With the drab greys and browns of winter in the city blooming with splashes of pale greens and pinks, spring is definitely in the air. But before we put away the earthenware crocks for the season, I wanted to share one last stew for those unpredictably chilly days that seem to drop by when we least expect them. Doenjang Jjigae (된장 찌개) is not much to look at, and it’s often called Korean miso soup, but that is really doing it a disservice as the two are nothing alike....
One thing I’ve stopped buying is chili oil. It comes together in minutes from just a handful of ingredients I already have in the pantry, and making it myself allows me to control exactly how spicy it is, while adding seasonings that turn it into a versatile condiment which makes almost everything taste better. What is Chili Oil Là jiāo yóu (辣椒油), literally means “chili oil” and is a popular Chinese condiment and ingredient....
On weekends and around the holidays, it wasn’t unusual to see Napans lined up outside the kitchen door with pots and pans from home to pick up an order of the classic to go. While many who grew up on the Depot’s Malfatti believed it was created by Tamburelli in the 1930’s, it’s actually a dish that has roots in Italy. Malfatti literally means “poorly made” in Italian, and while the shape may be irregular, the there’s nothing poor about the taste....
Inamona is a delicious condiment made with roasted candlenuts and Alaea salt. The candlenuts when roasted take on an earthy-citrusy-evergreen flavor, along with a subtle bitterness, which perfectly complements the raw fish, and the large crystals of Alaea salt provide a crunchy burst of sodium with every bite. Candlenuts are often compared to macadamia nuts because of their similar shape and texture, but their taste is quite different. That’s why I recommend using pine nuts as the closest substitute if you can’t find them where you live....
What’s in the Bento Box Vegan Tamagoyaki - Bento boxes don’t necessarily have to have a main dish, but the vegan Tamagoyaki would be it if I had to pick one from this box. It’s also the primary source of protein and fat in this bento. Multigrain rice - I like to fortify the nutritional content of my rice by adding in a multigrain mix. The one I used has 16 different grains, seeds, and legumes....
That’s probably because some of the best “Japanese” food started off as a knock off of another country’s dish. Tempura(Portugal), ramen(China), and tonkatsu(US) are all perfect examples of food that made a journey from another country before becoming something uniquely Japanese. That being said, I’ve seen one too many generic strip mall Tom’s Teriyaki joints try and conceal tough flavorless beef by overcooking it and smothering it with a cloying sweet sauce that’s been thickened with cornstarch....
Why This Recipe Works? Dry brining the shrimp with baking soda and salt before washing it not only firms up the shrimp’s texture it also eliminates any unpleasant shrimpy odors. Coating the shrimp with batter before the panko ensures a nice thick, crispy crust that doesn’t go soggy very quickly. It’s also more foolproof than the usual 3-step flour/egg/panko process as it’s harder to end up with bald spots. Cutting small slits into the shrimp’s belly and giving its backside a massage keeps them from curling up when you fry them....
Since posting my recipe for the Best Chicken Parmesan, I’ve been getting tons of requests for my version of an oven-fried Eggplant Parmesan. It might sound like a simple substitution, but eggplants are quite different from chicken and so it’s not as simple as swapping out the chicken for eggplant. To understand how we need to change the recipe to work for eggplant we first need to understand how eggplant differs from chicken....
Why olive oil Baking a cake is a delicate interplay of leavening, starch, sugar, and fat. The fat plays many important roles, and for a lighter cake that still has plenty of flavor, the golden-green oil pressed from olives makes for the perfect fat. Here’s just some of what it does for the cake: Moisture - since fat does not evaporate in the oven, it gives a sense of moistness in the cake even after it’s been baked....
I sauté some scallions for my version, which adds a mild sweetness that compliments the briny crab. The crab and egg get gently cooked together to form large tender curds before being topped off with an umami-packed sauce made with dashi. A sprinkle of mitsuba and a swipe of yuzu zest gives this a fresh brightness that balances out the rich crab and egg. Why This Recipe Works? Sauteeing scallion stems before adding the crab and egg adds a natural sweetness to the omelette that enhances the crab’s sweetness....
