Japanese

Soba Cha — Japanese Buckwheat Tea

I have been a longtime fan of mugicha, a Japanese herbal tea made from roasted barley, but it has a very distinct taste that some people aren’t a fan of. I think it’s a bit like cilantro…some people love it and to some people it tastes like soap (or in the case of mugicha…dirty socks […]

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Nikujaga (“nee-koo-jyah-gah”) is a classic Japanese comfort food, something that every household makes a bit differently so that everyone craves the way their mom makes it. Nikujaga literally translates to mean “meat-potato” or meat and potatoes. It’s a dish of meat and potatoes cooked in a sweetened soy sauce. Variations abound. Beef is generally used, […]

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This post is brought to you by Kamikoto Knives. I love things served in bowls. Now, I know this has been a bit of a trend, at least here in the US, but my love for bowls goes way back. This is probably why I love Japanese donburi so much. A donburi, put simply, is […]

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Dashi, the basic stock of Japan, is also one of the building blocks of Japanese cuisine. There are several different types, the most classic being dashi made with katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes) and kombu (dried kelp), which I’ve written about before. But if you don’t eat fish, there are still several stock options available […]

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Before living in Japan for the first time, I always assumed Japanese food would be hard to cook. Everything was so beautiful and so perfect. I quickly learned, however, that while a few dishes were quite technical, most Japanese food is actually incredibly approachable and doable for the home cook. Author Amy Kaneko, in her cookbook, Let’s […]

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Happy 2017 my friends! I have been taking a much needed break to focus on our sweet new baby girl and moving. We sold our previous home and finished moving out the week before last and are now temporarily living with my in-laws while our new home is being built. (Squeeeeee!!!!!) Talk about starting the […]

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Life has felt a bit overwhelming lately. To say that I’ve put a few things on my plate would be a gross understatement. But of course, Mr. Fuji and I are gluttons for punishment and made a very quick decision to put our house on the market . . . which happened last week while […]

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The new favorite form of onigiri (Japanese rice ball) at our house is stick onigiri. It’s very popular in Japan right now too, and it’s no wonder, because it’s fun! The onigiri is formed into a stick shape instead of a ball, triangle, etc. The easiest technique is a bit different too. It’s a bit […]

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A few months ago on Periscope someone asked me for meatless protein ideas to pack in school bentos. I threw out a couple of ideas for her, but have been thinking about it every since. A few weeks ago as I was falling asleep (or at least trying to fall asleep), the idea came to […]

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Author Nicole Bermensolo brought her love for Japanese culture to Manhattan in 2006 when she and her friend Michael opened Kyotofu, a full-service restaurant and bakery. The Kyotofu bakery featured Nicole’s quirky approach to Japanese sweets and customers fell in love. In 2013 Nicole and Michael decided to close the restaurant so Nicole could focus […]

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