Although Asian-style quinoa is indeed quick and easy, I could have titled this post with other adjectives like "super healthy" and "tasty." Quinoa is gluten-free, packed with protein and combats inflammatory issues. Extra-firm tofu is also extra good for you. Especially the organic kind made with non-GMO soybeans. So this is a multi-tasking vegetarian’s dream come true...
Fun fact: In Japanese momo (?)means peach and the character for fuku (?)reads as good fortune. However, in Japan the words are never paired together. There is no such word as momofuku in Japanese. Yet, the Momofuku restaurant group’s website boldly declares, “Momofuku means lucky peach.”
Is ice cream reserved for summer? Or do you enjoy a scoop or two year round? I do! And so does Jeni Britton Bauer, author of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home. She even divides recipes into seasons in her cookbook.
Dinner in Tokyo was mostly fish, miso soup and rice. I never tired of the simple fare in my 17 years growing up in Japan. I was always excited, however, when birthdays and anniversaries rolled around. Celebrations meant cake and sloppy joes or lasagne. Like American TV in the ‘70s (dubbed into Japanese), the dishes made a rare appearance.
Potluck suppers are like the Miss America beauty pageant. As the evening progresses a few cooks emerge as popular choices. Their contributions are devoured with nods and smiles...
Lines wind around the corner for Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Tokyo and Osaka; piggy banks are emptied to buy American jeans, and McDonald’s are a happy go-to meal. American peanut butter is another story. Most Japanese are aloof to the concept of a PBJ sandwich…
Evenings late in August and early September brought out the street fair vendors in Tokyo. Our family would join the yukata (cotton kimono) clad crowd and make a beeline for the daigaku imo – university potatoes. Soon after we’d sink our teeth into the crunchy honey-sesame shell covering the soft sweet potatoes…
I was over the moon when I visited London for the first time in my 20s. (At this writing I’ve made the jump over the pond, six times.) Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guard, daily matinees at the theatres in the West End – I was in heaven! And, oh, my first bites of scones sent me into a happy dance. I’m sharing the joy via my British Bento (lunch box) starring scones…
Once upon a time, this blonde-haired Ninja Baking Goldilocks declared her love for American brownies. But in her heart of hearts, she knew something was missing. The bars lacked flavor. So, she searched high and low on her spice rack. Suddenly, she spotted three bottles of Asian spices...
Farmers’ markets are the fashion these days in Santa Monica, CA. Sporting sunglasses, designer jeans and Christian Louboutin shoes, couples stroll the aisles, sniffing flowers, sampling fruits and savoring omelets made with local farm eggs. It makes me giggle to see that purchasing fresh produce is en vogue with the hip and cool. In Japan, buying fresh produce was a daily ritual.
