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Japan is an island nation surrounded by bodies of water. As a result, the Japanese have learned to enjoy many kinds of seafood in our cuisine. One seemingly exotic seafood is the octopus, my main ingredient for today’s recipe. Outside of Japan, you can find octopus enjoyed in Asia, the Mediterranean, and South and Central America. Japanese don’t eat octopus at home too often, but it’s one of the key ingredients we use for sushi, takoyaki (fried octopus balls), oden (hot pot), and in an octopus salad called Tako Su (たこ酢)....

Hello folks! Let’s share some brownie love today! I stumbled upon these red velvet cheesecake swirl brownie recipe last year when I was watching Sunny Anderson’s show on food network. It looked so simple, yet so fancy with those beautiful swirls and I have made it thrice so far, this being the third time. I love a good red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting or any red velvet dessert for that matter....

Asian Chimichurri Salmon Recipe Video I hope you enjoyed the Sheet Pan Asian Chimichuri Salmon Recipe Video! I have been making my own recipe videos since mid February and posting them to Facebook but have yet to include them in a post (long story) but am excited to start adding them! I’ve already added the video to my Baja Fish Tacos and will continue to add them throughout the week. You can check out some of my videos on FB HERE....

I love yakitori and luckily there is no shortage of yakitori restaurants in Japan when we visit. According to Tabelog, there are over 7,000 yakitori restaurants just in Tokyo alone. If you want the authentic yakitori experience, stop by Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho (memory lane) or better known as Yakitori Alley for a bite. On the day we visited Shinjuku, we already had dinner at Zauo so we didn’t get a chance to eat at the famed Yakitori Alley....

I’ve shared a great number of ramen recipes on the blog and we’ve discussed passionately the world of ramen in Japan, but this has been a long time coming. Today, I am finally bringing you one of the classic—also most soulful and enigmatic—styles of ramen: Shio Ramen (塩ラーメン). This salt-flavored ramen features a light, clear broth but gets its full dimension from surprisingly simple chicken stock and dashi (Japanese soup stock)....

We are huge fans of curry over here from Indian inspired lentil curry, to Thai inspired coconut curry, yellow curry, green curry and red curry, which one will you try next?! HOW TO MAKE curry shrimp VIDEo Coconut Shrimp Curry ingredients This easy shrimp curry recipe is packed with the flavors of Indian spices, creamy coconut, aromatic ginger, garlic and onion. The juicy shrimp are marinated in lime juice and a few choice spices to ensure that every layer of the dish is seasoned....

Our family took a trip to Utah and Arizona during children’s spring break to visit the National Parks and other nearby wonders. It’s been a dream of Nami’s to visit Zion and Bryce Canyon National Park for a long time. In case you’re not aware, Nami’s dream job when she first came to the US was to be US National Park ranger. You can read about it in our Yosemite National Park Travel Guide post....

When I make a Japanese-style meal, I try to plan out the meal by following the Japanese Ichiju Sansai – “One Soup Three Dishes” rule, which involves one main dish, 2 sides, steamed rice, miso soup, and pickles. On a busy day (most weeknights, frankly speaking), I don’t have time to prepare two kinds of side dishes, so one of them tends to be an easy salad that I can put together in no time....

Amazuzuke (甘酢漬け) is a Japanese technique of pickling fresh vegetables in sweet vinegar. You might already familiar with the most well-known example of an Amazuzuke, which is “Gari” or pickled sushi ginger. Amazu-zuke refers to sugar and rice vinegar (amazu) pickling (zuke). It is one of the very basic Japanese pickles known collectively as tsukemono (漬物). If you’re interested in learning more about different types of tsukemono, read Tsukemono: A Guide to Japanese Pickles on my blog....

Not quite sure how time snuck up on us so quickly. In a blink of an eye, our baby boy is off to college in 2 years. The thought of him leaving home in such a short time is a strange feeling for us and we are definitely not ready. Regardless, we want to make sure he is well informed about his options before he decides which college to attend....

