i. Add neutral oil to the cold pan, scatter in the sliced garlic, and cook low and slow (about 5 minutes) until pale gold. This gently flavors the oil and yields crisp chips; swirl occasionally so slices color evenly.

ii. Remove chips the moment they turn straw-gold as carryover heat will deepen them. Then reserve both chips and oil.

i. Crank your now-empty skillet with garlic oil to high heat. Grind fresh black pepper over both sides of your rested steak, then lay it gently into the pan.

ii. Flip every 30 seconds for even cooking and a fast, deep crust. Cook about 4 minutes (8 flips) total.

iii. Transfer the steak to a rack for 3-5 minutes. Catch any juices on the plate. Those drippings are liquid gold, add them back to the rice later for built-in beefy depth. Expect a small temperature rise during the rest, which helps land your target doneness.

i. Return the pan to low heat with the remaining garlic oil, and add the minced garlic. Stir gently just until fragrant to perfume the base of the rice. Avoid browning. If it starts to color, immediately proceed to the next step to halt cooking.

ii. Increase to medium, add cool, firm rice, and press-and-chop with a spatula to break clumps as the grains drink the aromatic oil. If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray for a minute to vent before it hits the pan.

iii. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt, Asian chicken bouillon powder, and oyster sauce. Splash sake along the pan’s rim so it sizzles and loosens flavorful fond. Stir to coat and keep breaking any new clumps. Tip in the reserved steak juices now too so they mingle with the rice.

i. Scoot rice to create a hot bare spot, raise heat to high, and drizzle soy sauce into that zone. Wait ~5 seconds as it sizzles and darkens, then toss to coat all the grains.

You’re essentially building smoky aroma without soaking the rice.

ii. Cut the heat, melt in unsalted butter and fold through chopped parsley for a glossy finish. The butter rounds sharp edges from the soy while keeping the grains separate and lightly coated.

i. Mound the rice in a bowl or a plate.

ii. Fan the steak slices on top, and shower with chopped green onions and the reserved garlic chips. Squeeze on a little lemon, add a final crack of pepper, and serve immediately while the chips stay crisp.

i. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from the center of the kabocha.

ii. Lay your squash on a stable cutting board and use a sharp knife to shave off the tough green skin in downward strokes.

iii. Once peeled, chop the flesh into large, irregular chunks.

i. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (356°F). Toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt, dried herb mix, and melted butter. Fold in thin ribbons of tender kabocha peel.

ii. Spread in a single layer and bake on an upper rack for 10 minutes until golden and crisp.

i. While we wait for the oven, melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion turns translucent and sweet but not browned. Stop just before golden.

ii. Stir in the kabocha chunks with another pinch of salt. Toss for 1-2 minutes to coat in butter and start softening the surface. Seasoning now helps the squash absorb salt evenly later and prevents flat tasting purée.

iii. When the edges start to break, add water.

iv. Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until the pumpkin crushes easily with a spoon. Keep the bubbling gentle to preserve color and a fresh, sweet aroma.

v. If liquid reduces too fast, add a splash of hot water to maintain a shallow “just-covered” level.

i. Take the pot off heat and blend with a blender (or immersion blender), starting low and moving to high, sweeping the head across the pot to catch fibers.

ii. When smooth, add cold unsalted butter and blend 20-30 seconds more to micro-emulsify for gloss and body.

i. If you want the kind of texture that makes guests ask “Did you really make this at home?”, pour your blended soup through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois into a clean pot.

ii. Use the back of a ladle or spoon to press the puree through, leaving behind any lingering fibers or skin fragments. Yes, it’s an extra dish to wash, but the payoff is soup so smooth it coats a spoon in a glossy, unbroken ribbon.

i. Return the soup to a clean pot and stir in heavy cream and milk (you can use half and half if it’s available). Warm gently over low heat until steamy and slightly thickened, but do not boil.

ii. Add another pinch of salt and a sprinkle nutmeg. Set the heat to low and let the soup barely simmer, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Once dairy enters the pot, high heat is your enemy. Boiling causes the milk proteins to curdle and the cream to separate into greasy puddles. Keep it at a lazy simmer.

iii. Turn off the heat and dissolve white miso. Make sure to taste test at this point!

i. Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Crack white pepper over the surface, scatter a handful of those kabocha-skin croutons on top, and finish with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley for a pop of green against the orange.

i. Salt the cucumbers (julienned) with about 2% by weight and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.

ii. After the time’s up, squeeze the cucumber strips firmly in your hands to wring out the excess water. You’ll be amazed at how much liquid comes out.

