I’ve seen many sushi earrings, but finally encountered these tasteful and stylistic earrings. These Sushi Boat earrings are available online store BetsyEtsy. Each sushi is intricately made enhancing the minute details with the great color scheme. You definitely want to wear these when you have a sushi party or dine at a sushi restaurant.

References: Etsy and foodista

Onigiri is one of the most favored comfort foods in Japan. Onigiri should only be called “onigiri.” A “rice ball” would be a simple English translation, but that sounds too generic and unappealing. I love Onigiri as my mother used to make so many different types of onigiri with a variety of fillings. She also baked until them the outer surface get crusty or covered them with miso paste. I tried making Onigiri once at grade school in Japan, but ended up in a disaster with my hands covered with rice. Since then, I decided to let other people do the making, but this video inspired me to try again.

Misa shows so many different ways to make Onigiri using traditional and unique methods. What I find most inventive is when she puts together two bowls with rice inside and shakes to form a perfectly round rice ball. In essence, Onigiri is a formed rice with a filling inside. Something simple is so good.

Japanese breakfast and miso soup go hand in hand. You cannot think of one without the other. I grew up eating miso soup everyday. Although high in sodium, miso which is made from soy beans serves as a good source fiber and minerals. As demonstrated in the video, it’s very easy to make. Adding vegetables provides a healthy doze of daily vitamins.

Celery is the best choice for those who love to eat and lose weight at the same time. This magic food has zero calorie, yet it is rich in vitamin C. It even lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. Celery burns calories by simply eating it.
Everything sounds great, but it’s the smell and taste I don’t like.
This recipe may change all that. Whoever thought of roasting celeries? Chef Jody Adams did and it’s a great idea. Remove the stringy part and simply roast it with salt, pepper and olive oil. It’s a simple solution. Cooking with asparagus and scallions makes it even more enjoyable.

This video gave me a fresh look at the country I’m from. As I grew up in Japan, I took for granted the variety of great foods available, but I did not realize how my upbringing was shaped by the food culture of Japan until I left the country. Here in the US where I have lived for the last 30 years, there are a limited number of Japanese food ingredients available despite the popularity of sushi and typical Japanese foods recently infiltrated the Western world.
Japan was closed to foreigners and international trades until 1800. Without the influence from the outside world, Japan developed cuisines as an art form from preparation and the dinnerware used, to the hospitality of the server. Japan has more restaurants per person than any other countries in the world. This is another revelation, but it’s no surprise. If you set foot in a street of Tokyo, you will be amazed by the sheer number of restaurants exist in one city block, yet they all thrive because the culture supports the business.