RECIPE THURSDAYS

EXCERPT: I spent this morning cooking for my friends who are new parents (and ones who are abut to be). I wanted to do a hearty main dish that could be frozen easily and that was tasty but not too spicy for a nursing mother. I decided on chickpeas over bulgar

EXCERPT: I like the idea of eating wild foods even when I can only discover them in grocery stores. Yesterday I spied some fiddlehead ostrich ferns, kogomi in Japanese, and bought them to try. Full grown ferns are toxic, so you have to be cautious about your preparation of fiddleheads

EXCERPT: I never seem to get the standard butter/powdered sugar buttercream right, and I really don’t like the too sweet taste or the heavy texture, so yesterday I went searching for a new method. I learned about buttercream roux, traditionally used on Red Velvet cakes. I think I will be using

EXCERPT: We spied a bulb of fennel at the supermarket the other day - just one, sitting overpriced and alone in the corner of the vegetable display - and snatched it up for salads. Last night I combined fennel with fruit for a surprisingly good dessert course salad. The licorice flavor

EXCERPT: Fresh beets are a favorite special treat as they aren’t often available. When we can find them, they are expensive (400 yen each) so we usually only have one at a time and roast them for salads. Last night, I changed gears and made soup. It was simple and delicious

EXCERPT: Tod wanted to take granola bars to a hanami picnic, so I made these. As I often do these days, I consulted Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian” for the basics, then changed it all around to suit myself. These turned out to be more like candy than

EXCERPT: Here is another recipe to use up some leftovers - in this case the too strong dregs of the teapot and some odds and ends of dried fruit. Fruited Tea Cake makes 2 small loaves 2 cups strong brewed tea 400 g dried fruit (raisins, figs, prunes, dates coconut,

EXCERPT: This eggplant spread received raves at a dinner gathering last night and the bowl was scraped clean, so I thought I’d better write the recipe out so I don’t forget it. I decided to add some pomegranate molasses, which I only seem to use for muhammara, and that was the

EXCERPT: I always make too much mujadara to eat in one sitting but the rice and lentil dish is so delicious that it’s never a problem. Tonight I turned some of yesterday’s leftovers into patties. I drew on Heidi Swanson’s “Ultimate Veggie Burger” for inspiration but mine is really nothing

EXCERPT: Last Thanksgiving my sister made us a raw cherry cobbler that was out of this world. Today I saw a jar of sour cherries at the supermarket and bought it, hoping that I could replicate the cobbler at home. What I ended up with isn’t quite what Jenn served

EXCERPT: This weekend has turned into a festival of food. Though I hoped to get out and about and to catch up on some creative projects, I really cannot fuss much about spending my time in the kitchen. Especially when the process is fun and the results are so delicious. Around

EXCERPT: Today is my first weekend off in what seems like forever, and it is a long weekend to boot, so Tod & I celebrated a lazy Saturday by spending most of it in the kitchen. After so many weeks of dinners at the office, I have access to my own

EXCERPT: Chatting with an old Pittsburgh friend last week, we reminisced about “Tony’s Crispy Bean Curd,” one of our favorite tofu dishes at a local Chinese restaurant. It inspired me to make my own crispy bean curd that night. This one has a fruit-based sweet & sour sauce over deep-fried tofu.

EXCERPT: Nanakusa, the seven spring herbs, are a traditional Japanese medicinal meal. On January 7th, people eat rice porridge flavored with the first bitter wild greens of spring. It’s refreshing and delicious (plus it’s supposed to strengthen the immune system and prevent colds) so I try to remember to do

EXCERPT: This is a basic stir-fried curry that I learned from Shakti’s Indian Spice Box cooking school in Udaipur when we went to India in 2006. I included it in Almost Vegan, so you may already have see this one, but I fear losing the photocopied recipe I got from Shakti,

EXCERPT: We’ve recently finished reading Bill Buford’s book, Heat. He tells the tales of a mid-life career change from editor to cook and everything along the way - including learning Italian and several long trips to Italy to learn to cook. One of his tutors is a 16th century Italian named

EXCERPT: In the West Village of New York City, I bought something called a drunken fig. It was a whole dried fig, stuffed with port-infused fig and chocolate filling and dipped in dark chocolate. It was pretty good, I liked the fig and chocolate combination, but the filling wasn’t drunken

EXCERPT: Mom asked me to share some well-seasoned vegetarian recipes with her. She doesn’t eat a lot of meat and wanted to learn a bit more about the tasty stuff I’m always going on about. So I made her a little cookbook. I called it “Almost Vegan” because although the emphasis

EXCERPT: This is one of my favorite rice and bean recipes. It’s a bit troublesome, as you have to cook the lentils and rice separately, so you need enough pans, but they can be cooked at the same time, so it doesn’t really take long and the results are worth the

EXCERPT: This recipe is a part of one of our standby quick meals along with some tortillas and chopped vegetables. There’s no need for an Old El Paso spice mix when you can easily make your own (and tailor the blend to your tastes, too!) Spicy Mexican Beans serves 2 (suitable

EXCERPT: Flavorful Italian-type sausage is difficult to come by in Tokyo, so I learned to make my own with ground meat and the right seasonings. Now I’ve learned to substitute faux meat for regular meat to make a low-fat vegan version. I use this odd stuff called Pino Konnyaku or

EXCERPT: I think my favorite meal at camp was the lunch Tod & I cooked together. We bought two whole salted mackerels (shiosaba) at the fishmongers’, wrapped them in foil, and cooked them over a gas stove “fire” to share with all of our camping companions. Camp Saba serves 12 2

EXCERPT: Tod showed me the peaches (yum) then held up a green pepper, “What do you think?” He said I looked dubious, but I was just imagining the combination, along with the ginger that we’d already agreed on. “Yeah, go ahead,” I granted. Wow! The green pepper is a fresh top

EXCERPT: Pickle press in action These are a refreshingly light side dish and go very well with the Lentil Tagine previously posted. Start the pickles about an hour before you plan to eat and they will be ready for you to serve. These don’t keep well, so enjoy them all

EXCERPT: Tagine on the table A tagine is a kind of terracotta cooking pot with a conical lid, and also the food cooked in it - a stew. Normally a tagne has soft, falling off the bone meat and vegetables, but this version is meatless. It cooks at low heat

EXCERPT: In another “I’ll give your ephemera back after I’ve used it” moment, I snagged This 1935 edition of General Foods seminal baking book, All About Home Baking from Greg. It’s an excellent primer on the fundamentals of baking from scratch. 23 Easy Picture Lessons promise to cover the keys to

EXCERPT: I’m not keen on substitutes for meat, dairy and eggs in my vegetarian diet. I don’t really miss them all that much, and am quite content to eat vegetables, beans and other tasty whole foods without disguising them as “meat.” However, a few weeks back in Kawagoe, we picked up

EXCERPT: Chilled tofu salad is a popular summer dish in Japan. Hiya-yakko traditionally is topped with soy sauce and ginger paste, green onions and bonito flakes. But that’s not the only Yakko option. In Tofu and Beans Recipe 176, there are 10 more ideas for topping your tofu. Some of them

EXCERPT: You might scratch your head over this, but Perl hackers like food so much that they add recipes to their source code. But the new maintainer, Andy, has deleted the recipes. Horrors! To preserve these two tasty vegetarian Middle Eastern ones, I’m republishing them here. Thanks to Sean Burke for

EXCERPT: It’s blueberry season and the American imported blueberries are too tempting to pass up even though they come from much farther than 150 km away. This is a vegan, low fat dessert in case you don’t want to eat your blueberries plain. Only 175 calories per serving, so it won’t

EXCERPT: Years and years ago, our friend Tak taught us how to make tofu steak topped with soy sauce and bonito flakes. I loved it, but made it infrequently. Now that real steak is off the menu, this vegan variation topped with sauteed mushrooms will appear on our plates more often.

