I Am... Easy Roasted Air Fryer Asparagus
Springtime means it’s time for asparagus! I see those delicious green stalks popping up everywhere and it makes me so happy. What also makes me happy is this super easy air fryer asparagus. Perfectly crisp and green and super healthy.
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I Am... Ginger Scallion Sauce: The Green Sauce You’re Going to Want to Put on Everything
If you’re looking for a quick and easy flavor booster, this is it! If you’ve ever eaten at a Chinese BBQ place and ordered the soy sauce chicken, they give you a little dish of green yellow sauce that looks not-so-great but tastes amazing. It’s ginger scallion sauce and it’s one of my favorite sauces. I love it mixed with noodles, fried with rice, drizzled over meat...It’s one of the most versatile sauces you can keep in your fridge. It does tend to loose its vibrant green color after a day or two, but if anything, it tastes even better with age.
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I Am... 24 Hours in Nagoya, Japan
In between visiting the udon capital of the world and heading up to the west coast of Japan, Mike and I stopped by for a quick 24 hours in Nagoya, in the middle of Japan. Nagoya isn’t Tokyo, or Osaka, and it’s certainly not Kyoto. No one visits Nagoya. It’s the kind of city that most people pass over, and it’s been voted the most boring city in Japan, at least twice. That’s not to say that Nagoya locals don’t have pride, indeed they have a lot! We went in with open hearts and empty stomachs and I was very pleasantly surprised. Pulling up to Nagoya station, you’ll find your typical busy Japanese metropolitan neighborhood. Since we were only going to be there for one night, we booked the most basic station side hotel you can think of – it was extremely convenient. After checking in and leaving our luggage in the tiny room (still bigger than Tokyo rooms by far), we set out to explore the city. Our first stop was Nagoya castle, known as one of the three most famous castles in Japan. Happily, we were there right at the peak of cherry blossom season, so we decided to buy some snacks and drinks at a close by combini for an impromptu hanami party. The cherry blossoms at Nagoya Castle were breathtakingly beautiful. The tree branches brush low to the ground and you feel like you’re walking in a pink and white petal wonderland. There were little snack stands set up and the whole feeling was incredibly festive. I loved the cherry blossoms here even more than the cherry blossoms in Tokyo. 10/10 would recommend. After we watched the sunset, and finished our snacks and drinks, we set out to find dinner. Much like Kobe is famous for beef, Nagoya is known for cochin, a special breed of chicken. Of course we wanted to try some, and what better way than yakitori: charcoal grilled chicken on sticks. Mike looked up a place using trusty old Tabelog and we set out to find it. Torisei (鳥勢) was a cute little yakitori joint filled with locals. In fact, it was so filled that when we arrived, the waitress kindly asked us if we had a reservation. We didn’t, of course, but she squeezed us into two counter seats, right by the yakitori master. Mike and I have eaten a lot of yakitori in our lives and this place was good! Smoky and crisp and charred to perfection. We had our fill of our usual favorite sticks and even had some special cochin chicken as well. It was the perfect little dinner and such a great intro to Nagoya. After Torisei we called it a night so we could wake up bright and early (early-ish) to grab a true Nagoya breakfast. In Japan, traditionally breakfast was a set meal kind of thing: rice, miso soup, and some small side dishes. It wasn’t until recently that bread (and therefore toast) became a popular breakfast item. But when it did, a special breakfast set called “morning service” came about. Essentially, at most coffee shops in Nagoya (the prefecture and the city), you get get a free small breakfast-y type snack with your coffee, for FREE. Free things are straight up unheard of in Japan, so morning service is ridiculously awesome. Most morning services are a slice of toast and an egg. Sometimes they’ll offer a sweet red bean paste –azuki– to put on top of your buttered toast. The red bean butter toast is so popular (they call it ogura toast) that it’s the specialty KitKat flavor from Nagoya. We headed to the ever popular Komeda’s Coffee for their morning service. I got a hand drip coffee (basically pour over) and it came with a thick slab of buttered toast and azuki. Mike got the same but with egg salad. He also got an extra order of toast and it was the BEST CALL EVER because that toast gave me life. It was fluffy and crisp and perfectly butter and so good, especially with the sweet red beans. It was one of my favorite breakfasts in Japan. Definitely check out morning service if you’re ever passing through Nagoya. After our morning coffee, we walked to the center of Nagoya, towards our next food destination: Yabaton. Yabaton is a miso tonkatsu specialist – crispy deep-fried panko crusted pork chops drenched in a super savory red miso sauce. If