I hope everyone had a beautiful Mother’s Day weekend! We enjoyed a nice weekend spent with family and we also took Bebe to her first Dodgers game. Of course, she had more fun looking through the binoculars at the outfielders and eating frozen yogurt while playing with our family, but she was a good cheerleader and had a blast. Here are some photos of our family at the game. Or skip down to the salad recipe at the bottom of the post. Me...

Read More

Happy Japanese Children’s Day! May 5th is Kodomo No Hi, also known as Boys’ Day. It’s a day for celebrating the well-being, happiness and health of all children in our family. To celebrate Children’s Day, Bebe and I kept things simple. Since our favorite Japanese restaurant is closed on Mondays, instead we went to our local Japanese supermarket to grab a bite to eat in their amazing food court. Bebe feasted on her...

Read More

Today’s blog post was meant strictly as an ingredient spotlight about Japanese rice vinegar, short, sweet and professional, yet I’m compelled to admit that I almost burned down our kitchen yesterday. It was that kind of Monday for me. Please feel free to skip down to the vinegar article, if you like. From the moment I woke-up, I was feeling off, not fully rested, and still feeling like I hadn’t shaken off the weekend nor our...

Read More

Mame gohan, or Japanese rice with green peas, is a very simple dish that requires few ingredients and it’s often served during the springtime. This dish made a frequent appearance during my childhood because it is one of my Dad’s favorite rice dishes. Not surprisingly, mame gohan is a dish that his mom, or my obaachan (grandma, pronounced “oh-bah-ah-chan”), used to make for him and their family. This dish brings back...

Read More

  Su shoyuzuke Japanese style tsukemono, or pickles, marinated in a vinegar (su) and soy sauce (shoyuzuke) mixture is one of Bebe’s favorites. She wouldn’t complain if all she found on our dinner table were a huge bowl of these pickled cucumbers for a one-dish (unbalanced) meal. Whenever we visit my parents, my Mom is certain to make a batch of these delicious kyuri (cucumber) tsukemono a day ahead of our arrival, or on the morning...

Read More

  Soy sauce, in many ways, is the backbone of Japanese seasoning and cooking. Before we delve into this subject, I realize that learning and reading about Japanese ingredients, such as soy sauce (shoyu) might not be of interest to some folks, but I’d like to share with you that writing about Japanese ingredients, foods and recipes has suddenly taken on a new meaning for me. I have a new job. That’s right, I am no longer Judy,...

Read More

  Every culture has it’s own version of a meat-and-potatoes meal, and the Japanese are no different. (Photo credit: Hideki Ueha) In Japanese cuisine, a meat-and-potatoes meal just might present itself in the form of a beautiful round croquette filled with a mixture of mashed potatoes, ground beef, and onions. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the most basic of Japanese-style croquette that you will find in most Japanese homes, and ours...

Read More

I waited one year to participate in what could possible be the best 5K in Southern California: The 2014 Coaster Run. In case you’re wondering, it’s the best, because Snoopy is the best. Yes, Snoopy graces the finisher’s medal, as well as the Coaster Run t-shirt. It makes it all worthwhile. About a year ago, I was looking forward to participating in the 5K Coaster Run at Knott’s Berry Farm, as well as the 1K Kid’s...

Read More