EXCERPT: Molasses Muesli cookies looking all healthy For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been testing the vegan waters. In many ways, I am loving the increase in vegetables, lack of animal products, and the weight loss, too, but there are some drawbacks. Sweets are one of them. When I

EXCERPT: Tod’s New Spice Cake serves Tod 2 1/3 cups flour 1 cup white sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1.5 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1.5 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp cardamom 1 tsp salt 1 cup brown sugar (packed) 2/3 cup butter 1 cup milk 3 eggs In

EXCERPT: I was putting my new ravioli press to the test earlier this week and it did a good job once I’d figured out some of its secrets. Press the filling in tightly, don’t overfill even a tiny bit. Allow the dough (rolled to indicator 5 on the Imperia) to

EXCERPT: This bread is a variation on my basic white bread recipe but the addition of tea and spices transforms it into a completely different loaf. The spices bring out the honey flavor, the tea makes it interesting. Delicious as breakfast toast, I’d hoped to fry some up some as

EXCERPT: Pressed cheese ready for curry Cottage cheese is a simple thing to make - they don’t call it cottage for nothing. It takes a bit of your attention, to ensure the milk doesn’t scorch or boil over, but other than that, it’s almost as easy as boiling water. You

EXCERPT: We splurged on an Imperia pasta machine for Christmas. It was a good investment - we’ve been enjoying making our own spaghetti, fettuccine and ravioli nearly every week. The basis of a good pasta is the dough. This semolina and egg recipe never fails to make excellent dough that can

EXCERPT: Homemade fettuccine topped with cabbage & bacon Cabbage & Bacon Fettuccine makes 2 enormous servings 10 slices bacon 1/2 large onion 2 cloves garlic 1/2 head cabbage olive oil black pepper freshly made fettuccine Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion, roughly chop the cabbage. Thinly slice

EXCERPT: The morning after - leftover breads cosy up on the cutting board. JIm’s white, my wheat. Jim and I got together yesterday to trade bread-making secrets. His bread is always chewy and crusty. Mine is small crumbed and even. I like his better; he prefers mine. So we baked

EXCERPT: Dense bread makes great toast - soaks in lots of butter! This bread isn’t the most exciting loaf ever, but it’s simplicity is going to make it a staple in my kitchen. The crust is a tiny bit sweet, the bread is finely grained and neutral in flavor. It

EXCERPT: Rosemary and cheese focaccia ready for dinner This focaccia is a breeze to make and comes out soft and chewy on the inside with a crispy top. From start to finish it takes under 2 hours. I used instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the flour and

EXCERPT: Here’s another quick and delicious tapas side dish to server with your favorite glass of Spanish sherry. This can be made in about 5 minutes entirely from pantry items, so no excuse not to show off a little next time someone drops in unexpectedly in the evening. You could also

EXCERPT: This is the base of the meat sauce at Amoroso - a mixture of meat, wine and tomatoes. Maeda-san adds rosemary to the sauce to reduce the scent of the meat - nutmeg would also work, but nutmeg doesn’t pair well with wine. Maeda-san makes a huge batch and freezes

EXCERPT: Curried Salmon Spread would look even tastier with grapes. I wanted to celebrate the solstice with a spread of tapas, so I went to the store and bought a bunch of unrelated ingredients, then came home to turn them into little dishes to top toast points. Here’s one that

EXCERPT: Bite-sized nuggets of fruity goodness Here’s a cookie recipe to use up all the leftover dried fruits and nuts from your other holiday recipes. I included shredded apple and cream cheese to give the cookies a moist and dense texture. I left the choice of spices and flavouring up

EXCERPT: Whole Carrot Soup from “My Precious” I can imagine this soup being served in a rural Japanese restaurant that was trying hard to serve posh Western dishes. It may be the strangest recipe I’ve come across this year. It’s from a food gift catalog, opposite the page selling carrots

EXCERPT: Karanjee pastries smell like India’s sweet shops I noted down this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor’s “Quick Cook” column in the November 16th issue of Gomantak Times as I sat reading it at breakfast in Panaji, Goa. Half moon shaped pastries filled with cardamom spiced dried fruit and nuts seemed

EXCERPT: I think the most important of all Indian foods is masala chai, a sweet milky spiced tea. The chai wallahs who sit on street corners are surrounded by men sipping the strong stuff from tiny disposable cups or real glass glasses. You can get chai (masala or plain) whether you

EXCERPT: Caramel corn is an American autumn tradition and turned into popcorn balls, a classic Halloween treat from my childhood when neighbors could still be trusted not to poison us kids. This is a particularly good recipe, creating buttery caramel that cools to an uneven but crispy coating on the popcorn.

EXCERPT: I post a lot of recipes here and many of them are my own original dishes. Perhaps I have misled you into believing I am careful in the kitchen, a stickler for measuring, and always prepared at mealtimes. That’s not real life in my kitchen. Most nights, I make do

EXCERPT: I’m really fond of gnocchi as a base for sauces of all sorts, but if you prefer a different pasta, this sauce will work well on pretty much anything. You might even try it over beef or chicken. Nira is a sort of garlic-y chive that’s very popular in Japan.

