A pinch of Japanese greatness
Bok Choy. What can I say… Wonderfully delicious Asian vegetable. Typically, bok choy recipes are used for a side dish, and it’s super simple and nourishing. When you go to the store, you may see two kinds: baby bok choy and full-grown bok choy. Which …
It’s Friyaaay! Not that it matters all that much nowadays because what is time really? To honor our precious Friday, I am sharing my falafel recipe! I’ve been living in DC area for about two years now. I’ve been wanting to get infamous falafels in …
Tamagoyaki is a super delicious Japanese omelette. It’s a staple dish in typical Japanese breakfast and a typical Japanese bento box!
What makes it Japanese?
Well, it’s how you make it.
It’s made by rolling thin layers of seasoned eggs together. It sounds intimidating, but it’s really not that difficult. You can also season it however you want! The best part is to really make it your own.
Typically though, adding sugar, mirin, and dashi (fish stock) is the popular way to do it.
However, being a weird kid, I hated that sweetness. As a kid, I thought…. why is it sweet when it’s not supposed to be dessert? I also did not like eggs that much. The only way I ate eggs was sunny side up. Why was I so weird??
A lot of my Japanese friends would say….I miss my mom’s tamagoyaki.
But, obviously, I never feel that because I used to hate it lol. Now I appreciate this dish a lot more. I also love seeing my boyfriends and friends eat it. They tell me it’s the best eggs they’ve had! ugh. How flattering. Like I will make you tamagoyaki everyday??? I just love cooking for people. It truly makes me happy.
Anyways, I still don’t really like sweet tamagoyaki, so I’ll show you how I make mine. If you want to try the sweet one, sorry I’m not your girl🙃
So, here ya go!
How was your Memorial day weekend? Oh! Mine? I thought you’d never ask! Let me tell you, it was wonderful filled with warmth, laughter, love, gratitude… On Saturday, we went on a hike. It was pretty much rock climbing really. Although it was a lot …
What do you crave on a rainy and gloomy day? I usually crave something warm and soupy that would make me feel at home. Today’s dish “Nikujaga” quite literally means meat and potatoes. It is a popular taste of mother’s home cooking in Japan, and …
This morning, during meditation, I imagined what my future self would look like. I imagined what my future self would say to me. I imagined my successful and fulfilled life.
So, this is what I pictured in my head:
I’m in a therapist’s office (it’s the most welcoming and calming space EVER – I’m just imagining things😂).
My future self is sitting across from me with a warm smile on her face telling me it’s going to be ok. She looks professional, yet inviting. The window in her office is half-opened, and I could feel the subtle ocean breeze. I could smell the salt water. The beautiful morning sunlight was shining into the room. The whole time, I felt so calm and at peace. In a way, my future self brought me a sense of comfort.
It was such a nice feeling, and I felt validated that whatever I’m doing right now makes sense. Whatever I’m trying to achieve in life just makes sense. I think that that feeling of comfort is so important. We often get anxious, we feel doubtful, we feel uncertain. It really opens your eyes when you envision your future self and ask yourself:
What can we do now at the present moment?
Really knowing that it’s going to be ok and being confident about the future can bring you a great sense of comfort and a clear mindset of the now. My life will fall into place the way it’s supposed to. I am ok and I will be ok.
Speaking about comfort, I think that food can also bring you comfort. Food for sure brings me comfort!
I want to share with you this classic Hawaiian cuisine: Saimin. Saimin is the kind of food that would make you feel more whole (in my opinion at least). It is the kind of food that puts me at peace.
When I was little, I used to visit Hawaii every year. There’s a popular local fast food chain called Zippy’s and my mom and I would go there all the time. She would get an apple pie and I would get a saimin with spam. This saimin really took me back to those days and I felt that same comfort I felt years ago😌
So, here’s the recipe❣️
Growing up, I used to looooove earl grey bread. Walking into bakeries in Japan is like going into a whole new world (I watched Disney sing along last night. Hence why…..oops lol). As soon as you step in, you smell the buttery, sweet, salty deliciousness. …
Cucumbers are just so refreshing. Whenever I eat cucumbers, I feel so clean, healthy, and overall great! I don’t know why, but I just feel that way. Anyways, this salad is SO easy to make and SO yummy, it is perfect for the summer weather! …
What I love about this smoothie bowl is not only does it taste good, but it’s also healthy af!
I know green tea aka MATCHA is a thing nowadays. But do you know why so many wellness enthusiasts are obsessed all of a sudden??
Matcha comes from Japan and it is finely ground powder of specially processed green tea leaves. Traditionally, matcha was used as a ritual to bring peace in ourselves. It’s not just drinking that was important, but it is the whole experience – beautiful green color, the smell, warmth, respectful space, peaceful environment, etc. A long long time ago, ever since Ku-kai and Saicho (Buddhism monks) brought back tea leaves from China, Japanese people researched how we could get the maximum benefits from tea leaves. That is how matcha powder was developed. As Eisai wrote in his book, “Matcha has a possibility to richen our mental and physical health,” it was sometimes used for medicinal purposes. They also knew that matcha can help heighten our focus, so monks often had this matcha ritual before practicing meditation.
Although it was super rare back then, we can now all enjoy this miracle powder at home!
Some benefits include: - Lots of antioxidant (much more than normal brewed green tea has!!) - Provides vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium - Boosts metabolism - Rich in fiber - Aids in concentration - Lowers cholesterol
No wonder people are so obsessed, right??
Lately, I am trying to cut back on my caffeine intake and I’ve been drinking matcha in the afternoon (I am a huge coffee lover, and I used to drink at least 3 mug full of coffee a day). It is a great alternative to coffee, so if any of you are like me, you should definitely try it!
It’s a little bitter, so you might need a little bit of getting used to at first. Trust me, this smoothie bowl is a great way to begin your matcha journey! It is honestly so delicious, and it’s such a fun way to enjoy your smoothie as a snack or even as a meal:)
I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do! Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment below:)
All my love,
Kaori
These ribs are honestly so delicious, you have to try! I do love some good old BBQ ribs, but this one just holds a special space in my heart. Every Christmas, my mom would make these amazingly flavorful pork ribs. As a child, I thought …
Hi guys! I know I have a bio on this website, but I thought I should introduce myself here. First off, thank you so much for stopping by! I am SO SO excited to start this journey and share my experiences with you. My inspiration …
