My mother used to make this dish always using fish called ‘Aji’ in Japanese. As ‘Aji’ is difficult to find in Australia, I often use Trevally or Mackerel family fish which have similar flavour and texture. However most fish are suitable for this dish. Sardines and Salmon are very nice, too. This time I used …
This is one of my family’s favourite winter dishes. There are many different ‘Fish Pie’ recipes but this is what I cook. My daughter complains that the dish tastes ‘blunt’ and I should add some herbs or lemon zest to it. I know some recipes use lemon juice, but I like my Fish Pie’s ‘blunt’ …
I cook rice very often and left-over rice is in the fridge almost always. Zōsui (Rice Soup) is a great way to use up the left-over cold rice. This is an Italian ‘Risotto’ inspired version. I sometimes add some milk to make the soup creamy and some shaved OR grated Parmesan Cheese for topping. It’s …
Because I usually cook for four people, preparing a meal just for me can be oddly challenging. A ‘Donburi (Rice Bowl)’ dish is always a good option. I stock canned mackerel in my pantry for always as mackerel is my great favourite (and fresh mackerel is rarely available where I live), and the small 120g …
It’s getting cold in Melbourne. Warm dishes are more enjoyable. I have posted some Japanese winter dish recipes such as ‘Furofuki Daikon’, simmered Daikon radish with sweet miso sauce. I want to introduce another iconic winter dish. It is ‘Steamed Savoury Turnip Meringue’, which tastes a little bit like Wasabi. This dish can be categorised …
Not only my children (when they were young) but most Japanese children love savoury rice sprinkles called ‘Furikake’. There are loads of ‘Furikake’ products available but I never know what is in them. Home-made ‘Furikake’ are easy to make and we can know exactly what is in them. I used to make this ‘Salmon Furikake’ …
I often make a large batch of thinly sliced vegetable mix for salad. This is so handy to make a lunch for myself. Sometimes I mix with noodles or mix with fish or meat to make a rice bowl dish like this one. If you wish to make this dish with Smoked Salmon, you need …
I love the peppery taste of Watercress. Whenever I find fresh watercress in a shop, it’s hard to resist buying a bunch. This salad is not for children. The Watercress is peppery, and Radish and Red Onion are also peppery, and even Wasabi is added to the dressing. Fresh Wasabi is preferable, but it’s impossible …
For cooking one-person meal, the canned fish is very handy to have in the pantry. I try to stock canned salmon, tuna, sardine and mackerel when they are on special. This ‘Canned Salmon Miso Don’ can be cooked, of course, with fresh salmon fillet but fish are all very pricy in Australia. A small canned …
In Japan, I used to enjoy many traditional food made from fish such as ‘Chikuwa’, ‘Kamaboko’, ‘Fish Sausages’, etc. One of my favourite is deep-fried fish patties with squid pieces in them. The only way for me to eat them now is making them by myself. One day I reluctantly tried and discovered it is …
There is one dish that I have been very fond of since my childhood. It’s a dish of Mackerel simmered in sweet miso sauce. Sadly I can’t cook it here in Melbourne because it is too hard to find fresh Mackerel, that is called ‘Saba’ in Japanese. Then I created this dish using canned Mackerel …
When cabbages are in season, I often make coleslaw with different dressings or sauces. I tried to create an Asian flavour slaw. When you follow this recipe, you might think the amount of the cabbages is too much for 4 servings but it will decrease in volume and the flavour will become stronger. I use …