Cuisine: Japanese

Sautéed Japanese Eggplant

Sautéed Japanese Eggplant is a very easy side dish. I made this earlier and served it at room temperature. Everyone LOVED it!

Japanese eggplant is the Western name given to dozens of Japanese eggplant varieties, both heirloom and hybrid. The most common of these varieties are Millionaire and Orient Express, both long, slender oblong shaped eggplants with glossy, purple-black, thin skin. The interior cream colored flesh is spongy and nearly seedless. Japanese eggplant's flavor is mild and because it is nearly seedless it doesn't possess that bitter quality found in Western and Thai varieties.

By Leslie Blythe

Nobu’s Miso-Marinated Black Cod

I made this Kaiseki style dinner. Kaiseki or kaiseki-ryōri is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. The term also refers to the variety of skills and techniques used to prepare the dishes. We had this Miso Marinated Black Cod several times while we were in Japan. I really like it. It's very mild and sweet tasting and easy to make. The main thing is that you have to marinate it for at least 24 hours or up to 3 days.

By Leslie Blythe

Steak with Yuzu Kosho

Steak with Yuzu Kosho - My husband is obsessed with Yuzu after staying at the Yuzuya Hotel Isshinkyo, a Japanese ryokan in Kyoto. This steak is easy to make and really delicious.

By Leslie Blythe

Spring Vegetables Steeped in Dashi (Ohitashi)

Ohitashi is a method of steeping vegetables in a delicate dashi, which infuses ingredients with umami and lovely flavor but retains the food's natural taste and sensibility. The trick is to first blanch and shock the vegetables (quickly boiling in water, "blanching," then halting the cooking by plunging in ice-water, a.k.a. "shocking"). By partially cooking this way, you transform ingredients from the raw state, but still retain their integrity, and allow them to absorb the dashi. Ohitashi is very versatile, and you can prepare it with green beans, spinach, shishito peppers, broccoli, snap peas, sugar peas, cherry tomatoes, and all kinds of mushrooms. I used asparagus, sugar snap peas, shiitake mushrooms and green onions.

By Leslie Blythe

Miso Glazed Salmon

Miso Glazed Salmon is delicious and very easy to make. The salmon in this dish can be substituted with sea bass or black cod as well.

By Leslie Blythe

Pork Tonkatsu

Pork Tonkatsu is a Japanese dish of deep fried pork cutlet, which typically placed on a bed of shredded cabbage. It is served with Tonkatsu sauce which a type of thick Japanese Worcestershire sauce that uses pureed fruit as a main ingredient.

By Leslie Blythe

Marinated Japanese Shiitake Mushrooms

These marinated Marinated Japanese Shiitake Mushrooms make a great appetizer or side and can be served on noodles, on top of pasta, or just by themselves. I used a mixture of shiitake and Brown Beech mushrooms.

By Leslie Blythe

Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes & Cabbage

Try these Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes & Cabbage with classic Asian flavors for a quick, easy and healthy meal.

By Leslie Blythe

Tuna & Avocado Donburi

Try this Japanese Tuna & Avocado Donburi dish. A Donburi or "don" is a Japanese "rice bowl dish". This one is a wonderful mixture of tuna and rich avocado from Harumi Kurihara Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking: Simple, Elegant Recipes for Contemporary Tastes. She has been called the Martha Stewart of Japan.

By Leslie Blythe

Zucchini Fried in Kewpie Mayonnaise

When I was in Japan, my friend Yoko told me about this recipe, which her mother used to make her. It sounded completely bizarre, but I had to try it! I'm glad I did. It creates a delicious crust and offers a rich, slightly sweet and tangy flavor.

Kewpie (Q.P.) is the most popular brand of Japanese mayonnaise, advertised with a Kewpie doll logo. It is made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs, and the vinegar is a blend of apple and malt vinegars.

By Leslie Blythe