These are the mashed potatoes that were served at all family gatherings when I was growing up, and I’m pretty sure they are the best out there. I know that I have a certain amount of bias, seeing as these are the taters of my …
For those of us living in tiny homes, vans, buses, and the like, Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday to celebrate. It is a lot of cooking to be done in that tiny little kitchen. We made it doubly hard on ourselves by opting not …
This here is Grandma’s Impossible Pie.
We used to eat it every year at Christmas, and I have recently learned why: the “impossible” part of the name refers to how it must be impossible for such an easy pie to be so dang good, which makes it the perfect second dessert to feed a big family. Christmas and Thanksgiving feasts are a lot of work, why not let at least one dish be easy? Continue reading Grandma’s Impossible Pie
For me, this recipe is my childhood. Growing up this dish was, at least in my mind, Mom’s specialty. It was one of those special dinners that we didn’t have every week, but every time we did eat it, I wondered why we couldn’t have …
Steak Bearnaise is without a doubt one of the best dishes out there. What on earth is more luxurious than a fine piece of grilled beef drizzled with a hot butter sauce? Flavored with tarragon, shallots, and white wine vinegar, bearnaise sauce somehow adds both …
Furutsu sando is a subtle dessert that celebrates seasonal fruits, tastes delicious, and looks beautiful–sounds like Japanese patisserie.
Something like a strawberry shortcake, furutsu sando is a sandwich made with whipped cream, whatever fruits are ripe at the time, and, traditionally, Japanese milk bread. It is light, delicate, and delicious. And when properly prepared, it can be quite stunning on the plate. Continue reading Furutsu Sando
Yakitori, literally “grilled bird,” is a dish of grilled chicken, and is serious business in Japan. Like other culinary specialties in Japan (think sushi, tempura, ramen), there are many restaurants that only serve yakitori. These yakitori joints are hyper-specialized, serving up every part of the …
There is something undeniably wonderful about eating a big platter of sushi out in the middle of nowhere. It just feels so delightfully out of place to set out a tray of sushi rolls in a place that is miles from any water, much less …
Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made primarily from buckwheat flour. In parts of Japan, soba is the primary starch, and people often eat them several times a day. The noodles are nutty, slightly bitter, and delicious eaten both in hot soups and cold salads. The recipe that I’ve prepared here is a cold salad of soba noodles dressed with soy sauce and sesame oil, and tossed with cucumbers and scallions. It is the kind of meal that you can throw together in ten minutes and you will be happy to eat every night of the week. Continue reading Sesame Soba
Ahh, tempura, that classic Japanese dish that is somehow both deep-fried and light. It brings all of the joys of fried food without leaving one feeling like they need a nap afterward. How does one create such perfection? That light, amazing fry of tempura is …