Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)

Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl)

For those who grow their own onions, shiso, chives, etc., and collect their own eggs (duck or otherwise) this is a great recipe for those days you’re craving something a bit more savory and substantial. Gyudon is a Japanese beef bowl meal–the suffix “-don” (short …

Lovely Lovage

Lovely Lovage

Celery is something I don’t usually touch, having been traumatized by too much celery dumplings as a kid. However, occasionally recipes call for it, and because I don’t like it, I never have it in my fridge even when I need it. In comes Lovage, …

Gorgonzola and Tomato Salad

Gorgonzola and Tomato Salad

We’re getting into the swing of tomato season and these plump, juicy fruits (which are actually classified as berries) are great during the summer months when the heat has robbed us of our appetite. Coupled with that, basil plants should be full and bushy right …

Numb and Fragrant: Szechuan and Sansho Peppercorns

Numb and Fragrant: Szechuan and Sansho Peppercorns

I bought two different types of peppercorn trees (no relation to black pepper) this year: The Sansho peppercorn (zanthoxylum piperitum) and the Szechuan peppercorn (zanthoxylum simulans) for my food forest. The sansho peppercorn is the main flavor you would find in Togarashi Ichimi-Shichimi powder, the …

The Incredible Edible Chrysanthemum

The Incredible Edible Chrysanthemum

If there is one thing that I’m always looking for, it’s an edible perennial green that also tastes good. Dandelions are great, but they’re bitter (which not everyone in my family likes) and not suited to cooking because they shrivel up into tough strings, better …

I’m So Into Shiso

I’m So Into Shiso

Shiso (perilla frutescens) is one of my favorite annual herbs. It’s much more commonly seen and used in Asia than it is in the US, and for the longest time I had been hunting for the green variety called ohba(大葉) in Japanese. I finally found it two …