Today I am so excited to introduce you to one of my favorite jewelry designers and ceramicists, Alyson Iwamoto! For me, when I wear an Alyson Iwamoto piece, it also feels like a way to wear my heritage proudly for all to see, and there’s something profoundly healing and powerful in that.
Read MoreToday I am so excited to introduce you to Naomi Takata Shepherd, the talented creator behind 6 Degrees of Hapa! I found myself reading Naomi’s powerful and thoughtful answers over and over again in the course of the last week. I hope that you too will find her interview as inspiring as I did, and that it will renew your sense of pride in your own identity— as it does for me.
Read MoreOn Rosh Hashanah, we celebrate God’s creation of the world, and we eat sweet foods to symbolize hopes for a sweet New Year. In our home, I like to honor my husbands Ashkenazi Jewish food traditions as well as my own Japanese American food traditions. Sometimes that means creating something entirely new like this baked apple and miso honey sundae!
Read MoreA couple of years back, I was so happy to discover Hikari Farms through Bi-Rite market. Everything they grow is certified organic, and you can just feel the love they put into everything. So I was over the moon when Janet Nagamine, the second generation owner, reached out and invited me to the farm for a tour and nabe lunch. Today, I am so excited to share my experience and everything I learned about this small but mighty and inspirational farm here.
Read MoreEvery good cook has their secret resources. Mine is The Japanese Pantry, who source ingredients made by Japanese food artisan families who have been making these products for generations. I enjoyed coming up with two simple recipes using the Pure Rice Vinegar from Io Jozo, a 123-year-old vinegar company. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed developing (and eating) them!
Read MoreHigh quality Japanese food products that are not laden with chemicals and coloring are surprisingly hard to find here in the US. Recently, Marc Matsumoto from No Recipes (!) reached out and told me about Kokoro Care Packages. They offer monthly and seasonal care packages, filled with Japanese food products that are produced by small artisan producers all over Japan. So when they offered to send me a box to try, I was so excited!
Read MoreOne thing that brings me joy each week is logging into Instagram to see what this rabbi and rabbi-to-be are up to. Sam and Rena are the brilliant minds behind the insanely popular Instagram handle @modern_ritual. It has been said that connecting over social media is incomparable to in real life, but Sam and Rena have managed to defy all odds…
Read MoreToday, I am very honored to share with you an interview with my tea sensei and spiritual guide, Sochi Takahara. It is extremely rare that cameras and notebooks are allowed into the tea room. This interview took much convincing, and a combined hope that offering a glimpse into the tea room might be helpful in the lives of others.
Read MoreSummer is in full swing here in San Francisco! I always look forward to Saturdays at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market and all the fresh, vibrant, and succulent Northern California produce that arrives at the height of summer. Here are some of my favorite recipes to celebrate the season, from the Nourish Co. archives!
Read MoreI am always on the lookout for leftover challah recipes (from Friday Shabbat dinner) for lazy Saturdays, and this California take on panzanella does not disappoint!
Read MoreWhen I married someone who was not Japanese American, it was never a topic of conversation with either of our families. That’s why I was so struck when I learned about Loving Day and the landmark Loving v. Virginia case. It wasn’t that long ago when being married could have landed us in jail, as it did for many couples. I recently had the opportunity to interview Ken Tanabe, the founder of Loving Day, on the nuances of ethnicity, how to celebrate Loving Day, and gatherings around the globe!
Read MoreEarlier this spring, I met with Rabbi Angela Warwick Buchdahl in New York. I had heard of her years ago when I stumbled upon a video of her on Facebook, lighting Hanukkah candles at the White House with the Obamas. When I saw the video I was immediately brought to tears. Here was a woman who looked like me, and she was considered a leader. Rabbi Buchdahl is truly a force, and I’m so honored to share her story with you.
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