you love tonkatsu and you love miso, you should definitely come here. It’s super popular and kind of kitschy because everything has the very cute pig mascot on it. Kind of weird because you’re gonna eat him, but at the same time cute too? We got there shortly after it opened and the line already was around the side of the building. When we got to the front of the line, we were handed menus and we ordered even before stepping foot inside. When you get through the door, there’s a little area to the side the sells souvenirs as well as some counter seating. There’s also a narrow staircase where you wait in line some more before you head to the floor that’s indicated on the plastic card they give you after you order. Once you sit down, it’s only a couple of minutes until your food comes out. The tonkatsu is crispy and juicy and the miso sauce is super savory. There’s fluffy shaved cabbage and rice and everything was delicious. We tried two other things in Nagoya. One was the regional specialty, tenmusu. Tenmusu are little onigiris stuffed with tiny tempura shrimp all wrapped up in a nori coat. They’re bite-sized, portable, and super yummy. There are several well known tenmusu places in Nagoya and we picked up a package each from the two of the most well known. We had one pack in the park, with some beer and the other pack we saved so we could eat them on our shinkansen train ride to our next destination. I also had a french fry coated deep fried cheese dog which was AMAZING. We were on our way to see if we could stuff another meal into our tummies because we both wanted to give kishimen a try. Kishimen is a flat kind of udon that is particularly popular in Nagoya. We were walking to the place when I saw a huge line up of cute, young Japanese girls. “Oh my gosh,” I said to Mike, “kishimen is so popular!” Turns out the girls weren’t in line for kishimen. They were lining up for poteto chizu dogu, or potato cheese dogs! Super stretchy melty mozzarella cheese coated in little cubes of potatoes and deep fried. The kishimen place next door had no one inside and it looked a little sad so I surrendered to the cheese dog pull and got in line. Mike was nice enough to wait in line with me even though he wanted no part of it. His loss though because it was AMAZING. Seriously so good. I know it was probably ten thousand calories because it was deep fried cheese with potatoes, but it was worth it. Those Japanese girls knew where it was at. I was so happy I got one. The cheese dog was the last thing we at in Nagoya before hopping on the train to head north to Niigata, the home of rice and sake. It was a good 24 hours in the city. I didn’t think I’d fall in love with Nagoya, but I did.
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I Am... Nogami Bakery, Tokyo
Nogami Bakery, Tokyo Overall Rating: 3.75/5 Difficulty: 3/5 depending on the lineup Yumminess: 4/5 Go: If you love shokupan, Japan’s answer to fluffy white bread and you’re willing to wait for it. You may not know it, but white bread is all the rage in Japan – it’s what they eat for breakfast in the Kansai region – even more than miso soup and rice. Nogami is known for their shokupan and people literally line up in the hot sun to purchase a loaf, or five. Nogami‘ s loaf is fluffy, every so slightly sweet, mochi mochi, soft, and pliable with a perfect crumb. Order: There are really only two options here, a whole loaf or a half loaf. Get the whole loaf, it’ll get eaten a lot faster than you think. Each loaf comes in a plastic bag that is tucked, but not sealed, so that the loaf can breathe and any warmth or condensation can gently dissipate. There’s a golden twist tie notched around one of the crisp and white paper bag handles for when you need to keep your loaf fresh. Just make sure you don’t order more than 5 loaves – there’s a sign in Japanese that says that you’re truly a selfish person if you do. Oh, and there are some jams that you can get too, if you’re into that sort of thing, but let’s be honest, you’re here for the bread. Feel: There will most likely be a line when you go, unless the bread craze has died down, which very well might happen – the food world is fickle after all. But if there’s still a line, just know that once the line extends past the twisting, turning partitions and goes past the storefront and around the corner, you’re looking at a minimum 45 minute wait. When you get inside the bakery, you’ll find it light filled and quite zen, with the side wall filled up with bags and bags of loaves waiting to go to their forever homes. They only take cash and each loaf at the time of writing is a little over ¥800, which makes it a little luxury that many people are willing to pay. Details: There are many, many branches of Nogami in Japan, but the one in Azabu Juban is open every day except for Tuesday. The closest station is Azabu Juban, exit 1. 1-9-7 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo
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I Am... Small Batch BA’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bon Appétit says these are their best cookies. Are they?!?! Read on to find out.
