Jie Cai (Chinese Mustard Greens) Cold Dish

Jie Cai (Chinese Mustard Greens) Cold Dish

This is a super simple dish, and to be honest, my selfish reason for blogging it down is because the recipe is from my mom (and grandmother) so it is a taste of home and my childhood for those days that I’m missing it, rather 

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 

Smoked Trout Spread

Smoked Trout Spread

One of the places I always wanted to visit with the kids, but didn’t get to until last week, is the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium. It used to supply the state with trout for stocking in public ponds, but became a not-for-profit 

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 

Salmon Ochazuke

Salmon Ochazuke

Salmon Ochazuke (rice steeped in tea and dashi) is my oldest daughter’s favorite style of ochazuke—it has several of the things she loves: Salmon, ikura (salted salmon roe), seaweed, and rice. It’s one of my favorites too as it’s a breeze to put together and 

Smoked Salmon and Dill Deviled Eggs

Smoked Salmon and Dill Deviled Eggs

The holidays are around the corner and while this year it looks like we’re not going anywhere or hosting anything, I still enjoy creating spreads as if I were. This deviled egg recipe is very simple, using a normal deviled egg base but elevated to 

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