Hiroko Shimbo is a well-known authority on Japanese cuisine and a beloved cooking instructor based in New York City. And like many of us, she owes much of her culinary finesse to her mother. Hiroko has long been a proponent of cooking Japanese cuisine with a...
I’ve been meaning to bake a mochi cake (also called butter mochi) for the longest time--maybe 10 years?--ever since I first used mochiko for the mochiko chicken recipe in my first cookbook The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook. A few weeks ago, I finally did. I was inspired by...
While I love making kimchi, I can’t imagine making it in a traditional kimchi fermentation crock--called onggi—and then burying it in the ground. Although if you’d like to try it, you can buy one stateside from this guy. Just so you know, fermenting in general doesn’t...
Okay, all you chili-, buffalo-wings- loving Super Bowl Sunday sports fans out there. I have a snack for you--edamame with chili salt. It's easy to make--barely 10 minutes! And you can mound your plate, chomp absentmindedly, and guzzle beer all while not taking your eyes off the TV....
Three years ago this August, I gave up caffeinated coffee. I still drink decaf coffee and I still drink tea, both black and green. However, I feel like a disgrace to my Seattle-bred espresso habit every time I order a decaf, soy milk caffe latte. Yes,...
Baked Squash and Potato Croquettes (Korokke) Croquettes, no matter their origins or ingredients, are a delicious, deep-fat-fried snackfood. Fry them if you want, but I prefer a much less greasy and messy method--baking them. Korokke, the Japanese version, is often filled with kabocha squash. I think...
I may only be slightly exaggerating when I say that instant noodles are synonymous with starving college students. I’m sure even you dear reader have recollections of huddling over steaming Styrofoam cups, shoveling curly noodles into mouths and slurping soup between cramming for midterms and/or a...
Many cultures around the world use spice blends and mixtures in their cooking. Some popular ones are French herbes de provence, Jamaican jerk spice and Mexican adobo. Asian cooking in particular relies heavily on spice mixtures. Can you imagine a world without Indian curry powder or Chinese...
Many chefs pay homage to their moms and the recipes that nourished them as children in their restaurants. In a Mother's Day tribute for edibleDC’s Spring issue (out now!), I had the privilege of talking to three Washington D.C. chefs about their awesome moms and...
After all the snow and freezing cold temps we’ve been having, I never thought I’d see the end of winter. But spring is finally here and the cherry blossoms blooming outside my window are proof of it! And that means it’s time for hanami. Hanami—or flower...
