Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Hot Pot

** Please see recipe below for the Thai Coconut Curry Broth before making the Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Hot Pot

Thai Coconut Curry Broth

This soup has so many layers: the creamy coconut milk soothes the complex curry paste, the brininess from the fish sauce gives it all the salt you need, while the pineapple and lychee make it slightly sweet and sour. From poultry to meat or seafood, this soup base is very versatile, plus gluten free, low carb, paleo. With the option to make it vegetarian by swapping out vegetable stock for the chicken, it can please anyone - so I like to make it ahead and store in my refrigerator for quick, flavorful meals. On a busy weeknight, I serve it poured over a hot bowl of steamed rice finished with a mess of fresh herbs on top.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Makes 8 cups (2 quarts)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons red curry paste

3 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk (approximately two 13.5 oz cans)

4 cups Chicken Stock (you can substitute store bought low-sodium broth) or 4 cups Vegetable Stock if you want it vegetarian.

¼ cup lychee (about 6 small canned lychee), finely chopped

¼ cup pineapple, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon grated palm sugar (you can substitute with light brown sugar)

4 kaffir lime leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1. In a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot). Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the the coconut milk, stock, lychee, pineapple, fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until very flavorful, about 20 minutes.

MAKE AHEAD The broth can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove top.

Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Hot Pot

The most difficult thing about this recipe was coming up with a name for it. My Thai friend Katie was explaining to me that you cannot call a curry a hot pot in Thailand because they are two separate things. Thai curries are traditionally thicker in consistency, while Thai hot pots are more similar to traditional dashi-based Japanese recipes. I think the creaminess of the coconut milk and the robust profile of curry lend themselves well to hot pots - the meat and vegetables soak up so much of that flavor in a brief time. Here, I use a base that has all of the complexity of a creamy Thai curry, but it is thinned out with a bit of chicken broth so it’s thin enough to swish your vegetables around in.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

To Make in Advance: Thai Coconut Curry Broth (above)

Preparation: Stovetop

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 cups (2 quarts) Thai Coconut Curry Broth (see Note)

6 baby eggplants, such as Thai or fairy tale, stemmed and quartered (you can substitute 1 medium eggplant, cut into bite-size pieces)

½ small kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), seeded and thinly sliced

¼ head Napa cabbage, cored and the thick white parts cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cups loosely packed thai basil leaves (you can substitute regular basil)

¼ cup Red Thai chili - stemmed, seeded and minced (you can substitute Fresno chilies; optional)

Steamed rice, for serving

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken and cook, stirring once or twice, until browned, but not cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and chicken.

2. Heat a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan over medium-high (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot). Add the broth and chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, kabocha, cabbage and tomatoes and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the basil leaves and chilies, if you would like a spicy soup.

3. Ladle into shallow bowls and serve with steamed rice.

NOTE

This recipe is easy to scale up or down depending on the size of your group and hot pot. Just be sure that your hot pot is filled about halfway with broth. If the liquid reduces overtime, add more.

Strawberry-Rose Mochi

It’s Valentine’s Day and who doesn’t want something pink, sweet and smelling like roses! Impress your sweetheart with this recipe. It’s quick and easy and can be made ahead of time, leaving you and your #1 more time for smooching XOXO.

Mochi is something that people often associate with mochi ice-cream, often served at Japanese restaurants but plain mochi can also be put into soups or broiled and puffed up and is more savory that sweet. My strawberry-rose mochi is a dessert variation. I love the sweet and floral combination of the strawberry gelatin and the crushed rose petals, but this recipe is easy to riff on. Try lime-flavored gelatin with some finely grated lime zest, or mango gelatin with a dusting of chili powder - wherever your imagination takes you.

When forming your mochi, my Mom taught me that it’s essential to do it while the mochi paste is still piping hot. Because of this, I think I’ve burned off all of my finger pads over the years. To avoid you doing the same, I recommend kitchen gloves - this will make the mochi a little easier to handle. Although I don’t normally use a microwave for cooking, this is the easiest and most efficient way of making this. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also do this in a medium saucepan over medium heat. While working, you’re looking for a soft and smooth consistency, that is chewy and slightly sweet. Serve the mochi at the end of a meal or in the afternoon with a cup of hot green tea.

Skill Level: Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 18-24 round patties

Ingredients:

¼ cup small dried rose buds, stems removed (see Note)

¼ cup katakuriko (Japanese potato starch; you can substitute cornstarch)

1 cup mochiko (Japanese sweet rice flour)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon strawberry flavored gelatin, preferably organic  

¼ teaspoon rose water

Kitchen gloves (recommended)

Directions:

1. In a mini food processor or clean coffee grinder, pulse the rose buds with the katakuriko until finely ground. Spread in a shallow bowl.

2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk the mochiko with the sugar, gelatin, rose water and 1 cup of water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir with a spatula, scraping down the sides, then microwave for 3 minutes more, or until thickened and all of the liquid is absorbed.

3. Working in batches and using kitchen gloves, dip your fingers in the rose-katakuriko powder and pinch off ping pong ball-size piece of the mochi while it is still hot. Toss in the rose-katakuriko powder, shaking off any excess. Holding the mochi in one hand, fold the edges of the mochi underneath itself using your other hand, while rotating it clockwise and forming a 1½ to 2 inch patty with a smooth top. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining mochi. Toss the cooled mochi with any remaining rose-katakuriko powder; serve.

NOTE It is important to have freshly dried rose buds as older ones can be less fragrant. Try to seek out ones from a quality tea provider if you can’t find fresh ones online.  

