Recipes (my own and from reviewed recipe books), reviews of cookery books and cookery classes, food and kitchen equipment product reviews – if it’s about cooking or eating at home, it’s here!

Hot Bacon Okaka Onigiri (Hot Bacon and Bonito Flake Rice Balls)

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Hot Bacon Okaka Onigiri (Hot Bacon and Bonito Flake Rice Balls)

We are on a bit of an onigiri kick at the moment–you may have seen the Tori Meshi (Japanese Chicken & Rice Balls) recipe we shared a few weeks ago–so we were immediately drawn to these Hot Bacon Okaka Onigiri (Hot Bacon Rice Balls) from Tim Anderson’s Hokkaido cookbook. in which he shares cuisine and ... Read more »

Rare Venison Steak (Shikaniku No Rea Sutēki)

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Rare Venison Steak (Shikaniku No Rea Sutēki)

Venison (deer meat) has long been a key source of meat for the Ainu people of Hokkaido, but in recent years its popularity is increasing and it is now used in both Japanese and yōshoku (Western origin) dishes too. Popular on izakaya menus these days are recipes such as this rare venison steak served with ... Read more »

Hokkaido Potato Cheese Dumplings (Chīzu Imomochi)

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Although potatoes are not a traditional Japanese crop, they are one of numerous fruits and vegetables introduced to Hokkaido during the late 19th century. These mochi (dumplings) use mashed potato and potato starch in place of the more commonly used glutinous rice used for classic mochi across Japan. They also feature a filling of cheese, ... Read more »

Japanese Ginger Beef Rice Burger

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Rice Burger

Burgers are pretty popular in Japan–one of many yoshoku (foods that originated outside Japan) that have been soundly embraced by Japanese consumers. Alongside global chains like Burger King and McD’s are some fabulous Japanese brands such as Mos Burger, Lotteria and Freshness Burger. These chains have developed the original American-style burger to suit local palates ... Read more »

Tori Meshi (Japanese Chicken & Rice Balls)

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Tori Meshi (Onigiri)

Onigiri are to the Japanese what sandwiches are to Brits–of course, sandwiches are also available and popular in Japan, but far more ubquitous when it comes to convenience food are these often triangle-shaped balls of rice with fillings in the centre, or mixed through the rice. They are straightforward to make, easy to transport and ... Read more »

Konbini by Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng

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Konbini: Cult recipes, stories and adventures from Japan’s iconic convenience stores by Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng

Like most visitors to Japan, on our first trip there many years ago, Pete and I were blown away by Konbini–Japanese convenience stores. The term comes from the English for “convenience store”, pronounced konbiniensu sutoru in Japanese and commonly shortened to konbini. These amazing shops, ubiquitous across Japan, are quite different from the little corner ... Read more »

BBQ Chicken Satay with Tamarind Peanut Sauce

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BBQ Chicken Satay with Tamarind Peanut Sauce from Agak Agak

Mot people I know love a good chicken satay, but the offerings in restaurants can often be very one-dimensional in flavour, whereas if you’ve enjoyed the dish in South East Asia, you’ll know how complex the flavours in both marinade and sauce can be. This barbeque chicken satay with tamarind peanut sauce is from Shu ... Read more »

Fried Egg Tempra with Onions and Kecap Manis

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Fried Eggs Tempra with Onions and Kecap Manis

As readers of my review of Good Eggs by Ed Smith will already know, I utterly adore eggs! If left to my own devices I might well eat eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, even though there are so many other delicious things to enjoy. This recipe is another from Shu Han Lee’s ... Read more »