Koji Sirloin with Miso Risotto

This recipe is my East Meets West take on steak and risotto. I wanted to make a risotto with steak and kale, which is something we might eat for dinner for a special occasion, but using some Japanese ingredients to give it a new identity and keep things new and different. So with the steak,…

Roast Duck with Purple Yam and Radicchio

When I was thinking of a main course to serve my mom, the tricky part was the protein. Half the menu was fruit/vegetable-focused, while I also had a soup course that used poultry in the form of black chicken. I knew in terms of proteins, my mom would either want a fish, duck, or lamb,…

Quahog Clam Onigiri

A long, long time ago, I was watching a Japan travel video, where someone purchased these red clam onigiri(rice balls), stored in the clam shells, and enjoyed them on a coastal train ride. Now, I would have totally linked the video, but it was years ago and I honestly could not find it anywhere. But…

Potato Gnocchi with Kimchi-Bacon Bolognese

When I initially wrote this recipe, I wanted to make a kimchi-bacon bolognese for a tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta. Basically, I envisioned long noodles with this hearty meat sauce. I was inspired by these Asian-fusion pasta dishes that you could find in a cafe in Japan or Korea, and that was what I intended when…

Lomo Saltado with Shishito Aji

Peruvian food is so special in that it is the intersection of Asian and Latin cuisines – because of the Chinese and Japanese immigrants that settled in Peru, Peruvian culture takes on so many of those influences, and I am here for it! With lomo saltado, it is a dish I thoroughly enjoy – seared…

Roasted eggplant with spicy lamb marmalade

This recipe is my homage to both an Italian ragout and stewed lamb. I love stewing lamb with lots of chilies and tomatoes, just because it is such has enough gamey-ness to hold up to a lot of flavors. Lamb curries are some of my favorite curries for that reason, but even stewed lamb chops…

Miso Eggplant Onigiri

Miso eggplant is one of those flavor combinations that I really wanted to dislike, but actually loved from the get-go. For context, growing up, my mom would always serve bitter melon with miso paste, which caused me to develop a bit of a gag reflex towards vegetables served with miso for a long, long time….

Shio(koji)zake Salmon and Onsen Egg Rice Bowl

I was obsessed with eating shiozake salmon during my time in Japan. Every morning, my breakfast consisted of shiozake salmon, an onsen egg, rice, and a bowl of miso soup. This recipe is an homage to that, minus the miso(which is going into a different recipe). For those unfamiliar with the term, shiozake literally translates…