MAKE AHEAD The prepared mochi can be refrigerated for up to 3 days but is best eaten on the day of.

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.

Furikake Salmon and Steamed Broccoli

It's Sunday night, dinner time and you don’t feel like cooking. This Furikake Salmon truly is the easiest recipe on the planet.  I'm not sure where this recipe originated, I think it was passed through one of our relatives or through a church cookbook.  The original had only mayonnaise and furikake but I doctored it up a bit to make it a bit more complex by adding flavor to the mayo mixture. Complex in flavor but by no means complex in preparation.  It uses Japanese furikake which is a condiment that includes nori and sesame seeds and is traditionally sprinkled over rice.  Make some rice and steamed broccoli and you have a go-to easypeasyjapanesey meal.

Furikake Salmon with Steamed Broccoli

ふりかけ さけ

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 large boneless salmon fillet, skin on or 6 - 6 oz salmon portions, skin on (I prefer Atlantic salmon)

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp soy sauce, preferably low-sodium

1 tsp sesame oil

¼ cup nori-gomifurikake or try delicious home-made furikake from the Raw Spice Bar which you can get here.

Directions:

1. Set oven to broil.

2. Place salmon, skin side down on a baking sheet lined with foil.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

4. Spread evenly in a thin layer over the salmon with a spatula. Sprinkle furikake over the salmon evenly to lightly coat.

5. Either de-skinned or skin on - depending on if you are using the skin, place the salmon in the oven on the bottom rack.

6. Broil until just done, about 10 minutes depending on thickness of salmon (do not overcook).

7. Slice in 2-to-3-inch portions (skin should easily remove if you aren't broiling it separately), and serve with desired accompaniments. 

8. Sprinkle crumbled up salmon skin on top if you choose to do this step.

Steamed Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli, separated, stems cut

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or 1/2 chicken bouillon cube crumbled

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1. Use a double boiler with steam insert.

2. Add 1/4 inch water in the bottom of the pan.

3. Add broccoli (stems too). Bring to a boil and steam for about 5 minutes.

4. As broccoli is steaming, prepare an ice water bath.

5. Remove broccoli and submerge in ice water to prevent overcooking and keep it green.

6. Strain and sprinkle with salt or chicken bouillon and drizzle with sesame oil.

7. Mix together and serve room temperature.

Super Bowl Sunday with a Japanese Twist!

Super Bowl Sunday is coming up and there’s no reason you can’t have ribs, chili AND sushi! If I were to host the ultimate Superbowl Party, here my fave picks to score a touchdown with your guests.

My Mom’s Crispy Chicken Wings

Savory, sweet, crispy, delicious. Addicting. Recipe here.

Chinese Chicken Salad

The perfect side and it’s healthy. Recipe here.

Make Your Own Sushi Station

Who doesn’t want sushi? This is super easy because you can make everything ahead of time and lay it out for your guests to make their own hand-rolls. Recipe here.

My Mom’s Salty Baby Back Ribs

My mom’s baby back ribs are super easy and tender. You just need to pop them in the oven at least 5 hours before the party so that they can sit and tenderize and are warm and ready to go when guests arrive. Also, don’t forget to set your oven rack to the middle, otherwise the ribs will burn when you broil them.

Ingredients:

2 racks baby back pork ribs

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup garlic salt

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high with rack set on the middle.

2. Make a dry rub out of the salt, pepper and garlic salt.

3. Sprinkle the dry rub on both sides of the ribs very generously.

4. In a roasting pan or cookie sheet on top of a rack, lay the ribs (rib side up) and broil for 10 minutes. Watch your oven, you might want more or less time depending but you want them browned and crispy.

5. Flip them over and broil on the meat side and broil for another 10 minutes or until nice and crisp.

6. Turn off the oven and keep the ribs in the oven until they tenderize (about 3-5 hours).

Tina’s Turkey Chili

This recipe is from my sister’s sister-in-law Tina. I’ve added Mexican chocolate and Guinness beer to the recipe to make it a bit more layered in flavor. It’s super easy if you have a crockpot because you just throw it all in and it’s done.

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey

30 oz can tomato sauce

30 oz can chili beans, no need to drain

30 oz can kidney beans, no need to drain

8 oz can chopped green chiles

4 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 block of Mexican Chocolate (I use Nestle Abuelita Authentic Mexican Chocolate Drink Mix)

1 Guinness beer (1/2 for the chili and the other 1/2 for you to enjoy!)

Garnishes:

Chopped green onion, sour cream, cheddar cheese, Fritos

Directions:

1. If you have a crockpot with a removable pot, brown the turkey in this. If not, brown it separately in a large saute pan.

2. Put all of the other ingredients into your crockpot and set it to high.

3. Add the turkey (or if you cooked the turkey in the removable pot, leave it in).

4. Combine well but gently so you don’t crush the beans.

5. Cook on high for at least 3 hours, stir occasionally, then turn down to warm.

6. Serve with garnishes on the side for people to add as they please.

Skewered BBQ Veggies with Miso Dip

Skewered Vegetables:

Any combination of veggies really. I like to use red, yellow and green peppers, shiitake mushrooms caps, red onions and Japanese eggplant. Just choose a colorful variety. Skewer, salt and pepper and BBQ until charred on all sides.

Dip Ingredients:

¼ cup Red Miso paste

2 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce, preferably low sodium

Directions:

1. Whisk all ingredients together and serve in a nice dipping bowl with the vegetable skewers.

Japanese Pumpkin Fries (Kabocha – カボチャ)

These fries are a big hit with the kids.  Dunked in catsup or alone, they are a nutritious side dish to any meal and they’re better because they are baked, not fried.

