Noodles and Rice

October 10th, 2007

Shabu Shabu

Last weekend was a public holiday in Japan so we celebrated by having a little nabe party.  The nabe is the pot you see in the photo.  The party is the bits and pieces of people you see loitering around the edge of the photo.
We went for shabu shabu this time.  This means a pot […]

By Tom -- 2 comments

September 14th, 2007

Ramen at Home

Last night we had some friends over, including Ian from Australia.  He requested Ramen and so we got to it.  It ended up great but a little unconventional as we had way to many things and not nearly enough soup in the bowl.  Also in the rush (we were starving) nobody thought to take a photo […]

By Tom -- 2 comments

August 30th, 2007

Lemon Rasam

You cannot be Filipino and not love sinigang. For that reason alone, rasam would be tops on a Filipino’s list of favorite Indian foods. Rasam is what I make in the cold season, when I don’t have fish or meat in the freezer and yet I’m longing for something hot and sour, to […]

By Stef -- 1 comment

August 23rd, 2007

Kame Miso soup

There are probably as many recipes for miso soup as there are cooks in Japan, but yesterday I found a new favourite.  I was having lunch at Yamamoto Sushi in Tsukuba and as a part of a lunch time promotion they brought around big bowls of Kame (crab) and Miso soup.  It tasted like the […]

By Tom -- 2 comments

July 31st, 2007

Corn, Fennel and Miso Soup

2 10-oz bags frozen sweet corn, or use fresh corn kernels, scraped from the cob
2 umeboshi plums, de-seeded if necessary and mashed into a paste
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped finely
1/3 cup miso, or to taste
8 cups water
1 small onion, finely chopped
Combine everything in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, […]

By Stef -- 0 comments

July 31st, 2007

Beet, Barley and Edamame Soup

This recipe was inspired by one in

Though not specifically Asian per se, it does use two of my favorite Asian ingredients — tamari and edamame.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 cups water
4 medium-sized beets (I used goldens), pre-roasted, then peeled […]

By Stef -- 0 comments

July 23rd, 2007

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

This is really more a soup for winter, but being Asian we love hot soups any time of year. The original recipe calls for masoor dhal, but since all I had on hand was a large bag of organic green lentils, I used those. No one complained. I also doubled most of […]

By Stef -- 1 comment

June 27th, 2007

Cleaning Out Day: Glass Noodle Soup

This soup isn’t from any particular Asian cuisine — just a melange of stuff that I found while looking for something to make a quick lunch for the kids. Served with a sandwich or roasted vegetables, it’s great for a light meal that can be prepared in under an hour.

To prepare the broth:
1 large […]

By Stef -- 1 comment

May 27th, 2007

In memory of a Ramen shop I loved

Last weekend I drove past a building site near my home and it wasn’t until after I was well past it that I realised that it used to be a Ramen shop and a block of apartments.  Now this sort of thing happens all of the time in Japan.  Build it… demolish it… build it […]

By Tom -- 2 comments

March 25th, 2007

Qorma-E-Samaruq (Chicken and Mushroom Stew)

Also from
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or 1 hot green chili
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
salt to taste
1 16-oz package mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean and sliced
Heat the oil in […]

By Stef -- 0 comments