Alongside sushi and ramen, tempura is another mandatory menu item for Japanese restaurants. Encased in a crunchy, crispy yet light batter, these perfectly deep-fried seafood, and vegetable are seriously addicting. After sharing my Shrimp Tempura recipe, I am excited to share today’s recipe on Vegetable Tempura (野菜の天ぷら) since many of you have requested it. Dipped in batter and deep-fried, each vegetable gets cooked perfectly on the inside, while the natural sweetness and flavor are enhanced....

When you have the time, you can easily browse the website using our Recipe Filters, menu bars or by the Search function. Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl) for a quick dinner tonight! Vegan Miso Soup in case you think miso soup is not vegan/vegetarian-friendly. Easy Fried Rice with common refrigerator ingredients. Salmon in Foil is my go-to meal when I don’t have much time to make dinner. Soba Noodle Soup for a simple lunch or dinner....

As parents and educators, we believe that learning about cultures helps children appreciate diversity and cultivate a keen interest in the world at large. Here, we bring you a mix of Japanese cultural activities, from modern learning and Japanese crafts to traditional games that you can explore with your kids at home. Through each activity, you can introduce Japanese culture by weaving storytelling, music, or dance as inspiration. We hope you not only get to teach your kids something new but, most importantly, discover the joy and new hobbies along the way!...

Japanese cooking places a great emphasis on balance. That means every component—be it main or side dishes—of a meal is equally important. Vegetable dishes are particularly appreciated as they keep a meal wholesome and bright. Here we’ve rounded up 21 of our most delicious, all-around Japanese vegetable dishes. You’ll find familiar veggies like spinach and green beans and unusual ones like burdock roots and hijiki seaweed. All prepared in interesting but approachable Japanese methods....

Do you like the texture and flavor of fennel? It was a new ingredient I discovered when I moved to the U.S. In Japan, we don’t use fennel in our cooking, so I learned to use it as an ingredient in my soups first, and I loved it. My local pizza restaurant used raw fennel in their salad and I absolutely loved the texture. So here’s my take on their salad – Arugula Salad with Fennel and Navel Orange which has become one of our family’s favorite salads that I make at home....

It’s pretty easy to make, with the chunks of chicken coated in a corn starch mixture, then lightly fried. Toss them in a homemade bang bang sauce you can whip together in seconds and boom! Or should I say BANG! We’re talking Bang Bang Chicken, and it’s crazy delicious! Real, authentic bang bang chicken is actually a Chinese dish of chicken tossed in a spicy sauce. This is different, an Americanized version popularly served in American restaurants....

PIN THIS RECIPE TO SAVE FOR LATER Lobster Bisque Recipe Now that Game Season is over, it’s time to turn to the next big event – Valentine’s Day! Can you believe Valentines is already next week?! If you haven’t made a restaurant reservation by now, save the panic and indulge in this Lobster Bisque recipe instead – and you can make 99% of it ahead of time! Classic lobster bisque recipes require at least two and a half hours to make, and can be overwhelming, complicated and expensive, but this Lobster Bisque recipe streamlines the process and utilizes smart shortcuts....

About Pumpkin Muffins Pumpkin Muffins have been on my “Fall bucket list’ for some time, so I’m thrilled to bring you these warm, comforting beauties! They are a cross between a breakfast and dessert, or an acceptable dessert for breakfast 😉. I scaled down my Mom’s Famous Pumpkin Bread recipe to make these Pumpkin Muffins, because that recipe is already perfection in my book (and “famous” for a reason!) and now so are these muffins!...

PIN THIS RECIPE TO SAVE FOR LATER Are you ready for the Best Homemade Hummus? Oh hummus, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…. What can’t you imagine your life without? Coffee? Diet Coke? Chocolate? For me, it’s hummus and tzatziki. I absolutely love hummus and am always dunking my veggies in hummus, slathering wraps with hummus or adding it to grain bowls. In the past, I would always keep my fridge stocked with various tubs of hummus until I learned just how easy it is to make homemade hummus – and how much better it tastes....

While most Turkish cuisine does not go all out on the heat level, it very frequently incorporates something known as Biber Salçasi. Let’s explore what Biber Salçasi is and how it can be used. The peppers are dried under the sun for several days before they are crushed and turned into a paste. This lends it a unique smoky flavor and paste-like consistency that is perfect for many different kinds of dishes....