Mom's Crispy Pork Wontons

My mom and her best friend Tucky used to make these wontons for our church’s food festival, prepping thousands of them ahead of time and freezing between layers of wax paper. I remember being in the church banquet hall filled with tables and it seemed like the entire congregation was there to help. I’d sit with my brother, sister and cousins happily making wontons for hours. When wontons are defrosted, they can become soggy, so my mom and Tucky had a trick for their filling: instead of using the more traditional regular onions in the filling (which weep when thawed), they would use scallions. This recipe freezes really well, so I highly recommend making the full batch of 100 wontons even if you don’t plan on eating them right away. Also, the great part about this recipe is that these wontons can be fried and served with a dipping sauce or simmered in a hot pot - it just comes down to how you assemble them. Fried wontons are folded to look like a boat with two sails and simmered wontons look like a cinched up purse. The boat shape limits the filling to less meat so the filling is able to cook through during the brief frying time, whereas the cinched up purse technique can hold more filling because the wontons can simmer for a longer time. If you want to try these in a soup, check out my Pork Wontons with Macanese Broth where the wontons are cooked in a slightly sweet, aromatic pork bone broth until perfectly tender.

MAKE AHEAD These wontons can be made in advance and frozen for 1 month. You could also refrigerate them overnight and make them the next day but not for longer.

Mom's Crispy Pork Wontons

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Yield: 50-60 wontons

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 40 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Ingredients

FOR THE SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE

• 1⁄2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (store-bought is fine to use here)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3⁄4 cup finely chopped pineapple; or a 6 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1⁄2 cup ketchup
• 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar

FOR THE WONTONS

• 8 ounces ground pork
• 6–8 shrimp, about 8 ounces, shelled and deveined
• 1 large egg
• 1⁄2 cup water chestnuts,drained
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts only
• 1 piece fresh ginger, about 11⁄2 inches, peeled
• 1 large fresh shiitake mushroom, stemmed
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package wonton wrappers, about 12 ounces, or round gyoza or potsticker wrappers
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Make the sweet-and-sour sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.
2. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. Make the wontons. In a food processor, combine the pork, shrimp, egg, water chestnuts, scallions, ginger, mushroom, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined and a meatball-like texture is formed. If you do not have a food processor, finely chop the ingredients and mix to combine.
4. Assemble the wontons. Fill a small bowl with water and line a large airtight container with wax or parchment paper.
5. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time, place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Be careful not to overstuff the wonton wrappers or they will be difficult to seal.
6. Wet your finger in the bowl of water and moisten the wrapper around the filling. Fold the bottom half of the wrapper up and away from you so the corners of the square are offset. Gently press the wonton wrapper together around the filling to seal. (If you are making these wontons for a hot pot, see Hot Tip.)
7. Transfer to the airtight container and repeat with the remaining filling and wonton wrappers, separating each layer of prepared wontons with wax or parchment paper.
8. Fill a large saucepan or a deep-fryer with 11⁄2 inches (3.5 cm) of vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. When the oil is hot, test the temperature by adding a small piece of wonton wrapper to the oil — it should fry up quickly when hot.
9. Working in small batches, carefully add the wontons to the hot oil. They should not be touching. Fry for about 5 minutes, until puffed, crispy and lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried wontons to the paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with the remaining wontons.
10. Serve while hot with the sweet-and-sour sauce for dipping.
11. These wontons can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month. You can also refrigerate them overnight and fry them the next day, but don’t refrigerate them for longer than that.

PREPARING FOR HOT POT USE

1. If preparing these wontons to use in a hot pot, place 1 rounded tablespoon of filling in the center of a wonton square.
2. Moisten the outside of the square with water and pinch up the opposite edges to make a square purse with sealed edges.
3. Add wontons to boiling broth and reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

NOTE If you are preparing these wontons to use in a hot pot, place a rounded tablespoon of the filling in the center of a wonton square. Moisten the outside of the square with water, then pinch up the opposite edges to make a square purse with sealed edges.

Chicken Karaage Nuggets

This recipe — known as “Chicken Delicious” in our house — started as my attempt at making chicken karaage, Japanese-style fried chicken. The chicken is dredged in katakuriko (Japanese potato starch) and deep-fried, twice. The result is fried chicken that stays shatteringly crunchy for hours. Because I believe frying chicken once is enough, and after much trial and error, the key ingredient turned out to be panko bread crumbs. My kids loved this, gobbled it right up, and said, “Mom, this chicken is delicious!”

Chicken Karaage Nuggets

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Yield: 6-8 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 45 M

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 2 tbsp sake
• 1 piece fresh ginger, about 11⁄2 inches, peeled and finely grated 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced; green parts reserved for garnish
• 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
• 1⁄4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 2 1⁄2 pounds total, each cut into 4 or 5 uniform pieces
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 3 1⁄2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, agave, sake, ginger, garlic, scallions, salt and pepper until smooth. Add the chicken to the marinade. Refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack in it.
3. In a deep, straight-sided medium skillet, heat 2 inches (5 cm) of oil to 325°F (160°C). When the oil is hot, test the temperature by adding a small amount of panko to the hot oil — it should sizzle and brown up quickly when hot.
4. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. In a second shallow bowl, spread the panko in an even layer. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, tap off any excess marinade. Dip it into the egg and then cover it with panko. Set aside on a plate and repeat the dredging process with 3 to 5 more pieces of chicken.
5. Carefully distribute the pieces of breaded chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. While the chicken fries, bread a second batch of 4 to 6 pieces. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to the prepared cooling rack, making sure none are touching. Allow the oil to come back up to temperature and fry the next batch of chicken. Repeat this process until all the chicken is cooked.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature and garnish with lemon wedges and the green parts of the scallion.