Ingredients:

1 Japanese Pumpkin – Available at most natural food stores or Japanese grocers

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Choose your spices - add paprika for a nice kick or make them sweeter with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees.

2. Cut the kabocha in half and remove the seeds with a spoon.  (The seeds can be used just like pumpkin seeds for roasting so save these! )

3. Cut the stem and bottom off.  No need to peel, just leave the skin on.  Cut into 4 inch lengthwise strips.

4. Place on a cookie sheet.  Coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and spices.  Mix to incorporate.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until they are browned - turning once.

My Mom's Best Apple Pie

What can I say, I’m a little biased but I have tasted a few apple pies in my day and I think my mom’s is hand’s down the best. I remember growing up seeing her test out different types of crust with butter vs. lard, making sure not to over mix the batter, adding an ice cube to the batter to keep it cold, rolling out the dough in a frenzy before it got warm. It has taken over 40 years to perfect (a small hint to my age) but I think it’s at its best right about now.

She makes her apple pie for Thanksgiving and that’s it. I like it that way because I get to look forward to it every year and I know it’s going to be pretty special. I like it heated a la mode but it’s also great a bit chilled for breakfast. #mymomspieisbetterthanyours

Ingredients:

8-10 large pippin, granny-smith or gala apples - peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thin (depending on size of pie pan)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 heaping tbsp AP flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 pinch salt

Directions:

1. Prepare apples before making the crust by mixing apples with ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Fabulous Crust:

1 1/4 cup AP flour plus 1/4 cup AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

3/4 cup butter (Irish Butter preferred)

1/4 cup butter sliced in small pieces

1 egg beaten

1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Sift together 1 1/4 cup flour, salt and sugar in a medium-sized bowl.

3. Cut in 3/4 butter. Leave in large pea-sized chunks.

4. In a separate small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons ice-water with 1/4 cup flour to make a paste (this is the secret to the crust).

5. Combine the ice-water mixture with the cut-in butter mixture to form a ball in the medium-sized bowl. Mix with a fork, do not use your hands.

6. Mix as little as possible. Add a sprinkle of ice-water if the dough is not binding.

7. Divide the ball into 2 parts for upper and lower crust and wrap in saran wrap. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes minimum to chill.

8. On a well floured board, roll one of the crusts out into a long oval and fold over into thirds to make the crust flaky. Repeat. Work quickly and handle as little as possible. Keep the other crust in the refrigerator until ready to use. Roll out in a large circle for the bottom crust to fit your pie pan with enough to go over the edges by 1/2 inch. Place in a large pie pan.

9. Sprinkle the bottom crust with flour. Do not prick the crust.

10. Heap in the apples and press down lightly to compact the apples.

11. Add butter slices on top evenly.

12. Roll out the top crust the same as the bottom crust by rolling out into a long oval and folding over to make the crust flaky. Repeat. Work quickly and handle as little as possible.

13. Roll out into a large circle. Cut in vents.

14. Roll the top onto the rolling pin to place on top of the apples.

15. Trim around the raggedy edges with a scissors so dough hangs over 1/2 inch from rim of pie plate. Roll the edges under to seal the crusts together and flute the edges.

16. Brush top of crust with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

17. Place in 450 degrees oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Macanese Broth

This broth was created by my friend and chef, Emily Lai. Amongst her many other culinary projects, Emily is currently running a Malaysian pop-up in San Francisco called Masak I Masak. Characteristic of Macanese cooking, each dish is rich and multilayered with spices and aromatics. This broth is no exception. The jujubes and goji berries provide a subtle sweetness and lend a fresh, floral note. Bonus: now that you have these ingredients on hand, you can use them in my Pork Wonton with Macanese Broth as well.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3½ hours

Yield: Makes 8 cups (2 quarts)

Ingredients:

5 pounds pork bones, rinsed (See Note)

One 1 inch-piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

10 dried jujubes (red dates)

2 tablespoons goji berries

Kosher salt and white pepper (See Note)

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, cover the pork bones with water, approximately 4 quarts. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the bones and rinse them thoroughly to remove any scum; discard the water. Wipe out the stockpot.

2. In the same stockpot, cover the pork bones with clean water, a little less than 4 quarts. Add the ginger, dates and goji berries and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until very flavorful and aromatic, about 3 hours. Strain the broth into a clean pot and season with salt and pepper; discard the bones and aromatics. Use this broth immediately, or let cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

NOTE Ask your butcher for pork knuckles, trotters, leg, neck or hip bones. Almost any bones will work with this recipe.

Start with minimal amounts of salt and pepper and add to taste. White pepper is strong and has a very distinct flavor.

MAKE AHEAD The Macanese broth can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

Pork Wonton with Macanese Broth Hot Pot

I live in Boulder, Colorado so the weather here is always a topic of conversation. One day it’s bright and sunny and you want to wear flip flops and the next day you’re bundling up with a beanie on and it’s snowing. It was one of the last snowy days before Summer (which was still in late Spring when I thought we’d had our last snow) that I made this hot pot for my family. We passed the time away inside by making wontons together and I told them how I used to make them with my family for our church fair growing up. They always enjoy eating and trying new things when they participate in the cooking, so they loved this hot pot - the wontons almost fill with the broth like a soup dumpling and the cook up fairly quickly because of the small amount of filling in them. My kids gobbled up their 4 wontons pretty fast but feel free to add more if you know you’ve got little wonton lovers like I do!  You need to make the Pork Wontons and the Macanese Broth in Advance here so please start with these!