EXCERPT: This was adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe for Bourbon Barbecue Sauce. I had no bourbon on hand, well none that Tod would let me cook with, so that’s where the deviations began. On top of that, I’d just received some Mexican Guajillo chiles from a friend. There are a

EXCERPT: Figs are in season now. I love the big dark figs we get here - beautifully pink and sweet on the inside, the skin is a little tart. Mmmmm. This recipe adds just the right extra touch, whiskey, to turn a fresh fig and a dollop of cheese into a

EXCERPT: Acqua pazza means crazy water in Italian. It’s a delicious way to poach fish to add lots of flavor. How can you go wrong with garlic, anchovy and a lot of vegetables? I made this version the other night .It’s healthy as well as delicious, see the recipe analysis. Acqua

EXCERPT: I’m beginning to believe that I can bake with a nearly empty larder, the same way I can make a meal from what Tod calls “nothing in the fridge.” I wanted to bake a treat for the Matsudai folks who will be dancing in the Kinseees program on Friday, but

EXCERPT: Another South African classic in my new repetroire. I wasn’t sure I’d like this - it’s a fruity meat curry topped with a layer of savory custard. Sweet main dishes have never been a favorite. But this was delicious - delicately flavoured and not too sweet at all - and

EXCERPT: This week I’ve discovered South African foods and flavours thanks to some very tasty boerewors sausage from The Meat Guy, a specialty meat purveyor in Nagoya. I was trying to figure out what to serve with our corriander-clove spiced sausages, and started reading South African recipes and cuisine information. There

EXCERPT: This is another one of those quick sauces you can make while the water boils and the pasta cooks. I served this last night over gnocchi but it would be good over just about any shape of noodle. Smoked Salmon Cream Sauce serves 2 120 grams smoked salmon, cut

EXCERPT: As much as I love the 1902 potato salad, I love this one, too. It’s texture is smooth potato interspersed with bits of fresh vegetables. You’ll find this kind of potato salad in every supermarket deli in Japan - sometime spread thinly as a sandwich filling on crustless white bread.

EXCERPT: From “Popular Amusements for Indoors and Out of Doors,” published in 1902. This is my all-time favorite picnic salad. It combines all the best elements of cole slaw and potato salad into one bowl. 4 potatoes, boiled and chopped 1.5 cups cabbage, chopped 6 eggs, hard boiled & sliced 1

EXCERPT: The new Weber grill has been busy. John & Tod cooked up a whole chicken using this marinade - it was succulent and citrus-y. I’ve included the grilling directions Tod supplied, too. I can see many grill-roasted chickens (and lots of chicken soup) in our future. Yuzu Chicken Marinade 1

EXCERPT: Ashley’s birthday is today and I wanted to bake a cake to celebrate. It had to be carried across town and survive a dinner cruise before we tucked into it, so I decided on a sheetcake, simply decorated. It was well-received - even cake-hating Troy ate a piece (or he

EXCERPT: Just about every time I want to have a special dinner, romantic candlelight, or fancy occasion meal and I ask Tod what he’d like to have, he answers “beef stroganoff.” And this is the one he means. Tod’s Favorite Beef Stroganoff serves 4 or Tod 650 gr beef tenderloin, cut

EXCERPT: I can tell summer is here because I’m making a lot of salads now. The secret to good salad dressing is enough salt—don’t use too little or your dressing will be flat. Here are three dressings I whipped up this week. Nothing was measured carefully when I made these, so

EXCERPT: Another summer dish I tested out on a party crowd. Couldn’t be much simpler and need no heat at all - just start it the night before to ensure you get enough marination time. It’s easy to find bags of mixed seafood in Japan, and it’s already cooked and prepped

EXCERPT: I made this as part of a menu for a dinner party last weekend. The recipe came from Peter Why via the LibriVox forums but I made some conisderable changes to his original - including skipping a cooking step and substituting anchovies for garlic. The results were raved over and

EXCERPT: We chuckled as we chopped the ingredients for this “cleaning out the fridge meal”, because most of the ingredients start with a |k| sound if you mix the English and Japanese names. I wasn’t sure cauliflower and kabu (turnip) would go well together, but these mild Japanese turnips were an

EXCERPT: I tried this for a friend’s “American Comfort Foods” theme party (also on the menu were Buffalo wings, macaroni & cheese, and eggplant parmesan.) This smooth, light peanut butter cheesecake with a crispy chocolate topping was a decadent ending and very American. We let it come to room temperature before

EXCERPT: I decided to try a home delivery service for (primarily) organically grown vegetables. The “trial box” arrived today, packed with dirt-covered root vegetables, a lovely lettuce, spinach, mini tomatoes and other goodies. And a sheet of recipes. So today’s recipe is one from the sheet for daikon, a vegetable that

EXCERPT: In addition to the cookibook I read from last week, I’ve been enjoying the other old (pre-1923) cookbooks at Project Gutenberg. The prefaces are gems, the prose is brilliant to read, and the recipes reflect the times and tastes in which they were written. Here’s a recipe from Mrs. Wilson’s

EXCERPT: This is from Elizabeth E. Lea’s 1866 cookbook Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, and Hints to Young Housekeepers. This pound cake recipe is the basis for the method of many of the other cakes in the chapter. This is not such an extravagant cake - the fruit cake recipe calls for

EXCERPT: I’ll warn you right up front, be prepared to air out the house after this meal - the scent of slow-cooking cabbage and sauerkraut really permeates everything. But the results are worth the odor. Tod, who is not usually a big fan of sauerkraut, nibbled the leftovers out of the

EXCERPT: I whipped this up the other night to go with grilled beef. Yum yum yum. Green peppercorns have a hint of turpentine flavor. I’m not sure why I enjoy this so much, but I do. . Be sure to have some crusty bread on hand for dipping in the extra

EXCERPT: This is tomorrow night’s dinner: potatoes and beef stewed in a soy-flavoured broth. Mmmmm. Served with rice, miso soup and pickles, this is a tasty home-style Japanese meal. Niku Jaga serves 4 100 g thinly sliced beef 4 potatoes 1 onion 1 Tbsp olive oil 4 Tbsp soy sauce 4

EXCERPT: This luxurious pasta dish is utterly simple to make if you use pre-packaged (frozen or fresh) gnocchi. The seasoning is minimal to allow the flavours of the mushrooms and artichokes to predominate. Gnocchi with Portabello & Artichokes serves 3-4 2 large portabello mushroom caps 3 Tblsp butter 1/4 cup olive

EXCERPT: This recipe comes from a Japanese cookbook called “Tare, Sauce, Ajitsuke” published by Ikeda Shoten. It’s a chunky sauce more like marmalade then mustard and good change of pace to a lemon wedge next to your fish. Lemon Sauce serves 4 1 lemon 1 clolve garlic 2 Tbsp butter 2

EXCERPT: Cold season continues in the McQuillin household. I’m hungry for home-cooked food but lacking energy to do anything challenging so I made a simple but delicious baked chicken. The ginger-lemon marinade is based on a tisane I like to drink when I have a cough, but I don’t think eating

EXCERPT: Tod came home with a cold this evening, his first in many months. How fortunate for me that I’d just discovered the “Invalid” section in the old Argonaut Bookshop cookbook. I passed over the recipes for Fricasseed Brains (there were two different versions) and Treacle Posset, to settle on beef

EXCERPT: This is a recipe from an old cookbook published in Adelaide by the Argonaut Bookshop. Probably around 1945, but since the cover and several pages are missing, I can’t tell for sure. The recipe is for an eggless, butterless, milkless cake, but it isn’t vegetarian as it uses lard for

EXCERPT: This recipe came about after a discussion with Adrian, a friend and former coworker of Tod’s. He’d had a bad experience with a too-blue blue cheese cheesecake, but we agreed that if you toned it down, blue cheese might be a good enhancement for a cheesecake. And it is. I

