The more I learn about cooking and food culture, the more I’ve become fascinated with cultural concepts of portable foods. As I’ve written before, Japan’s main example is onigiri, rice balls, but in the Shinshû/Nagano region, it’s oyaki, the steamed buns often made with savory fillings and soba-flour dough. Combine oyaki with another one of my…
Category: Vegetarian
Mameshiba Cupcakes
ね、知っている？(Hey, did you know?) These cupcakes may be the simplest of the geeky/nerdy (it varies…) birthday cakes I made this spring. Mameshiba is… well, as the song goes, they aren’t quite beans and they aren’t quite dogs; and everyday they bring you a bit of trivia– You know what? This is like trying to explain Doctor…
Veg* Out in Kanazawa: Aashirwad
Aashirwad (アシワード) Location: Kohrinbo, Kanazawa Type: Indian/Nepalese; lunch, dinner Veg status: vegetarian friendly Languages: Japanese and English (menus, staff)
Sakura Matcha Muffins
One hell of a storm blew through Saturday night and Sunday, ruining the weekend for hanami. Luckily, we’d had decent weather all week, including Friday night, when I went to Rojô Park in Komatsu for nighttime cherry-blossom viewing. Of course, hanami wouldn’t be hanami without food and drink, and what better to bring than two Japanese classics together…
The Triskelion Cake (MTV’s Teen Wolf)
Remember how I needed a fix? This was a really, really good fix. This cake is a gift! (Spoiler-free!) I am new to Teen Wolf and its fandom, so, having only seen a couple episodes for reference before I started, I lacked a mind palace1 full of semi-obscure references to incorporate. Thank goodness for my friend…
Kitchen Library: What I Ate on New Year’s Break, Part 2
Or, “A Study in Failing to Photograph Anything Properly.” Part 1 is here, with considerably better photos. I really shouldn’t have promised this part 2 prior to checking my camera, but since I mentioned it, here’s a run-down and some cell phone photos!
Vegetarian Curry Nabe
Curry nabe is combination of two of Japan’s great comfort foods: curry-rice (karê raisu, カレーライス) and nabe (鍋). Curry-rice is a Japanized version of Indian curries via Britain: served with rice, this dish is a thick, brown sauce, more sweet than spicy, combined with onions, carrots, potatoes, and chicken or beef, which are sauteed before…
Café Dumbo (Veg* Out in Kanazawa Series)
Café Dumbo Location: Kohrinbo, Kanazawa Type: Café, lunch Veg status: vegetarian friendly Languages: Japanese and English (menus, staff)
Noppo-kun (Veg* Out in Kanazawa Series)
Noppo-kun (のっぽくん) Location: Nonoichi (near Kanazawa) Type: Café, Lunch Veg status: all vegetarian; vegan friendly Language: Japanese (but most of the dishes are on display on the counter)
Avocado Almond Cookies
Downtown Kanazawa is experiencing its seemingly annual winter butter shortage. The grocery stores I frequent have signs that read “one package per customer” and explain that the shortage is due to conditions in Tohoku, where much of the nation’s dairy is produced. My friends in other cities report that they’re having no issues finding or…
Whole-Wheat Ginger-Squash Muffins with Chocolate Chips
One last(?) squash purée recipe for the season! I live in a country where the only cold cereals available at regular grocery stores (Tokyo Metro, you don’t count) are frosted flakes and cocoa puffs.* As a result, I’ve learned to make a variety of breakfast foods. I’m actually not sure how I only ended up…
Cornbread (Bread Revolution Series)
My go-to cornbread
I'll Make It Myself! 
You must be logged in to post a comment.