Recommended Products:

Shirakiku Japanese Style Panko Flakes Bread Crumbs

Kikkoman Ryorishi Cooking Sake Seasoning

Steamed Japanese Rice

Japanese rice is short grain, higher in starch than long-grain rice, which gives it that signature sticky consistency. It comes in brown varieties, too, and there is also a delicious in-between rice called haiga. When looking at the different types, the high- er quality rice you purchase, the better it will taste. If you are at an Asian or a Japanese market, you’ll see a range of rices to choose from, so try a few different brands to find your favorite.

Basic Japanese Rice

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

Ingredients

• 2 cups white or brown Japanese short-grain rice
• water

Instructions

1. Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve.Gently rinse the rice with cold water and rub the grains together in your palms to loosen the starches, releasing the milky water. Repeat 4 to 6 times until the water runs clear.
2. Put the rice in a 4-quart (3.8 L) saucepan or 4- to 6-cup (960 ml to 1.4 L) rice cooker and pat it down into an even layer. Cover the rice with enough water so when the tip of your thumb touches the surface of the rice, the water rises to your knuckle — about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Let the rice soak in the water for about 15 minutes. (This makes for a fluffier final product, especially if your rice is not super fresh and a tad dried out.)
3. If using a rice cooker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions (see Tip, below). If using a saucepan, place the pan of rice and water from Step 2 over high heat and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until just tender, about 30 minutes for white rice and about 40 minutes for brown rice.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice steam, covered, for about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Notes

TIP: You may find my method for cooking rice in this recipe a bit unusual, but I promise it works — every time. We don’t measure the cooking water with a cup, we measure it with our thumb. Regardless of how much rice you use

or whether or not you cook your rice in a saucepan or rice cooker, this trick works!

Recommended Products:

Nishiki, Medium Grain Rice (White)

Sukoyaka Brown Rice, Genmai

Coconut-Matcha Custard with Berries

Matcha Coconut Custard with Fresh Berries

With so many foods chock-full of sugar, this dessert is truly good for the heart. It’s gluten-free, has no refined sugar and is loaded with beneficial antioxidants from the matcha tea. Matcha in powdered form is available in Asian markets and online, and you will find a wide price range. For the purposes of this recipe, you don’t have to buy it at a premium. The consistency of the custard
is light and smooth; the berries give it a delicate tartness, and the crunch of the shredded coconut makes you want to keep digging in for more. This dessert is easy to make ahead of time — make the day before, then pull it out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve. Just allow for the four hours the gelatin needs to set. Garnish with the berries, coconut and mint sprigs right before serving.

Matcha Coconut Custard with Fresh Berries

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Yield: 8 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinInactive time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 30 M

Ingredients

• 2 cans full-fat coconut milk, 14 ounces each
• 2 1⁄2 tsp gelatin, about one 1⁄4-ounce package
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp culinary-grade matcha powder
• 2 cups fresh mixed berries, such as raspberries and blackberries
• 1⁄2 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut
• Small mint sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

1. Arrange eight 8-ounce (240 ml) ramekins, small cups or glass bowls on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk and gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla and matcha. Place the pan over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Do not let the custard boil. Once the gelatin completely dissolves, remove from the heat.
4. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the custard into the ramekins, filling them about three-quarters full. Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and let the custards cool until set, at least 4 hours.
5. To serve, top each custard with the berries and toasted coconut and garnish with the mint.

Recommended Products:

Maeda-En Matcha - Culinary Quality,

Basic Dashi Stock

In the simplest terms, dashi is the Japanese word for stock. Dashi stock is the basis for a lot of Japanese cooking and is used in simmered dishes like stews and soups, in dressings and even in sauces. If you don’t have time to make dashi from scratch, there are instant dashi products that can be decent substitutes. Kombu seaweed, sold in large dried pieces, is the main ingredient in dashi. It should be soaked in room-temperature water and boiled briefly. If boiled for too long, the kombu produces a slimy film you do not want in your dashi.

Basic Dashi Stock

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Yield: 2 quarts

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

• 2 pieces dried kombu, each 4 inches
• 10 cups room-temperature water
• 6 cups loosely packed bonito flakes, about 2 ounces

Instructions

1. Using a damp cloth,wipe the kombu seaweed lightly to remove any dirt, but do not remove the white powdery coating, because this is what gives the dashi flavor.
2. Fill a large saucepan with the water and add the kombu. Let soak for 3 hours. Remove and discard the kombu.
3. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reducethe heat to a low simmer. Add the bonito flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Strain the stock through a fine- mesh sieve set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the bonito flakes.
5. Dashi can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

Recommended Products:

Hon Dashi - Instant Dashi Soup Stock

Poached Salmon Hot Pot

My friend Elisabeth Saucier is a fantastic recipe-testing partner: she’s a great cook with discerning taste buds and she’s not afraid to give me honest feedback. While we were working on this recipe together, Elisabeth had the brilliant idea of gently cooking the salmon separately, and then topping each bowl of steaming soup with the still-pink-inside fish, to poach gently in the broth to tender perfection.

I also love adding greens to this hot pot for a burst of color and some extra vitamins — try 5 ounces of chopped asparagus and a cup of baby spinach leaves.