EXCERPT: Thanks to Tod for the inspiration about the sauce. Citrus-Chili Chicken Balls makes 80 balls 500 gr ground chicken 1 egg 1 lemon, juiced 1 mikan, juiced 1/2 cup onion, finley chopped 1 Tblsp cilantro, minced 1 Tblsp parsley, minced 1 anchovy fillet, minced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black

EXCERPT: This recipe comes from a cookbook published in Adelaide by the Argonaut Bookshop. Judging by the type, ads and other clues, I’m estimating it was released around 1945, but since the cover and several pages are missing, I can’t tell for sure. I’ve preserved the format and wording of the

EXCERPT: This is not for the faint of heart! We prefer to use homegrown dried chiles in place of the innocuous “crushed red peppers” which is probably what makes it so very hot. Indonesian Braised Pork serves 8 4 lb pork, cut into bite size pieces 1 onion, chopped 2

EXCERPT: This is a layered torte — 14 cinnamon-scented cookies layered with chocolate whipped cream. It’s another clasic from the Telerama days—I first made it for Doug’s birthday in 1992. It was a great success became the “fancy dessert” of choice anytime Doug was involved in a celebration. It takes

EXCERPT: This is a delicious, simple barbecue sauce and another of Doug’s mom’s recipes. It’s savory and not too hot. I think it is perfect as is, but Doug and Tod used to sneak in a little extra tobasco and chili powder. Either way, it’s the best! Doug’s Mom’s Barbecue

EXCERPT: We collected quite a few recipes from Doug’s mom back in the early 90s. Her chili is one of my favorites and it can be spiced to your preferred degree of pepperiness. I rediscovered this recipe when I was looking for Jean Englehardt’s meatloaf recipe. A few other favorites

EXCERPT: Portabella mushrooms are not so easy to find in my grocery store so when I found baby bellas on the shelves the other day, I grabbed them up quick. Here’s what I made them into—rich, flavorful, glossy brown cream sauce. I wish I’d made more. Portabella Cream Sauce serves 4

EXCERPT: Jean was a co-worker of Tod’s at Weld Tooling back in the early 1990s. This juicy, flavorful meatloaf is one of her specialities. I love all the vegetables that go into it. The pan drippeds make excellent gravy. The original recipe called for 6 1/2 pounds of meat—enough to feed

EXCERPT: When we were little, Mom & Dad would take us to dinner at a nearby motel with a not-too-bad restaurant. The owners befriended our family and my sister and I played outside with their kids while the grown-ups had coffee. I can’t remember the names of the kids, their parents,

EXCERPT: Recently, I’ve run out of some of the basic items in my pantry and I feel naked without them. But before I restock, I thought I’d take stock and see how many different meals I can create with my basics. In the pantry cupboard: Whole tomatoes (canned) Tuna in oil

EXCERPT: We had an impromptu dinner party the other day and it turned out to be our friend Sachi’s birthday. I was testing this recipe on the guests and it was good enough to give a name. So it’s Sachi’s Birthday Beans. Sachi’s Birthday Beans serves 4-5 2 cans white beans

EXCERPT: You’ve been practicing cutting carrots and mushrooms according to last week’s video, right? Well, now you’ll get to use them. This nabemon is a one-dish meal. I usually incorporate Japanese seasonal items that you might not be able to get, so I’ve listed substitutes in the ingredients. If you have

EXCERPT: In preparation for next week’s recipe—a Japanese winter stew—here’s a video to show you how to do some of the decorative cuts that make nabe as lovely to look at as it is delicious to eat. Simple Japanese Decorative Cutting 3.7 MB 1’41” MP4

EXCERPT: I promised this to Yuka for dinner as a repayment for a favor. We haven’t managed to get together to enjoy it, but Tod & I had it last night. Takes about 30 minutes, start to finish, and is wonderfully light and delicious. The secret is quatre epices, a

EXCERPT: This is my translation of a seasonal recipe from Kyou no Ryouri, NHK’s daily cooking show and monthlly magazine. Saba, mackerel in English, is a dark-fleshed fish full of good-for-you oils. The salad incorporates fragrant Japanese herbs and is topped with a garlicy dressing. The original recipe by Kentarou

EXCERPT: This is Ashley’s family recipe for beef stronganoff. Like all good recipes, it isn’t exactly measured, so I’m guessing on quantities. We had this tonight and it was delicious! Beef Stroganoff ala Thredgold serves 4 1/2 onion, minced 2 strips bacon, minced olive oil 2-3 filet steaks, cubed 1/4 cup

EXCERPT: This is my own recipe for coq au vin. I don’t like the bacon that’s featured in the authentic version, so I leave it out. And since I’m usually making the dish with leftover wine from the night before—or sometimes a bottle that just wasn’t worth drinking—the quantity of liquid

EXCERPT: This is what we ate for dinner last night. It hardly seems like a recipe at all… Grilled Trout with Oregano serves 4 4 10”/25cm whole trout, gutted 1 lemon, juiced 12 sprigs fresh oregano 1 Tblsp sea salt olive oil Chop 4 sprigs of oregano, mix with oil and

EXCERPT: I learned a great trick for making grilled rice balls from my friend Elizabeth of Taste of Culture fame. It’s not exactly a recipe, but a procedure. When you have leftover rice (the slightly sticky, short grain Japanese kind), make rice balls by pressing the rice in your hands to

EXCERPT: Summer heat has me wishing that cooked food were never invented. Here’s a dish that’s easy and tasty on a hot night and can be preapred in advance. In Japan, broccoli is often served with mayo on the side, and though it first seemed really strange and rather gross, I’ve

EXCERPT: Staying with my friend, Jon, in Beijing, I promised to return his hospitality by cooking a meal for him one night. When I inquired into what he’d like, he thought a moment, then asked if I could do “a tuna and pasta-y baked dish.” Of course I can, that’s Tuna

EXCERPT: I threw this together last night as a topping for fresh blueberries. Although it’s very simple, it transformed the fruit into an elegant dessert. Cardamom cream serves 4 1 cup heavy cream (35% milkfat) 1 Tblsp powdered sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 whole cardamom pods Pour the cream into a

EXCERPT: Searching for more pickle recipes for my podcast, I found this in one of my Japanese cookbooks. It’s quite simple. Sweet-Sour Vegetable Pickles 1/4 cauliflower 1 cucumber 2 onions, small 4 radishes 1 cup water 1 cup white wine vinegar 3 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 laurel leaf 1

EXCERPT: Adapted from a recipe at Epicurious, this soup was the showpiece of this week’s Candle Night solstice dinner. I will be making it again, only next time I’ll try to find a Thai chili pepper to add to the mix with the lime juice. Thai Watermelon Soup serves 6 1

EXCERPT: This was a dish…perhaps I should say concoction…introduced to us by our friend Doug way back when we were all struggling to make ends meet. The original recipe was simply a box of Kraft dinner, with added lima beans, sliced up deli ham and a good dollop of horseradish. When

EXCERPT: Looking for an interesting potato salad to serve at your next barbecue? This fusion of Japanese and western flavors will knock their socks off; the secret is the wasabi mayonnaise. I’ve adapted this recipe from the May issue of NHK’s Kyou no Ryouri. New Potato and Avocado Salad serves 4

EXCERPT: I made this cake for Tod’s belated birthday party a couple weeks ago. It’s spicy—Sachiko said she’s never had a cake that burned afterwards. My original attempt used Quatre Epices, but I reworked the recipe with plain white pepper because it’s easier to find. White Pepper Poundcake serves 8 100

EXCERPT: These daikon pancakes were developed at camp on Niijima. I started out with the idea of making daikon mochi, a Chinese dim sum favorite, but after pureeing one daikon, I realised there wouldn’t be enough to feed ten people. So I improvised and ended up with these wonderful starchy pancakes.

