Recently, I came across a post on Kyoto Foodie (one of my new favorite food blogs!) about a seasonal dish called yakikuri gohan, or roasted chestnut rice. The ingredients were few and simple, and see...
If you've ever visited an Asian grocery store, chances are you've found yourself in the produce section wondering what all those green leafy vegetables are, and how to cook them. Each vegetable has...
For such a small island nation, Japan has a surprisingly wide variety of citrus fruit. I saw some of them when I traveled in Japan last winter. Sadly, we don't get most of them here in the US, and...
Perhaps you've noticed these thin, brown slivers of crunchy, squeaky mushrooms in hot and sour soup or in stir-fries. Called wood ear mushrooms, they're more easily found in dried form, but fresh one...
According to the lunar calendar, the moon will shine brightest on October 3 this year. In countries from China to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, people will gather with family and friends to enjoy the v...
If you like cooking Asian food at home, then you should have a bottle of ponzu in your cupboard. It is an essential condiment and marinade with a wonderful, zingy flavor that pairs well with vegetabl...
This month, we're talking about quick meals, and the time-consuming dumpling might not seem to fit the bill. But if you assemble dumplings on the weekend or a quiet evening, by the time that busy week...
When most of us think "lotus," we may think of the beautiful aquatic flower or the yoga position. But did you know that the rhizome of the lotus plant is edible? On the outside it looks like a long ...
Chirashi, also called chirashizushi (ちらし寿司) is one of my favorite Japanese meals. The word "chirashi" means "scattered," so this is basically a big bowl of rice mixed with fish, vegetables,...
The first time I had sea urchin (uni,) I gagged and spat it out. The texture and the taste of the sea were way too much for me. And then one day, I was flipping through my Nobu cookbook and came acr...
Last week was Street Fair Food Week on The Kitchn, which reminded of one of my most favorite street fair foods; takoyaki! Found at almost all Japanese fairs and festivals, takoyaki are yummy little b...
We recently hosted a grilling potluck, and among the foods left by our friends (we couldn't get to everything in one meal!) was a package of ita konnyaku. We had tried konnyaku at restaurants and seen...
I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater. I'm nowhere near the level of Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern, but I'm willing to experience strange new culinary delicacies more than most people I ...
Earlier this week I reported on my visit to a depachika (or basement gourmet food hall) in a Tokyo department store. While I was there, I impulsively picked up a small, edible souvenir: a lump of pink...
If you plan on strutting around in nothing more than a tightly pack mawashi (sumo g-sling) this summer take some dietary advice from the dudes who make their living as male bikini models. There is a l...
Here's a really fun and easy DIY project to do with kids this summer - hand-rolled vegetable maki sushi rolls! The ingredients you'll need are cheap and easy to find. Making your own maki sushi roll...
Here's a great question from Erin. Can you help her? I'm about to move to an area where decent Japanese food is a long way away, and was wondering if the readers had any suggestions for a Japanese hom...
In Kyoto, there is a market hall with beautiful stained glass ceilings that stretches on for six city blocks. Called the Nishiki Market, this place is a food lovers' paradise; row after row of the fr...
While on a trip in Japan and browsing the local markets, I came across this green, watery root many times. It's fresh wasabi root - yes, the same nasal-clearing green paste we mix with soy sauce and ...
While reading the March issue of Martha Stewart Living, we came across a recipe for basic steamed edamame (familiar) sprinkled with gomashio (not so much). What is this crunchy condiment? We've als...
Check this out! At a recent International Next-Generation Robot Fair in Osaka, Japan, Yaskawa Electric demonstrated a robot called the Motoman SDA10 that can cook okonomiyaki, among other things. Yo...
Oden is a hearty Japanese stew that is cooked over several days and commonly served during cold winter months. It's pretty easy to make and most ingredients can be found online or in Japanese superma...
We love this dish of kabocha squash simmered in dashi, sugar, and soy sauce. It's very easy to make, uses minimal ingredients, and packs well in lunches....
Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin that is extremely sweet and is used in many Japanese dishes such as oden and tempura. It's also used in cakes and other sweets....
One of our favorite herbs is shiso, which is also known as Japanese basil, perilla and beefsteak. It's been showing up in big, healthy bunches at the Alemany Farmer's Market recently - this bunch in ...
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