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I Am... Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe
I LOVE orange chicken. I know that people don’t think it’s real Chinese food, but it’s actually based on a real Chinese dish, just with a few tweaks: more sugar and orange juice instead of vinegar or lemon. At its core, it’s a crunchy deep fried nugget of meat coated in a sweet and tangy (sour) sauce. It hits all the right flavor notes and is a mix of textures too and it’s my absolute favorite. I mean, I get absurdly excited when they put out a new batch at Panda Express. And I sometimes buy that bag of frozen orange chicken from Trader Joe’s. Heck, it’s so good that we even make orange chicken at home, from scratch because when you love something, you want to do right by it. Anyway, I whipped up a batch the other day so that Mike and I could compare deep-fried to oven baked and the truth is...we thought both were excellent! So, it’s a question of how much commitment you want to put into it. The thing about orange chicken is that it gets coated in sauce so you loose a touch of that crispness, so if you want to go the hands off oven baked route, that works too. Truth is, it doesn’t matter how it’s made or where it comes from, I just love orange chicken. Cue that old school Backstreet Boys song...I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, what you did, as long as you’re orange chicken.
Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken Recipe serves 1Read More →Chicken
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- neutral high heat oil to deep fry
Orange Sauce
Marinate the chicken with the egg white, soy sauce, and shaoxing wine for 15 minutes. When done, mix in the cornstarch so that everything forms a loose batter. Place a rack over a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels. Heat 2 inches of oil in a high-sided, heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat until oil reaches 350°F. Use a pair of tongs to gently add the chicken to the hot oil in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 5-6 minutes, flipping as needed. Drain the chicken on your prepared rack and keep warm in the oven. When all the chicken is cooked and keeping warm in the oven, make the sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a skillet and whisk to combine over medium heat, until the sauce starts to bubble, thicken and turn glossy. Remove the chicken from the oven and add to the sauce. Toss throughly to coat and enjoy immediately. Notes: You can definitely use already squeezed orange juice, just adjust the sugar to taste – it may need to be more or less sweet depending on the juice.
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- orange zest, to finish
I Am... Protein Packed Mini Blueberry Espresso Pancakes
When I was younger, I never ate breakfast. Growing up, I didn’t like eating (gasp!) and breakfast was one of my most hated meals. So, as I got older and could get away with it, I skipped breakfast on the regular. I remember being in college, waking up at the very last minute, getting to school in a rush, then practically begging my growling stomach to stop making noises during my 8am lecture. After that first class, I would grab a coffee (more sugar and cream than coffee) and a giant cinnamon bun. I lived for those cinnamon buns. They were sweet and gooey and had a combination of crusty caramelized edges and fluffy insides. They were heaven. But the thing is, even after eating a giant bun, I’d still be hungry. The thing about me that I didn’t realize until fairly recently is when I’m hungry, it means it’s too late. I don’t get hungry gradually the way a regular person does. I get hungry all at once and very quickly the hungry feeling turns to hangry. This used to happen all the time. I’d wake up in the morning (and for some reason I used to think I was a morning person) and skip breakfast and it would be hello mood swings. It wasn’t until Mike started gently suggesting breakfast that I started to consider breakfast a necessity. What a HUGE difference! Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. I did a little research into it, and found that a breakfast full of protein is best because it keeps you full and less likely to start snacking right after eating a full meal. I’m totally guilty of that and now that I’m older and don’t have the metabolism of a college kid, I definitely don’t need the extra mindless calories. Making sure I eat breakfast (with a lot of protein) makes me happier and healthier. The only annoying thing about getting a lot of protein at breakfast is making sure there’s protein in the house. We always have eggs, but sometimes I want something other than just eggs. Sometimes I feel like something sweet, but still packed with protein. Enter: protein powder! Especially Biochem Whey+ Protein Powders. They’re dual action protein powders that include protein from grass-fed protein sources and bonus isolates like caffeine, collagen, and turmeric. Because I’m doing the protein thing at breakfast, the Whey Protein Isolate + Energy is my powder of choice. Each scoop of powder has the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, which is perfect at breakfast time. I’ve been putting a scoop in my blueberry pancakes and I’ve been loving the boost of energy. The protein keeps me full and the caffeine helps promote thermogenesis which helps burn more calories. It’s essentially a win-win-win situation. These protein packed mini blueberry espresso pancakes are my morning hero! I’ve felt such a huge difference in my moods since incorporating protein powder into my breakfast routine. No more hangry monster and I don’t feel starving right after eating. These pancakes are packed full of blueberries and the hint of coffee goes perfectly.
