Every mythic hero normally has an equally mythic weapon. Zeus had his thunderbolts. Thor had his hammer, Mjolnir. King Arthur had his Excalibur. Frodo and Bilbo had their Sting. Rhydderch Hael had his Dyrnwyn. King Kong had his bananas…you get the idea. It’s time for you to join the ranks of the heroes and heroines of lore as you wield your own legendary weapon in your battle against a very powerful foe: hunger.

So they say. Why would I want a spork? Because it’s like a fork AND a spoon, it cannot get any better than that. Oh wait, it can, it’s made out of titanium so it’s light weight and hardy. No more bending cutleries from tough meat, my friend. Only Titanium Sporks win this time!

Look at how sleek this kitchen is! It looks like a complex technological lab but we are assured that it is very simple to use. Check out their website for full information: Gorenje. This kitchen is a perfect combination of function and design - form full of function, it seems.

the designer:

Ok ok, it’s just pancakes when i meant “western style”. Why the hassle of making elaborate dorayakis or okonomiyakis when you can have simple pancakes made in your own kitchen? You can get all the ingredients from a Japanese store except maybe blueberries whcih can be a bit expensive. But feel free to use bananas if you like or any other berries you can get your hands on.

This pancake recipe is a no fail recipe that will always give you fluffy pancakes :)

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
a pinch of salt
1 egg
1 cups of milk

Optional: blueberries.

Method:
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add milk and eggs. Whisk until batter is smooth.
2. Heat pan under medium heat and add a bit of butter.
3. Take 1/4 measure cup to scoop up the batter and pour into the heated pan.
4. Add your blueberries (frozen is fine too) now and cook the pancake for 2 minutes on each side. Or until it is brown around the edges.
5. Serve with butter and syrup.

Watching them making mochi the traditional way is entertaining and educational. It looks hard but that’s how Japanese ancestors have been making mochi to celebrate the new year for hundreds of years. And as always mochi = happy faces :)

Part 1

Part 2

It looks really yummy. i think I am gonna make some in muffin pans and it’ll be HUGE!

The guy’s face (and his overall hairstyle) is hilarious as hell. It’s so comical :P

Merry Christmas everyone!

This is a great cooking demonstration for vegetarians and vegans. I’m not vegetarian and the tofu looks VERY good to me. I think you can find all the ingredients relatively well in Japan. Enjoy!

Don’t let the name fool you into thinking it’s some sexual fetish. It’s not, it’s a pretty good noodle dish with savory dashi stock as broth.

It is important, as demonstrated, to wash the noodle so that they retain the bite and not turn too mushy :)

I love stews and nikujaga is no exception. One thing I keep changing about this meat and potato stew is the fact that there isn’t enough vegetables in it. Oh well, just add peas or carrots or spinach if you like but the basic is really all you need to know before you can change it to your taste. It’s especially easy to make nikujaga, all you need is the basic soy sauce, sugar and onion. And the rest of the dish’s umami-ness comes from the meat and the potatoes. If you have shitake mushrooms or any kind of mushrooms at all, add it into your nikujaga. It’s a perfect blend with the meat and potatoes.

You will have to excuse me, I love dressing up my meals :D This dish would warm you up during these cold wintry days and if you want, eat it with kimchi - it’s always my favorite combo.

Anyway, the basic ingredients are these:

* 2 medium size Potatoes
* 500 g Beef or pork: thin sliced
* 1 Onion, sliced
* 1-2 tbsp Sugar
* 2 tbsp Soya sauce
* Japanese katsuo soup stock (benito) (optional)

Method:
1. Cut you potatoes into small chunks.
2. Heat pan, add oil and saute your onions. Add your meat in now and then potatoes.
3. Season with 2 tablespoons of soya sauce and 1-2 tablespoon of sugar. I would start with one first to test.
4. Saute the ingredients together and then add 2 cups of water. Flavor with bonito now, if you’re using any, and let it simmer.
5. Add vegetables of your choice or mushrooms when it starts to simmer and cover to cook for up to 1 hour so your meat will be tender and your potatoes are soft.

Check out this video as well:

She’s added more ingredients in, so just follow your tastebuds. Mirin is an exceptional choice of seasoning to give your stew a more rounded flavor.

I found this really delicious blog called Japanese Food Diary. It’s author, or photog, is Alex. Basically, he’s been taking picture of all the food he’s ate in Japan and they are enticing. Makes me wanna take the next plane out to Nippon country.

Check it out: Japan Food Diary.