Half boiled egg or soft boiled egg is a delicacy that is so simple, that it is quite cumbersome to achieve. A lot of attention needs to be paid to it unless you have a special half boiled egg cooker in your kitchen :)

This is absolutely my favorite-est ways of eating eggs and it’s great with toasts. Now, I don’t know if Japanese people eat this but i figured if they’d eat fresh egg dips for their Shabu-shabus and Nabes, they’d probably eat this as well. And tt’s hard to achieve because if you go over your time by just a minute, your half boiled eggs would turned into hard boiled eggs.

Okay, i am sure most of you know what hard boiled egg is. Half boiled or soft boiled eggs is a level before the egg achieving hard boiled status. The whites are half done and runny and the yolk is not dissimilar to the yolks on a sunny side up, runny. To achieve the perfect half boiled egg, you need to put two eggs in a medium sized pot and fill it in with cold water. Set it on the stove on medium heat and wait until it starts a gentle boil (not rolling boil). Turn off heat immediately and remove the pan to another cool stove or counter with a coaster. Let the eggs sit for 2 minutes and immediately take it out with a spoon.

Crack open with a small metal spoon and scoop the beautiful half boiled eggs into a bowl. Eat with salt (or soy sauce) and pepper. YUM!

The yellow runny yolk on clouds of half cooked whites never fail to cheer me up :)

Pictures from my own food blog.

Gari or pickled ginger usually served as a palate cleanser with sushis are delicious and packs a punch. I made my own gari the other day but I forgot to take pictures. I followed a recipe online about it but I don’t remember where i procured the recipe anymore. But i am still very determined to share it with you because gari is so easy to make.

As we all know, gari has a pinkish color to it. It’s a natural coloring that fresh young ginger imparts when it is soaked in vinegar. But it would have to be with young ginger if you want that color. Otherwise, older ginger would taste just fine but without the color. Oh and the older the ginger, the spicier too. :)

So here’s a recipe for gari that I hope you will find useful in your kitchen:
2 fresh ginger roots, peeled and cut into manageable knobs
3 cups vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Method:
1. In a 2L sterilized jar, put your ginger knobs in. Make sure the ginger are pat dry first if they’re a little too wet.
2. Mix vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan and cook until it comes to a boil and all the sugar and salt crystals are dissolved.
3. Pour it into the jar containing the gingers. Let it cool, cover and store in the refrigerator. Pink hues will be visible after a while. If not, that’s fine too, the ginger pickle is still as good :)

I saw an interesting recipe of Japanese meatball soup with Hasukai (chinese/napa cabbage) online, which I thought sounded quite delicious. Well, I love soups because it makes me warm and fuzzy inside when I have some :) I decided to make myself some meatball soup as well and it turned out absolutely delicious even though I did not have any napa cabbage with me. I call it my Asian Meatball Soup.

This recipe is very simple and heartwarming, especially on a rainy summer’s day. Sure you’ll sweat like a pig but the aftermath is nothing short of bliss!

Here’s my very simple Asian Meatball Soup to share:

First, you will need to marinate the minced pork with -
200g minced pork
1 tablespoon soy sauce
pepper to taste
a few drops of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of cornflour

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Set aside until ready to use.

Now, you will need to bring 2 cups of water and 1 inch knob of ginger to boil. Once the water starts boiling lower heat to medium and start scooping up bits of the minced pork with a spoon and drop it into the boiling water. Repeat until all minced pork is used up. Lower the heat to medium low and let it cook gently for about 10-15 minutes.

Add a bunch of glass noodles into the cooking broth and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the glass noodles are rehydrated. You can use any kinds of noodles if you want but be sure to cook the noodles in another pot as to not cloud the broth. Add a bunch of cilantro and serve. You may want to season with a bit of soy sauce before you eat too :)

I also posted this recipe on my foodblog, to which you can check out as well.

I remember when I was reading Doraemon, one of Nobita’s favorite snack is pudding. lol! Well i have a pudding recipe to share and it’s the silkiest, melt in your mouth pudding you have ever had. It’s called Panna Cotta. You can eat it with fresh fruits, caramel, chocolate sauce, etc. This is the perfect pudding. You can serve it during a dinner party as well and i can assure that you will wow your dinner guests.

This recipe is easy to make and the outcome always look professional ;)

Here goes:

Panna Cotta:

* 1/3 cup milk (skim or normal)
* 1 ounce envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
* 2 1/2 cups heavy cream (35% Cooking Cream)
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoon rose water

Method:
1. Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the rose water and pour into six individual ramekin dishes OR six wine glass.
3. Cool the mixture uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving.

