One thing I will never understand: Why has pork belly always been so hard to find in Western grocery stores? I mean, it’s the foundation of bacon—you’d think that would be a big enough selling point already. Thankfully, a few stores like Costco are catching on to how tasty this stuff is, and they’re starting… Continue reading Lemongrass Pork Belly
Tag: Asian
Banh Mi Sub Sandwich
I love food that tells a culture’s history, and banh mi sandwiches are a perfect example of that! The development of banh mi started in Vietnam in the mid-1800s, while the nation was under French occupation. French colonists brought baguettes and other wheat baked goods with them, but the cost of imported wheat made these… Continue reading Banh Mi Sub Sandwich
Togarashi Roasted Zucchini
Togarashi (also known as nana-iro togarashi, or shichimi togarashi) is one of the most common spice blends in Japanese cooking, and with good reason! This seven-spice blend dates back to at least the 17th century, and it contains red pepper, Japanese pepper, orange peel, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, ginger, and seaweed. You can just imagine… Continue reading Togarashi Roasted Zucchini
Carrot Ginger Miso Soup
This carrot soup uses simple ingredients, but it’s absolutely loaded with flavor! The carrots provide the sweet foundation of this soup, but you’ll love the layers of roasted garlic, bright ginger, salty miso, and complex earthiness of parsnip. With all the bright, fresh flavors in this soup, it’s perfect for any time of the year!… Continue reading Carrot Ginger Miso Soup
Rafute (Okinawan Pork Belly)
Okinawa has been a Japanese prefecture since 1879, but this area has a culture and history all its own. Okinawa was first united as the Ryukyu Kingdom under King Shunten in the 12th century, and it was fairly isolated until China arrived in 1372 with a trade agreement. They ushered in an era of prosperity… Continue reading Rafute (Okinawan Pork Belly)
Hobak Namul
This quick-cooking side dish is a perfect way to bring a taste of your favorite Korean BBQ restaurant to your kitchen! Hobak namul (literally translating to “zucchini side dish”) blends the freshness of zucchini with savory flavors of fish sauce and garlic, along with a perfect kick of heat from Korean chili powder. If you… Continue reading Hobak Namul
Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
This Korean dish is almost as fun to say as it is to eat! Tteokbokki has been a favorite Korean dish since at least the 19th century, when it was included in the historic Siuijeonseo cookbook. Early versions consisted of chewy rice cakes (called tteok) cooked with a savory soy-based sauce, and it routinely involved… Continue reading Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
Slow Cooker Filipino Chicken Adobo
Chicken Adobo is a Filipino dish that I grew up having all the time. Once you try it, you’ll understand why it was so popular with my family! Take a quick sauce that has layers of sweet, savory, salty, and tangy flavors, then add juicy chicken thighs and braise them until they’re unbelievably tender, and… Continue reading Slow Cooker Filipino Chicken Adobo
Miso Quinoa Fried Rice
Even though there are distinct differences between rice and quinoa, it’s actually pretty easy to substitute one for another in a number of recipes. Fried rice is one tasty, tasty example of that! Quinoa absorbs flavor beautifully through the steaming process, so it’s a great time to incorporate the uniquely umami flavor of miso. Miso… Continue reading Miso Quinoa Fried Rice
Japanese Curry
Take a guess at which country considers curry a national dish. No, seriously, give it a shot. India? Logical, but no. Pakistan? Also a good guess, but not quite. Would you believe that Japan considers curry its national dish? Yes, really. It beat out sushi, teriyaki, miso, and just about every other dish you would… Continue reading Japanese Curry
Hapanese Cuisine 