recipe

IMG: Chicken karaage - gfree

A gluten and soy-free version of a classic fried chicken recipe, that's just as tasty as the original.

Filed under:  japanese chicken favorites bento gluten-free washoku chuuka soy-free variation
IMG: peach pasta with basil

Juucy fragrant peaches work surprisingly well in this summertime appetizer pasta.

Filed under:  fruit vegetarian summer pasta vegan appetizers
IMG: Harumaki, Japanese style spring rolls

This recipe for spring rolls, or harumaki (春巻き) as they are called in Japanese, may not be authentic - or at least, not authentically Chinese. It's authentically Japanese-Chinese, or chuuka - Chinese dishes that were introduced to Japan mostly in the late 19th-20th centuries by Chinese immigrants (many of whom decided to stay), that have been adopted and adapted to Japanese tastes. Chuuka is not as heavily adapted as yoshoku (western style Japanese dishes), but they do differ in varying ways from the originals. These are the spring rolls I grew up with, the way my mother made them. (As I've stated here before, I don't really feel capable of covering the entire spectrum of 'Asian' cooking, so in that category I mainly stick to the Japanese, Japanese-Western (yoshoku), Japanese-Chinese (chuuka) dishes I know.)

Filed under:  japanese chinese snacks favorite chuuka appetizers
IMG: Nanban glazed onions

A simple thing, delicious, and eyecatching recipe starring the humble yellow onion.

Filed under:  japanese vegetarian favorites vegan
IMG: umeboshi

My mother came for a visit this week, bringing along a pot of her homemade umeboshi. I asked her to tell me how she makes them; not only did she write it down for me, she even had pictures she'd taken of her attempts in the past couple of years! So, here is my mom's version of how to make homemade umeboshi. I've freely translated her Japanese explanation to English.

My mother [my grandmother - maki] used to make umeboshi every year. When I lived in New York, I was too busy working to do much cooking, let alone umeboshi! But now that I am retired, I'm trying to remember how to do things the old way. Homemade umeboshi is so much more delicious than store bought, so they are worth the effort.

Filed under:  fruit japanese preserves and pickles tsukemono mom's recipes
IMG: A spoonful of strawberry jam

I've left it until rather late in the season, but here is a recipe for a a very basic yet utterly delicious strawberry jam.

Filed under:  fruit preserves and pickles spring summer
Mixed vegetable pickles

A mixed-vegetable marinade or refrigerator pickles with lemon juice and honey.

Filed under:  japanese lighter vegetables vegetarian vegan salad tsukemono
Ginger pork and pickled vegetables

As it turns out, my latest Japan Times article and my very first one are both about the same thing - natsubate, or summer fatigue.

Filed under:  japan times summer

Sexy Wavy Japanese Sesame Cucumbers

Wavy sesame cucumbers

This is a really quick and simple cucumber recipe. Serve it as a side dish with any Japanese or other East Asian meal, or even as a salad. See the instructions for how to achieve the twisty, wavy look, even with large cucumbers.

Katsura Morimura's Banana Cake

Banana cupcakes

A banana cake that is redolent with memories, and my love for a book since I was twelve years old. It is very buttery-rich and fragrant. On a practical note, it's a great way to use up over-ripe bananas.

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