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield:  6 servings

To Make in Advance: Moms Pork Wontons and Macanese Broth

Preparation: Stovetop

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

2 black garlic cloves, chopped (you can substitute regular garlic; see Note)

8 cups (2 quarts) Macanese Broth (See Note)

24 Pork Wontons

3 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise

3 ounces enoki mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed

1 sweet potato - peeled and shredded (you can substitute with 6 ounces spiralized sweet potato noodles)

2 large scallions, white and light green parts only, cut into 2-inch lengths on the diagonal

One 14-ounce block firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:

1. In a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high (about 425 degrees for an electric pot). Add onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the black garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

2. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the wontons, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the vegetables and tofu, cover and cook for 5 minutes more, until the wontons are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

4. Ladle into shallow bowls and serve.

NOTE

Black garlic is fermented garlic that is sweet and savory with a deep molasses-like flavor and a very soft consistency. It’s signature black appearance is due to the fermentation process where it produces melanoidin and turns the garlic black. You can find it in specialty food shops and online.

This recipe is easy to scale up or down depending on the size of your group and hot pot. Just be sure that your hot pot is filled about halfway with broth. If the liquid reduces overtime, add more.

Mom's 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.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 50-60 wontons

Sweet & Sour Sauce

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (store bought is fine)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

½ cup sugar

½ cup ketchup

¾ cup finely chopped pineapple or one 6-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

Pork Wontons

½ pound ground pork

½ pound large shrimp (about 6-8 shrimp), shelled and deveined

1 egg

½ cup water chestnuts, drained

One 1½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1 large shiitake mushroom, stemmed

1 small clove garlic

3 scallions, white and light green parts only

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon pepper

One package wonton wrappers (you can also substitute the round gyoza or potsticker wrappers)  

Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Make the sauce In a small saucepan, make a slurry with the chicken broth and cornstarch. Then whisk in the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, whisking, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

2. Make the wontons In a food processor, pulse all of the ingredients until well combined and a meatball like texture is formed. If you do not have a food processor, all of the ingredients need to be chopped fine and combined.  

3. Fill a small bowl with water and line a large airtight container with wax or parchment paper. Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, place a rounded teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper. Be careful not to overstuff the wonton wrappers or they will be difficult to seal.

4. 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 that the corners of the square are off set. Gently press the wonton wrapper together around the filling to seal. If you are making these wontons for a hot pot, see Note. 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.

5. Fill a large saucepan or a deep fryer with 1½ inches of oil and heat over medium-high. 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.

6. Working in small batches, carefully add the wontons to the hot oil. They should not be touching. Fry until puffed, crispy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried wontons to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with the remaining wontons. Serve right away with the Sweet & Sour Sauce for dipping.

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.

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 Delicious

This recipe actually started as my attempt at making traditional Chicken Karaage, which is like Japanese fried chicken. But, it turned into a real test kitchen experiment with different types of flours and trying to find the best batter and method to making crispy chicken that stayed crispy. I used Katakuriko (Japanese potato starch), Mochiko (Japanese rice flour), regular AP flour and after days of trial and error, I concluded that Chicken Karaage really needs to be double-fried to stay crispy which I just don’t think the average person wants to do - nor do I as a mom of 3 kids.

So, this is my cheater version that is equally crispy and flavorful, but doesn’t require double frying. This chicken is marinated much like karaage so the chicken stays moist, tender and flavorful, but I dip it in egg and panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and then deep fry it. It comes out crispy and stays that way - for hours. Need to crisp it up? You can pop it under the broiler or toaster oven for a bit. Can’t find katakuriko? No worries, we’re using panko which is widely available. Plus, my kids loved this and gobbled them right up and said “Mom, this chicken is delicious!”, thus the name. Done. I need a nap.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

6 tablespoons shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)

2 tablespoon agave nectar

2 tablespoon sake (rice wine)

One 1½ inch-piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 spring onions or large scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 ½ pounds or 8 boneless chicken thighs with, skin on (about 8 thighs)

2 large eggs

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

vegetable oil, for frying

lemon wedges for garnish

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the shoyu, agave, sake, grated ginger, garlic, spring onion, salt and pepper together until smooth.   

2. Cut each chicken thigh into 4 uniform pieces and add to the marinade. Let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.

3. Set a cooling rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the kewpie with the sriracha.

5. In a deep, straight-sided medium skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 325 degrees. When the oil is hot, test the temperature by adding a small amount of batter to the hot oil. It should sizzle and fry up quickly.

6. In one 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, then dip them into the egg and then cover them with panko.

7. Working in batches and being careful not to crowd the skillet, add the chicken to the oil and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes.

8. Transfer the chicken to the prepared cooling rack, making sure none are touching and repeat with the remaining chicken. Serve warm or at room temperature and garnish with lemon wedges. The chicken will remain crispy for hours.

Yuzu Citrus Sorbet

When I was younger, my mom used to throw these fabulous couples dinner parties with her friends, complete with the finest china, silver and beautiful printed menus. I remember one evening, she let me have a taste of a lemon sorbet that they served in cut-out lemon baskets and I’ll never forget it. She told me it was to cleanse the palate in between courses and I thought it was so fancy and special. This is my tribute to her and her friends, they called themselves and continue to call themselves, “Les Dames”.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours for sorbet to set in the freezer

Yield: Serves 8

4 cups water

4 cups sugar

1 cup yuzu citrus juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)

1 ½ tablespoons orange zest  

fresh mint leaves for garnish

1. Make a simple syrup by whisking the water and sugar in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until the liquid becomes clear and all the sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl that is set over an ice-bath. Continue whisking every 5 minutes until completely cooled, about 20 minutes.

