by Ilaria Catazone If you are after a quick soup that’s easy and tasty, here’s a new idea for you! And as the weather warms up, this soup is just as good served cold as it is hot. And best ever, all ingredients are available at the Co-op!!! For four hungry people you will need:One...

by Maki Watson Zenzai is a very traditional Japanese dessert soup made with ‘azuki’ beans and ‘mochi’, or glutinous rice cake. For ‘shiratama zenzai’, we’re making a particular kind of mochi known as ‘shiratama dango’ – shiratama translates directly as ’round white jewel’, and dango being the name for very popular glutinous rice balls that...

Tofu is an international food these days. People eat tofu in many ways. They are unique andimaginative and I love them. I introduced one of the most popular, authentic Japanese tofu dishes at our previous workshop. If you go to Izakaya (café or bar) in Japan, you will definitely see ‘agedashidōfu’ on the menu. It’s...

by Maki Watson Dining is not only about taste. It is about harmony among our five senses: touch, taste, hearing, eyesight, and smell. I think that eyesight is very important one with ‘dashimaki-tamago’, as the brilliant yellow of pasture-raised organic eggs does the perfect job of brightening the palette of tables or lunch boxes. Yes,...

by Maki Watson ‘Konsai no nimono’ is the first of the ‘okazu’, or side dishes, in this recipe series. Actually, I call it vegie stew!, but it is very different from western style stew. It uses base flavourings that are common to Japanese cuisine: sugar, soy source, mirin and dashi stock.  Usually it is cooked...

by Maki Watson Gohan (rice) and miso-shiru (miso soup) are the staple elements of Japanese dining. At meal time we serve gohan and miso-shiru along with ‘okazu’, or side dishes (we’ll be covering some winter-inspired okazu later in the series)! To tell you the truth, I enjoy making and eating gohan and miso-shiru often, however...

by Ilaria Catizone Don’t know about you, but I love waking up to a warm brekkie that I don’t have to prepare… and even better if it is healthy, filling and of course yummy!! We discovered overnight oats a few years ago and we love them. They are a staple for me, and my 11...

by Maki Watson Soba has been considered good luck for a long time (at least 200 years) in Japan! Japanese people eat Soba on some special occasions like moving house or New Year’s Eve, as we did in my family. Since Soba, which are noodles made from buckwheat, are easier to cut than thicker varieties,...

by Illaria Catizone We are not vegan, but I am always on the lookout for more plant-based recipes and when I recently tried this one I knew I had found a winner! Originally from Veggie Society (https://veggiesociety.com/sesame-tofu-recipe-broccoli/ ) this sesame tofu dish was very well received by the whole family… well almost… my super fussy...