes everything nice We forgot to go grocery shopping and our fridge was looking sparse. We didn’t have many vegetables at home, besides some eggplants and a nub of ginger. Can you even cook anything good with just that? But turns out my mom had a plan — she took the […]
Rainy Season and the Joy of Cooking with Plums
The most peaceful season in Japan While some people might think the rainy season evokes feelings of gloom, it actually carries my most peaceful and quiet memories. The popular travel destinations are much less crowded, and the streets are less rowdy — a grace period after cherry blossom season and before the onset of summer […]
Use Miso to Introduce Umami to Your Dishes
One ingredient, three ways It was late at night and I had stopped by the supermarket to buy some salmon filets but hadn’t really thought about how to cook them. When I got home, I looked in the kitchen to see what I could use for seasoning and found the cabinets sparse. Another night of […]
The Perfect Side Dish to Pork Cutlet Is… Cabbage?
Why katsu is paired with shredded cabbage in Japan I was at the train station on my way home when my mom sent me a text about dinner — everyone else was out, and it seemed like it was just going to be the two of us. What are you in the mood for? We […]
