No Recipes – Techniques, inspiration and cooking tips from my Japanese kitchen

No Recipes Vol. 19 – ¡Viva España!

July 11, 2010

After a game full of penalties and missed opportunities, Spain pulled it together in extra time with a 116th minute goal by Andrés Iniesta. Surrounded by waving Spanish flags and hysterical fans, I lost myself in the moment, and forgot I was in the middle of New York City. After a morning spent indulging in [...]

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Buta Kabuni (pork belly and turnips)

July 10, 2010

We’ve mercifully been given a break to the heatwave that’s turned New York City into a soupy swamp of humidity. A light cloud cover and extra time are two things I haven’t experienced in weeks, so I jumped at the chance to braise a luscious slab of Niman Ranch pork belly I’ve had sitting in [...]

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Basil Watermelon Caipirinha

July 5, 2010

When I wasn’t in the classroom during my college years, I was solving bigger problems; like how to smuggle alcohol into the dorms. It was in this place of higher learning that I discovered that watermelon soaks up vodka like a dry sponge. Back then, drinking was much more a means to an end, so [...]

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No Recipes vol. 18

June 27, 2010

It’s been a while since I’ve done this, so here are five bites from my kitchen that didn’t quite make it onto the blog with a full recipe. Hainanese Chicken Salad – The weather in NYC has been witheringly hot and I’ve been turning a lot to salads with meat in them to keep my [...]

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Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Noodle Salad)

June 21, 2010

In Japan, the ingredients, colors, and even the temperature of a dish change with the seasons. During the hot sticky months of summer, chilled food is where it’s at and whether it’s tofu, soup, or noodles, there’s a good chance you’ll find a cold preparation to help ease the oppressive heat. Soba and udon shops [...]

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Interview with Akira Back

June 10, 2010

Experience has taught me to be wary when I hear about Japanese-Korean fusion food. Sushi in Korean/Chinese/Vietnamese/Thai restaurants is often more about raising a restaurant’s margins than a genuine interest in making sushi. Yet as a Japanese guy that loves playing with Korean flavors I know first hand that there’s so much unexplored potential there. [...]

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Lamb and Mint Salad

June 7, 2010

After a long hiatus from YouTube, I’m back with a new camera and lighting equipment:-) This was a quick salad I threw together using a couple lamb steaks, green peaches (yep you read that right), mint and mizuna greens. Somewhere between a British sunday dinner and a Southeast Asian salad, this quick meal comes together [...]

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Help Me Get on Oprah

June 5, 2010

For as long as I can remember my three passions in life have been food, travel and making the world a better place. Being able to do do all three for work would be my dream. When I heard Oprah is looking for a food show host, I was excited because it would not only [...]

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