EXCERPT: A pile of vegetables, three cutting boards and a handful of hungry choppers inspired this hearty lunchtime camp salad. The soft tofu, fresh from the shop, crumbles into a creamy dressing that contrasts nicely with the tang of the pickled carrots and cucumbers. Our crunchy frill lettuce came from a

EXCERPT: I picked up a little book of sauce and tare recipes the other day. It’s got all the Japanese sauce standards that I’ve grown to love. This mushroom sauce appears in restaurants all over the country. Serve it over grilled steak or hamburgers. Wafu Mushroom Sauce serves 4 100 gr

EXCERPT: Randomly selected from one of my Japanese cookbooks, here’s a classic Japanese side dish that you probably won’t often see outside Japan. It’s a cooked salad with tofu dressing but one of the ingredients, konyaku, is not commonly available in the States so check at an oriental grocery. Konyaku is

EXCERPT: This is a recreation of the lunch I ate at a Tokyo restaurant on Thursday. It sounded great on the menu—Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Tomato Pilaf—but the dish was flat, too salty, and not as interesting as I had hoped. My version improves the original by reducing the saltiness and

EXCERPT: This is from the Three Rivers Cookbook, vol 1, a wildly popular cookbook series of recipes contributed by Pittsburgh’s finest citizens. I do not recommend that you make this, it is merely an illustration of the horrors that await you at picnics in western Pennsylvania. Cranberry Tuna Mold serves 8

EXCERPT: This recipe was related to me by David Byers, an old family friend. When I was a little girl, he drove me home in his convertible Ferrari (it was the shortest ride home I’ve ever had) and a gave me an amythest crystal from his rock collection. How could I

EXCERPT: This is a recipe I first encountered in Singapore. It’s in the Nonya tradition—the Straits Chinese who settled early in the area and mixed their culture with the Malaysians. There’s a lot of paste-making to do and though you can use a knife to chop everything extra fine, a small

EXCERPT: While on vacation this week, I watched a famous Japanese cooking show called “Today’s Food”. They made carbonara and I liked their techniques, so took notes to share with you. Today’s Food Carbonara serves 1 100g pancetta, cut into sticks 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp brandy 1 egg 2

EXCERPT: No matter how many recipes you master, if your knife skills are lacking you’re not going to cut it in the kitchen. Today, take an inventory of your knives. You must have one good chef’s knife (8-10”), a utility knife, a paring knife and a bread knife. More than that

EXCERPT: These individual cheesecakes are almost effortless if you remember to take the cream cheese out to soften. A quick mix, a short bake and you have a creamy underlayer for a topping of fresh fruit. Plus, they satisfy the guidelines of South Beach and Atkins (if you use isomalt

EXCERPT: I love Indian food but my successrate on INdian recipes is rather low. However, I did this one the other night and it was easy and cmae out tasting just right. The trick is to let it cook a long time—just like a pot roast. Lamb Saag serves 4 1

EXCERPT: Chili is a wonderful cold weather food. I love the balance of beans and meat in this recipe and the spicing is perfect—not too hot, but not at all bland, either. If you’re serving it to folks who like flaming-hot chili, offer some habanero sauce on the side. Chipotle sauce

EXCERPT: It’s difficult to go wrong with garlic and anchovies and if you warm them up with a bunch of good olive oil, you’ve got a winning dip. Banga cauda is perfect for winter parties or those evenings when you want to graze your way through dinner. Bagna Cauda makes a

EXCERPT: You never know when people are going to pop in for a holiday drink or two, so it’s good to be prepared. These quick appetisers will impress them with items you probably already have in the fridge. Tod started calling them “vesuvios” but everyone else thinks of them as meat

EXCERPT: These are inspired by a bar of Belgian chocolate I tasted earlier this week. They are exotically spicy and not terribly sweet. Masala Chocolate Cookies makes about 4 dozen 2 cups flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp garam masala powder 1/2 tsp

EXCERPT: Last week in Australia, I was the pet American and treated to a feast of Australian foods from crayfish to lamingtons. My favorite thing (and this probably says something about my modest palette) was the pies. Meat pies are the staple fast food, just like hamburgers are in the US.

EXCERPT: This isn’t just chocolate cake, it’s flourless chocolate cake. And it’s not just flourless chocolate cake, it’s the cake you will compare all other cakes to. After you have this cake, all other cakes (chocolate and otherwise) will pale in comparison. So bake at your own risk. This is

EXCERPT: I love cranberries but I’m not so crazy about very sweet sauces for meats. So this low-sugar cranberry sauce is just the thing. Best if made a day or two ahead so that the flavors can blend. Tangy Cranberry Sauce makes about 2 cups 350 g (12 oz) fresh whole

EXCERPT: Goya is the Okinawan name for a bitter gourd that’s called “balsam pear” in English and niga-uri in Japanese. I’ve eaten it many times as “goya chanpuru, a scrambled egg dish, but found this recipe for goya chijimi on Suntory’s Macadia site. Goya Chijimi serves 2 1/2 goya 1/2 mentaiko

EXCERPT: Ah, the joy of a well-made sandwich, whether you call it a submarine, a grinder, a hero or a haogie, is not to be underestimated. A meal in one hand. A feast of texture, flavor and colors. When I was a kid, hoagies were long, squashy rolls, drenched with Italian

EXCERPT: 2004 is the UN’s International Year of Rice. Rice supports half the world’s population. Yeah for rice! I lived on mainly rice during my junior year at university in PIttsburgh. I had my first apartment and not much money. Rice was the cheapest staple in the grocery store and I

EXCERPT: Fijian cooking is influenced by the island produce and fish. Kokoda is a citrus-pickled fish in spicy coconut sauce. It makes a great appetiser. Here it is: Kokoda serves 2 1 filet firm white fish (walu, tuna, swordfish) juice of one lime juice of one lemon 1/2 small onion, minced

EXCERPT: Say “mashed satsuma imo with umeboshi” to any Japanese person (well, all the ones I know at least) and you’ll get a doubtful look. I think the combination of sweet potatoes (satsuma imo) and pickled plum (umeboshi) is like putting peanut butter with pickles. But I did it anyway and

EXCERPT: We first enjoyed this delicious vegetarian entree last December when Jo came over to make holiday cards. We reprised it again tonight at her house for a crowd. A classic from the Moosewood Cookbook. Polenta Pie 1.5 cups cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1.5 cups cold water 2 cups boiling water

EXCERPT: This week, I’ve ended up with a bunch of carrots in my fridge. I keep buying them, forgetting that I already have some. This salad helped me reduce the inventory a bit and added a nice green side to a simple ham sandwich lunch. Broccoli and Carrot Salad serves 2

EXCERPT: Have you ever been confused about the differences between chopping, dicing and mincing? Here’s the skinny on what’s what. Chop: irregular shapes but generally the same size. There are no specific rules about size but pieces larger than an inch (3 cm) are often called “chunks.” Mince: very finely chopped.