If you’re working with thick American cucumbers instead of slender Japanese ones, slice them lengthwise first and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. English cucumbers (the long, seedless variety) work beautifully here and need less prep time since they’re naturally less watery.

i. In a chilled metal bowl, break apart your imitation crab into thin, crab-like strands. Dampen your hands slightly with cool water first (this prevents the sticky crab from clinging to your fingers and makes the whole process smoother). Gently pull each stick apart lengthwise.

ii. Mix all the dressing ingredients (mayo, lemon juice, Japanese soy sauce, dashi granules, and wasabi paste with drained cucumber and sweet corn kernels. Mayo’s fat + salt + acid give mild kani-kama real stage presence, while fat mellows wasabi’s sharp heat so the aroma lingers without the painful punch.

iii. instead of stirring with a spoon (which crushes everything), use chopsticks or a fork to lift and fold the ingredients together. Rotate the bowl as you work, creating gentle lifting motions that coat everything evenly without breaking the delicate textures.

i. Right before serving, crack on black pepper and drizzle toasted sesame oil. The pepper wakes up the sweetness and the sesame oil sends a nutty aroma.

ii. Taste and adjust salt or lemon to balance if needed.

Start by dicing your tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Sprinkle them generously with salt. Let them rest in a bowl or lounge in a colander for about 10 minutes, just enough for their juices to drip and flavors to concentrate.

Meanwhile, thinly slice cucumbers (aim for 2mm thickness).

Then, give them their own salt rub. Massage gently, then set aside to sweat out excess water.

While we wait, combine the sliced shiso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, toasted sesame oil, and ground sesame seeds in a small food processor.

Pulse until the mixture forms a smooth, emerald-green dressing with tiny flecks of shiso throughout.

The toasted sesame oil adds a rich, nutty depth that balances the bright acidity of the rice vinegar.

After 10 minutes, you’ll see pools of liquid around your salted vegetables. Discard all the liquid that has accumulated. For the cucumbers, take this step further: gather them in a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze to remove every last bit of moisture.

Combine the prepared tomatoes and cucumbers with any additional fresh summer vegetables (I used sweet corn kernels, edamame, and shredded shiso leaves) in a serving bowl.

Just before serving, drizzle the shiso-sesame dressing over the vegetables and toss gently to coat.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Start by trimming just the very bottom of the enoki mushroom stems. You want to keep as much of the mushroom as possible while removing any tough or discolored parts.

Gently separate the clusters into smaller bundles and place them in a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat every strand.

Add the black pepper, soy sauce, grated garlic, powdered cheese, and dried herb mix to the oiled enoki.

Using your hands or tongs, toss everything together until each mushroom strand is evenly coated with the seasoning mixture.

Next, mix potato starch in to create the final coating.

The goal is to create a flavorful base coating that will crisp up beautifully during cooking.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, making sure it coats the entire surface. Spread your seasoned enoki mixture evenly across the pan, creating a single layer that covers the entire bottom.

You’re essentially creating one giant enoki pancake.

Once it’s spread out, cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper, then place a flat, heavy object on top.

Something like a water-filled pot works great. Turn the heat to medium.

Once you hear that telltale sizzling sound, maintain the pressure for exactly 5 minutes. You’re listening for a steady, gentle sizzle.

Carefully flip the whole thing and repeat the same process for another 4 minutes to crisp the other side.

Remove the weight one final time and flip the enoki back to its original side. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly across the top.

Let the cheese melt slightly so that it adheres to the surface, then quickly flip once more so the cheese is now against the hot pan surface.

This creates a crispy, golden cheese crust that’s absolutely irresistible. Cook without the weight for just 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Transfer your crispy enoki creation to a cutting board and slice it like a pizza into wedges.

Serve immediately with ketchup for dipping, or try it with chopped green onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon for a brighter flavor profile.

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Start by removing the pits from the umeboshi (pickled plums) and finely chopping the flesh with a knife until it forms a smooth paste. If you can’t find whole umeboshi, store-bought ume paste is a convenient alternative and works well for this recipe.

Look for it in the Japanese section of Asian grocery stores, or you can find it online. The homemade paste from whole umeboshi tends to have a more complex, nuanced flavor.

In a mixing bowl, combine the paste with toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, miso, rice vinegar, and honey. Whisk everything together until smooth and well-incorporated.

Refrigerate the dressing until you’re ready to use it.

Cut the cucumber diagonally into thin slices. The increased surface area makes it easier to julienne.

Then stack and cut them into fine matchsticks.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, toss, and let sit for about 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.