When it’s cool you can serve it with your favorite fruits like I did, or you can just eat it on its own :)

From A Series of Kitchen Experiments

I love Soba noodles and I think they are very delicious and smooth to my palate. Which makes it my favorite noodle to use whenever I am stir frying or making soups. The main ingredient in Soba noodles are usually buckwheat. I can probably write an entire post about how health buckwheat is for you but we’ll just leave it at that - it’s healthy for you. However, pure buckwheat soba falls apart rather easily when cooked so a binder is use to make the soba noodles more stable. The usual ingredient used as a binder is wheat flour. According to the Japan Agricultural Standards regulations, the noodles have to contain at least 30% buckwheat in order to be called soba but noodles with a high buckwheat content are seen as more desirable.

In Japan, soba noodles are served in a variety of situations. They are a popular inexpensive fast food at train stations throughout Japan, they are served by exclusive and expensive specialty restaurants, and they are also made at home. Markets sell dried noodles and men-tsuyu, or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy.

Some establishments, especially cheaper and more casual ones, may serve both soba and udon (thick wheat noodles) as they are often served in a similar manner. However, soba is traditionally the noodle of choice for Tokyoites. This tradition originates from the Edo period when the population of Edo (Tokyo), being considerably wealthier than the rural poor, were more susceptible to beri beri due to their high consumption of white rice which is low in thiamine, and are thought to have made up for this by regularly eating thiamine-rich soba. Every neighborhood had one or two soba establishments, many also serving sake, which functioned much like modern cafes where locals would drop by casually.

To serve soba noodles, it is usually served cold during the summer with a dipping sauce and eaten with chopsticks. You can also serve it hot in broth as well.

Here’s a recipe I found for cold Soba noodles simply because we are in the summer:

1 lb Japanese soba noodles
1/2 lg Red bell pepper, cut in
-julienne strips
3 Ribs celery, sliced on a
-bias
3 Green onions, sliced on a
-bias
2 tb Vegetable off
2 tb Oriental sesame oil
2 tb Red wine vinegar
2 tb Plus 2 ts soy sauce
2 tb Plus 2 ts granulated sugar
2 tb Plus 2 ts Vietnamese chili
-paste, or to taste

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold
water and drain completely. Toss noodles in a large bowl with bell
pepper, celery and green onions.

To prepare the dressing: Combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar,
soy sauce, sugar and chili paste. Pour over noodle mixture and toss
until evenly coated. Chill until ready to serve.

To me, there is no dispute that the kimchi belonged to the koreans and the japanese followed suit. But that’s alright, as long as we all know kimchi are from korea and the japanese just liked it so much, they made their kimchi too - a less spicy and sweeter version. Anyhow, I’d like to point out that kimchi makes an awesome base for soups or stews. I think it’s the perfect broth for a Nabe/ hotpot during the cold winter months.

I have posted a recipe on how to make your own kimchi before and really, once all that work is done, it’s an easy downhill all the way; from eating the kimchi as it is or cooking it with meats or as flavoring soups and broths.

I am going to share a simple chicken kimchi stew with you and the recipe is as follows:-
(you can use any meat or vegetable for this stew. It’s like a clean your fridge out type of stew and it tastes good no matter what :))
250grams of kimchi / 1/4 head of kimchi cabbage
3 cups of water
2tablespoon korean chili powder
2 cloves of mashed garlic
1 teaspoon of black pepper
Salt to taste
Green onions
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 chicken breast, sliced thinly and season with some salt pepper and cornflour

Other optional ingredients:
Tofu, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, turkey, venison, veal, broccoli, daikon radish, cabbage, carrots, turnips, potatoes, mushrooms, baby corn, etc.

Method:
1. Combine kimchi and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients in and let it cook for 10-15 minutes under medium heat.
2. Serve.

Yes, it’s that’s easy really :P

I love porridges especially on cold, wet days. It’s very soothing. In Japan, a similar recipe is called Okayu. It’s basically rice porridge cooked in broth or water, and with some added ingredients. It’s the perfect food that soothes the soul which is why Okayu is fed to the sick because it gives them energy to recuperate without being too hard to digest.

To me, I think food like these gives the digestive system and the body a break. It’s healthy and delicious. It’s something that everyone should try once in a while :) You can put any ingredients you like in your okayu - meat, seafood, veggies, etc.

I found a delicious Okayu recipe online that I would like you guys to try. I made my own rice porridge using century eggs (which is a peculiar thing to some) and dried oysters. It was very yummy. But first let me share with you an Okayu recipe made with preserved salted plums.

Recipe taken from Recipeland:

1 c Short grained japanese style
Rice (wash thoroughly)

4 c Water

2 3 rounded tablespoon white
Miso paste (more or less to Taste)

1 Or 2 large salted preserved
Salted plums—umeboshi (to Taste)

1 Cake kinugoshi tofu

1 c Fresh spinach

1 c Fresh nappa cabbage

1/8 t Sake or mirin (optional)

“Okayu” - Japanese-style porridge.