EXCERPT: Jo brought the most excellent trail mix on our camping trip—dried figs, dates, apricots, bananas, ginger, papaya, raisins, and sultanas mixed with peanuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews. There was a bit more than we needed, and I snagged a bag to bring home. I turned them into bar cookies—oat-rich, chewy,

EXCERPT: This weekend I’m off to Sado Island to camp for a few days with friends and attend the taiko drumming festival. We’re splitting up the cooking duties so that everyone makes one meal. I’m bringing along everything needed for lentil soup. Except for the optional cheese topping, nothing needs refrigeration.

EXCERPT: Looking for a quick dinner the other evening, I threw together this pasta dish. I would have used pancetta, but it’s not available in my grocery store. They do carry “fresh bacon block” which is unsliced bacon and worked quite nicely instead of pancetta. Orecchiette with Bacon serves 3-4 250

EXCERPT: This is a quick and easy gelatin dessert that requires no cooking and is low in calories. Coffee jelly is a popular dessert in Tokyo. The coffee jelly sold in the stores is usually sweetened, but this version delivers a sharp contrast between the bitter coffee jelly and the sweet

EXCERPT: Tokyo’s heat wave got me thinking about ices and I’ve mixed up a lot of granitas this week. They’re simple to prepare and taste delicious. Viennese Coffee Granita serves 4 2 cups coffee 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla Mix the coffee, cinnamon and

EXCERPT: It’s too hot to eat, but not too hot for fruity drinks. I invented this one last night. The garam masala adds a subtle spice and the Cointreau sweetens the bite of the yogurt. Banana-Cointreau Lassi Makes 2 generous servings 2 or 3 cups ice 2 bananas, peeled 1 cup

EXCERPT: Inspired by a recipe for cucumber and peach salsa and my recent trend towards fruit with pepper, I added a Japanese flair and served this salad at a dinner party last week with Eric Gower, author of the Breakaway Japanese Kitchen. Cucumber and Peach Salad Makes about 6 cups 4

EXCERPT: Tokyo’s turned hot and humid early this year (making up for last summer’s unseasonable coolness, I imagine) and I don’t want to cook. It’s time to dine on raw fruits and vegetables, icy drinks, and chilled soups. But fruits get boring, even when they are delectably ripe. Tod discovered a

EXCERPT: This makes a fabulous lunchtime picnic. At least it did for me. It can be assembled al fresco if you bring a knife. If you can’t find bread with figs in it, use a chewy grain-studded loaf and slice up some figs. If you can’t find peppered smoked chicken, I

EXCERPT: This lemony Greek chicken soup is a good choice when you’re sick and tired of chicken noodle. Avgolemono serves 3-4 4 chicken filets, or 1 skinless breast diced 2 cans chicken broth 1/2 can water 1/2 c rice 2 lemons, juiced 2 eggs 2-3 Tblspn milk 1/4 cup flat leaf

EXCERPT: This was a surprise. We had a half a French loaf and some eggs, but it was dinner…aha! A jar of pasta sauce, a few sausages and a dish of spinach with mushrooms, voila, dinner was done. Savory French Toast 1/2 loaf french bread 3 eggs 3 Tblsp parmesan cheese

EXCERPT: On the same day Tracey & I made ume shu, we also put together a batch ninniku shu—garlic tonic. It will be ready at the end of October, just in time to ward off chills, strengthen our blood, test on my visiting mother and mother-in-law, and all the other healthful

EXCERPT: Let’s Make Ume Shu 4’38” (28.7 MB MP4) …starring Tracey Northcott as the barkeep… As promised, here’s a how to video with everything you need to know to make ume shu (Japanese plum wine). Learn how to choose plums, wash and dry them, sterilse the bottles, layer the fruit with

EXCERPT: We invented this the other night to cheer up an ailing friend. It’s a bit more complicated that my usually dash-things-together style, but it’s not at all difficult. Just take everything in stages. We served this to five people after a hearty round of cheese and crackers and a

EXCERPT: This marinade is heavenly for grilled lamb chops. It’s mild but flavorful and not at all heavy-handed. Curry lamb marinade 3 lemons, juiced 2 Tblsp olive oil 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp garam masala powder 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp tumeric 2 tsp salt 2

EXCERPT: I’m not sure whether I prefer this sandwich or its name. It’s a heaven combination of olive salad and luncheon meats on a big round bread—a Sicilian style sandwich from New Orleans. Someday I’ll get to Central Grocery on Decatur Street to try the original but until then, here’s how

EXCERPT: May is the perfect month for al fresco dining in Tokyo. The weather is generally clear with nights that present a slightly cool contrast to the warm days. Needless to say, we’ve been busy with the grill this week and I have a great combination of flavors to share. It

EXCERPT: These cookies came with us to Jim’s birthday picnic last weekend where they were quickly consumed. The original recipe calls for raspberry jam, which I didn’t have, so I experimented with pear, (good) lemon curd (too runny) and a mysterious Iranian red fruit jam. My recipe is adapted from one

EXCERPT: Tod & I caught a springtime cold and have been coughing for weeks. When I’m ill, I tend towards medication cooked up in my kitchen from herbs and foods, rather than OTC or prescription drugs. I find that this tisane really helps to calm my cough and it tastes good,

EXCERPT: Tod & I invented this one together earlier this week and have been eating it ever since. It makes good leftovers. The fusion of Spanish and Japanese flavours surprised me. “Chorizo” in Japan is more like a slightly spicy frankfurter than the proper Spanish chorizo, so we added a little

EXCERPT: Here’s a refreshing marinade that goes beautifully with chicken done on the grill. It was recently enjoyed by Drew, who requested the recipe. Lemon-oregano Marinade 3-4 lemons, freshly squeezed (1/4 c juice) 1/4 c fresh oregano, finely chopped 3 Tblsp garlic, minced 2 Tblsp salt 2 tsp black pepper 1/3

EXCERPT: Spring is the time for birthdays in my family. My niece, sister and I have birthdays within a week of each other. Tod’s birthday is at the beginning of May and before then we’ll have several other birthdays to celebrate with friends. So I do a lot of baking around