3. After cooling, stir in the yuzu citrus juice and zest.

4. Place in a 9-by-13 inch pan and freeze. Every hour, stir with a fork so that the sorbet forms a slush but does not turn into a solid block. Freeze for 4 hours minimum.

5. Place in a 9-by-13 inch pan and freeze. Every hour, stir with a fork so that the sorbet forms a slush but does not turn into a solid block. Freeze for 4 hours minimum. The sorbet will remain in a soft and smooth when freezing continues.

6. Scoop in small bowls with fresh mint for garnish.

Kid Friendly Beef Curry Nabe

Note: This recipe takes a while to make because of the slow cooking of the beef but if you decide to use the Japanese Curry Broth as a base for a more traditional hot pot - with thin slices of meat and vegetables that you dip in the broth and quickly cook, you can reduce the time. 

Japanese curry is strong in flavor but has a subtle sweetness and isn’t terribly spicy, so kids tend to like it over stronger Indian or Thai curries. The low and slow method of cooking the stew meat will break down the meat and leave it juicy and tender - so don’t bother getting higher grade cuts of meat for this as it will do the reverse and result in a tough meat when cooked for longer. You can add other vegetables like, bean sprouts, napa cabbage and shiitake mushrooms to this hot pot but to please my kids, I’ve left only what they like in this one.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

To Make in Advance: Japanese Curry Broth

Japanese Curry Broth

Roux

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons high-quality curry powder

1 tablespoons garam masala

¼ teaspoon ground coffee

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated  

1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

¼ cup shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)

¼ cup dark brown sugar  

5 cups chicken stock (you can substitute store-bought stock)

1. Make the roux. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the flour. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 6-7 minutes. The roux will rise slightly and be a pale brown color with a nutty smell. Add the curry powder, garam masala, ground coffee and white pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Make the broth. Heat a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot).
3. Heat the oil and add the garlic and ginger and cook over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium and stir constantly for about 20 minutes or until onion starts to caramelize. If brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan from the onion, just scrape them up with a wooden spoon and let them incorporate into the onions.
5. Stir in the tomato paste, shoyu, brown sugar, roux and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until all the flavors are combined, about 20 minutes.

Kid Friendly Beef Curry Nabe

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds of cubed beef stew meat (chuck meat is best)

salt and pepper

flour

4 carrots, peeled and sliced on opposing diagonals into bite-sized pieces

8-10 small red potatoes, sliced in half or quarters if they are larger

One 10-ounce block extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces

steamed rice, for serving

1. Season the cubed meat with salt. Lightly coat the meat with flour.
2. Heat a 4-quart hot pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat (about 425 degrees for an electric hot pot)
3. Heat the olive oil. Add the meat and saute until browned. Cook in batches if necessary so that the meat does not touch.
4. Ladle the 5 cups of prepared Japanese curry broth into the hot pot until the meat is covered. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to simmer, cover for 1 hour
6. Add the carrots and the potatoes. Cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
7. Add tofu. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Serve healthy portions over a bowl of hot steamed rice.

Chocolate Mochi Cake

Mochiko is a glutinous rice flour made from mochigome (a short-grained Japanese rice) that is ground into a fine powder. The mochiko in this cake gives it more density and moisture, while the cake flour and baking soda help it to rise like a more traditional cake. But, there’s nothing traditional about it - the result is a rich, not-too-sweet, chocolatey confection that sticks to your fork and is somewhere between a brownie and a cake. My family prefers it heated up a bit and served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Skill Level: Moderate

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 18 to 20 servings

Non-stick cooking spray, for greasing

2 cups Mochiko (280 grams; Japanese sweet rice flour)

½ cup cake flour (See Note)

½ cup unprocessed cocoa powder (43 grams)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups whole milk

1 (12 oz) can coconut milk

½ cup melted dark sweetened chocolate, cooled slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup salted butter, softened

2 cups packed dark brown sugar (320 grams)

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13 inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients - mochiko, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients - whole milk, coconut milk, melted chocolate, vanilla extract and eggs.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl and using a hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides

5. With the mixer running, gradually add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating between the two until smooth and just incorporated.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Cut into thin slices and transfer to plates. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with ice cream.  

Note: Cake flour is finer and has a lower protein content (therefore less gluten) than all purpose flour, so when used it gives a more delicate texture.

Matcha Coconut Custard with Fresh Berries

Matcha Coconut Custard with Fresh Berries

With so many desserts chock full of sugar, this recipe is truly good for the heart. It’s gluten-free, has no refined sugar and includes all the antioxidants in matcha tea. Your body and your loved ones will thank you for this healthy and delicious treat.

Level 2

Serves 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes plus 4 hours for custard to set

Ingredients:

13.5 oz or 2 cans full-fat coconut milk

¼ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon matcha (Japanese green tea in finely ground powder)

2 1/2 teaspoons grass-fed gelatin - approximately one package

Garnish per serving:

½ cup unsweetened coconut - lightly toasted

2 cups fresh raspberries and blackberries (you can substitute any berry)

mint sprigs

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together coconut milk with the powdered gelatin. Let sit for 5 minutes so the gelatin can “bloom.”

2. Add in the vanilla and maple syrup, then gently heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking well to help the gelatin dissolve. Be careful not to bring to a boil. Once the gelatin has completely dissolved, remove from the heat.

3. Through a fine sieve, pour the warm mixture into 8 small ramekins, and place in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours before serving. Straining it will get rid of any solid pieces so that the custard is silky smooth.