Make in Advance:

Basic Dashi Stock (3 hrs, 40 minutes) or you can make dash with an instant mix

Steamed Japanese Rice (1hr, 25 minutes)

Poached Salmon Hot Pot

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Yield: 4-6 Servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

THIS DISH HAS RECIPES TO MAKE IN ADVANCE, SEE RECIPE LINKS ABOVE.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds, 1-inch -thick, skin-on salmon fillets (preferably Atlantic salmon)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1⁄2 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 5 cups Basic Dashi Stock, or dashi made with an instant mix
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 2 tbsp sake
• 11⁄2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1⁄2 small satsumaimo sweet potato,or regular sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced on a mandoline
• 3 ounces wood ear, shiitake or mushrooms of your choice, cleaned and trimmed
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• Steamed Japanese Rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salmon fillets, skin sides down. Cover the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, until the salmon is opaque on the outside and still a bit raw on the inside. Uncover the skillet and cook for about 1 minute, until the skin gets a little more crispy — this will make it easier to remove the skin. Transfer the salmon to a plate, skin sides up.
3. Using a paring knife, gently remove the skin from the salmon. Return the skin to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until very crispy on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the crispy salmon skins to the paper towel–lined plate to drain. Season them with salt. Cut the salmon skins into small strips to use as a topping.
4. In a 4-quart (3.8 L) hot pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat (about 425°F, or 220°C, in an electric hot pot), heat the sesame oil until shimmering. Add the onion. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Add the dashi, miso, sake, soy sauce and mirin, stirring to dissolve the miso. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the carrot and sweet potato to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the mushrooms and bean sprouts. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes more. Cut the salmon into 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) pieces.
7. Ladle the soup and vegetables into shallow bowls. Top each bowl with 3 or 4 pieces of salmon and garnish with the crispy salmon skin. The salmon will continue to cook in the hot soup. Serve with the steamed rice on the side.

Recommended Products:

Hon Dashi - Instant Dashi Soup Stock

Ginger Chicken Ramen

It’s definitely not for everyone but when ginger shines as the star flavor of a dish, I’m a fan. You can increase or reduce the amount as you please but you know where I stand. The crispy green beans, just cooked shoyu-egg scramble, and shredded carrots balance the intensity of the ginger, especially when mixed into the soup. TIP: It’s always easiest to freeze your ginger before grating and you can leave the peel on.

Make in Advance:

Shoyu Soup Base (10 hours, 30 minutes)

Optional to make or purchase: Ramen Noodles (3 hours)

Ginger Chicken Ramen

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Yield: 6 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 45 MinTotal time: 45 Min

THIS DISH HAS RECIPES TO MAKE IN ADVANCE, SEE RECIPE LINKS ABOVE.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
• salt and pepper, to season
• 3 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 tbsp sake
• 1/3 cup cornstarch (I prefer katakuriko or Japanese potato starch)
• 18 string beans, washed with tips cut (3 per serving)
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tsp shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Additional Toppings

• 2 medium-sized carrots, shredded (2 tbsp per serving)
• Roasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the sliced chicken into the bottom of a deep medium-sized skillet.
2. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, ginger and sake over the chicken. Cover with a drop lid or aluminum foil with a small hole in the center.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer and cook until liquid starts to evaporate, about 8 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken and set in a bowl, let it cool and finely shred it. Keep shredded chicken in the juices from the bowl until ready to serve.
5. In the same skillet used above, heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil on medium-high.
6. In a shallow dish, dredge the green beans in cornstarch until well coated.
7. Fry the green beans in batches in the oil on both sides until golden brown. Remove and set on a paper towel.
8. Boil a pot of water for your noodles. In a separate saucepan, bring 12 cups Shoyu Base to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until it’s ready to serve. Right before serving, crank it back up to boil.
9. Right before you are about to pour the soup in your bowls, you’ll need to make your shoyu egg scramble. In a small bowl, combine, egg, shoyu and sugar. Beat well.
10. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to brown, pour in your beaten eggs and very quickly mix around with chopsticks.
11. When the eggs are barely cooked, remove from pan and set in a bowl, theyshould be somewhat runny.
12. Boil the noodles—if fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes. As soon as the they're done, drain well and separate into serving bowls.
13. Pour 2 cups soup over each bowl of noodles. Top each bowl with a large mound of shredded ginger chicken, shredded carrots, shoyu egg scramble, and roasted sesame seeds.

Spicy Pork Tantanmen

On my ramen tour of Tokyo, I was taken to La Show Han for tantanmen. The name translates to '‘red hot chili noodle,” and the dish is a Japanese adaptation of a Szechwan-style spicy noodle dish known as Dan Dan noodles. I ordered a spectacular mazemen (brothless) style premium tantanmen with the perfect amount of heat - not too overpowering but with just enough kick to remind you of what it is. Without a heavy soup, the flavors of the individual spices stood out. The owner Kenichi Okada, even took a selfie with our group. It’s one of my favorite souvenirs from the trip. His tantanmen is the inspiration for this recipe. so I’ve tried my best Kenichisan, but if you want the real deal, you’ll have to visit his shop in Tokyo.

Optional to make or purchase: Ramen Noodles (3 hours)

Spicy Pork Tantanmen

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Yield: 6 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE FRESH RAMEN NOODLES, SEE LINK ABOVE.

