‘Edamame’ are young soy beans. Soybeans in the pod are usually blanched in salted water. ‘Edamame” are becoming easily available from most super markets and Asian grocers. Crunchy and tasty, and above all nutrition packed ‘Edamame’ can be eaten directly from pods but they are great for cooking as well. Ingredients 1 cup Edamame (Young …
Hōtō is a regional dish originating from Yamanashi, Japan. The wide noodles are stewed with vegetables in miso soup. Hōtō noodles are actually different from Udon noodles as they are made from ordinary low-gluten flour in the style similar to dumplings. That’s why it is easy to prepare at home. I once lived in Yamanashi …
This dish is traditionally prepared to celebrate special occasions in Japan, because of its red colour which is symbolic of happiness. The dish is called ‘Sekihan’ (Red Rice) in Japan and it is steamed ‘Mochi-gome’ (Short Grain Glutinous Rice) with ‘Sasage Beans’ that are very similar Azuki Beans. These days more people conveniently cook it …
‘Asazuke’ is a Japanese pickling method characterised by its short preparation time. The term can also refer to the vegetables pickled in this manner. Commonly used vegetables are Daikon, Wombok, Cucumbers, or other salad vegetables. ‘Asazuke’ is usually prepared by rubbing the cut vegetables with salt and ginger, sliced kombu or chilli. The typical Japanese …
This is perfect for dinner on a cold day. This dish is quite popular with my family and they actually encouraged me to add it to this website. Stewed Wombok is so tender and melting in mouth, and produces absolutely delicious soup as well. Using a heavy-base pot, you can forget about it once it’s …
My mother’s doughnuts were not round. They were sticks and my sisters and I loved them. And our children, her grandchildren, loved them. Her neighbours also loved them. That’s why she used to make a lot of them when she decided to make them. There was no recipe. She just mixed flour, sugar and eggs. …
This is what my mother used to make with Daikon leaves. She used to pickle a large barrelful of Daikon to make ‘Takuan’. She didn’t waste the Daikon leaves. She pickled the leaves as well. She used just salt for leaves. The salty pickled Daikon leaves were still bitter & peppery. She often cut them …
This salad is my accidental invention. I was making a salad of Daikon & Rocket using my ‘Creamy Sesame Dressing’. The accidental part was that I had a piece of Parmesan cheese in my mouth when I tasted the salad. ‘Wow! It tastes good with Parmesan!’ Then I added some shaved Parmesan to the salad. …
I used to make this dessert for my children quite often. It was one of their favourites, but they were in doubt at first because they had never tasted cooked Bananas before. This tart tastes best when it is cold. I recommend to cool it completely. I have cooked it for the first time in …
‘Saikyo Yaki’ is the dish of grilled miso-marinated fish, tofu or sometimes poultry. ‘Saikyo’ in Japanese means ’West City’ which was Kyoto, the capital city in Japan hundreds of years ago. ‘Saikyo Miso’ is mild and pale coloured miso originated in Kyoto, and it is the main ingredient of this very old marinade. The traditional …
Sardine Fillets are easy to cook. There are many ways to cook Sardines but this is one of the easiest. The herbs that I use are often different because you can use whatever herbs you have and you like to use. I love ‘oven baking’ because I can cook other dishes while baking. A perfectly …
My quest for the best Carrot Cake recipe started when I tasted one slice of Carrot Cake on a Qantas flight from Sydney to Melbourne. I was coming home from Japan with my young children. It was a very long trip and I was extremely tired. The slice of cold and moist Carrot Cake tasted …