4. Before serving, top with a small pile of berries, a sprinkle of toasted coconut and a mint sprig

Japanese Mushroom Toast

After a week of creating different sukiyaki recipes, I was left with portions of different Japanese mushrooms that I hadn’t used. So, I woke up one Sunday and thought - I'll make mushroom toast with all of the leftover mushrooms for breakfast. Back when we used to live in London, I remember all of the lovely breakfast places that had toasts with toppings of all kinds - so this one is in memory of our time there, but with a little Japanese twist. I used Shiitake, King Trumpets, Oyster Mushrooms and Forest Nameko mushrooms but any leftover mushrooms would work here. The mushrooms are savory and umami filled, the added miso give it a little sweetness, the shoyu gives it the salt it needs, the shichimi togarashi fills in that spice component and atop the crunchy bread you get the texture you need when you take your first bite.

Level 1

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium shallot - chopped

12 oz mushrooms - cleaned, trimmed and chopped (combination of any 3 japanese mushrooms)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp yellow miso

1 tsp sesame oil

¼ tsp shichimi togarashi (you can substitute pepper)

1 tsp shoyu (soy sauce)

1 small french bread loaf

olive oil

1 green onion - sliced thin

Directions:

1. In a medium saute pan on high heat, add olive oil and butter until butter melts and starts to sizzle.

2. Add shallots and stir 1 minute or until just golden.

3. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle salt over and cook for approximately 8 minutes until mushrooms are browned.

4. Turn off the heat and stir in the miso until well incorporated

5. Stir in the sesame oil, shichimi togarashi, and shoyu.

6. Slice 6 pieces of bread ½“ thick on the diagonal and lightly brush the tops with olive oil.

7. Toast until golden brown.

8. Spoon the mushrooms on the toasts and sprinkle green onion on tops.

Lobster Ramen →

I recently had the pleasure of making my lobster ramen and also getting a little exercise in with my fellow mommy friend, Nicole DeBoom. Nicole is the Founder & CEO of SkirtSports, and like the super mom she is - she manages running a business, staying fit and chasing around her 6-year-old little girl Wilder who is a good buddy of Ellie's. Check out our adventures here as we walk through making lobster ramen at my house and also give you some comic relief.

Always a crowd favorite - I've made Lobster Ramen only about 5 times so it truly is a labor of love but so satisfying to see the look on people's faces when they take their first bite. The lobster shell infused Shio Base is layered with flavor, the thinly shredded red cabbage adds a vibrant pop of color and the lemon zest gives it all a fresh brightness that pairs well with the lobster. It's decadent, delicious and definitely one of my favorites.

Lobster Ramen (ロブスターラーメン Robusuta-Ramen)

Serves 6

Prep time: 45 minutes, plus time to make Shio Ramen Soup Base, fresh Ramen Noodles (optional), and Roasted Garlic (optional)

These components need to be made ahead of time:

Shio Ramen Soup Base – See Recipe for Shio Ramen Soup Base.

Ramen Noodles (optional) – See Recipe for Ramen Noodles. Or noodles can be purchased.

Roasted Garlic Butter (optional) – See Recipe at bottom.

Ingredients:

Six lobster tails, about 5 to 6 oz each

6 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter

wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 15 minutes

Lobster Stock ingredients:

12 cups chicken or vegetable stock – homemade or store bought

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup mirin

1 large rectangular piece of kombu (about 10” length) – cut in to large squares

12 dried shitake mushrooms, crumbled into small pieces

6 bay leaves

Additional Toppings:

1 small mound of arugula and spinach mixed together per serving

2 lemons with zest (1 teaspoon zest and 1 wedge per serving)

½ head purple cabbage, shredded (1 small mound per serving)

1 dollop of Roasted Garlic Butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450º F.

2. Split the lobsters down the center of the back by turning over and cutting in half lengthwise through the shell with kitchen shears, starting from head and leaving the tail intact.

3. Thread a soaked skewer through the underside of the tail through the bottom of the shell.

4. Brush the underside portion with the exposed meat with clarified butter. Wrap in foil and set in a roasting pan in one layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes and remove the lobster tails from the foil, reserving the drippings to add to your stock.

5. Make the Lobster Broth: in a large soup pot over high heat, combine the stock, butter, mirin, kombu, dried shitake mushrooms, bay leaf and reserved lobster drippings. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

6. Carefully remove the lobster meat from the shell by sliding a knife under the meat and gently lifting it out of its shell. Do this over your roasting pan to save any of the juices that drip. Add the shells and any of the lobster juices to your stock. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

7. Have all of your toppings ready so that they can be quickly placed on top of your ramen when it's ready.

8. Place a pot of water to boil for your noodles.

9. Line a colander with cheesecloth and set it over a pot large enough to hold the stock. Strain the lobster stock and return it to the stove.  Add 1/2 cup of your pre-made Shio Base. Right before serving, crank it back up to boil.

10. Boil the noodles—if fresh, boil for about 1 minute; if packaged, boil for about 2 minutes.

11. While the noodles are boiling, pour two cups of piping hot soup into each bowl. As soon as the noodles are done, shake out all of the excess water and lay a portion into each bowl of hot soup by folding them on top of each other so they do not look messy.

12. Top each bowl with a lobster tail, shredded purple cabbage, a small mound of spinach and arugula mixed together. Add zest of lemon and a dollop of roasted garlic butter and squeeze a lemon wedge over each bowl before serving.