Remove the tough white tendon (also called the sinew) from each chicken tender. Make shallow cuts along both sides of the sinew, cutting about halfway through the length of the tenderloin. This creates access points that make removal much easier.

Flip the tenderloin so the sinew faces down against your cutting board. Hold the sinew firmly with your non-dominant hand. If it’s slippery, grip it through a paper towel for better control. Now use the back (spine) of your knife, not the blade.

Place the spine of the knife against the sinew and scrape it along the cutting board while maintaining downward pressure. Move the knife in quick up-and-down motions as you work from left to right.

This motion prevents the meat from tearing and ensures clean separation.

If you find the sinew removal challenging, don’t worry. You can remove it after cooking when the meat is easier to handle. Simply shred the cooked chicken by hand and pick out any tough pieces you encounter.

First, use a knife to carefully shave around the cap (the area around the stem), removing the tough outer layer while being careful not to cut into the seed cavity.

Then, trim off the tough stem end of each okra pod.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt. This helps the okra retain its vibrant green color during cooking. Add the okra and blanch for exactly 2 minutes.

Blanching serves multiple purposes: it brightens the color, improves the mouthfeel, and reduces the natural mucilage that can make okra unpleasantly slimy. The brief cooking time also helps the okra absorb flavors better while maintaining its distinctive texture.

Immediately transfer the blanched okra to an ice bath.

Return the pot to a boil, then turn off the heat and add a splash of sake. Immediately add the chicken tenderloins.

Cover with a lid, and let them poach gently in the residual heat for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, transfer the chicken directly to the ice bath alongside the okra.

Squeeze the salted cucumbers thoroughly to remove excess moisture. This step is important to avoid a watery final dish.

Slice the blanched okra, then shred the poached chicken by hand. Combine the cucumber, okra, chicken, and shiso leaves in a bowl, and toss well with the chilled dressing.

Transfer to your serving plates and finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, freshly cracked black pepper, and delicate sprouts for color and a mild peppery bite.

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Place the edamame in a bowl and generously sprinkle coarse salt over them.

Using both hands, vigorously rub the salt into the pods. This “salt massage” serves a purpose far beyond simple seasoning.

It removes the fine fuzz (trichomes) from the pod surface, creating a smoother texture. If this fuzz remains, it creates an unpleasant, grainy texture that detracts from the overall experience.

If you have a minute to spare, I really recommend using kitchen scissors to cut about 1-2 mm off both ends of each pod. These small cuts allow the flavor to penetrate the beans more deeply. Don’t worry about cutting the beans inside; the pods are sturdy enough to protect them.

Bring a pot of water to a full, rolling boil before adding salt (aim for a salt concentration of about 4%). This concentration is the “sweet spot” for enhancing the beans’ natural sugars without drawing out too much moisture.

Add the edamame all at once a long with the salt used for rubbing. Turn the heat back up to high, then reduce it slightly so the water stays at a vigorous boil without spilling over.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, tasting one pod around the 3-minute mark. You should feel slight resistance when you bite into it. Then, let the residual heat finish cooking it off the stove.

For large pods with firm texture, aim for about 5 minutes, for or smaller pods or softer texture, 3+ minutes works well.

Overcooking is the enemy because it creates mushy, waterlogged beans. Stir the beans occasionally during cooking to ensure even heat distribution.

Immediately drain the cooked edamame through a colander, removing as much cooking water as possible. It is critical that you never rinse them with cold water or use an ice bath. These methods will wash away the salt and umami that were carefully built up, leaving you with watery, bland beans.

Instead, spread the drained edamame on the colander and use a fan to cool them quickly. This quick cooling prevents overcooking from residual heat while preserving their vibrant green color.

Even if serving warm, a quick 10-20 second fan session helps set the color. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of coarse salt if needed.

Keep in mind that edamame can sometimes taste a bit bland when it’s hot, but it gets really tasty as it cools, so don’t go overboard with the salt from the beginning.

The umami and saltiness of the seawater-like flavor that fills the inside pods is simply irresistible.

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First, cut the salmon fillets (skin-on or skinless) into bite-sized chunks.

Sprinkle salt over the salmon pieces and let them sit for 10 minutes.

Salt tightens the protein structure of the salmon while drawing out water and trimethylamine compounds responsible for that fishy odor. If you want to get even better results, you can add a splash of sake to this step, as alcohol helps dissolve odor-causing compounds more effectively.

While you wait, be sure to measure out all the ingredients and divide them by the time you add them! Smooth and timely cooking is very important for fried rice!