EXCERPT: This really could not be easier and it receives raves. Must be all the fat—for those who are counting, it’s about 640 calories and 50 grams of fat, mainly from the mayonnaise. Artichokes have no fat at all, which surprised me for some reason—I figured they were oily like olives

EXCERPT: Last night at the Japan Bloggers party, Jeremy was waxing poetic about food. “Imagine taking cilantro and mango and making a sort of Chicken Kiev…” he began. We tossed the idea back and forth a little bit before turning to other topics. This evening, I filled in the gaps of

EXCERPT: When I’m in the kitchen, all sorts of phrases come to mind. They are the procedural recipes that I’ve learned over the years. “Hot pan, cold oil, foods won’t stick” from Jeff Smith’s Frugal Gourmet runs through my head every single time I put oil in my fry pan. “Frequent

EXCERPT: A post on the Being A Broad forum prompted me to hunt for my pierogi recipe but I couldn’t find it. The recipe below is a combination of online recipes and my own adjustments. They are good; we enjoyed them for dinner tonight. Tod says they are the best he’s

EXCERPT: We’re having a typical Tokyo spring—alternating warm and cool days. It’s hard to decide what to wear, so I’m putting on (and taking off) a lot of layers. With that as a theme, today’s recipe is has lots of layers, too. The sandwiches that Dagwood eats in the comic Blondie

EXCERPT: With a nod to Mike at Arsenic.net’s weekly Pork Chop Radio show playing this morning, here’s a recipe that I used to cook back when times were tight but we liked to eat. It doesn’t make our menu rotation too often anymore, which is a shame. I think I know

EXCERPT: To celebrate payday, I created this luxurious beef stew. The roasted garlic and wine make it more festive than the typical stew pot. Served with warm rolls and a roasted beet salad with chevre and pistachios, this is one of the more scrumptious simple meals we’ve had in a while.

EXCERPT: Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables. It’s quick to cook and makes a solid base for a wide range of flavors. Japanese spinach is flat-leaved and delicate compared to the curly kind found in America. This recipe will work with either, takes hardly any time at all, and dresses

EXCERPT: This recipe is for Jim & Bob who have both mentioned cooking with salmon this week. This creamy sauce dresses up a simple pan fried salmon. It’s heavenly and takes only a few minutes to prepare. Salmon with Green Peppercorns serves 4 1 Tblsp butter 3 shallots, finely chopped 1/4

EXCERPT: I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com when I was looking for something to do with overripe bananas. The cake is dense, sweet, and moist. The bananas slices on top sink partly into the cake and the cinnamon sugar topping produces a superb coffee cake. Tod, who loves neither sweets nor

EXCERPT: It’s cold in Tokyo this week, so I want warm spicy foods to heat me up. This easy, quick, and inexpensive recipe uses the Korean toubanjan you bought for the pajong recipe in November. Spicy Cabbage and Tofu 4 cups chinese cabbage (hakusai), chopped (about 1/8 of a head)

EXCERPT: This is ambrosia for blue cheese lovers. Best when prepared a day in advance so the flavours can blend. It makes a lot, so try any leftovers as a sandwich spread, or thin it out for a luxurious salad dressing. Blue Cheese Dip makes approximately 1 liter 225 g cream

EXCERPT: Mochi, cakes made of pounded rice, is an important part of the Japanese New Year. There are mochi-making parties at the end of December and everyone eats mochi in their soup on new year’s day. Many people have “kagami mochi”—two round balls of mochi topped with an orange—as a holiday

EXCERPT: This classic 1950’s American appetizer is always a big hit at parties and it’s very simple. It tastes a bit like French Onion Soup. “Party rye” is not available in Japan; I use whole-grain German rye and cut it onto quarters. Onions Toasts makes 12 appetizers 150 g onion,

EXCERPT: After roasting a chicken and enjoying the meat and leftovers, you have the best thing for making soup—the carcass. You’ll get another meal’s worth of chicken because simmering loosens the meat from the skin and bones. And as for the rest, almost anything is good in chicken soup. Make

EXCERPT: Kenchin is a soup of root vegetables and tofu. It’s absolutely delicious on a cold winter day. The burdock root, gives an earthy flavor; the taro is soft and sticky; and the konyaku is nice and chewy. It might be challenging to find these ingredients in a typical US grocery

EXCERPT: This is another one from Lettuce Club—the “Pork and Chicken: 100 Yen Entrees” issue. The recipe below comes to 46 yen per serving according to their calculations, but I’m not sure where they’re buying their meat—250 grams of ground chicken for 95 yen…not in my supermarket. Japanese-style Chicken Burger serves

EXCERPT: Today, a Korean recipe from “365 Days’ Diet Foods” sent in by alert reader, UltraBob. Pajong is a savory pancake served with a fiery dipping sauce. It makes an exotic side dish to grilled meat or chicken. Scallion and Bean Sprout Pajong serves 2 1/2 bundle scallions (nira) 5 cm

EXCERPT: Lettuce Club is a food magazine for housewives. It’s full of recipes focusing on seasonal foods or economical cooking. Today’s recipe comes from a recent issue that had a pull out section on fish. Fish with Soy-Butter Sauce serves 4 4 filets fresh fish 4 potatoes 1 tomato (sliced for

EXCERPT: Last weekend, we went out and bought a small electric deep fryer. We both love fried foods (who doesn’t?), but I’m scared of the hot oil. This fryer is a good compromise. Our first deep-fried treat was button mushrooms. They were delicious—juicy in the center with a crisp cornmeal coating

EXCERPT: Just in time for Halloween or some early holiday baking, I’m offering you my recipe for the world’s best ginger snaps. This is a tried-and-true recipe handed down from Tod’s mother, though I don’t know where it came from before that. I’ve baked them a few times a year for

EXCERPT: Fannie Farmer was one of the first “scientific” cooks. Her landmark cookbook used precise measurements. When I make this recipe, she probably turns in her grave. I often stray from the strict measures and add various options and surprises. No matter what I do, they always turn out delicious. Fannie

EXCERPT: This salty-sweet and slightly nutty dressing is good with all sorts of vegetables—raw or cooked. Goma-Miso Dressing 2 Tblsp toasted sesame seeds (goma) 2 Tblsp white miso 1 Tblsp sugar 2 Tblsp mirin (sweet rice wine) 1 t fresh lemon juice 1/2 t soy sauce Grind the sesame seeds into

EXCERPT: I learned this one when I was working in an Italian restaurant while I went to culinary school. I was the lowly prep cook and the chef sang me love songs. A wretched place to work, but great food. Rosemary Potato Wedges potatoes cut into wedges (1 potato per person)

EXCERPT: This easy variation of a classic entree is sure to impress at a party or quiet dinner at home. Chicken Cordon Bleu serves 2-4 2 chicken breasts, with or without skin 3 slices of deli ham, chopped 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grate. I like Gruyere. 2 Tblsp white wine 1

EXCERPT: A simple, refreshing fruity drink—perfect for a late summer afternoon. Works great with slightly overripe kudamono, so clean out your fruit basket today. Banana Peach Fruity Drink 1 banana, peeled and broken into chunks 1 peach, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks 1.5 cups apple juice 6 ice cubes 1

EXCERPT: Although I’m not fond of eating eggs, once in a while a properly cooked omelet really hits the spot. Carmel brown on the bottom, lots of savory fillings…mmmmm. This recipe is more of a technique than a list of ingredients. You can put almost anything inside an omelet—cheese, vegetables, meats,

EXCERPT: Here’s a tasty way to dress up packaged ramen. It’s cheap, filling and highly recommended when you are inviting the Zous for dinner. Peanut Noodles 2 packets dried ramen noodles 2 Tblsp oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 t dried red pepper flakes 1 onion, chopped 1/4 head green cabbage,

EXCERPT: Cool article!!!

