One of the dishes that is a constant on my Japanese New Year table is ちらし鮨, chirashi sushi, or scattered sushi. This beautiful, colorful dish is made of sushi rice with celebratory toppings sprinkled on top. Not just for the New Year’s table, scattered sushi is served on happy, celebratory occasions. My Northern California version incorporates local dungeness crab, which is in season right now.
Read MoreTo symbolize the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days instead of one, Hanukkah foods are fried in oil. Fried foods can often taste really heavy, so I like to swap out all purpose flour with mochi flour (Japanese glutenous rice flour)…
Read MoreTo start the Sukkot meal, I’m making a comforting bowl of chicken kreplach (dumpling) soup. I’ve read that kreplach is a symbolic new year food in some Jewish communities, because the filling is sealed in the noodle like judgement is sealed in the Book of Life on Yom Kippur. But my first thought as a Japanese American Jew was: “It sounds like gyoza soup!”
Read MoreThe most famous dish of all on Rosh Hashanah is perhaps the simplest; apples dipped in honey, an edible prayer for a sweet year. Here's my updated take on a classic apple and honey cake for dessert: Light and airy Japanese sponge cake with whipped cream, spiced apples and honey rolled in. The end result is an unexpected take on a classic with a beautiful presentation and just a touch of sweetness to last all year.
Read MoreA new take on the classic brisket for the High Holidays: Fall-apart-tender brisket braised in tonkatsu, a mouthwatering Japanese barbecue sauce. Perfect for the modern Rosh Hashanah table!
Read MoreLast year, when my husband Bryan and I visited Israel for the first time, I was naturally very excited about the food. I had heard about how amazing the hummus is there (it is), but what I was really blown away by was the labneh- a tangy Middle Eastern strained yogurt that’s both impossibly smooth and luxuriously creamy. It’s like a way better version of cream cheese! While it’s usually served as a savory side dish, I thought it would make an excellent base for a light summer dessert.
Read MoreButter mochi, a staple at Japanese-Hawaiian potlucks, is said to be a combination of Japanese mochi and Filipino bibingka, a sweet coconut rice flour cake. This butter mochi has another layer of complexity- the addition of tahini, one of my favorite Middle-Eastern ingredients.
Read MoreShavuot (Feast of Weeks) is coming up, during which dairy is a symbolic ingredient. Japanese-style cheesecake, also known as baked cheesecake or cotton (for it's light and airy consistency) cheesecake can be incredibly labor-intensive and time-consuming to make. This recipe yields similar results, minus the many hours of prep!
Read MoreLooking back on my childhood in Southern California, it seems like my family went to potlucks almost every weekend with our Japanese-American family and friends from Hawaii. As much as I loved seeing my aunties and uncles (some biological, most not), the little foodie in me loved the food most. And there was always ramen cabbage salad.
Read MoreMore than I'd like to admit, there is a head of lettuce/kale/spinach/other leafy green that sits in the fridge staring at me all week. You know, the greens you were going to make a salad with or pan fry to go with your dinner to make it extra healthy?
Read MoreOne of the Ashkenazi Jewish foods I've always been curious about is gefilte fish. Mostly because so many of my Jewish friends vehemently dislike the canned or jarred version they grew up eating. It certainly didn't seem all that appetizing, especially for a young child!
Read MoreAs a 21st century, modern, California born and raised, Japanese-American, Reform Jew, eating consciously is deeply rooted in my soul. There's a Japanese saying, "mottainai もったいない". It conveys a sense of regret over waste.
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