This is one of my husband’s family recipes that I have recently discovered. The original name of this recipe was ‘Dad’s Sponge’, and the ‘Dad’ is Theo, my husband’s grandfather. The recipe was written by Joan, one of Theo’s daughters. I couldn’t resist to make this sponge that Theo loved. The recipe requires 1 cup …
Lotus Root might be an unfamiliar vegetable for you. It’s hard to find fresh Lotus Root, but Frozen Lotus Root Slices are available from many Asian grocery stores. Lotus Root is a popular vegetable in Japan, and it can be seasoned in a variety of flavours. Today I seasoned with my favourite combination, Garlic and …
A bag of Frozen Lotus Root Slices, that my daughter bought, had been in the freezer for a long time. Today I picked smaller slices and made them into these delicious Tempura. As I added ‘Aonori’ (Dried Green Laver Flakes) to the batter, they smelled wonderful. My son and I enjoyed them for lunch with …
Garlic Shoots are the long stems that grow out of the Garlic bulb. Obviously they smell like Garlic and have pleasant crunchy texture. I often stir-fry Garlic Shoots with Beef or Pork, but I know many people, particularly non-Asian people, are not familiar with this vegetable. This is a very simple stir-fry you can try. …
The other day I was asked if one of my sweet Mochi recipes can be used to make Mochi Ice Cream. Soft Sweet Mochi that is called ‘Gyūhi’ (求肥) in Japanese stays soft when cold, but I didn’t know if it stays soft when frozen. It became another project for me to work on. I …
I saw Fruit Mince stuffed roll cookies on the internet. The picture inspired me to make these ‘Tsubu-an’ (Sweet Azuki Paste) & Walnuts stuffed cookies. I used my ‘Dates & Walnuts Stuffed Coffee Cookies’ recipe. I added Matcha Powder to the dough because Matcha and ‘Tsubu-an’ go very well together. To keep the Matcha colour, …
Pork Steaks can be marinated in this Chinese inspired sauce very quickly. No need to marinate them for hours. If you don’t have Chinese Five Spice, don’t worry about it. The sauce tastes good without it. Serve with freshly cooked Rice, OR enjoy with chilled Beer. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 4 Pork Steaks *about 500g1 …
On a summer day, I picked Tomato and Zucchini in my garden and stir-fried them with Udon Noodles for lunch. I could have added Meat OR Tuna, but I added Avocado. I almost always add Spring Onion to this type of dish, but I added Shiso, which came from my garden, too. It turned out …
Sweet Azuki Paste Stuffed Bread Rolls are very popular in Japan, and I believe they are a kind of soul food for many Japanese. ‘An Pan’, a baked version is iconic, but this fried version is very special to me. I sometimes crave it. Using my Basic Sweet Bread Dough, it’s not too hard. Makes …
I have shared many Cucumber dish recipes on this website, but this is the dish that I make most frequently. It’s a dish of just Cucumber. By adding extra ingredients to this dish, you can create endless variations. Extra ingredients can be Onion, Chilli, Garlic, Tomato, Chicken, Squid, Wakame, Black Fungus, etc. Makes 4 Servings …
In Japan, Deepwater Redfish OR Red Snapper are most commonly used for this dish. You would rather use more sustainable fish. The photo below is King Snapper, that has much firmer texture than common Snappers. You can use your favourite fish. Most Fish are suitable for this dish. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 4 Fillets (400-500g) …
Piped Biscuits make me nostalgic. They bring back my childhood memories. Piped Biscuits are not the easiest Biscuits to make, but they look pretty and it’s fun to make. Today I made Cocoa flavoured ones, but my shaky hands were even shakier and it was a little frustrating to pipe out the dough. I wish …