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 tsp chili oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp chili paste
• ¼ cup sesame paste or tahini
• 1/8 tsp Szechwan peppercorns, ground (you can substitute Tasmanian pepper)
• 3 cups chicken stock

Additional Toppings

• 3 green onions, chopped (1 tbsp per serving)
• 6 tbsp unsalted peanuts, crushed (1 tbsp per serving)
• 1 bunch daikon radish sprouts (you can substitute alfalfa sprouts; small pile per serving)
• Sesame oil
• 3 tsp of chili paste (1/2 tsp per serving)

Instructions

1. Heat the whole pepper over an open flame on a gas stove or grill until all sides are completely black and charred.
2. Remove the skin from the pepper and slice open, removing the stem and seeds.
3. Puree the pepper in a food processor or a blender. Set aside.
4. Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the ground pork and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove the pork and pulse in a food processor until it becomes a fine mince.
6. Warm chili oil in the wok at medium-high heat and add the minced pork.
7. Stir in the red pepper puree, salt, sugar, shoyu, chili paste, sesame paste and ground peppercorns and fry until all of the aromatics combine.
8. Boil a pot of water for your noodles. Add in the chicken stock, bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 10 minutes to absorb all of the spices. Stock should evaporate a little and sauce will be thick.
9. Boil the noodles—if fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes. As soon as they’re done, drain well and separate into serving bowls.
10. Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce into a bowl, top with noodles and garnish with, green onions, peanuts, daikon radish sprouts, a drizzle of sesame oil, and chili paste.

Recommended Products:

Szechwan peppercorns

Menma, Seasoned Bamboo Shoots

This is a popular topping for ramen, and there is a world of difference between fresh bamboo shoots and canned. If you can’t find fresh bamboo, I would forgo using it entirely. You can find fresh bamboo in most Asian grocery stores; you can recognize it by its signature conical shape.

Menma, Seasoned Bamboo Shoots

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Yield: 12 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh bamboo shoots, peeled
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cups water
• 3 tsp dashi granules
• 1 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp sake
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Cut the bamboo shoots in half lengthwise and then into thin slices horizontally.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, combine the sesame oil, water dashi, shoyu, sake, sugar, and salt. Add the bamboo shoots.
3. Heat uncovered until the bamboo has absorbed most of the liquid, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and store in an airtight container. Will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 1 month.

Ramen Noodles

There’s no getting around the fact that making every element of ramen from scratch is a lot of work. The good news is that almost all of the components - the fat; the tare, or highly flavored season component; the broth; the topping; and the noodles - can be made over the course of several days. If you make these ahead of time, then when you’re ready to assemble your ramen, it can be done relatively quickly. These noodles can be wrapped in individual portions and frozen for up to one month. You will need a pasta machine, and I’d recommend using an electric mixer with a dough hook, unless you want to develop Popeye forearms…

Remember, there are lots of other, easier noodle alternatives that are perfectly fine. Any of the following will work, just throw out those salty flavor packets:

- fresh noodles from a ramen shop

- fresh packaged noodles that come with a soup-base packet

- dried ramen noodles for instant ramen

- dried chuka soba noodles (chuka soba actually translates to “Chinese noodle,” which are, in fact, ramen noodles)

- gluten-free packaged ramen noodles or rice ramen noodles for dietary restrictions

If you do venture down the homemade noodle path, then keep this in mind: a perfect noodle has a yellow hue, should be cooked al dente, and have a chewy and elastic, yet firm texture that holds up to the soup without getting soggy, all the way until the very last slurp.

Ramen Noodles

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Yield: 8 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 Hour

Ingredients

• 2 tsp *baked baking soda (see recipe below) or kansui powder
• 1 1/4 cups water (if you are hand-kneading, change water quantity to 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• Cornstarch, for dusting

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the baked baking soda or kansui powder and water until it dissolves.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the bread, cake and wheat flours, kansui water and salt. Mix for 10 minutes on the lowest speed until the dough forms little pellets. If you need to, add up to 5 additional teaspoons of water. The dough is ready when it feels dry but will come together when squeezed with your hand.
3. Tip the dough onto a floured board and kneed into a ball for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can put your dough in a plastic zip-top bag and form it into a ball so that it is easier to bring together and knead.
4. When you are ready to make your pasta, set up your pasta machine so that it is stable and won’t slip from your work surface.
5. Cut your dough ball into 8 equal-sized pieces and use one piece at a time, keeping the rest wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or sealed in your zip-top bags and refrigerated.
6. Roll out one piece until it resembles a flat, long shape. Sprinkle with some cornstarch so it doesn’t stick to the pasta maker. Pass it through your pasta maker on the largest setting – it will be a bit rough at the edges, but don’t worry about how it looks. Fold it over on itself and pass it through the machine again.
7. Reduce the machine width to 2 and pass through. Fold it over on itself and pass it through again.
8. Reduce the machine width to 4 and pass it through only once. You will now have one long strip of dough. Cut this stripe in half vertically.
9. Reduce the machine width to 6 and pass through one of the halves twice. Repeat with the other half. Now you dough is ready to run through the noodle cutter attachment.
10. The two strips will yield enough noodles for 1 bowl of ramen. Repeat steps 6-8 for the remaining dough pieces from step 5. Sprinkle each batch of noodles with additional cornstarch, lifting up the noodles to separate and lightly coat them, then pack them individually in plastic wrap. Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least a day before using. If you are planning to use them later, put them in individual zip-top bags and store them in the freezer for up to one month.
11. Cook the fresh pasta in a pot of boiling water. Depending on the number of portions, cook for 1-2 minutes. Shake out all excess water and lay a portion in your bowl of hot soup by folding them over onto each other so they do not look messy. Then add toppings.