Roasted Garlic Butter

Many ramen shops offer cloves of fresh garlic and a press at the table so you can squeeze the garlic right into your ramen. I prefer the more subtle flavor of roasted garlic (plus I don’t like sweating garlic all day). This butter adds flavor and richness to any ramen soup and it’s delicious spread on bread or toast.

Serves: 4 - 1 tablespoon portions

Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Quantities can be increased for more portions or to save for later. This can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

1 head garlic  

4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

Salt and pepper

Olive oil  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F

2. Cut about ¼ inch off of the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves and place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil.

3. Drizzle the bulb with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and wrap with the foil to cover completely.

4. Repeat with additional heads.

5. Place on a cookie sheet on the center rack and bake for 1 hour until the bulb(s) start popping up out of their skins and are caramel in color.  You can take a peek to check.

6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins onto a cutting board. With the back of a knife or a fork, mash the cloves into a paste.

7. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with the butter until well incorporated.

8. Store in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.  

Blue Apron Kahn Family Pork and Miso Ramen →

ORDER YOUR BLUE APRON BY NOON ON MAY 31ST TO GET OUR KAHN FAMILY PORK AND MISO RAMEN! Send me an email at epjoishii@gmail.com and I'll send you a free voucher to try! If you get a chance to order it for the week of June 5th, we hope you enjoy it!

This past August we entered the Blue Apron Kids Cooking Camp Contest and WON a trip for our whole family to go to NYC and help the Blue Apron team create a recipe! We had so much fun, week after week, following the rules of the contest and submitting our posts on Instagram. Here are some of our favorite posts:

WE HAD TO MAKE HOME MADE WHIPPED CREAM AND HOLD IT OVER OUR HEAD!

WE HAD TO TALK ABOUT OUR FAVORITE SUMMERTIME INGREDIENT AND HOW WE USE IT.

WE HAD TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR FAMILY DOES TO HELP OUT WITH MEALS.

WE HAD TO CORE LETTUCE, DE-STEM KALE, PEEL A CARROT AND SOME GARLIC.

WE HAD TO PLANT SOME PEA SHOOTS AND WATCH THEM GROW!

When we got the email from Blue Apron telling us we won, we were beyond thrilled. They arranged to fly us to NYC, put us up in a hotel and take us to their secret Blue Apron test kitchen where we would create a recipe with them. We had such a fun time seeing where they keep all of their many spices and ingredients, learning about their recipe creation process (how they are limited to 10 ingredients and 10 steps or less) and watching the photographer take pictures of the final recipe.

We had decided ahead of time that we would work on a ramen recipe. What was most challenging was the limitation of ingredients and steps. I really feel like the final result is one that gives depth and flavor in a short amount of time. I also had a new respect for Blue Apron and the recipes it sends me, knowing that they always have to follow the parameters of 10 ingredients or less and only 10 steps or less. Given those limitations, don't expect the best ramen you've ever had - but this is pretty darn good. Here's the description right from Blue Apron...

This summery take on ramen was developed in collaboration with the Kahn family of San Francisco, Calif., winners of the 2016 Blue Apron Kids Cooking Camp. A satisfying, earthy broth gets its savory flavor from three ingredients: miso paste, dried shiitakes, and kombu—a type of dried seaweed with a delicately briny flavor. It's the perfect base for fresh, springy ramen noodles topped with seasonal asparagus, cooked to retain its tender bite. Sweet-tart marinated cucumber, served on the side, adds a refreshing crunch to the dish.

Scroll through to see the epic day with had creating Pork and Miso Ramen with the Blue Apron team!

My Japanese Candy Box Review and Contest!

I'm doing some consulting work for a subscription box company and in my research stumbled upon a website for all kinds of subscription boxes. This one caught my attention. It's called japancandybox.com and you guessed it, every month based on the subscription plan you choose - they'll send you a super cool box filled with interesting, delicious and unique Japanese treats.  Each box has 8-10 different candies or snacks and it's FREE SHIPPING. They run about $20 a box (unless you opt for 6 months or more and then it's discounted) but the value is definitely more than that. I'm hooked. 

It was so fun getting my box and opening it with my kids. Can you imagine their excitement when I told them we HAD to try each of the candies and they had to tell me what they thought of each one?  Let me show you what we found inside. SO FUN! 

Maggie and her friend Emma after we opening the box! 

Here's what the May box came with along with our feedback:

Kracie Popin Cooking Ramen DIY Kit - The coolest thing ever. We made ramen out of a kit and it all tasted like candy - gummy, sweet, lemony gooey candy. Not super edible but really fun to make. And yes, that is a tiny tiny bowl of ramen with fake egg and kamaboko on top and yes, those are mini dumplings filled with a sugar confetti candy bits. Delicious and kind of serendipitous given I wrote a book on ramen!  

Bourbon Fettucine Peach Gummies - Our favorite. Sour, tangy, sugary peachy, just delicious and shaped like fettucine noodles. Those Japanese, so creative! 

Shin Chan Ramune Candies - You know the Japanese soda in a glass bottle with the marble on top that you can't get out?  So these taste like little ramune jawbreakers. Funny packaging with a boy pulling his pants down from behind. Those Japanese, so crazy! 

Coris Shari To Puru Gum - Packed with flavor, tart apple flavored gum with a jelly filling.  My personal favorite because of the delicious apple flavor. 

Meiji Wata Pachi Ramune Gum - Tasted like ramune soda flavored fizzy cotton candy. Unique and not like any gum we've had before - it fizzed in your mouth and slowly turned into gum - weird but good! 

Doraemon Green Tea Chocolate - Cute Japanese Anime character Doraemon with strong green tea and chocolate flavor encased in a light crispy wafer. A bit dry but very flavorful. 

