After four years in Tokyo, Yoko relocated to the Bay Area. She loves dips, dashi, and deals.
Japanify
January 17, 2013
Japanify: His’n’Hers* (Herring Egg + Sperm Sacs)
Last week, I shared a bowl of nishin soba with you, and I asked you to not to throw out the egg and sperm sacs. I have two recipes that will have you wondering why people would ever throw them out in the first place. Personally, I look forward to the herring shirako and kazunoko […]
January 10, 2013
Japanify: Nishin Soba (Hot Soba w. Simmered Herring)
A gleaming school of herring greeted me upon my arrival on U.S. shores yesterday. After landing from Tokyo, my first errand after dropping off my bags at home was a visit to my local fish monger (Monterey Fish Market). Winter is a cornucopia of goodies for seafood. Crabs, oysters, salmon roe and herring are just […]
December 20, 2012
Japanify: Matsutake Soup
Taking half an hour out of my schedule to slow down and warm up has been possible these past few weeks thanks to this simple soup. The arrival of matsutake mushrooms is here and I couldn’t be more excited. This year at my local market, they have sorted the mushrooms by #1s and #6s. If […]
December 6, 2012
Japanify: Winter Root Nimono
For some, winter may mean honey-baked hams and Santa Claus. But at my house, it means nimono. Nimono simply means “simmered things” in Japanese. You can pretty much simmer anything, but the simmering liquid is usually a combination of dashi, mirin and soy sauce. I was happy to find some very wintry root vegetables at […]
November 15, 2012
Japanify: Kale Ohitashi
Although I have embraced the fact that I have now crossed-over into 30-somethingdom, my diet has not caught up. With age, my body is clearly not as forgiving when I’ve had a few too many glasses of wine. The idea of taking multi-vitamins has been hanging over my head for a while now, with no […]
November 1, 2012
Japanify: Grilled Sanma
When the persimmons and matsutake start populating the markets in Japan, so do the sanma (Pacific Saury). They are so abundant, they are practically giving them out for free. For less than 100yen per fish, it’s the most economical choice to celebrate autumn. It’s another story out here in California. I was perusing my local […]
October 25, 2012
Japanify: Negitoro Don
I am posting a recipe for negitoro donburi for the pure fact that this is the most delicious thing to make in under 5 minutes if you have cooked rice on hand. If your fish monger sells toro pieces for cheaper, grab the opportunity to make this dish. If pieces of toro are not available, […]
October 11, 2012
Japanify: Matsutake Farro
The other day, Washi and I went to Uniqlo thinking we could just casually stroll in two days after its opening. First reality check: there was a line winding two blocks down the building. So we went to some other shops. Second reality check for Washi: he couldn’t fit comfortably into a size M anymore. […]
September 27, 2012
Japanify: Steak Sauce
Whenever I go see my 92 year-old grandma and have a conversation over tea, she drops all kinds of wisdom bombs on me. And she does it so casually, I never really notice the impact her words have on me until I am on the freeway, driving back to Berkeley. Last week, she said “I […]
September 20, 2012
Japanify: Pork + Myoga Madness
Myoga madness continues as I experiment with the harvest from my sister’s myoga plant. Last week, I topped raw myoga on tofu. This week, I make a stir fry with myoga and slices of pork shoulder. I am very inexperienced with cooking mammal meat and quite intimidated when it comes to preparing chunks of it. […]