Why This Recipe Works Mixing the batter in a blender is easy and ensures there are no lumps. You can also do this by hand or using a stand mixer. I keep the amount of flour to a minimum to ensure the cheesecake is dense, custardy, and satiny smooth. Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easy to unmold this soft, crustless cheesecake. Baking the Basque Burnt Cheesecake in a very high-temperature oven will rapidly caramelize the top surface while leaving the center only partially cooked....

Why This Recipe Works? Although pork is used to flavor the filling, cabbage is the primary ingredient used to make filling for authentic gyoza. Boiling the cabbage until it’s super tender makes it sweeter while turning it into a reservoir of flavorful broth that makes this pork gyoza recipe super juicy. Resting the cabbage and pork gyoza filling overnight in the fridge allows the ingredients to mingle, resulting in a more flavorful dumpling....

To be honest, the origins of the caterpillar sushi roll are anyone’s guess. My hunch is that it was created by an enterprising sushi chef at an American strip-mall sushi joint who was trying to sell more unagi. Whatever the origins of this sushi, Caterpillar Roll is probably single-handedly responsible for turning something that was “ewww!"-inducing (unagi is a slimy fresh water eel after all) a generation ago, to something that’s sold at supermarket sushi counters across the country....

Ingredients for Gambas al Ajillo As with any simple dish, the quality of the ingredients will make a significant difference in the quality of this garlic shrimp recipe. The key ingredients here are shrimp, garlic, olive oil, and red peppers. When done well, they create a garlicky, bowl-licking sauce. Have a look below for my recommendations for each of these. The Shrimp I would strongly recommend using high-quality jumbo shrimp for this....

Cream Stew went mainstream when House Foods introduced a powdered roux product in 1966 that made the dish’s preparation easy. These days it’s common to use bricks of Cream Stew roux similar to the blocks used to make Japanese-style curry. I wanted to create a recipe from scratch that captures the silky smooth texture and rich umami of the blocks without significantly increasing the effort required to prepare it. After several rounds of testing, I’ve come up with a new method for making Japanese Cream Stew from scratch that’s easier and more foolproof than any method I’ve been able to find online....

In fall, salmon are laden with milt and roe, so they don’t have a ton of fat, but the lean meat is loaded with flavor, which makes it a seasonal favorite. Salmon Rice takes advantage of salmon’s wide availability during this season and makes a one-pot meal that can be served with a bowl of miso soup or shaped into onigiri to eat on the go. Harako Meshi (はらこ飯) One regional variation of this dish takes advantage of the salmon roe as well....

Why This Recipe Works? Boiling the spinach root-on makes it easier to chop the spinach into even lengths. Like any dish with only a few ingredients, it’s important to use the highest quality ones you can find, particularly the sesame. The key is to add a ton of freshly ground sesame seeds. This not only increases the nutritional value it also adds a marvelous creamy, nutty flavor. Ingredients for Goma Ae Spinach - I’ve used spinach for this, but Goma Ae can be made with a large variety of vegetables, including Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and even carrots....

For my version, I like to use a combination of carrots and gobo root, which gives it a nice color and a great spread of vitamins and minerals. Thanks to the earthy flavor of the root vegetables and the umami from the soy sauce and sake, this Kinpira recipe doesn’t include any dashi, making it both vegetarian and vegan friendly. Why This Recipe Works? Cutting the vegetables with the grain in a thin julienne preserves their crunchy texture while still tender enough to eat....

Although it’s a simple dish with just a few ingredients, it can be very challenging to get the beans to turn out with piano black skin that looks like they’re about to burst. This makes Kuromame one of the more difficult New Year’s dishes to prepare. In this recipe, I’ve combined a few techniques to ensure you get plump beans with midnight black skin that melts away to reveal a rich and creamy center....

Why This Recipe Works? Adding a variety of vegetables, such as cucumbers, onions, and carrots, gives this potato salad a variety of textures and tastes, making each mouthful a surprise. Salting the cucumbers and onions gives them a crunchy texture while removing excess water from the vegetables. Cooking the potatoes until tender helps the edges melt into the dressing, giving this salad a creamier texture while ensuring each bite is well seasoned....

Although there are many variations of Niratama, the most common method of making this dish is to saute the chives and then scramble in some eggs. In my version, I add seasonings and starch to the eggs to give them a wonderful savory flavor while preventing them from getting soggy. Ingredients for Niratama The ingredients for this dish are straightforward, but the balance of seasonings, garlic chives, and egg creates magic in your mouth....

Instead of including big chunks of meat, the beef in this stew is sliced thinly. This was probably done initially to cut back on the cost of the stew, but it works great for this dish, as the meat cooks to a fall-apart consistency in far less time than a traditional stew. Also, because the meat gets better dispersed, it also means that you get a bite of beef with every mouthful of Nikujaga....

Takenoko (竹の子, literally “bamboo child”) is another springtime treat, and it’s a far cry from the stringy fluorescent yellow strips often included in stir-fries at Chinese-American restaurants in the US. When prepared fresh, it’s tender with a mild crunch and a fragrant earthy aroma that’s simply sublime. While there’s not much wild bamboo growing in the US, I’ve seen fresh bamboo at Chinese grocery stores. If you do decide to prepare your own fresh bamboo, be sure to read my post on preparing fresh bamboo as it contains a potent toxin that needs to be neutralized before it can be safely eaten....

Ingredients for Teriyaki Chicken Authentic Teriyaki Sauce Like most Japanese sauces, teriyaki sauce is a simple concoction and includes just three ingredients. That’s why I’m always a little baffled when people pay a premium to buy teriyaki sauce when it’s so easy to make at home. So here it is, the only teriyaki recipe you’ll ever need, that includes equal parts of the following three ingredients: I know there are probably a few of you asking “What about mirin?...

Although the origins of this American regional classic are hotly disputed, the name Po’ Boy is likely a reference to the “poor boys” that used to consume this humble sub. I know many of you are probably having a hard time reconciling the high price of shrimp and oysters with the name, but it wasn’t long ago that crustaceans and mollusks were considered the dregs of the sea, suitable only for the working class....

Take a stroll through any Chinatown in the world and you’re bound to see restaurants with strips of red Char Siu hanging from hooks in the windows. Char Siu literally means “fork burned” which is a reference to the traditional preparation, skewered and barbecued over a fire. While you may not have had a chance to try it over rice or in noodle soup, you’ve probably had it chopped up in pork buns (Char Siu bao) at one point or other....

Chashu is the Japanese version of Chinese Char Siu. Unlike its grilled Chinese counterpart, the Japanese version is typically made by rolling pork belly into a log and braising it until tender. It’s then unbound and sliced before being used to garnish bowls of ramen. When served on hot rice, or over a bowl of steaming noodle soup, the fat in the pork melts, making the meat literally fall apart in your mouth....

I know it may sound wrong for pasta purists who are used to cooking their macaroni al dente, but because macaroni salad is served cold (which causes starches to gel), the key to getting a plate-lunch style macaroni salad is to cook the heck out of the pasta. It gives the salad a wonderful tender consistency even when cold, and it allows the dressing to soak into the pasta better....