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Simon Daly
While "yōkan" jellies are usually set quite solid with "kanten" agar, there is something to be said for using it more sparingly for a softer finished product.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Nov 12, 2023
Recipe: Sweet potato ‘pie’
With a little effort, you can turn baked sweet potatoes into a fun and easy introduction to the world of traditional Japanese sweets.
Feel free to add more than two dried persimmons for an even jammier finish to this filling dish.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Oct 29, 2023
Recipe: Pork and dried persimmon stew
The orange hue of carrots and persimmons are perfectly autumnal, and the dried and fresh persimmons add a light sweetness.
Japanese purin is a classic dish, but this plant-based version is a bit of a sweet twist.
LIFE / The Recipe Box
Oct 15, 2023
Recipe: Soy caramel flan
Looking for a sweet snack? Here’s a traditional caramel and plant-based custard with a seaweed extract setting agent.
Look for tempeh in health food stores or online from Japanese producers.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 1, 2023
Recipe: Damascene tempeh kebab
Firmer than tofu, tempeh often works better as a direct substitution for both meat and nuts.
A bit of parchment paper, a few strips of kelp and an overnight cure takes a simple fish filet to new heights.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 3, 2023
Recipe: Crispy kelp-cured salmon
This recipe can work with any skin-on fish, from luxurious golden-eyed snapper to ubiquitous salmon or trout.
Swapping out soybeans for chickpea flour puts a unique twist on this classic Japanese dish.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Aug 13, 2023
Recipe: Deep-fried chickpea tofu with 'devil's dung'
Unlike soy tofu, where proteins are coagulated from soy milk, Shan tofu uses heat-set starch with ochre-hued chickpea flour.
In the kitchen or on the road, be open to discovery and good things will happen.
LIFE / Food & Drink / The Recipe Box
Jul 30, 2023
Recipe: Street stall-fresh Shan-style noodles
Open your mind to wan dō fen, a hearty and strikingly hued dish of noodles cooked with chickpea custard, chili crisp oil and assorted toppings.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Jul 9, 2023
Recipe: Cream-fried eggs
Amid the recent egg shortage, I’ve been searching for interesting ways to honor those previous few I can get my hands on.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Jun 25, 2023
Recipe: Ukrainian-style walnut-stuffed prunes
There’s no evidence to suggest the mythical Odysseus ever sailed the Black Sea, but if he had, he might have feasted on Odesa's classic stuffed prunes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Jun 11, 2023
Recipe: Leftover-boosting Indonesian crepes
Roti jala are savory, Indonesian net-like crepes that are as fun to make as they are to eat and will bring new life to mundane leftovers.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 28, 2023
Recipe: Black sugar Anzac biscuits
Though these treats first gained popularity more than 100 years ago, they taste just as good today.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Mar 5, 2023
Recipe: 'Smoky' soba
A boiling pot of cultures and noodles fit for any appetite.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Feb 26, 2023
Recipe: Oven 'fried' rice
Sick of slaving over a hot stove for some fried rice? Then don't.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Feb 5, 2023
Recipe: Amazake oatmeal
You don't need to be a heavy drinker to enjoy this low alcohol-infused breakfast.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Dec 18, 2022
Recipe: Christmas mirin meringue cake
If Japanese-made holiday confectionaries leave you wanting a certain something, this cake has all the Christmas hallmarks in spades.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Dec 4, 2022
Recipe: Sesame gateau
“Gateau” is one of those words we use when we want to sound fancy. Evoking elaborate construction and delicate decoration, the term simply means “cake.” Humble gateaux exist more than you might imagine, especially once you venture beyond city patisseries and into countryside farmhouses.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Nov 13, 2022
Recipe: Bubble and squeak
A bite of Old Blighty fit for both commoner and king.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Oct 23, 2022
Recipe: Miso ginger crunch
Sugar, spice and a little extra something nice goes into this unique take on a classic New Zealand treat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Oct 2, 2022
Recipe: Twice-baked, dukkah-dusted kabocha
Forget pumpkin spice — there are better uses for your squash this October.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / THE RECIPE BOX
Sep 25, 2022
Recipe: Croque madame
The classic croque madame makes for a great template for experimentation.

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’