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Japanify

Japanify: Take-It-Easy Takikomi

If there's one thing 6 days in paradise (Kauai) reminded me about life, it's that cooking rice on the stove top (and not in a rice cooker) is so easy! I used to do it all the time when I worked as a server at...

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Japanify: Ponzu-Dashi Udon

Last Friday, Kayoko hosted a girl's night at her house. While our other halves sulked around the house or went away for the weekend into the mountains, us girls gorged ourselves on beef, pork and chicken balls. It was also my birthday, so my sister...

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Japanify: Steamed Kabocha Krunch

The markets are exploding with pumpkins and other squash -- which means, autumn is here! I always look forward to this time of year because I like bundling up, wearing my hair down and cozying up on the couch with all kinds of tea. My...

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Japanify: Grilled Oriental Chicken

The early 90s... I was distancing myself from my Sandylion stickers while making multiple trips to the Wherehouse to make sure that I got tickets to see Radiohead at the Edge in Palo Alto. It was a confusing time, but it shaped me. Foodwise,...

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Japanify: Spicy Indian Summer Stir-Fry

I've been really lazy about cooking these past few weeks. I don't know if it's because we are (finally) experiencing summer here in Oakland, or if I'm feeling unmotivated in the kitchen. It's probably a little bit of both. But eating out...

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Japanify: Egg-On-Egg Pasta

One of my favorite things to find at the fish counter is sujiko (fish roe). Its appearance is fleeting so I end up getting pounds of it to take advantage of the situation. I swear I could never get bored of ikura....

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Japanify: Chopped Shiitake + Clam Pasta

I am really into pulverizing food lately. In addition to my daily dose of fruit smoothie in the morning, I've also been experimenting with finely chopped foods. Chopping things can only be a pleasure if you have a really sharp knife, which is why I've been...

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Japanify: Chicken Hambagu

The Japanese dish hambagu derives from the Hamburg steak. Hamburg steak is the patty of a hamburger. Hamburg Steak were usually served with a side of potatoes in Germany. The Americans put the Hamburg steak in bread -- hence the hamburger. The Japanese appropriated the...

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Japanify: Ebi Chili

Ebi Chili is the best example of a dish that has been Japanified. It was originally created in the 1950s by a Chinese immigrant in Japan, taking cues from Sichuan-style cooking. It's a shrimp dish that has a little spice and a little sweetness, perfect...

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Japanify: Lotus Root Kinpira

I am a huge fan of spice, and finding a dish that I can make that delivers the spice is always a welcome affair. This renkon (lotus root) kinpira is a recipe I made out of an awesome book that Kayoko got...

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Japanify: Daikon-Tuna Stir Fry

Sometimes the most humble ingredients can yield some seriously satisfying results. Some days I procrastinate until the last stop on my train to plan out what I'm going to make for dinner. I mentally piece together what I have in the fridge and try to...

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Japanify: Mizuna Crunch Salad

Spring is here and my local market is starting show signs of different colors of the rainbow after a winter abundance of orange and brown fruits and vegetables. I've been most excited about the appearance of more greens -- broccoli, asparagus, green onions, etc....

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Japanify: Mentaiko Rice Redux

Forgive me, I am going to cheat a little here... like that "100 Episodes of Seinfeld" episode. I think Umami Mart has been around long enough for something like that. So this is a re-post/interpretation of another post I wrote in Tokyo 4...