After 10 minutes, pat the salmon dry with paper towels to get rid of any moisture and odor compounds.

Then, lightly dust the salmon pieces with cornstarch.

If you want to get perfect results, use refrigerated Japanese rice. When rice is cooked fresh, it’s got a lot of moisture, and the starch granules are all swollen up. If you refrigerate it overnight, the starch will retrograde (crystallize), which makes the grains less sticky. This makes it perfect for fried rice.

Start by heating your wok over medium-low heat, and then add your cooking oil (if you want more intense flavor, you can use lard).

Cook the dusted salmon skin-side down, along with the ginger and mushrooms. The gentle cooking lets the fat render from the skin, so the salmon cooks through without getting tough or dry.

When the salmon is cooked on both sides, crank the heat up high and move the cooked ingredients to the side of the wok. Just crack the eggs into the empty space and scramble them until they’re half-cooked.

Add the rinsed, drained rice to the scrambled egg.

Then add the dashi granules, chicken bouillon powder, the white part of the Japanese leek (or a regular leek), and the smoked paprika powder (my secret ingredient to add depth with its smoky aroma and sweetness!). Mix everything together so the egg covers the rice grains. Keep the wok on the heat without tossing it too much – home stoves don’t generate enough heat to keep the wok at a steady temperature when you lift it up too frequently.

When the rice is fluffy and mixed with the eggs, pour soy sauce around the wok rim instead of on top of the rice.

Add butter, sugar, salt, and white pepper. For the salt and pepper, taste as you go and adjust the amount to your liking. I added ¼ tsp and ⅛ tsp respectively.

The fat in butter adds a richness that pairs great with salmon, and the slight sweetness of sugar balances out the savory flavors. White pepper provides subtle heat without visual interruption or the stronger aromatic profile of black pepper.

Once everything’s mixed together, add lemon juice and a bit of sesame oil, then take it off the heat right away. Give it a stir to mix it all together, using the residual heat.

Garnish with white sesame seeds and chopped mitsuba (Japanese parsley) just before serving.

If you can’t find mitsuba, you can substitute it with chopped shiso leaves (perilla) or green onions. If you want to mix things up a bit, you could try topping it with shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend), a drizzle of chili oil, or even some crispy garlic chips.

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Start by thinly trimming the bottom of the bok choy stem, then make a crosswise incision. This helps the vegetables cook evenly, reduces blanching time and makes it easier to separate the leaves from the core later.

Bring water to just before boiling, and add salt. The ideal temperature is just below the boiling point. This heat can preserve the bok choy’s texture and vibrant color while still softening the fibers.

First, immerse only the thicker stems for 30 seconds, as they’re denser and require a little more cooking time. Then add submerge the rest of the tender leaves and continue blanching for an additional 15 seconds. This two-stage blanching method makes sure the texture is perfect all the way through-crisp stems without overcooked leaves.

Then, put the blanched bok choy in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. This “shocking” technique keeps the bright green color.

After cooling completely, gently squeeze the bok choy to remove excess water. Excess moisture will dilute the flavorful dressing and potentially make your final dish watery.

While the bok choy cools, gently rinse the enoki mushrooms under cold running water to remove any growing medium residue.

Trim away the tough base of the enoki cluster, then separate the delicate strands.

For the umeboshi plums, remove the pits and finely chop them until you have a paste-like consistency.

Once the bok choy has cooled enough to handle, squeeze it well and pat dry with paper towels. Excess moisture is the enemy here!

Starting from the base we cut earlier, peel the leaves apart by hand, then cut roughly in half with a knife to separate the tender leaves and thick stems. This will create textural contrast in the final dish.

In a saucepan, combine the dashi stock, mirin, salt, soy sauce, and let it boil for about 1 minute. Then, add the enoki mushrooms and gently simmer this mixture over low-medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the bok choy to the pan. Give it a quick mix and and then remove it from the stove.

Transfer the warm mixture to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes.

Once slightly cooled, crush the bonito flakes into the bowl-these will partially dissolve, adding another layer of umami complexity.

Now, add the pasted umeboshi and wasabi paste. Store-bought wasabi paste contains volatile compounds that dissipate quickly, especially when heated. Adding it at this last stage preserves its characteristic pungency and aroma.

This versatile wasabi-ae can be enjoyed two ways: serve immediately while still warm for a comforting side dish, or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for a refreshing cold option. If you go for the cold option, you can add wasabi paste right before serving for a more pronounced flavor.

Upon serving, garnish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and crushed nori seaweed. Enjoy!

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