GyoGyoGyo Taste Changing Gum -Cool because you could break apart different flavors in little segments and combine them to make combined flavors. 

Tohato Yokai Watch Caramel Corn - Butterscotch caramel corn, crunchy and sweet - as if Pirate Booty and Caramel Corn had a baby. 

Tohato Kotsubu Breano Pea Snacks - Pea flavored, crunchy a little lacking in flavor but seemed pretty healthy. Reminded us of those snap pea crisps. 

Glico Calpico Mini Ice Cream Snack - A sweet chocolate filling inside a light and sweet wafer. Simple but yum. 

Ryan and Ellie were beyond thrilled when they came home to a tasting table of Japanese treats. And all of this BEFORE dinner...made their day!

Ellie said, "This is awesome!" 

Japancandybox.com also gave me a contest to run for one of you lucky peeps to win a free box of candy so enter now for a chance to WIN! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tonkotsu Ramen Soup Base

The Tonkotsu Base is the holy grail of ramen soup bases, and this recipe follows the traditional recipe I learned to make from Sensei Miyajima Rikisai at the Miyajima Ramen School in Osaka, Japan. Tonkotsu, known as “white soup,” comes from two different regions in Japan. This version comes from the Kanto region of Tokyo. It uses a double-soup method, where two separate broths are combined right before serving, making a more complex and flavorful soup. Once you master the Tonkotsu Base, you’ve basically made Tonkotsu, Shio and Shoyu Bases in one go, so it will be worth your hard work!

Serves 10
Prep time: 4 hours, plus time to make Chashu
Equipment: 30-quart pressure cooker (always read and follow the instructions provided with your
pressure cooker before you start)
Make in Advance:
Chashu - recipe found here

Ingredients:
Seabura (boiled pork back fat)
11⁄2 lbs (700 g) pork back fat
Water, to cover

Tonkotsu Soup
1⁄2 lb (225 g) chicken feet, cleaned, extra skin removed and
nails cut off (approximately 6 feet)
8–10 lbs (3.6–4.5 kg) pork knuckles/trotters, pounded with
a mallet to release marrow
1 lb (455 g) potatoes, unpeeled and sliced in big chunks
5 qts (4.7 L) water

Shiodare (salt flavor component)
1 large rectangular piece kombu (about 10 inches/25 cm long),
cut into large squares
1 large or 2 small dried shiitake mushrooms, crumbled
1 qt (946 ml) water
2 tbsp bonito flakes
11⁄2 cups (300 g) baby clams
1⁄2 cup (140 g) salt

Shoyudare (soy sauce flavor component)
Equal parts Shiodare and Chashu Braising Liquid (do not assemble until ready to use)

Directions:

1. Before cooking, you must have the Chashu with its braising liquid on hand to use later.

2. Start making the Seabura: Place the pork back fat in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 4 hours, uncovered.

3. Start making the Tonkotsu Soup: In a separate pot of boiling water, blanch the chicken feet,       drain, and then add them to the pressure cooker along with the pork knuckles or trotters and the potatoes. Cover with up to 5 quarts (4.7 L) water, making sure the total volume of water and food combined does not exceed half of the pot.

4. Leave your pressure regulator weight off of the vent pipe. Turn heat to high until steam flows from the vent pipe (this may take up to 20 minutes) and continue to let vent for 10 minutes more to get all of the air out. Maintain high heat setting and place your pressure regulator weight on. Start timing your cooking when the regulator weight begins to jiggle or rock. It may appear as if it is leaking, but this is normal. Regulate the heat so that the weight only jiggles 1–4 times per minute. Start the timer and cook for 1 hour.

5. Start making the Shiodare: In a medium-sized pot, bring the kombu, shiitake, and 4 cups (950 ml) water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the kombu and shiitake and put the soup into a clean medium-sized pot.

6. Return this drained soup to the stove, add the bonito flakes, and heat to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the bonito flakes and put soup into your other empty pot, pressing the flakes to release all their liquid.

7. Return this drained soup to the stove and add the clams, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the clams and put soup into your other empty pot. Add almost all the salt and whisk in. Note that the salt to soup ratio should be 20 percent, resulting in a very salty soup base or Shiodare. To be exact, before adding your salt, pour the soup into a quart measure and multiply by 20 percent to get the exact salt to add.

8. After 1 hour, take the pressure cooker off the heat and allow the pressure gauge to return to 0 before gently removing the cover. Push down the pork bones to get the bone fat out and make the soup creamier and thicker. Cook on a medium low heat with the cover off for about 1 hour longer, mixing periodically.

9. Directly into your serving bowls, add 1 tablespoon braising liquid and 1 tablespoon Shiodare per serving.

10. Drain and remove the pork back fat that has been simmering. Cut the strips into smaller 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Into a medium-sized bowl, take a large-holed sieve and push a couple of pieces at a time through the sieve so that you see it come thorugh the other side in small little bits. Repeat until all pieces are pushed through. Your Seabura is ready. Set aside.

11. Strain all of the solids from the Tonkotsu soup in the pressure cooker and transfer the soup to a separate pan and keep warm. Right before serving, crank it up to a boil.

12. Start boiling your water for your noodles and have all of your other components ready. When the noodles are nearly ready, assemble your bowls by adding 1 cup (235 ml) of piping hot Tonkotsu soup to each of your prepared bowls of Shoyudare (Step 9) and 1 tablespoon of the Seabura (Step 10) to each serving portion, then add your noodles and place the sliced Chashu on top along with desired toppings. Congratulations, you've done it. Slurp, swallow, enjoy, repeat.