* How to Make “Baked Baking Soda” Baked baking soda replaces a Japanese ingredient known a kansui that is often difficult to ind and that gives ramen noodles their signature yellow hue and firmness. Harold McGee, the king of kitchen science, discovered that by baking baking soda, you could get the same effect as the kansui.

1. Preheat oven to 275 Degrees F
2. Spread 1/4 cup baking soda on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Place it in an oven for 1 hour.
4. As this recipe only calls for 2 teaspoons, you can save the remainder in a zip-lock bag.

Veggie Rainbow Ramen

I love how this dish appeals to all the senses. The beautiful colors, the smell of the soup, the crunch of the fresh menma, the velvety quality of the quail eggs, the delicate taste of the shoyu seasoning - it’s veggie heaven and tastes as good as it looks.

Make in Advance:

Cold Noodle Broth (30 minutes)

Optional to make or purchase: Ramen Noodles (3 hours) and Menma (30 minutes)

* This recipe can be made vegan without the additional of quail eggs.

Veggie Rainbow Ramen

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Yield: 6 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

THIS DISH HAS RECIPES TO MAKE IN ADVANCE, SEE RECIPE LINKS ABOVE.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 6 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 red pepper, seeded and julienned
• 3 medium-sized carrots, shredded
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup snap peas
• ¼ head Napa cabbage, shredded
• ¼ head red cabbage, shredded

Additional Toppings

• 12 raw quail eggs, optional (2 per serving)
• 3 tsp sesame seeds (I prefer black sesame seeds; 1/2 tsp per serving)
• 6 chives, chopped (I prefer garlic chives; small pile per serving)

Instructions

1. Combine the sesame oil, mirin, garlic, ginger and shoyu in the bottom of a wok or medium-sized frying pan. Heat to high.
2. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes in the wok or frying pan until cabbage wilts and the carrots are cooked through. Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
4. In a large pot, set water to boil for your noodles. If fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes. As soon as they're done, drain well and set in the ice bath.
5. When ready to serve, drain noodles and set servings into each bowl. Pour about 3/4 cup of the prepared Cold Noodle Broth over the noodles.
6. Top with vegetable mixture, menma and quail eggs. Garnish with sesame seeds and chives.

Recommended Products:

Mirin, sweet rice wine

Cold Noodle Broth

My brother-in-law, Victor, got this recipe from his uncle who runs a small restaurant in Yokohama, Japan. The broth is very strong, so use it sparingly. It's more like a flavorful sauce than a soup, so don't over-serve this one. It's super simple and perfect for a nice hot day served cold over chilled noodles.

Cold Noodle Broth

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Yield: 6-8 servings

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar (I prefer baker's sugar as it's finer and dissolves quicker)
• 1 1/2 cups mirin (rice wine vinegar)
• 1/2 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
• Sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the water, sugar, vinegar and shoyu. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool before using the broth.
3. Right before serving, add a couple of drops of sesame oil to each serving. Serve over cold noodles with your toppings of choice.

Recommended Products:

Kadoya Sesame Oil

Kimoto Family Holiday Favorite Recipes

All of these recipes are our family favorites for any holiday and are sure to become yours.

Easy Peasy Creamed Corn

This one really is fail proof and a crowd pleaser. It’s creamy, a little crunchy, savory and sweet. It’s my families favorite side dish.

Easy Peasy Creamed Corn - Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pkgs (16 oz) frozen kernel corn, or 8 ears fresh corn, cut from cob

1/2 C whipping cream

1 C milk

1 tsp salt

6 tsp sugar

pinch of white or cayenne pepper

2 tbsp butter, softened

2 tbsp flour

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except last two in a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Simmer 5 minutes.

3. Blend butter with flour with a wire whisk or small spoon to make a roux.

4. Add the roux to the corn.

5. Turn heat up to Medium. Mix well and and continue heating until cream thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

   * Variation: Put finished corn in a heat-proof casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese any place under broiler until evenly browned.

Yvonne’s Best Apple Pie

If you’ve ever made a pie, you know it’s a labor of love. Her secret? Using ice water with the flour to make the crust. She uses Pippin apples but says that any tart apple will work. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you have the perfect end to any holiday dinner.

Yvonne’s Best Apple Pie

Ingredients:

6-8 large Pippin apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

1 1/2 C sugar

1 heaping tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 pinch salt

6 tbsp butter sliced

Crust:

1 1/2 C flour (keep out 1/4 C flour to use separately)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp sugar

3/4 C shortening

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Prepare apples before making crust by mixing apples, with all ingredients except for butter in a large bowl.

3. Sift together dry ingredients for crust.

4. Cut in a little less than 3/4 cup shortening with a pastry cutter (see below description).

5. In a separate bowl, mix 3 tbsp ice-water with 1/4 C flour.

6. Combine with the flour, salt and shortening mixture using the pastry cutter. After just mixed, form a ball. Handle as little as possible.

7. Divide into 2 portions for upper and lower crusts.

8. On a well floured board, roll the crust out into a long oval and fold over into thirds to make the crust flaky.

9. Roll out for the bottom crust and place in a large pie pan.

10. Sprinkle bottom crust with flour, don’t prick the bottom crust.

11. Heap in apples and pies down lightly to compact them.

12. Add butter slices on top evenly.

13. Roll out top crust, cut in small slits for vents.

14. Place on top and seal and flute the edges. Add a tinfoil collar around the edge to avoid over browning.

15. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 50 minutes.

