Last February, I went to Jicca in Tokyo and had this seemingly unassuming dish. I've mainly had raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) julienned or grated in all its gooey glory. But at Jicca, it was seasoned with some serious magic. Lightly grilling this nagaimo brought out a...
A quick and easy recipe for a refreshing carrot and daikon salad with a satisfying crunch and a spicy kick.
Whenever I visit Tokyo, I look forward to meeting newborns... especially when I've followed the progression of their parents. No, I'm not talking about newborn babies. I'm talking about new places to eat. On our first full night in Tokyo, Kayoko and I visited Jicca,...
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...
By Steven Sharafian I spend a fair amount of time making tsukemono (pickles). I focus mostly on quick-pickles that only take a couple of minutes to prep and have a short curing period. This seemed to flow into the idea of pairing carrots with...
As you've seen from my previous posts, my current apartment has a nice-sized balcony, which gets wonderful sunlight. I make the most out of this luxury by hosting barbeque dinners, and make my own dried mushrooms and umeboshi. When you have...
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...
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....
Happy Passover, everyone! Matzo Brei is a traditional Jewish dish that is made during Passover, which runs through next Tuesday, April 2nd. The recipe calls for eggs and matzo cracker. It’s often sweetened with cinnamon and sugar, but I made a savory version with scallions....
For those of you planning your menu for Passover, or for anyone looking for a quick appetizer idea, here's a fun and colorful twist on haroset, a traditional Jewish dish. Haroset is usually a blend of fruit...
This is a fun way to present roasted vegetables and it’s super easy! Just try to find eggplant, beets and onions that are approximately the same size around, so the circles...
Dried mushrooms are fashionable. They are packed with umami, and don't contain any artificial crap. By drying them, mushrooms are concentrated with nutrients and all the good stuff. Mark Bittman wrote about the greatness of dried mushrooms. Pre-packed dried shiitake are found easily...
I have been getting a lot of collard greens in my CSA lately. I love how easy they are to quickly chop and fry up with a bit of olive oil. But yesterday I fancied...
There were some brussels sprouts scattered in my CSA box this week and it inspired me to come home and make an oldie but goodie: roasted brussels sprouts with golden raisins and turkey kielbasa. Swap out the kielbasa for tofu sausage or onions if...
Raw brussels sprouts have never tasted so good! If you want to make a lot of this, the slice blade on the Cuisinart or mandoline works really well too. This can easily be made ahead and you can really toss...
Using cauliflower instead of potatoes in a gratin is a little lighter and just as delicious. You can use any cheese you have on hand (gruyere, parmesan, sharp white cheddar, jack, etc). To add some color to the dish, add broccoli...
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...
Forager, alert! Mushrooms are everywhere right now. I was in Santa Cruz recently and met a forager who showed me all the edible mushrooms he’d found on his walk and gave me tips on how...
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...
Summer is over, but I like the beginning of the autumn. I can finally wear layers, and the chill in the morning and evening is comforting. And knitting season starts just about now! Although the food supply has lost seasonality in many ways and we...