Protein Packed Mini Blueberry Espresso Pancakes makes 40 mini pancakesIn a large bowl, whisk together the flour, Biochem Whey Protein Isolate + Energy powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk the egg into the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and gently combine with a fork. Do not over mix, lumps are okay. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes some moisture works its way into the lumps, then stir in the blueberries. Heat up a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Brush a thin layer oil or lightly spray with cooking oil. Drop the batter by the tablespoon (if you have a small cookie scoop, that works great) into the pan and cook until small bubbles form on the surface and at the edges. The pancakes should be golden brown. Flip and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy warm, with and extra blueberries if desired.
- 1 cup flour
- 1 scoop Biochem Whey Protein Isolate + Energy Powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, plus extra to serve
- oil or cooking spray for the pan
I Am... San Bei Ji: 15 Minute Easy Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken Recipe
Taiwanese food is coming in hot in a big way. From boba, to beef noodles, to braised pork with rice, Taiwanese food is starting to get its day in the sun. Suddenly the Shilin Night Market in Taipei is on every food obsessed person’s to visit list and giant crispy chicken cutlets shops are popping up on the coasts. I happen to love all Taiwanese food, but homestyle Taiwanese holds a special place in my heart. Perhaps one of the most classic and well known Taiwanese dishes is san bei ji, or three cup chicken. The three cups refers to equal parts soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine, but there must be a million variations. Everyone’s family makes it differently and it’s served in plenty of restaurants too, so there’s a three cup chicken out there for everyone. If you’re looking for a new weeknight chicken recipe, this is it. Savory and addictive with a sauce that begs to be eaten with rice, three cup chicken is fast, easy, and absolutely delicious. Most recipes use cut up bone in chicken pieces but for east, I went with chicken wings. There’s nothing better than chicken braised in a sticky, savory, balanced dark sauce that’s sweet, savory, and comforting. Cooking Notes: It takes a lot of commitment to peel a whole head of garlic, but it’s worth it! Keep it simple by using the flat side of a heavy knife to crushing the garlic cloves. The skins will come right off. For the ginger, technically you don’t need to peel it if you’re in a hurry, just give it a good wash. If you’re going to peel it, use a small spoon to scrape off the thin skin. It’s way easier than using a knife. The chili isn’t totally necessary if you don’t have one on hand – you can add a whole dried chili in, some chili pepper flakes, or even keep it chili free. Shaoxing wine will add that signature taste and mouthfeel but if you don’t have any, use sake! The dark soy sauce is what give the dish that beautiful burnished brown caramel color – if you don’t have any, it’s totally optional, but it adds a hint of depth and of course makes everything pretty. It’s worthwhile to invest in a bottle of dark soy, it’s cheap and you can use it a lot in Chinese cooking. What do you need: Keep it simple and use a non-stick skillet, preferably the biggest one you have that has a lid. If you have a wok, you can use that too. How do you serve it? Serve it with fluffy white rice and a simple green vegetable.
