Donabe Yaki-kuri Gohan (Roasted Chestnut Rice)

Miwa’s Kyoto Kitchen Recipe An autumn favorite in Japan is kuri-gohan, or rice cooked with chestnuts. Chestnuts are in season now and Miwa got a bag full from Tamba. While roasting and peeling chestnuts takes some time, this is an extremely delicious dish, especially when cooked in a donabe earthenware pot. The flavors are simple and straightforward: rice, chestnut and…
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Simmered Shishito Peppers and Jako Itameni

Miwa’s Kyoto Kitchen Recipe This simple side dish combines fresh summer shishito peppers with chirimen jako (dried sardine fry) and is simmered with sake and a lot of soy sauce. The textural juxtaposition of sauteed vegetable and crunchy little fish is delightful. It should be made with plenty of soy sauce as the saltiness perfectly compliments rice. Home Cooking: Shishito…
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Pungent and Smoky Grilled Japanese Eggplant ‘Yakinasu’

Home Cooking: Grilled and Chilled Eggplant ‘Yakinasu’ Home Cooking: Grilled and Chilled Eggplant 'Yakinasu' Miwa’s Kyoto Kitchen Recipe This recipe is a staple of late summer and early autumn home cooking in Japan. Eggplants are grilled under direct flame, peeled, chilled and served with bonito shavings, grated ginger and soy sauce. The taste is pungent and smoky. This dish is very quick and easy to make.…
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Kyoto-style Chakin Shibori Sweet Potato with Cinnamon

Miwa’s Kyoto Kitchen Recipe This Japanese dessert confection is called Sui-to Poteto (スウィートポテト) in Japanese. That’s the Japanese pronunciation of sweet potato, as you probably guessed. Preparation is simple; steam the sweet potato and mash with butter, sugar, eggs, milk and cinnamon and bake. They are hand formed into delicate balls. We added cinnamon as an homage to Kyoto’s famous…
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