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

Ohmi Wagyu beef (a.k.a. crack)

Wagyu beef has become synonymous with beer fed, massaged beef that no-one can afford. Just one look at the menu’s of many New York steakhouses and you’ll see that Wagyu from Japan lists at around $30 per OUNCE! Now I’m definitely one to pay the extra buck for quality food, but 30 bucks a bite [...]

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Tuna Poke (pronounced poke-ay)

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Here’s a recipe that draws its heritage from the the tropical islands of Hawaii. It’s been decades since my last visit and I wasn’t even introduced to Hawaiian cuisine till I lived in San Jose, but I’ve become quite a fan of the regional food that quite possibly started the “asian fusion” movement. For those [...]

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Chilled cucumber with sesame miso broth over rice (Hiyashijiru)

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The summers of my youth were often spent on the southern island of Kyushu Japan visiting my maternal grandparents. They live in what used to be a small, rural fishing/farming village about 2 hours from the nearest small airport (which for an island about the size of South Carolina is a long way). For those [...]

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Maple banana frozen yogurt

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Having made Banana peel steamed pork and rice I was left with a bunch of banana guts (the part people usually eat). I had some egg yolks in the fridge so I contemplated making a custard base for a proper banana ice cream. Alas, my laziness won over and I decided to go with my [...]

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Banana peel steamed pork and rice

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Last week, I was sitting in a product meeting at work. Our CTO was eating a banana and as he set the peel down on the table it struck me that it would make the perfect vessel to hold food. Since then I’ve been mulling over all the different ways one could cook food in [...]

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Bacon, ramps ‘n nuts

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While I’m all about making simple things regardless of the time of year, this is especially true as summer approaches. Part of this is a practical thing (don’t want to have the stove on all day), but it’s mostly because I like to enjoy summer’s bounty almost naked, with just a few accents to make [...]

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Chickpeas with spring greens

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If I were ever to become a vegetarian, I’d have to move to the south of India. In an area that’s primarily vegetarian, the people have adapted the use of spices and aromatics to infuse even the most humble vegetables with loads of umami. This is something I came up with last night based on [...]

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Orecchiette with ramps and fiddleheads

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Having brought home quite a haul from our little foraging expedition, my head was abuzz with all the possibilities. While foraging I was worried I might not be able to use everything we’d picked. By the time I was done with this meal, I realized I should have gotten more. This simple pasta dish just [...]

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