16. Let rest for 20 minutes, slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Pastry Cutter

Can be purchased online or at any cooking store

Amy’s Crispy Brussels Sprouts

These never last so make multiple batches. The trick is steaming them and then pan frying them to insure extra crispiness. Don’t be afraid to add more grated parmesan to the top if that’s what you fancy!

Amy’s Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

3/4 pounds brussels sprouts, sliced in half length-wise - some of the leaves will naturally fall off. Use these as those will crisp up the most!

1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or melted ghee

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)/ 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Instructions:

1. Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet and heat on high.

2. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add the brussels sprouts face down until they cover the bottom of the pan. If they don’t cover the bottom, cook them in multiple batches.

3. Cover the pan and let the brussels sprouts steam on medium low for about 10 minutes.

4. Check on the sprouts to see if the bottoms are golden brown. If they are, take off the cover. If not, continue to cook. Do not stir.

5. Once they are golden brown, sprinkle S/P and freshly grated parmesan on top.

6. Mix them until cheese is incorporated and some of the moisture starts cooking out.

7. Turn off heat and let sit until ready to serve.

8. Right before serving, turn up heat to high and lightly mix until little bits of the cheese are browned and the leaves get crispy.

9. Add additional shaved parmesan to top of dish if desired.

Oven Broiled Karaage Curry Ramen

Oven Broiled Karaage Curry Ramen

Serves 6

Prep time: 2 hours plus time to make the Ramen Soup Base, Ramen Noodles (optional), Marinated Half-Cooked Egg (optional) and Garlic Chips (optional) 

Recipes To Make in Advance: Miso Base, Ramen Noodles, Marinated Half-Cooked Egg, Garlic Chips

There are few foods I find more comforting than fried chicken - it ranks among my top five favorite foods in the world. Karaage is the Japanese version of fried chicken and I would eat it every day if I could. Since that wouldn’t be healthy, for this recipe, I cheat a bit and cook it in the oven. The chicken ends up wonderfully crisp and I don’t have to deal with a pot of hot oil. The Golden Curry is a rich, thick and instant curry that I add to the Miso Base - doesn’t drench the karaage so it maintains its crunch. It’s all the pleasure without the guilt.  

Ingredients:

1 cup (235 ml) soy sauce 

1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 tsp minced garlic 

1 tsp grated ginger 

¼ cup (60ml) mirin (sweet rice wine) 

1 lb (455 g) chicken thighs

1 tbsp sesame oil 

1 red onion, thinly sliced 

¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch (I prefer katakuriko or Japanese potato starch)

1 box of Golden Curry (Japanese instant curry that comes in a box) 

12 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock 

Additional toppings

1 ½  lemons, quartered (1 quarter slice per serving) 

roasted sesame seeds for garnish

1 bunch of arugula (I prefer Japanese mizuna lettuce; one small pile per serving) 

3 sheets nori (seaweed), quartered (2 squares per serving) 

Directions:

1. Add the soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger to a small saucepan and bring to boil.  Once boiling, remove from heat and add the mirin.  Let cool to room temperature.

2. Rinse and pat dry the chicken thighs and cut each piece into small bite size pieces. 

3. Add the chicken to a medium-sized bowl and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 1 hour. 

4. Heat the sesame oil in a medium-sized skillet on medium-high heat.  Add the red onion and saute until it starts to get charred around the edges. Set aside. 

5. Set the oven rack at the top of the oven and preheat the broiler.

6. Drain the excess marinade from the bowl of chicken and sprinkle the chicken with cornstarch until all the pieces are liberally covered.

7. Place the chicken, so that no pieces are touching, on a parchment- lined baking sheet. 

8. Broil for about 6 minutes, then flip and broil for an additional 5 minutes or until they are crispy and brown.  Watch closely so they do not burn as ovens will vary. 

9. Set chicken on a wire rack to cool.

10. Boil a pot of water for your noodles. In a separate saucepan, combine 2 ¼ cups Miso Base, 12 cups (2.8L) of chicken or vegetable stock and 6 Golden Curry bouillon squares to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer until it’s ready to serve. Right before serving, crank the heat backup to boil the soup.

11. Boil the noodles—if fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes. As soon as they are done, drain well and separate into serving bowls. 

12. Pour two cups (475 ml) of soup over each bowl of noodles. Top each bowl with 3 pieces of chicken karaage, one sliced marinated half-cooked egg, a small pile of lettuce, a small mound of sautéed red onions and fried garlic chips. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and slip 2 nori squares into the broth.  Right before serving, squeeze lemon juice on top.  

Mochitsuki, it's a New Year's tradition!

Even though I'm a Yonsei or Fourth Generation Japanese American, my Japanese roots have not been lost!  We still carry the tradition of "Mochitsuki" or pounding of mochi or rice cakes every year.  Mochi is definitely a must for any Japanese New Year or "Oshogatsu" celebration. 

The process of making mochi is pretty labor intensive but it really gets the whole family involved because everyone can help.  It's fun to form the mochi patties and wait in anticipation to eat our first cooked batch that we dip in sweet soy sauce.  It’s not worth doing unless you have a mochi maker which you can purchase on Amazon. Mine is a hand-me-down from my Aunt but I’d recommend this one. If you really want to do it "old school", after the rice is cooked, you would dump it into a usu, or mortar, made from a wood stump, stone or concrete form. Then the hot cooked rice in the usu is pounded with a kine or wooden mallet. With much force, the mochi is pounded until the mass of rice is smooth and shiny, with no lumpy grains of rice showing. 