San Bei Ji: 15 Minute Easy Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken Recipe serves 2Read More →In a large skillet or wok, heat up the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and chili over low heat, infusing the oil with the aromatics. Stir in the shaoxing, soy sauce, sugar, chicken wings, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to boil, then partially cover with a lid, and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in the basil leaves, if using, and serve hot with fluffy white rice.
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 Thai chili, seeds removed if preferred
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, optional
- 1 pound chicken wings
- Thai basil, optional
I Am... Japanese Fruit Sandwich: Strawberry Sando Recipe
If you love sandwiches, you should go to Japan – I love Japanese sandwiches! Those uniquely Japanese sandwiches really get my heart racing. Sandwiches like katsu sando: crispy panko breaded pork with tonkotsu sauce and mustard tucked into fluffy slices of crustless bread. Or perfectly simple yet unmistakably good egg salad sandwiches. I even dig a good yakisoba pan: fried noodles stuffed inside a squishy sweet bun. But, if you had to ask, which sandwich is the one that I would fly to Japan for, it would be a strawberry sando. Yup, a strawberry sandwich. Once strawberry season begins in Japan, you’ll start to see strawberry sandos popping up everywhere: at the convenience store, at the grocery store, in the food halls at department stores, and in the ultra high end fruit parlors. It sounds weird, but really, is it any weirder than a jam sandwich? It’s essentially a fresh jam sandwich with some bonus softly whipped sweetened cream.
What is a fruit sandwich?
Am I getting ahead of myself? Have you guys ever heard of strawberry sandos before? Or fruit sandos? Think: perfectly ripe fruit suspended in barely sweetened whipped cream between two slices of squishy, luscious, almost cake-like milk bread. It’s a sandwich, it’s dessert, it’s both! I don’t know the history of fruit sandwiches – yes, they come in all fruits, not just strawberries – but I do know that they taste good. They are satisfyingly squishy and sweet and they remind me of all that is good in the world. Like all good things in Japan, you can get them cheap at 7-11 or Lawson’s, or you can get absurdly expensive (I’m talking $20 for a fruit sandwich). Or, if you happen to have a hand flown loaf of one of the most sought after loaves of bread in Japan, you can make your own!What is the best bread for fruit sandwiches?
Really though, you don’t have to have special bread from Japan, but it is best if you use shokupan or milk bread. Most Asian bakeries sell it, it’s the perfectly square loaf with the small crumb. The squareness makes it easy to cut the crusts off and the tight crumb means it’s just sturdy enough to support the cream and fruit. After you have your bread, find the best strawberries you can, whip up some cream with your preferred amount of sugar, and it’s time to sandwich!Japanese fruit sandwich tips and tricks
1. Try to picture your sandwich where you will cut it. You want the fruit to be showcased, so it’s best if you think about it a little bit before you start placing. I wanted the cross-sections of the strawberries to peek out and couldn’t quite figure out how to do that so I asked Mike (because he’s the genius visuals dude) to show me how to arrange the berries in such a way that would be aesthetically pleasing. Follow our sando if you like or go rogue – whatever you do, just be sure to picture how the sandwich will look cut. 2. Cut the crusts off first. It might seem like you’d want to cut the crusts off after you made the sandwich so that you get those nice clean lines, but cutting through a strawberry sando isn’t the easiest thing. The cream starts to squish out and you never know if you’ll tear the bread. Just trust me and cut the crusts off first. 3. Chill your sandwich a bit before cutting it. Technically you don’t need to do this but if you want really clean lines, it helps. 4. Use the sharpest, biggest knife you have so you’re slicing through once and not sawing through the sandwich. That’s it! Hopefully soon you’ll have a strawberry sando right out of your anime dreams.Japanese Fruit Sandwich
A classic Japanese fruit sandwich with fluffy bread, cream, and strawberries
- 2 slices white bread (preferably milk bread)
- 3/4 cup whipped cream (lightly sweetened )
- 6-9 strawberries (wash, dried, and trimmed)
Cut the crusts off of the bread and add a layer of whipped cream.
Top the slice with the strawberries, being sure to align.
Top with more cream and place the second slice of bread, cream side down, over the strawberries. Smooth the outside edges, adding extra whipped cream into the spaces, if necessary. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
Unwrap and use a very sharp knife to cut into quarters. Enjoy!