EXCERPT: Ushi no Hi, traditionally the hottest day of the year, has come and gone and the weather remains cooler than usual. But the thermometer and hygrometer are inching up into the hot and humid territory, so for today’s Recipe Thursday, I’m going to head off the heat with a cool

EXCERPT: My uncle George introduced me to shrimp scampi when I was 12 and I’ve loved it ever since. Slap it in a crispy-chewy baguette and you’ve got a heavenly po’boy sandwich. I make mine heavy on the garlic, so feel free to adjust to your own tastes. Shrimp Scampi Po’Boy

EXCERPT: A simplified version of a French classic makes a rich, celebratory evening meal. Light the candles and uncork the wine! Seafood Newburg 1/2 pint cream or half and half (one small carton) 3 Tblsp butter 1/2 cup onion or scallion, minced 8-10 button mushrooms, sliced 2 small fillets of fish,

EXCERPT: A cream cheese and avocado spread from the kitchen of UltraBob and his UltraGirl in Zushi. UltraSpread with Avocado 1/4 box of Philly cream cheese 1/2 tomato, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 avocado, peeled and chopped cilantro, chopped lemon juice Cream all ingredients together until smooth and pale green,

EXCERPT: Yogurt is a healthy way to start the day, and this blender drink goes down easy, even on hot and sticky summer mornings. Kiwi Yogurt Breakfast Drink 2 kiwi, quartered 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/4 - 1/2 cup orange juice 10 ice cubes Blend the kiwi, yogurt and ice cubes

EXCERPT: This is an easy dish for a hot summer night. Serve it with some bread, a green salad and a nice wine. No boiling, baking, frying, roasting or toasting required! Garbanzo Salad 1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas) 1 can water-packed tuna (small size) 1 stalk of celery, diced fine

EXCERPT: There is folk wisdom to help Japanese Moms pack healthy lunches. “Something from the mountains, something from the sea” is one guideline and another is to use a mix of colors and cooking styles: steamed broccoli, sauteed shitake mushrooms, pickled ginger, scrambled egg, batter-fried fish (meat-colored!) and, of course white

EXCERPT: If I had to choose one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, I think it would be Indian. So many styles and flavours! Such delicious, rich spices. Even thinking about Indian food it makes my mouth water. The other night at Ajanta, we tried a dish we’d

EXCERPT: Fried rice is one of my comfort foods but until Yoshi showed me his technique for chahan, I was never able to get it to taste right when I made it at home. So today’s Recipe Thursday is not a recipe as much as a tsukurikata, a way of making.

EXCERPT: Perfect for a weekend brunch and super-simple to put together. As pictured, I made it with blueberries and walnuts, but it’s simple enough for a variety of berry and nut substitutions. Can hardly wait for cranberry season… Berry-topped Coffee Cake cake 1.5 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp

EXCERPT: You might think that a recipe for toast is like a recipe for boiled water, right? But here I present you 5 ways for making your toast more interesting. I make mine in a toaster oven but you could try a broiler if you have a slotted toaster. Ham Cheese

EXCERPT: Here’s a very simple Japanese recipe that is pretty, too. A don is a bowl of rice with stuff on top—gyuudon is the beef bowl that you can find in shopping mall food courts in the US. Soborodon is chicken and egg. The seasoning for both the chicken and the

EXCERPT: Eringi are delicious mushrooms. They have a rich, meaty flavor that is complemented by butter. Native to China and the Mediterranean, they are relatively new to Japan. According to the research Tod’s done, they’re called “Boletus of the Steppes” or “King Oyster Mushroom” in English, but I just can’t image

EXCERPT: This recipe comes via the next door neighbor of an ex-boyfriend. I never met his neighbor, but her recipe is one of my stand-bys. It’s nearly a meal in itself but I usually serve it with soup or a salad. This recipe thrives on almost any adjustment you want to

EXCERPT: Recipe Thursday presents fish with a tropical flavor because it’s mango season here in Tokyo. Tod invented this recipe two years ago and we’ve been making variations on it ever since. Sea Bass with Mango Chutney serves 4 4 sea bass (suzuki) fillets 1 onion, minced 2 small mangoes, chopped

EXCERPT: This is one of my favorite party foods. I don’t know if I like it becasue it tastes so good or because it’s one of those rare grey foods. Serve it spread on rounds of toasted (or not) french bread. It’s best made the day before so the flavors mellow

EXCERPT: There are three birthdays within a week in my family. In honor of this festive occasion, Recipe Thursday features cake. I love dense cakes with fruit in between the layers, so that’s what we’re serving up today. Don’t forget the candles! 3-Layer Birthday Cake 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar

EXCERPT: Since tomorrow is the spring equinox, Recipe Thursday focuses on food to celebrate the equal length of night and day. In our house, that means the official start of grilling season—even when it’s really too cold outside to do it. Grilled Mushroom and Pepper Sandwiches with Herbed Mayonnaise for grilling

EXCERPT: Starting today and continuing until I get tired of it: Recipe Thursdays at Media Tinker. Food’s another thing I tinker with. Maybe you’ll enjoy trying some of the things I like to cook. To start off this series, I’m going to give you one of my favorite foods: pickles! I’ve

EXCERPT: We like salad. Here’s one we made up, going back and forth with ingredient suggestions, as we were shopping. Cress and Walnut Salad 1 bunch cress, trimmed 1 stalk celery, cut into 3 cm x 1 cm sticks 1/2 c walnuts, crushed 30 g (1 oz) feta cheese, in 1

EXCERPT: Tonight, due to lack of shopping motivation (it’s windy, wet and snowing out there!), we’re eating a pantry favorite—pasta putanesca. It’s a standby that’s warm, filling and made entirely out of stuff in the pantry. No fresh ingredients required. Here’s how I make it, in case you’re looking for something

EXCERPT: With a stomach bug going around my friends in the US right now, I thought I’d post a recipe for the Japanese equivalent of chicken soup—okayu (o-kah-you). It’s a very simple rice porridge. It makes a great breakfast even if you’re not sick. ::With raw rice 270 ml/1.25 cups short