Here’s my advice for making mochi:

1. Don't use old rice

2. Don't mix the rice with any other type of rice

3. Make sure you are only using the measuring cup that came with your rice cooker if you are going with the 2 cups of water vs the measured water option.

Mochi

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Yield: 10 servings per batch

Author: Amy Kimoto-Kahn

Prep time: 12 HourCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 13 H & 15 M

*This recipe requires that you own a mochi maker*Even though I'm a Yonsei or Fourth Generation Japanese American, my Japanese roots have not been lost! We still carry the tradition of "Mochitsuki" or pounding of mochi or rice cakes every year. Mochi is definitely a must for any Japanese New Year "Oshogatsu" celebration or to have as a delicious morning treat.

Ingredients

Mochi Dough

• 3 lbs of mochigome rice (sweet short-grain sweet rice) per batch
• 400 ml or 13.5 oz water, or 2 japanese cups provided with the mochi maker
• 2 boxes of mochiko (sweet rice flour)

Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce

Filling and Flavor Options

• Dark chocolate chips for filling
• Strawberry extract
• 1 can Adzuke beans

Instructions

1. First wash and soak 3 lbs of rice or "Mochigome" which is a particular type of sweet rice that you use for mochi making. Let it soak for of 8-12 hours. I used a scale to measure out 3 lbs so it was exact.
2. Drain the rice for a minimum of 15 minutes into a bamboo colander or a strainer that the rice will not fall through. Thoroughly drain for successful steaming.
3. Add 400 ml of water to the bottom of the mochi maker. You can also use 2 cups of water but only if a Japanese cup is provided with your mochi maker. Japanese cups are smaller than a normal US cup size.
4. Add the drained rice to the mochi maker and select the mochi (or soft mochi setting) and press start.
5. Let it steam for about 45 minutes until a large ball forms.
6. Lay the mochi out on mochiko so that it doesn’t stick.
7. Cut the hot mochi with a pizza cutter and make little patties until done.
8. To make a variety of mochi, you can add the strawberry extract to the dough before you make the patties. You can also fill the patties with dark chocolate or adzuke beans. These flavored mochi can be eaten raw and do not need to be broiled.
9. Preheat oven to Broil.
10. Make the dipping sauce with sugar and soy sauce. Mix together until incorporated.
11. Sprinkle some mochiko on a cookie sheet or use a silpat or aluminum foil with cooking spray on your sheet and spread out the patties so they have enough room to puff up without touching each other.
12. Broil for about 5 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Watch closely so they do not burn as ovens vary.
13. Serve hot and enjoy with the dipping sauce.

Recommended Products:

Koda Farms Sho-Chiku-Bai Sweet Rice, 10 Pound

Sweet Rice Flour

mochi

snack

Japanese

Garlic Chips

Garlic Chips

Serves 10 or less, depending on how many you want to add

Prep time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, for frying

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Fill a small saucepan with about 1/4 inch (1.25 cm) olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Line a plate with a paper towel.

2. Add a single garlic slice to the hot oil. If it sizzles on contact, you’re ready to begin cooking. Add the garlic slices in 2 batches and cook just until lightly browned, 5-8 seconds. Watch carefully - these cool very fast and need to be removed promptly, or they will burn and taste very bitter,

3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked garlic chips to the paper towel-lined plate and let cool before serving.

Kurobota Pork Nabe Mille-Feuille

Kurobota Pork Nabe Mille-Feuille 

One of the most beautiful dishes from my friend Emily Lai, this Nabe Mille-Feuille is a savory Japanese take on the classic French dessert made with thin layers of puff pastry. It is the layering of the cabbage and pork that emulate this French term, which translates to “thousand leaf”.  It’s a visually appealing dish that is very popular in Japan and is simple yet well seasoned because of the use of the fatty pork, Kurobota. Kurobota pork, which comes from a Berkshire pig, is highly marbled and tends to have darker more flavorful meat. If you can’t find Kurobota pork, you can use any other type of heritage breed of pork to give it that juicy tenderness. 

Skill Level: Easy 

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings 

To Make in Advance: Vegetable Stock and Sesame Miso Sauce

Preparation: Stovetop

Ingredients:

¼ cup shiro (white) miso 

¼ cup tahini    

¼ cup sake (rice wine) or white wine  

6 cups vegetable stock (you can substitute store bought low-sodium broth)    

One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated  

4 teaspoons shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)     

2 pounds thinly sliced (about ¼ inch thick) pork belly, preferably Kurobota   

1 head Napa cabbage - cleaned, trimmed, leaves separated.

Steamed rice, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot, whisk the miso with the tahini, sake, vegetable stock, ginger, shoyu and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer while you assemble the hot pot, about 15 minutes.

2. Sandwich one slice of pork between two leaves of cabbage, and then cut crosswise into three two- to three-inch sections set aside on a work surface. In a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan, nestle the cabbage and pork on their sides in the pot, cut side up. They should fit snugly. 

3. Repeat with the remaining cabbage and pork until all pork is used up. If you have remaining cabbage leaves, you can tuck them in around the edges of the pot and anywhere there is a gap.

4. Heat the hot pot over medium-high heat (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot) until you can hear the pork and cabbage begin to sizzle, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the warm broth over the cabbage and pork until just covered and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cabbage is tender and the pork is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with some of the broth poured over the top, the Sesame Miso Sauce for dipping and steamed rice on the side.

