After making my Pasta Amatriciana I had a fair bit of guanciale left. I’d originally set it aside to make a more authentic pasta carbonara, but when I get a outrageous idea in my head, it’s like having a song glued inside your brain until you listen to it. Such was the case as I stood beside my chef’s table eating a reheated portion of Amatriciana. I had my microplane out for shaving some more pecorino on top, and as I glanced over at my fruit bowl brimming with Satsuma Mandarins a light bulb went off in my head....

In a country where you can get everything from hamburgers to lady’s undergarments out of a vending machine, it’s no surprise that home cooks have many convenient options when “cooking” a meal. For some dishes like Japanese curry (カレーライス - karei raisu), pre-made mixes have become the norm rather than the exception and a trip to the supermarket will reveal an entire section of boxed curry mixes. These instant curry mixes usually take the form of bricks that look a bit like bulbous chocolate bars and are loaded with saturated fat, MSG and preservatives....

In this Uni Pasta recipe, I’m going to show you the fundamental techniques you need to know to prepare this sea urchin cream sauce and the same technique can be adapted to make other similar Japanese pasta recipes like Creamy Mentaiko Spaghetti and Nori Cream Pasta. Why This Recipe Works Mashing the uni rather than pureeing retains some of its texture. Finishing the spaghetti in a pan like risotto by stirring it with oil and water releases starch from the noodles, allowing the two liquids to form a creamy emulsion....

But for a baking newbie, meringues can be intimidating. I’ve certainly had my share of epic meringue failures in my time. Here are a few tips to make sure your pavlovas turn out perfectly every time: As fun as they are to use as a kid, the egg beater my family had when I was growing up was a piece of junk. It was hard to clean, jammed up all the time, and took forever to whip anything....

Since most conventional ovens don’t go below 175 degrees F, we usually cook chicken by blasting it with heat in the hopes that we can stop the cooking just as the inside reaches 165 degrees F. The problem with this approach is that by the time the center of the meat hits a temperature of 165 F, the rest of the meat has blown past that number, resulting in the core temperature rising further due to the residual heat....

Although I’ve left out the meat from this version, and it’s brimming with flavor thanks to the shiitake mushrooms. If you’d rather make it with meat, simply stir-fry some thinly sliced pork or chicken before adding the vegetables. And if you’re looking for a quick, simple version of Yaki Udon, I have this Beef Yaki Udon recipe that’s inspired by the Chinese American classic Broccoli Beef. Why This Recipe Works Yaki Udon is traditionally made on a large steel flat-top griddle called a teppan....

Why This Recipe Works? Creating a border of mayonnaise around the edge of the bread holds the egg in place while you toast it. The mayo also seasons the toast; because it’s cooked, the taste and texture become more like melted cheese than mayo. Toasting the egg on the bread results in a perfectly cooked egg with a soft creamy yolk. Ingredients for Japanese Egg Toast Bread - While other types of sandwich bread will work (such as a rye or whole wheat), Japanese shokupan (a....

Why This Recipe Works? Using high-quality silken tofu is the key to this dish. Lightly salting and draining the tofu partially seasons it while preventing it from getting watery. While this Hiyayakko recipe is a traditional way of serving Japanese cold tofu, the sky’s the limit with toppings and condiments, so enlist your creativity and use the ingredients you have on hand. Ingredients Silken tofu - Tofu can be made one of two ways....

Lox refers to salmon(traditionally the belly) that has been cured in brine but has not been smoked. The brine can either be wet or dry. With a wet brine, the salmon soaks in a salt and sugar solution, while a dry brine involves sprinkling the salt and sugar directly onto the salmon. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. A wet brine tends to yield a softer salmon, but I find that the water dilutes the flavor of the salmon....

Why This Recipe Works? Flash-frying the eggplant preserves the vibrant purple color of the skin while rendering the inside tender and creamy. By braising the eggplant in a Japanese-style Mapo Tofu sauce, it has a chance to absorb the umami from the dashi, miso, oyster sauce, and mirin. Finishing the dish with rayu allows you to adjust the spice level at the table, so if you have someone who can’t take a lot of heat in your household, they can still eat this....

The word Donburi (丼) refers to a type of deep bowl used for serving food, but it also refers to a class of dishes served in the eponymous vessel. Donburis run the gamut from Gyudon (牛丼), to Katsudon (カツ丼), to Soborodon (そぼろ丼), but there is none more famous than the humble Oyakodon. It’s a comfort food staple that reminds most Japanese people of their mother’s home cooking. Oyakodon Ingredients I know I harp on about the importance of using quality ingredients, but it’s especially true for simple dishes like this....

Saikyo Shiromiso (西京白味噌) is a specialty of Kyoto, and is what’s used to give Kyoto’s miso soup its unique flavor and texture. In Japan, this style of miso is often just referred to as “shiromiso”, which literally translates to white miso, but it’s important to note that this is not the same as “white miso” sold in the US. Miso marketed in the US as “white miso” is often tanshoku miso, which is a separate category that’s aged longer, not as sweet and with double the salinity....

As a fan of savory breakfasts, I love egg dishes. Whether their poached, boiled, scrambled or sunny-side up, for me, eggs are the perfect way to get the day started. But as much as I love eggs, I’ve never really been able to get into frittatas. Sure, I make them on occasion(mostly upon request), but they always seemed to turn out a bit spongy, mushy and dry. As with most things I’m not a fan of, I figured I must be doing something wrong, so I recently set out to learn how to make the best frittata; a frittata that could hold its own against its French cousin: the Quiche....

Although it only takes about five minutes of active effort, the resulting chicken is tender and coated in a beautiful glossy sauce that’s tangy, sweet, and loaded with umami. When prepared with chicken wings, it makes for a fun game-day or movie-night finger food, but it can also be served as an entree or packed into a bento box lunch. Why This Recipe Works? By seasoning this dish with umeboshi, you get the salt, acidity, and fruity flavors from the ume requiring very few other ingredients....

The best part is that it can be cooked in a regular pan on the stove in around twenty minutes. Why This Recipe Works? After browning all sides of the beef, water is added to the pan, and the meat is steamed. This prevents the pan from getting too hot while gently cooking the beef from all sides. The beef juices in the pan are used to make a savory-sweet onion sauce that goes beautifully with the Japanese-style roast beef....

I know it sounds simple, and you’re probably wondering how it could possibly be as good as I describe. Still, a great Agedashi Tofu is like a perfect warm custard, melting on your tongue into a creamy pool of savory dashi, lightly accented by the garnishes. The magic is in the way the coating absorbs the flavorful dashi, which seasons the tofu while also releasing some residual oil into the broth, imparting a hint of richness without being greasy....

When eaten fresh from the fryer, the golden brown crust is crispy and quickly absorbs any seasoning you pour over it. This makes it a delicious alternative to hiyayakko (chilled tofu) and yudoufu (boiled tofu). As the deep fried tofu cools, it will lose its crispness, but the browned outer layer takes on a firm, meaty texture, and it will absorb the flavors of whatever you cook it with. This makes it a delicious protein-rich addition to miso soup, stews, and stir-fries....

Somehow, I managed to avoid it for twenty years (when did I get so old?), but a reader recently requested it, and in a moment of nostalgia, I decided to give it a go. Honestly, I feel a little foolish for having avoided it for so long. It’s quick, delicious, and loaded with protein, fiber and vitamins. Creamy, crunchy and sweet, the cashews partner beautifully with the savory stir-fried chicken, both in flavor and texture....