Ten minutes and a handful of ingredients is all you need to put this honey garlic shrimp recipe together, which makes this a great weeknight meal, but it’s not all about convenience. Take one bite, and you’ll agree that this delicious shrimp dish tastes like a lot more work went into it; this one’s bound to become a favorite weeknight dinner recipe! The best part is that there’s a lot of room for variation by changing the protein and seasonings, so have fun with it and make it your own!...
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have an hour to sit around and stir onions on a busy weeknight. That’s why I like to buy a big bag of onions when they’re on sale, and spend a few hours on a lazy Sunday caramelizing the whole bag. You can then portion the caramelized onions into ice cube trays and freeze them, allowing you to add a ton of flavor to a quick weeknight pasta sauce or curry....
The good news is that I’ve spent the past few years working on a simplified recipe for making Anko. The process I’ve developed takes advantage of some modern science to significantly reduce the time and effort required to make a delicious Red Bean Paste with a creamy texture that rivals the Anko made in the best wagashi shops in Japan. Why This Recipe Works? Using a pressure cooker to cook the beans physically speeds up the cooking time for the beans by raising the boiling temperature of the water....
Perhaps it’s your body telling you that you need more iron, or maybe it’s a commercial you saw on TV, but sometimes you get a hankerin’ for a big juicy steak that just can’t be satisfied by any other means. In New York that usually means you head to Peter Luger’s, Strip House, Craft Steak, or one of the other dozen premium steak houses in town. This also means your wallet will be about $150 lighter....
I know “best” is a lofty claim, so let me start off by explaining how I like this classic Mexican condiment. A great Guacamole teeters a fine line between refreshing and rich, offering up a tangy mellowness that takes the edge off of a face-meltingly spicy taco, while simultaneously being able to add cool creamy body to anything from a tortilla chip to a tostada. This balance is kept in check by the contrast of the rich avocado and a tart hit of lime....
With the holidays mostly over, and the new year just around the corner, I’m guessing more than a few of you are thinking about your resolutions for the new year. If eating healthier, reducing your reliance on animal products, or bringing lunch from home is on that list, I have the perfect sandwich for you! While one could make the case that this is better for the planet and better for you, the “better” in this Better “Tunafish” Sandwich doesn’t have anything to do with either of those things....
Long before sushi became the ambassador of Japanese cuisine to the rest of the world, chicken teriyaki invaded the west, and for better or worse it came to represent the whole of the Japanese culinary repertoire. Perhaps it was the short list of approachable ingredients or the allure of food from the far east. Whatever the reason, it’s become so ingrained in American food culture that even Paula Deen has a teriyaki recipe....
With a luscious filling of melted dark chocolate oozing out from a fluffy and delicate bittersweet chocolate wrapper, this recipe is a testament to the power of simplicity. It requires only a handful of ingredients and less than 10 minutes of your time, but the result is a luxurious dessert that will make you feel like you’re dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant. So, whether you’re looking to impress your guests at a fancy brunch or simply treat yourself to a moment of indulgence, I guarantee this chocolate omelette recipe will deliver....
For me, unripe fruit isn’t just a consequence of corporate farming, it’s a unique ingredient with its own texture and unique flavor profile that can be delicious when properly prepared. Traditional Japanese ume are made using unripe apricots; the brining process not only preserves the fruit, it imparts a unique flavor cherished in Japanese cuisine. It’s also a fun challenge to come up with with new ways of using a familiar ingredient in an unfamiliar form....
I feel like I say this a lot, but some of my best creations have come about when my refrigerator was running on empty. I first made a version of this a few weeks ago when Tokyo was buried under 10 inches of snow. For a city that is ill-prepared for any amount of snow, this may as well have been snowmageddon. Having lived for a few years in Sapporo (a stone’s throw from Siberia), I can deal with the cold, but with cars, bicycles, and people slipping and sliding all over the neighborhood it just didn’t seem like a good idea to venture outside....