Rainbow Jello

5 Layer Rainbow Jello (easy ice cream version) by Kathleen Quan

My sister’s been making this recipe for years now and I never really knew how time-consuming it was until I made it myself for my daughter Ellie’s 7th birthday. I called her for the recipe and she said “read and follow the instructions very carefully, they are detailed. For once she said, “haha, you’re calling me for cooking advice”. So, this is a labor of love and I would have much rather had her made this for me but I’ll have to say, it was a big hit and perfect for Ellie’s Unicorn Party! ** I forgot to lay mine on its side to really show off the rainbow colors so try to remember to do that for yours!

Ingredients/Supplies

13 x 9 in glass pan

Cooking spray

(5) Small bowls

Med mixing bowl

Large mixing spoon

Boiling water

(5) One box each of 3 oz jello in 5 colors

Rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue

If using 6oz jello boxes, use half a box for each layer

(5) Unflavored gelatin packets

(1) Containervanilla ice cream

AVOID french vanilla, or vanilla ice cream with vanilla bean

Suggest the cheap no-name regular vanilla

Detailed Instructions:

1. Clear out the fridge to fit the 13 x 9-inch pan, make sure the fridge is set to 38-40 F

2. Boil a large pot of water (at least 6-8 cups) Once it's boiling, set to simmer for the rest of the time

3. Lightly spray 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray including on bottom and sides. Wipe excess with a paper towel

4. Set out 5 small bowls, put one 3 oz jello in each. Add 1 packet of unflavored gelatin to each bowl and MIX dry ingredients WELL. (Alternately, you can use one bowl repeatedly, but clean thoroughly between each color)

5. Put the first color of jello/unflavored gelatin mix in a DRY medium mixing bowl.

6. Add 1 cup of hot water and dissolve completely so there are no granules of jello/gelatin

7. Add approx 1 cup of ice cream (I loosely fill a pint glass) and dissolve completely

8. Pour the mix into the 13 x 9-inch pan and carefully put it in the fridge. Eyeball that your pan is level and use chopsticks or pencils to adjust as needed

9. Set timer for 15min. Try to minimize opening fridge during this time.

10. Rinse and dry the medium mixing bowl between each color

11. After 15 min, start making the second layer. Do not make layers ahead of time

12. When the next layer is ready, check the jello in the fridge by shaking the pan gently. It should appear firm in one piece and not wobbly. If too wobbly, wait a few minutes and test again. If firm, carefully layer the next color by pouring over the backside of the large mixing spoon. If you pour directly onto the firm jello, it may poke a hole and ruin your layers.

13. For each layer, repeat above in a rainbow sequence - blue - green- yellow – orange – red (it doesn’t matter if you do it backward)

14. To serve, cut to remove edge pieces, then cut into squares. Display with layer side up. You can serve in individual cupcake liners if desired

Mike's Arare (Japanese Rice Cracker Snack)

This is a Japanese-American rendition of arare - a rice-cracker snack seasoned with soy sauce. Mike’s recipe has been in our family for a while and it’s by far our fave of all the recipes out there. It’s everything you want in a snack: salty, sweet, and crispy. One handful and you’re hooked.

Ingredients:

1 cup or 2 sticks (225g) butter

1/4 cup (175 ml) corn syrup

2 tsp shoyu (soy sauce)

3/4 cup (175 ml) vegetable oil

1 cup (200 g) baking sugar

2 boxes of Rice Chex cereal

2 bottles (3.4 oz/100g) furikake (available at most Asian markets or online) or try delicious home-made furikake from the Raw Spice Bar which you can get here. (Note: If you use the Raw Spice bar version this snack comes out more on the spicy side so kids might like the regular version)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 Degrees F (120 C) or 300 Degrees F if you are planning to use a larger roasting pan vs two sheet pans.

2. In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, combine the butter, corn syrup, shoyu, and oil until the butter is melted.

3. Lower the heat and whisk in the sugar until dissolved. It should be hte color of butterscotch and have a creamy texture. You should have a total of 3 cups (700 ml).

4. Pour one box of cereal each into two large tin-foil pans or both boxes into one large roasting pan.

5. Add 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) or half of the mixture over each pan of cereal, mixing well until the cereal is lightly coated. If using one large roasting pan, you can pour the entire mixture over.

6. Pour 1 bottle of furikake over each pan or both bottles over the larger roasting pan. Mix well.

7. Bake for 1 hour, mixing and turning over cereal mixture every 15 minutes.

8. Let cool before serving so that the cereal can get crispy and doesn’t stick together.

Easy Peasy Knife Skillzzz

To have knife skillzzz, you need a good knife. The one I’m using here is an 8” Miyabi birchwood chef’s knife.

How to make an oblique cut:

1. Peel the carrots and cut off the stems.

2. Hold each carrot on a cutting surface with your non-dominant hand and hold the knife with your dominant hand at a 45-degrree angle.

3. Cutting about 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices on the diagonal, roll the carrot a quarter turn toward you after each cut. Repeat until the carrot is completely cut. The cuts should be angled towards each other.

How to make a shiitake mushroom star cut:

1. Wash, rinse and de-stem your mushrooms.

2. Hold a mushroom with the cap-side up in the palm of your non-dominant hand.

3. Using a small paring knife, make a beveled cut straight down the middle, removing the portion of which you’ve cut out so it reveals the white flesh.

4. Repeat on the diagonal twice so that you have a star shape with 6 points as shown in the image.