“I’m going to spatchcock the turkey.” “Excuse me?” “If I spatchcock the turkey–WHY ARE YOU BLUSHING?” “So, I’ve decided to spatchcock the turkey.” “Is that some sort of fandom thing about Benedict Cumberbatch?” Despite its unfortunate name, spatchcocking is simply a way of butterflying a turkey so it will cook faster; it does not,…
Category: Seasonal
Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up
On my first Thanksgiving in Japan as an exchange student, I had cold tofu for lunch and felt exceptionally sad. After two years of not celebrating the holiday while I was in rural Japan, I decided to host a Thanksgiving potluck for my friends last year, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve…
Kabocha Hummus
On the themes of both autumn and non-chickpea hummus-adjacent spreads, I present kabocha hummus, one of the many fine uses for kabocha purée. As I stated in my baba ghanoush recipe, chickpeas/garbanzo beans (Japanese: hiyokomame, ひよこ豆) are relatively expensive in Japan, so I’ve been trying to less expensive chickpea alternatives. If chickpeas are cheap where…
Kitchen Library– 10.29.2012
Thanks to Jessica Goodfellow of Axis of Abraxis and Ashley of Surviving in Japan for featuring my kabocha purée recipe on their sites!
Halloween Taste-Testing: Koshiyama Kanseido Pumpkin Dorayaki
This is a bit ぎりぎり since Halloween is right around the corner, but if you are in Kanazawa or will be there this weekend for Halloween festivities, be sure to try the pumpkin dorayaki at Koshiyama Kanseido.
Pumpkin Spice Latte with Kabocha Purée (Bonus: Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe)
If every Japan food blogger is required by law to cover okonomiyaki (twice), then every food blogger in the US and Canada is required to offer a homemade version of Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. The most popular variety has pumpkin purée rather than syrup mixed into it. Whether you live in Japan or the US,…
Halloween Taste-Testing: Mister Donut and Doughnut Plant
I distinctly remember saying last year that I wished that Mister Donut would get a pumpkin-flavored doughnut, and this year, my wish came true!
Kabocha Squash Purée (Pumpkin Purée Substitute)
Have your pie and eat it, too
Halloween Taste-Testing: Pumpkin Pudding Kit Kats
Last year, Kit Kat introduced special pumpkin cheesecake flavor for Halloween. Although I liked it quite a bit, I was a little confused as to why the package described pumpkin cheesecake as a “traditional Halloween food.” This year, Kit Kat opted for a new limited-time Halloween flavor, Pumpkin Pudding (パンプキンプリン). Let’s compare: 2011: 2012:
Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant and Sesame Spread)
All systems are go on the new hosting! Or they seem to be–let me know if there are any links or pages that don’t load properly. I’ve covered bread here, so let’s move on to sandwich fillings, specifically pita. Hummus or falafel seem like obvious choices and are very easy to make at home if…
Halloween Taste-Testing: Starbucks Japan Autumn Menu 2012
Starbucks Crunchy Caramel Latte and Pumpkin Muffin One thing I love about living in Japan is trying the seasonal sweets and drinks in cafes, conbini, and grocery stores. “Seasonal food” is partially the function of the availability of the harvest, such as a café’s changing the menu from summer blueberry cake to fall fig tarts…
Spaghetti-Squash Okonomiyaki
Updated April 2, 2016. While on my squash spree last month, I picked up a spaghetti squash, which has a great name in Japanese, too: soumen kabocha (そうめんかぼちゃ), like soumen noodles, or kinshiuri (金糸瓜), “golden thread squash.” This was my first time cooking this type of squash, and I had no idea what to do…
I'll Make It Myself! 
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