Karasumi / Bottarga / Wu Yu Zi / 烏魚子  (Cured Mullet Roe) Pasta

Karasumi / Bottarga / Wu Yu Zi / 烏魚子 (Cured Mullet Roe) Pasta

Every Autumn I import a few boxes of cured Mullet roe, also called bottarga-karasumi-wu yu zi, from Taiwan to give out as gifts during the holiday season and it’s always a hit. Karasumi is a delicacy in Asia, made from the sacs of the mullet 

Man Tou Recipe

Man Tou Recipe

A lot of my childhood memories of breakfast and late night snacks surround these fluffy, sweet, steamed breads that would accompany rice porridge and all sorts of salty pickles and other cured fare. We’d dip them in spicy doufuru (fermented tofu) drizzled in sesame oil 

Hokkaido Milk Bread (Bread Machine)

Hokkaido Milk Bread (Bread Machine)

My mom gave me a beast of a Zojirushi bread machine that she no longer planned on using. I had been making bread by hand at home, and this was a welcome change. One of the breads that I could never make quite right is 

Yakiniku Gyutan (Grilled Beef Tongue, A Serenade)

Yakiniku Gyutan (Grilled Beef Tongue, A Serenade)

Oh glorious beef tongue, Juicy, fat, and tender, You don’t take much to make people happy, To your delicious, smoky, beefy flavor I surrender Beef tongue is probably my favorite cut of beef for yakiniku style barbecues. No, let me amend that, it is my favorite 

Half-Half Ikura (Salted Gently Seasoned Salmon Caviar)

Half-Half Ikura (Salted Gently Seasoned Salmon Caviar)

I picked up a pound of sujiko, which is fresh salmon roe still in its sack, from Mitsuwa on our way back from an Aikido seminar yesterday. Both of my kids absolutely love ikura, which is the cured version, but it’s so expensive that I 

Uni Pasta with Shiso Flowers

Uni Pasta with Shiso Flowers

I’m an absolute fiend for uni (sea urchin roe) but the creamy, briney, full of ocean flavor disappears far too quickly when I eat it sushi or sashimi style. As a pasta sauce, I can savor it for longer and feel full, rather than regretting 

Maitake Tempura with Sweet Soy Braised Poblano Peppers

Maitake Tempura with Sweet Soy Braised Poblano Peppers

You all knew this one was coming–one can’t find a windfall of maitake and not make tempura with it. Maitake mushrooms, once what moisture was within it evaporates during the frying process, holds the crunch of the panko very well. It also retains its texture 

Thai Green Curry (With Daylilies)

Thai Green Curry (With Daylilies)

Daylily flower buds are currently in season and the hot weather made me crave something fragrant as to awaken the appetite. While it might seem counter-intuitive, a Thai green curry is a creative way to use up the buds I collected from the garden. These 

Pork Soup Dumplings

Pork Soup Dumplings

I had been meaning to make pork dumplings with hairy bittercress for a while and called my mom to ask what she usually adds to hers, but in talking to her, she said if I have any leftover gelatin based broth, I can add it 

Korean Rice Bowl (Bibimbap) with Foraged Greens

Korean Rice Bowl (Bibimbap) with Foraged Greens

Now that spring is officially here, in general, the only things I usually buy from the store, when I do go, are meat and dairy products (sometimes grain/flour as well, but I buy rice in bulk and bake my own bread so that’s an every