With a few swirls of a bright green batter, we have matcha madelienes. Rich and buttery with a strong tea flavor, these cookies were a fitting end to a Japanese-themed dinner at a friend's house this weekend.




[1-3. c. lynn]

My first homemade nabe was delicious! It filled us up, warmed away our jackets and scarves, and made us feel like we were officially home. A remarked that this was kind of food that would make him want to go outside and chop wood. Hearty and healthy—it was also really easy to make.

This version was made with black cod, niku dango (Japanese turkey meatballs), haksai (Chinese cabbage), negi (green onion), dashi, enoki mushroom, kabocha (Japanese winter squash), carrot, glass noodles, and soft tofu.

Learn how to make it here.

[1. c. lynn]

I had to post about this amazing tempura (天ぷら) restaurant that was recommended to us on our first night in Sapporo. Ebi-ten serves up the most delicious tempura that I've had—just as amazing as the tempura that we once had in Kyoto at Ten-ichi (a high-end tempura restaurant that Clinton visited during a presidential trip to Japan).

At Ebi-ten, we enjoyed the Hokkaido tempura set meal, which included the most delicate squid tempura, as well as tempura kabocha (カボチャ) or winter melon, succulent hotate (ほたて) or scallop, potato, salmon, Hokkaido surf clam or hokkigai (ほっきがい), and shungiku (春菊) or garland chrysanthemum. We also had to order the kuruma ebi (くるまえび) or Japanese imperial prawn, which is served as a piece of tempura prawn accompanied by a tiny popcorn-sized tempura prawn head (atama, あたま). I firmly believe that I could eat these by the bowlful, which makes me wonder about how potentially delicious crickets and grasshoppers could be served in the tempura style. 

(Below: The ultimate onion ring: a tempura pearl onion)




[1-4. c. lynn]