Traditional Japanese – Spinach Shiraae (Mashed Tofu Salad)

Spinachi dressed in Mashed Tofu Sauce. This is one of the traditional Shojin Ryori recipes. Vegetaran and Vegan friendly.

No Waste Food Recipe – Kinpira Kale Stems with Carrot (Japanese Style Sautéed Kale Steams)

Kale stems can be turned into a delicious and traditional Japanese dish.

Family Favourite! Baba Ganoush

I love eggplant. Eggplant has always been one of my favourite veggies. Quite some time ago when we were still in Brisbane, this Italian gentleman in the market from whom we often bought fresh vegetables was selling a box of odd-shaped eggplants – $10. I was excited and grabbed it. Eggplant Curry, Moussaka, Mapo Eggplant,…

Traditional Japanese Cooking- Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard)

Chawanmushi is one of the classic Japanese appetisers. It is steamed egg custard, but unlike other “custard”, it is a savoury dish. The custard is made from egg and dashi stock. There are some toppings inside of the custard – typically prawns, shiitake mushrooms, fish cake (a.k.a. kamaboko) and gingko nut (a.k.a. ginnan), and you…

Vegan and Gluten Free! Roasted Pumpkin Caramelised Onion with Tahini Dip

As both my husband and I are Japanese trained carnivores without allergies, cooking just for us is quite easy. All I have to care about is the taste and the cooking time. However, it is a different story to cook for someone else. There are quite a few people who have allergies or are on…

Japanese Pickled Celery

On most weekdays, I go straight to the kitchen and start cooking as soon as I come home. I might not be that busy compared to parents, but I am still busy (yeah, need to go my flamenco class!!) and like to get dinner ready for my husband’s return. To help myself, I prepare a…

The Easiest Ever Japanese : Ninjin Shirishiri (Okinawa Style Sauteed Carrot)

What I introduce today is a super simple Japanese side dish. It is really simple, but somehow, it is surprisingly tasty. I am quite obsessed with this dish at this moment since I wonder what makes it so tasty… It is Okinawa Style sauteed carrot called “Ninjin Shirishiri”. Ninjin is carrot in Japanese, and “Shirishiri”…

Thai-Style Oyster Shooters

There was a very strange Thai restaurant where we used to go very often. It was located in the underground of an office building on the shabby side of the town. The inside was spacious, dark and decorated with red, which could be a fancy bar if they did not have this old stereotypical Asian…

My mum’s recipe: Sardine Nanbanzuke – Japanese Escabeche

When I opened a bag of sardines that we purchased, I realised that they were a bit smaller than usual. I could still fillet and pan-fry them as per my original plan, but they might not be as meaty as I like. So, I decided to call my mum. Her suggestion was Nanbanzuke. Nanbanzuke is…

No Waste Food Recipe: Salmon Flakes from Salmon Head & Frame

My strong Mottainai feeling especially occurs when I go to the fish shop – the bait section. There are so many edible parts of fish there. Some of them are the best part of the fish. And…, is this the price for this quality?! The bait section is honestly my treasure chest. So, what do…