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In: Summer Foods, Yoshoku

I guess potato salad falls under the category of Yoshoku as well as summer foods as it was inspired by a Russian potato salad that could stand as a full meal. Gma’s version stays true to that form with the addition of hard-boiled eggs and eventually her later additions ofContinue Reading

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In: Main Dish, Summer Foods, Traditional

Originally I thought I’d be posting a recipe for Gma’s barbecue chicken, but when I went flipping through traditional recipes, I could see her teriyaki-like recipe was a hybrid of yakitori and marinate-and-or-simmer-at-will. Using the typical ingredients listed below, Gma created grilled chicken thighs and simmered, then chilled “candied” drumsticksContinue Reading

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In: Main Dish, Yoshoku

Yay!! Our first recipe request comes from Junko. She is sharing Gma’s creamed salmon croquette or “korokke.” Like it’s French ancestor, this is a thick, bechamel-based filling that goes well with seafood. She made this version with canned salmon for special occasions and once in a while, with tuna. WhileContinue Reading

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In: Dessert, Holiday Item, Traditional

I’m sliding this post in for the holidays even though it is techinically a summer tradition for most of us, but it is one of her most requested recipes and it coincides with strawberry season in Japan and Florida. Also, strawberry shortcake is THE Christmas Cake (kurisumasu keki) in JapanContinue Reading

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In: Dessert

This used to be the famed chocolate jimmies cake or “ants” cake. I dubbed it the Old Time Garage Cake because it was the first cake she made for the Hurwitz brothers who gave Gma (“Mrs. Matasakah”) the red carpet treatment at their car repair shop. Once Gma started theContinue Reading

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In: Dessert, Holiday Item

This circa 1966 recipe comes from Eva Klein and was one of those green can specialties. It was a regular dessert item at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am copying Eva’s recipe in her words and the context of an era of Hydrox Cookies – the original sandwich cookie before Nabisco’sContinue Reading

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In: Holiday Item, Main Dish

A favorite recipe of hers year round, I included it as it’s actually a Food and Wine recipe designed for a Hanukkah dinner. If you can’t abide by the Lipton’s onion soup part you can create your own “organic” or MSG-free version like the one listed at the end ofContinue Reading