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

Oatmeal Fried Bananas

If you’re ever tempted to leave your day job by the promise of a leisurely food blogger lifestyle, filled with good food, exotic travels, and time to pursue your culinary passion, go stand in front of a mirror, smack yourself a few times, and pour a pitcher of water over your head. As with most [...]

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Omurice (オムライス)

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If you’re like me and secretly enjoy covering your scrambled eggs in ketchup, then you’ll love omurice(オムライス). “Omu” is an abbreviation for “omuretsu” (omelette pronounced with a Japanese accent) and “rice” (pronounced raisu) refers to the sweet and savory chicken rice it’s filled with. It’s unclear where the dish originated, but in Japan omurice is [...]

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Pork Tamales

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A great chef once told me that if a recipe isn’t working out, then take an ingredient out. The lesson being, that if you’re using fresh, wholesome ingredients, simple is almost always better. That’s why most of my cooking tends to be simple. But as with any rule, there are always exceptions. French pastries are [...]

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Giveaway: Adobe Lightroom 4

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***This giveaway has ended, but stay tuned for the next one!*** The winner of this giveaway is #74 in the spreadsheet, or Tara from Tara’s Multicultural Table Congratulations! So you’ve read my Adobe Lightroom 4 Tutorial and you’re all set to start making your food photos better, except you don’t own Lightroom 4? Well, here’s [...]

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Best Pork Chops

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Pork chops can be effortless and delicious, but first you need to understand a few things about the pork that’s sold in supermarkets. Pigs in the US have been selectively bred to be very lean over the past fifty years. According to the National Pork Board, a 3 ounce serving of pork tenderloin has 3 [...]

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Kkaennip Kimchi (깻잎김치)

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Kkaennip (깻잎김치) is an herb unique to Korean cuisine that’s often translated as “wild sesame” in Asian grocery stores. It has broad green saw-toothed leaves and a strong camphor-like scent that’s somewhere between basil and mint. That’s probably because kkaennip isn’t related to sesame as the name implies, but is a part of the genus [...]

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