notes from my kitchen
As you may know, Japan loves to adapt ‘Western’ food to its own taste. The substitution of spaghetti to make ‘karubonāra udon’ is one inevitable result of this. I admit, I shunned such dishes for a while, having internalised a certain Italian orthodoxy about noodle-sauce combinations while living on the peninsula years ago. Now I heartily renounce that position. Try my udon alla carbonara recipe and see what you think!
[Read more…] about udon alla carbonara recipe: not wafu, not pasta?
The nights are drawing in, and since September my menus have been gradually changing to counteract the chillier weather. More and more, I’ve been turning to those knobbly, underground, secretive vegetables – the ones we always abandon around April and rediscover towards Christmas. This time around, I’m also unearthing the meanings behind homely Japanese dishes such as shigure-ni and takikomi-gohan. Also featured in this post is a sweet treat I brought back from Japan to share with you – but don’t worry, it still fits with the root vegetable theme!
As always, read on for more details and cooking tips.
[Read more…] about autumnal eats: shigure-ni, takikomi-gohan and more
It’s been a crazy summer here – we’ve had lots going on, including a fantastic trip to Japan (more on that story later)! My kitchen experiments have continued unabated, so I’m going to catch up now for lost blogging with a big spread of fun and satisfying dishes. As the title suggests, this meal was actually to celebrate my wife’s birthday, so it’s mostly her requests! (Try to spot the weird extra I couldn’t resist sneaking in, courtesy of Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art.)
Read on for my notes…
[Read more…] about ichiju-sansai / 1 soup 3 sides : birthday spread
Always wanted to read a detailed gyoza crimping explanation? Your wish has come true. My gyoza recipe makes delicious pan-fried parcels every time!
Nimono (煮物) is an important category of dishes in Japanese home cooking; the word derives from niru (煮る), meaning ‘to simmer or stew’. It’s comfort food, Japanese style. [Read more…] about nimono or japanese stew