It’s Autumn in Melbourne now. Persimmons are sold at the green grocers. Persimmons are called ‘Kaki’ in Japanese and they are NOT particularly special fruit where I used to live because Persimmon trees are absolutely everywhere! But in Melbourne, I have never seen a Persimmon tree and they are quite…
I had pretty much despaired of ever getting a table outside at Bills at Decks Odaiba but I saw my opportunity on a recent mild sunny day during the week. There was absolutely no problem getting a table outside (or inside) and I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken burger with a…
When I want to use up the leftover egg yolks, I often make custard desserts. This is one of them. Some recipes say we should cook the egg yolks with milk, but I don’t cook because the egg yolks will be almost cooked by the added hot milk . This…
For a recent Sunday lunch I was scrunging around on Open Table and found Bistro Barnyard at Ginza. Going in without that many expectations I was more than pleasantly surprised at the quality and generosity of 5,000 yen menu. Highly recommended if you’re in Ginza for the day. It wasn’t…
Do you know ‘Sukiyaki’? Thinly sliced beef cooked with vegetables in a sweet soy flavoured sauce is known as ‘Sukiyaki’. This dish is almost the extract of my favourite bits from ‘Sukiyaki’. Beef, Ito-Konnyaku (or Shirataki) and Onion are cooked in a sweet soy flavoured sauce with fresh ginger is…
‘Shirataki’ are translucent and gelatinous noodles made from Konnyaku Potatoes (Konjac Yam or Devil’s Tongue Yam). Largely composed of water and dietary fibre, they are very low in calories. Slightly coloured type is called ‘Ito-Konnyaku’. They are getting popular as a healthy gluten & wheat free pasta alternative. I love…
There is a variety of condiments that are consumed with cooked rice in Japan. ‘Furikake’, the dry sprinkles is one of them. I have introduced some on this website, such as ‘Nametake’ Enoki, Salmon Sprinkles, Nori Tsukudani, Baby Sardines Tsukudani and more. This is another condiment for you to try.…
‘Yakiniku’ means “grilled meat” in Japanese. The term can refer to grilled meat cuisine, but most commomly it refers to the Japanese style BBQ. Bite-size meat and vegetables are cooked on the iron grid or plate over a flame of wood charcoals, or if indoor, gas or electric tabletop grill…
On the other day, when I was just about to make ‘Kakiage’, a type of Tempura, I wanted to use some vegetables that I have never used for this dish. I almost always use Carrot and Onion, then I tried to find something that would replace them. Carrot is an…
How do you use up the leftover egg white? Do you make Angel Food Cake, Macarons or Meringue? There are some recipes on this website such as Almond Bread, Pavlova and ‘Langues de Chat’ Biscuits.I want to introduce a new savoury dish for using up the leftover egg white. It’s…
I love Portuguese Egg Tarts. When I tried it for the first time at a local community market, I fell in love with it instantly. I wanted to make them by myself. I found many different recipes and methods on the internet, and I still don’t know which one is…
Everyone’s favourite dessert ‘Apple Crumble’ can’t be easier than this. All novice cooks should try this recipe and gain your confidence. I always use Granny Smith apples for this dessert. Granny Smith apple is originated in Australia and it is one of the most popular cooking apples. It gets soft…
If you have time, just slow cook for a few hours. If you have a pressure cooker, this dish can be cooked in half an hour. Saving time and energy is the ideal way of cooking for me. This time, I served it with mashed potatoes, but boiled potatoes, couscous,…
Don’t buy instant cup soups. Try to make by yourself and find out it is actually easy to make. This is one of the quickest & easiest soups I know. Yet it is nutritious and surely warms you up. I sometimes add rice to it or pour this soup over…
A ‘Donburi (Rice Bowl)’ dish is perfect for my lunch. There was a small block of pork belly in the fridge. Left over rice would be hot and fluffy again when microwaved. So I made this ‘Pork Shogayaki Don’ today. The cooked pork mixture would cover the rice, so the…
These ‘Muscovado Dates & Walnuts Cupcakes’ can be baked in the oven or even microwaved. But the result is best when steamed. When soft batter is steamed instead of baked, the cupcakes become very soft and tender. That’s why I often love to steam. It’s quicker, too. However, when I…
Some say Enoki can be eaten raw, but I always cook. Even for the salad, I cook them to give enough heat to kill bacteria. Using Sesame Oil to fry them give a nice flavour and I like this method better than microwave or blanching. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients Enoki…
My children have been always creative and they enjoyed making Gingerbread Characters when they were young. To decorate the characters, they used chocolate chips, ‘Smarties’, lollies and icing. One day I made a character’s mouth (lips) using sliced red lolly snake, and that upset my son so badly. He removed…