I Am... The Ultimate Easy 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
I’m kind of new to the Mexican food world. I mean, I’ve been eating and enjoying Mexican food for a while now, but I definitely did not grow up eating Mexican food, other than the rare hard shell taco night. I LIVED for crunchy taco night. I thought it was the most delicious thing ever and I really loved the ritual of everyone assembling their own tacos right at the table. Now I know, real Mexicans don’t do the hard shell taco thing, and I have a lot to learn about Mexican food. Case in point: I’ve never ever made carnitas. I feel like I’ve eaten a million carnitas tacos, in the streets of Mexico – Mike and I spent a very long time in Playa del Carmen a million years ago – but I’ve never attempted to make my own. I don’t know why though, because it’s really one of the easiest things to make. It’s low effort and huge reward. Because I’m no expert on Mexican food, I did a deep, deep dive into the world of carnitas. I learned that like almost any popular recipe, there are a million ways to make it. Some people insist on a bottle of coke. Some say bay leaves are the secret. And, some people keep it simple. But wait! Am I getting ahead of myself? Do you know what are carnitas are? According to wiki, carnitas means “little meats.” The little meats are made by simmering/braising pork in lard. Essentially, it’s pork confit! The meat is combination of incredibly tender and crisp due to the cooking process. Slow cooking over low heat means that the meat breaks down, making it easy to shred and crisp up at the very end, where it’s essentially fried in it’s own fat. I kept it super simple with just 3 ingredients: pork, fat, and salt. No spices, no seasonings, and certainly no coke. Since it was my first time I figured I’d go clean and classic. This recipe is based on a Rick Bayless recipe. I figured, if it’s good enough for him, it must be good. Even though there are only 3 ingredients, one of the ingredients is something that you probably don’t buy a lot of – the pork fat. Just ask your butcher if they have any pork fat, they’ll usually have some in the back! It’s a lot easier than finding lard, plus the lard that they usually sell in blocks isn’t usually great. After you’ve got your pork fat and pork butt, you’re ready to carnitas! The pork fat gets cut up small and the pork gets cut up into 2-3 inch pieces. Everything goes in a slow cooker with some salt and gets cooked on high for 4 hours. At the end, the pork will be lusciously tender. Pull out the pieces, roughly shred them, then crisp them up with the help of some of the pork fat. Seriously so good. We had the carnitas in tacos, so many delicious tacos! We still have a bit left over and I’m excited to do something fun with them. PS - Do you have a favorite carnitas recipe? I’m excited to hear about how you guys carnitas! PPS - How cute are the baby tacos?!??! :D
The Ultimate Easy 3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Juicy crispy pork carnitas, just like your favorite taco truck - it’s easier than you think!
- 1 lb pork fat
- 3 lb pork shoulder/butt (cubed)
- salt
Cut the pork fat into small cubes and place inside a slow cooker on high mode.
Cut the pork into 3-inch pieces and sprinkle generously with salt. Add the pork in with the fat. Cover and cook until thoroughly tender, for 4 hours.
Remove the pork to a cutting board, leaving behind as much fat as possible. Refrigerate the lard for other uses, or discard. Shred the carnitas into very large, coarse pieces. Heat a skillet (I prefer nonstick) over medium heat. When the pan is very hot, spoon in enough carnitas-cooking fat to fill the bottom generously. Scoop in the pork, spreading it out in an even layer. Cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes, until brown and releases easily. Gently turn the pieces to brown the other side. Enjoy in tacos, with rice, nachos, burritos, or however you like carnitas!
adapted from Rick Bayless
Nutrition facts estimated based on 1/4lb of meat per serving.
