Deconstructed Chicken Nanban

Deconstructed Chicken Nanban

Chicken nanban is a popular dish with a tasty tartar sauce from the Kyushu Island. It’s a relatively easy recipe with lots of things that I usually have ready in my pantry and freezer. The tartar sauce to me is almost like deviled eggs in 

Broiled Oysters With Garden Herbs and Garlic Butter

Broiled Oysters With Garden Herbs and Garlic Butter

My sister came over today much to everyone’s (especially the kids’ who are obsessed with her) delight and of course, being two foodies who love to cook (and one an actual chef), we got to working on shucking a baker’s dozen (plus an extra one) 

Jiu Cai He Zi/Garlic Chive Pan Fried Pockets

Jiu Cai He Zi/Garlic Chive Pan Fried Pockets

It’s spring and one of the first things to pop up in my garden is garlic chives—different than onion chives, the leaves are flat and the flavor similar to ramps but less intense. It’s a popular Asian vegetable and dead easy to grow. With my 

Costa Rica Diaries 2021

Costa Rica Diaries 2021

This is it. The trip we’ve been waiting for! (This week needs to go by faster.) The kids are finally old enough to go (and have had both their Covid vaccines) and I’ve been bubbling with excitement! It’s not just for a (much needed) vacation 

Bed and Breakfast Diaries Part 6: Before and After Parking Lot

Bed and Breakfast Diaries Part 6: Before and After Parking Lot

Thursday, September 2nd, 2021: I’ve been doing trial runs of the AirBnB and decided I really, really enjoy it. Most of my guests have been very private so I’ve left them alone and in general they’ve been pretty good. However, a big project that I’ve 

Bed and Breakfast Diaries Part 4: Garden Plan

Bed and Breakfast Diaries Part 4: Garden Plan

The garden portion of my plan will actually be done in October, when I can get clearance fruit tree as from my local plant nurseries. First thing is that the ground needs to be turned over and then the holes have to be dug. I 

Lessons From My Garden

Lessons From My Garden

As my garden wakes up this spring, I thought about how it will be the last season I’ll be able to enjoy it (hello ramps, good morning asparagus!) Having fed my family for years from painstakingly building it from a sandy, sterile lawn using purely 

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 

Grassfed Lamb and Pear Carpaccio

Grassfed Lamb and Pear Carpaccio

One of the things I am thankful for after starting to grow my own food is also being friends with other homesteaders, big and small, who also focus on being mindful in terms of where our food comes from and the care it takes into