Kanten Papa Brand Konnyaku Jelly

Kanten Papa Brand Konnyaku Jelly

Today I cracked open two packs (grape and apple) of jello mix from the Kanten Papa corporation, which sells dessert (among other) mixes. It was a fun and simple little activity to do with the kids, and we very much enjoy the flavor (which tastes …

Natto Mochi (With a Poached Egg)

Natto Mochi (With a Poached Egg)

If you don’t like natto (like my husband), this isn’t the post for you and you should probably pretend it doesn’t exist. If you are absolutely obsessed with natto (like myself and our cute little daughters whose palates clearly take after me), this is a …

Pork Heart Shogayaki (Japanese Ginger Stir Fry)

Pork Heart Shogayaki (Japanese Ginger Stir Fry)

One of the things I’m committed to is supporting both my local economy and mindfully reducing waste—this includes the meat that I eat which means if it’s edible on the animal, I will find a way to enjoy it. I don’t shy away from organ …

Fall Kakiage Ikura Don (Shredded Vegetable Tempura and Salted Salmon Roe Over Rice)

Fall Kakiage Ikura Don (Shredded Vegetable Tempura and Salted Salmon Roe Over Rice)

Fall is here and with it comes sweet and crisp vegetables and a huge bumper crop of my shiso! What better way to showcase seasonal cool crop veggies and herald the arrival of the Autumn salmon than kakiage ikura don? Kaki-age is a type of …

Yaki-onigiri Chazuke (Grilled Rice Ball in Tea)

Yaki-onigiri Chazuke (Grilled Rice Ball in Tea)

I love O-chazuke/Cha Pao Fan, which is rice steeped in hot tea. When I was young, if we stayed over at my grandparent’s house, my grandma would give us each a bowl right before we went to sleep. It was the only time we could …

Akebia Pod and Miso Sauté (Akebia Miso Itame)

Akebia Pod and Miso Sauté (Akebia Miso Itame)

Akebia is such an interesting plant, and for those who like bitter gourd (which I really hated as a child but has since begun to miss in my old age), the thick rind is like a perennial version of it. It’s tender and juicy, despite …

Akebia Berry Smoothie

Akebia Berry Smoothie

The fruit on my akebia have split open, smiling with their seed and pulp glistening on the inside. I find it too much work to sit and eat it directly from the pod, so instead I decided I’d separate the pulp from the seeds with …

Creamy Karasumi Pasta With Roasted Radish Chips

Creamy Karasumi Pasta With Roasted Radish Chips

Now that things have settled down a little in my life for this moment in time (including the terrifying ordeal of getting the dojo inspected for NYS COVID compliance), my creative juices are flowing so I decided to make a simple, but elegant pasta dish …

Simple Egg Fried Rice

Simple Egg Fried Rice

I know I’m known for generally extravagant meals, so a simple egg fried rice dish seems to be a bit out of character for me. Even more so because as a child, I hated fried rice in any way, shape, or form. This is actually …

Xinjiang Style Lamb Kidney Kebabs

Xinjiang Style Lamb Kidney Kebabs

If you walk along the streets of Flushing or NYC’s Chinatown, carts located on the corners waft the heavenly spiced scent of Xinjiang style kebabs to passerby’s. Lamb, beef, chicken are available, but delectable organ meats such as kidney, liver, heart, intestine, and tendon jockey …