I Am... Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips
I’m on the air fryer train and I won’t stop, can’t stop! It seems a little funny because technically you can do exactly the same thing in the oven, but for some reason the air fryer seems faster and more convenient. Maybe it’s because you don’t need to put things on a pan? Anyway, these kale chips were made in the air fryer and they were SO GOOD. I mean, kale chips are good no matter what, but these were so much faster than preheating the oven then baking. We made two kinds of kale, curly and dinosaur because I’m an equal opportunity kale eater. They were both crispy and delicious and so much healthier than my usual bag of chips >_<
Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips Serves 1Read More →In a bowl, toss the kale with the oil, or spray with cooking oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place the kale in the air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for about five minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
- 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed
- 1/2 tablespoon oil or cooking spray
- salt and freshly ground pepper
I Am... Japan’s Famous Nogami Shokupan Bread: People are Lining Up for Hours for this Fluffy White Bread
On our last day in Tokyo, Mike asked me what I wanted to do. I said, “I’m good with anything!” And it was true, I really was. Our trip to Japan was amazing – we saw sakura, we went to an onsen with a view of Mount Fuji, and we ate some crazy delicious food. I was happy for the last day to be super casual wandering around Tokyo vibes. But then, Mike said to me, “Really?! I thought you wanted to hit up Nogami?”
At that point, all bets were off. I mean, YES OF COURSE I wanted to hit up Nogami. Nogami has been on my list for a while because I am obsessedwith fluffy white Japanese bread. I often go into a little IG black hole where I literally look at loaves of shokupan. Mike and I even hit up several cafes on this trip just so I could have heavenly slices of bread, toasted.
If you haven’t had shokupan and are curious, it’s basically white bread that’s been baked in a pullman loaf so that the sides are completely squared off. The insides are fluffy and soft and biting into a slice is like biting into the most delicious cloud. Japanese people have perfected what they think is a perfect blank canvas for bread toppings and shokupan is fast becoming one of those small luxury food items that people line up for and wax poetic about.
One of the loaves that has been super popular is Nogami, from Osaka. The baker behind the extra soft and fluffy loaf is a 50 year old baker who wanted to change bread as Japan knows it. His aim was to create a loaf that was soft throughout, with a thin and pliable crust. In 2013, after years of research, he revealed his extra soft and fluffy loaf. He called it “nama shokupan” or fresh bread, which is kind of funny because, of course it’s fresh. But saying something is “nama” in Japan implies it’s fresh, natural, raw, and essentially good.
It turned out insanely popular, partially because it’s so good and partially because the man knows how to market. Each loaf goes for over ¥800 which makes it one of the more expensive loaves of bread for sale in Japan. Expensive price tag aside, everyone is eating it up and Nogami went from one store to 127 all across Japan. They sell over 55,000 loaves a day, which is astonishing.
Anyway, Nogami bread was definitely something I wanted to try. Would it live up to it’s hype? Would it indeed be the best bread I ever ate?
When we got to their main branch in Tokyo, the line already went past the front of their bakery on to the side. Mike had wanted to get there before they opened but somehow (okay, it was me!) we didn’t make it until after 12. The line was around the side and was mostly older ladies, younger ladies, and a couple of dudes with their ladies. I got the feeling that bread wasn’t something that dudes wanted to line up for. But then, two older construction worker type men lined up behind us, so I guess Nogami appeals to a wide range of people. Anyway, the line seemed to move both quickly and slowly. It took about 45 minutes to get into the shop, which is insane, I know. I was super grateful that Mike was down with waiting.
After we got in, we bought two whole loaves – one got a gift box because we were going to drop it off for a friend. The other loaf I carried around all dayuntil we got to the airport, where I continued to carry it. I put it on the arm rest next to me on the plane and was very, very careful not to squish it while I was sleeping.
When we got home, some 28 hours or so later after buying the loaf, I finally cut into it and we both had a slice, without toasting. Was it good? Hells yes! Was it the best loaf of shokupan I’ve ever had? Maybe not. It’s definitely one of the best, but the thing is, there are a lot of good loaves of shokupan in Japan. There’s even another bakery that has also won the same “Pan of the Year” (that’s bread of the year) award that Nogami has and doesn’t have a line. And heck, that loaf is just as good. So, if you’re wondering if Nogami is worth it, the answer is yes and no.
Mike will straight up tell you the answer is no though, if you want more of a solid straight shooting answer.
Still, I was insanely excited to have my very own loaf of Nogami right at home. We made strawberry sandwiches and katsu sandwiches and I enjoyed many slices of cheese toast and just plain fresh slices. It was truly bread heaven.
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