Not so long ago putting canned tuna into a soup would have never crossed my mind. Yet, together with “scary” tofu and matured, very sour kimchi, it creates one of the most delicious and quickest soups I know. No wonder I now make it sometimes twice a week! I first heard about this kimchi stew from my friend C…..Continue Reading “Korean Kimchi Stew with Canned Tuna and Tofu”
I am always drawn to poetic dish names, so rare in European cuisines. Doesn’t Wind in the Pines (Toriniku Matsukaze-yaki, 鶏肉松風焼き) sound incomparably better than Chicken Loaf? One might wonder how a baked chicken loaf can bear such a beautiful name? According to Shizuo Tsuji, the author of the magnificent “The Japanese Cooking. A Simple Art”, where I found…Continue Reading “Chicken Loaf “Wind in the Pines” (Toriniku Matsukaze-yaki (鶏肉松風焼き)”
Mapo Dofu is certainly the most famous Sichuan dish, so obviously it was the first one I have bookmarked in my Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop. Before discovering Ms Dunlop’s book I had prepared Mapo Dofu from another source. It was good, but this one really feels genuine and tastes much better than I had…Continue Reading “Mapo Dofu (Ma pou do fu) for One”
Savoury cakes (called “breads” by many people) are one of my favourite party snacks. They are easy to prepare, do not require any complicated stages (such as kneading, easily adaptable to available ingredients and, most of all, very rewarding because they seem to impress most of the guests and guarantee lots of compliments. Apart from…Continue Reading “Savoury Cake with Goat Cheese and Dried Tomatoes/Goat Cheese and Dried Tomatoes Bread”
I don’t cook many strictly Thai dishes, but red and green curry pastes are among the ingredients I constantly keep in my fridge and use quite often, in very unorthodox ways. Most of the time one of them ends up in a quick, flavoursome, vaguely Thai soups or sauces, usually prepared with my beloved, versatile…Continue Reading “Thai Curry Soup with Tofu”
I have fallen in love with edamame a couple of months ago. These bright green, kidney-shaped young soy beans are the healthiest and one of the most delicious snacks I know. In Japanese edamame (枝豆) means twig bean and it designs not only the beans themselves but the simple snack of boiled edamame, often served…Continue Reading “Cake with Shrimp and Edamame/Shrimp and Edamame Bread”
I usually drink only a big coffee for breakfast and don’t start being hungry before 10 am. If I happen to work at home, this is the moment when I have my late breakfast and my absolute favourite meal is miso soup (miso shiru 味噌汁). It is quick, healthy, full of proteins, low in carbs…Continue Reading “Miso Soup with Shrimp and Tofu”
Shiso, or perilla (紫蘇) is a Japanese herb with a fresh, “grassy” aroma and a strong flavour. When I had a chance to taste it for the first time, I have fallen in love instantly and since then have been on a constant search for new ways to use it. Probably the most frequent dish…Continue Reading “Chicken and Shiso Balls”
The name of my cake has probably already put off all those who hate tofu and made sceptical even some tofu fans. I must admit if you look for a rich, flour-less, sticky, fudge-like chocolate cake, click here to see my favourite one and don’t even bother trying today’s recipe. However, if you look for…Continue Reading “Chocolate and Tofu Cake”
When I saw Green Bean Shira – ae recipe at Nami’s blog (Just One Cookbook) I knew I would love the dish. Miso, tofu and sesame seeds are my beloved Japanese cuisine ingredients, and shira-ae (白和え) is a dish of vegetables mixed with these ingredients. How could I resist? Instead of the green beans I used…Continue Reading “Snow Peas Shira-ae (白和え)”