Stroll through the prep area of any Japanese restaurant and inevitably you’ll find a shallow pot with a wooden lid simmering away. Lift the lid and an aroma of deep savouriness will overwhelm your senses; soy sauce, shiitakes, the deep woods. Umami. The secret weapon. Read More
Halloween’s over and I’m a little surprised by how much candy is left. Despite giving away handfuls of little nightmarishly-coloured sugar thingies, we still have a great big plastic cauldron-full sitting on the kitchen table… Not good. Every time I walk into the kitchen it’s squatting there, watching me, proffering it’s sticky fructose-laden goodies. Sure they taste good, but I’m not sure I can afford all the sleepless nights that follow. Read More
Rain drums on the window sill, and the carpet of once bright and crunchy leaves in the yard is now slowly melting into a brown compost sludge. It’s late October already, and it’s getting cold and wet. In other words, it’s perfect soup weather! Read More
After a gruelling week at work, the serenity of a Sunday afternoon is precious to me. Get up late, brew a pot of coffee or tea, stare awestruck out the back window at the shivering green backyard, listening to the light “thuck” of my bamboo wind chimes…
it’s so chill. Read More