Japan

Honey Ginger Chicken Soboro Onigiri

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As I mentioned yesterday, I filmed a segment for Studio 5 that was all about onigiri.  I had an absolute blast.  Brooke Walker, the host, is a doll, and was a great sport making onigiri with me.  The first time you make an onigiri, it usually falls apart (it takes one or two to learn […]

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An Onigiri Primer

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Yesterday I spent part of the day filming another segment for an episode of Studio 5 which airs today.  My segment was all about onigiri (“oh-nee-gee-ree”). (My recipe for Honey Ginger Chicken Soboro Onigiri, which I made in the segment, is posted here!)  Since TV time is short, I only got to make the briefest of […]

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Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo (Giveaway!!)

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In 2009 I read these words: “I have a food fantasy.  When Iris is six, I’m going to take her to Tokyo . . . We’ll go to an eel restaurant and eat several courses of eel, my favorite fish . . . We will eat our weight in rice.  We’ll ride the Tokyo subway, […]

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Mayonnaise, Japanese Farm Food Style {Giveaway}

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I used to think that mayonnaise was mayonnaise, something I occasionally put on a sandwich (but usually not—I was a mustard devotee), and something that my mom used to make tuna fish or egg salad sandwiches.  Then I moved to Japan and tasted Japanese mayonnaise and realized that all mayos are not created equal, and […]

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“Local Eats” Japan Tour with PacSet Tours

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I’ve recently been in contact with a Japan tour company based in Los Angeles, called PacSet Tours.  This year they have a food themed tour scheduled for August (August 19 — 28, 2013) that is going to be amazing.  If you have ever wanted to experience Japan, this would be a great tour to try! […]

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Miso Katsu (Japanese Breaded Pork Cutlet with Miso Sauce)

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This past weekend a Japanese friend came to visit, and at her request, I made miso katsu and miso soup for dinner.  (She was feeling a bit homesick!)  Miso Katsu is a version of tonkatsu (juicy breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets served with a thick, sweet and tangy sauce and served with shredded cabbage and steamed […]

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Milk Shokupan (Japanese Style White Sandwich Bread)

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The first time Mr. Fuji and I moved to Japan I was quick to notice the sandwich bread, known as shokupan, in our local supermarket: cellophane bags filled with thick square slices of white bread, and no heels in sight—and when I say thick, I’m talking one and half inches thick!  Mr. Fuji told me […]

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Dairy Free Sweet Potato Soft Cream

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I have two favorite flavors of soft cream (i.e. soft serve) in Japan: black sesame and sweet potato.  If you had told me a little over 10 years ago that I would be saying that, I would have laughed at you.  But 10 years ago this month Mr. Fuji and I moved to Japan for […]

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Visiting Edo-Tokyo, A Walk Through History

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  Tokyo was once a small, quiet fishing village, not the bustling metropolis that it is today.  Until 1868 it was known as Edo, which means “estuary” in Japanese, a perfect name since Tokyo sits next to Tokyo Bay which happens to be an estuary, with the Sumida river flowing into the bay, and the bay […]

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Hiyashi Somen (Japanese Chilled Somen Noodles) for Tanabata

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Hiyashi somen—thin, delicate wheat noodles served chilled with tsuyu, a dipping sauce—is one of the most popular meals during the hot and humid summers in Japan.  It’s also one of the foods enjoyed on Tanabata, one of my favorite Japanese holidays.  

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