While you wait for your water to boil:

Break apart tofu into little chunks (dice or just use hands) Wash spinach well and cut into 1/4″ segments Wash nappa cabbage and cut into 1/4″ segments take seed out of umeboshi and cut into small pieces

When water is at a nice rolling boil:

Add miso (make sure it completely dissolves in water) (At this stage, taste to make sure you have enough miso in water and add more miso or water for desired taste.) Add rice, tofu, spinach, nappa cabbage, and umeboshi Add mirin or sake (optional)

Once the mixture come back to a nice boil, put cover on pot and reduce heat to low simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cook longer if you like a more creamier porridge.

This makes a nice replacement for soup on a cold day. If eaten as a meal, I like to puree some raw daikon with a tiny smidgin of fresh ginger, lemon juice, and soy sauce as a garnish on top of my okayu.

Here is a picture of my Chinese version of Okayu, using century eggs and dried oysters:

Japanese Curry Rice is one of the most famous dish in Japan, eaten by hundreds of Japanese everyday. I have a curry recipe to share that is equally yummy but Indian inspired called Butter Chicken. This rich dish is best eaten with rice or bread and you can make this right at home. As the Japanese love slathering curries over the rice, this recipe would be perfect for that. The rich and creamy curry sauce that gives a little tingle is perfect for such combination.

Now, the recipe:
4 whole chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons of yogurt

Spices:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 onion, minced
4 garlic, chopped finely
1 inch of ginger, minced
2 small cans of tomato puree
1 tablespoon chili powder (decrease/increase the amount to your preference)
approx. 1 tablespoon salt to taste
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup of grounded almonds
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/2 cup water

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with paprika, salt, pepper and yogurt for 2-3 hours.
2. After 2-3 hours, heat a deep pan with some oil and pan fried the chicken until all sides are browned. Take it off the stove for later use.
3. Use the same pan and the butter. Saute the onions, garlic and ginger until fragrant, approx. 5-8 minutes.
4. Add your garam masala and cumin powder, saute until the powder is well incorporated into a mixture.
5. Now, add the rest of the ingredients in and let the sauce come to a simmer. Stir well and let it cook for about 8 more minutes before adding the chicken pieces in.
6. Let the chicken cook in the butter sauce under a lower simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
7. Serve warm.

This recipe feeds four people. So if you’re just one person or two, this butter chicken keeps well for up to 2 days in the fridge. :)

Recipe taken from A Series of Kitchen Experiments.

Research have shown that Edamame to be the perfect snack. I couldn’t agree more because it’s so fun to eat. Peeling off the skin of the pods to access the yummy green succulent beans inside. Edamame is none other than soybeans really. Green, fresh, young soybeans. I love edamame because it’s so delicious. I know some people don’t like it but that’s fine, more for me. Aside from it’s very healthy benefits, I find edamame to be the perfect compliments to the less than healthy meals. You cut the guilt in half when you pair beer with edamame you see :)

I found a wonderful edamame recipe online for you guys, do try it out as it looks rather easy and perfect for summer days.

1 lb frozen shelled edamame
3 cups frozen petite corn kernels
1 chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or marjoram or basil
Dressing
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Method:
1. Prepare edamame according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain thoroughly.
2. Combine edamame, corn, red bell pepper, green onion, red onion, parsley, and oregano.
3. In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add veggies to bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is a western salad, of course, if i were you, I’d douse some ponzu on it for that little citrusy flavors that goes oh so well with fresh veggies. :)

Summer is here and the kitchen is threatening to burn up to 50 C degrees if I cook too much. And I am not particularly fond of using the air conditioner because it leaves me with dry skin. But i have to, i am sweating like a pig! So, to make my kitchen (and apartment in general) less hot, I have relented into making food that doesn’t require any heating whatsoever! So i made this really awesome and refreshing salad that goes with basically anything (bbq, teriyaki meats, karaage, fish of any kind…etc). And there is no cooking whatsoever involved.

Initially, I used lemon juice as part of its dressing. But i bought a new bottle of Ponzu sauce so i used that instead. The flavor of the chick peas, cucumbers, carrots, red peppers and onions were just perfect. I like it when the sour and the sweetness of fresh vegetables combine.

So without further ado, you should all have this in your fridge for whenever you feel hungry on a hot summer’s day:

Chickpea Salad Ingredients:
1 Can of chickpeas, drained
1 carrot, diced
a handful of green olives, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 red capsicum
2 stalks of spring onion, chopped
a handful of parsley, chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon Ponzu
pepper

Method:
1. Drained the chickpeas well and rinse with water. Drain them again and make sure you get rid of most of the water.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients in. Toss to combine.
3. Keep it in the fridge for an hour before eating so you give the flavors time to blend :)