Peach and Tomato Salad with Basil Oil
This peach and tomato salad with burrata and basil oil is my go-to summer recipe. Juicy peaches and sweet, room-temperature tomatoes pair beautifully with creamy burrata and a drizzle of homemade basil oil. The blanching step for the basil might seem extra, but it gives you a bright, smooth, flavorful oil that makes the whole dish feel restaurant-worthy. This is the perfect way to celebrate peak summer produce with minimal effort.
Zucchini Pasta
This 5-ingredient zucchini pasta is a recipe I’ve made every summer for over a decade. It’s simple, plant-based, and surprisingly rich in flavor, thanks to the natural sweetness of zucchini (yes, it’s in the squash family!) that melts down into a silky sauce. The original recipe came from an Italian roommate of a coworker I met while working at Disney World in Florida, and even though I never wrote it down, I’ve been making it from memory ever since. I’ve made it for friends going through breakups, for restaurant family meals, and for weeknight dinners—and every time, it disappears fast. All you need is zucchini, onion, olive oil, red pepper flakes, pasta, and salt. I like using fusilli because it catches the sauce so well, but the original was made with penne (which I know is a little controversial!). If you’re only cooking for two, the extra zucchini sauce freezes beautifully, so you can enjoy a taste of summer anytime.
Strawberry Matcha Panna Cotta
If you love strawberry matcha lattes, you will enjoy this dessert inspired by the same flavor combination. This strawberry matcha panna cotta features creamy matcha infused custard topped with fresh strawberry compote and a soft whipped cream-style cold foam sweetened with strawberry syrup. The recipe is simple but includes key steps like blooming the gelatin properly and chilling the mixture over ice to ensure a smooth, creamy texture. Perfect for hot summer days, it makes a refreshing and elegant treat you can easily double to share.
Ratatouille
A simple, summery dish made with zucchini, eggplant, and sweet onion, this ratatouille is all about letting peak season vegetables shine. Instead of cooking everything together, each vegetable is sautéed separately in olive oil and layered into a rich tomato base. Serve it warm with rustic bread or chilled straight from the fridge. It’s the perfect make ahead summer side.
Cherry and Cacao Nib Cake
This light and simple cherry and cacao nib cake is the perfect way to use up ripe summer cherries. With just one bowl, minimal fuss, and no special tools needed, it’s an easy dessert that balances juicy sweetness with the bittersweet crunch of cacao nibs. Top with whipped cream or ice cream for a refreshing seasonal treat.
Cold Soba Noodles with Summer Veggies
It’s hot out—perfect weather for Chilled Soba Noodles with Dashi-Steeped Veggies. This dish is inspired by 揚げ浸し (agebitashi), a refreshing Japanese summer favorite where fried vegetables are steeped in a flavorful dashi-based broth.
Dashi is the heart of this recipe. It gives the vegetables that deep umami flavor, so I highly recommend using a good-quality one. Once chilled, the veggies soak up all that savory goodness and become the perfect make-ahead topping or side dish.
Eggplant is a classic for agebitashi—you’ll often see just eggplant at izakayas in Japan—but I like mixing in other summer vegetables and serving it over soba noodles. The combination of nutty buckwheat noodles and cold, umami-packed veggies is my idea of peak summer comfort food.
Ajo Blanco Inspired Sauce
I had a crudo at Bar Étoile with an ajo blanco inspired sauce—creamy, light, and unforgettable. The chef thickened the classic Spanish soup to use as a sauce. At home, I made a quick version with almonds and tofu instead of bread. It’s silky, garlicky, and great on chicken, pork, or veggies. Total dinner upgrade.
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
If you’re team chicken thigh, this quick and flavorful teriyaki recipe is for you. Starting with a cold pan helps render the fat and gives you crispy, golden skin—no starch coating needed. The homemade sauce is a simple mix of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar, reduced until glossy. Serve over rice with your favorite veggies for a satisfying, well-balanced meal.
Rice Porridge with Kale and Mushrooms
What do you eat when you're sick? In Japan, we eat okayu, a simple rice porridge similar to congee. To start, make dashi using dried shiitake mushrooms. Soak them in cold water to rehydrate—the soaking water will become a flavorful mushroom dashi, and the mushrooms themselves will be used as a topping.
The okayu I'm making today isn’t necessarily for when you're already sick, since it involves some cooking. Personally, I can’t cook when I’m feeling unwell, but this is perfect when you’re starting to feel under the weather. It's easy to digest, and in Japan, we also feed okayu to babies as their first solid food.
Whether you're sick or not, this bowl is nourishing, cozy, and packed with flavor.
Family Friendly Mapo Tofu
How to Make the Best Mapo Tofu – Easy, Family-Friendly Recipe
This quick and easy mapo tofu is packed with umami and perfect for both spicy food lovers and those who prefer a milder version. Ready in under 30 minutes, this Japanese style mapo tofu is a must try for busy weeknights! Serve it over rice for the ultimate comfort meal.
Marbled Chocolate Shokupan
This marbled chocolate shokupan is a delicious hybrid of Japanese milk bread and babka, with soft, fluffy layers and delicate chocolate swirls.
If you don’t have a Pullman loaf pan, don’t worry—you can use a pound cake mold instead! While this bread takes a full day to make, you can easily split the process over two days for convenience.
Follow along for step-by-step instructions and tips for the perfect marbled chocolate shokupan!
Pineapple Preserve
Learn how to make delicious pineapple jam from scratch using fresh pineapple, sugar, and a touch of apple jelly for the perfect set! This easy pineapple preserve is great for spreading on toast, filling Linzer cookies, or making pineapple tarts. No store-bought pectin required!
Apple Jelly
How to Make Homemade Apple Jelly:
Learn how to make apple jelly from scratch with just apples, sugar, and lemon juice. This simple recipe uses fresh apples and natural pectin for a perfectly thick, spreadable jelly. The key is to weigh the juice after cooking the apples and match the sugar ratio 1:1. Cook until it reaches 226˚F for the ideal consistency. Perfect for spreading on toast or using as a natural pectin in homemade jam!
Eggplant Omelet with Fish Sauce Dressing
If you’re looking to try something new with eggplant, Tortang Talong—a Filipino eggplant omelette—might be just what you need! Inspired by a recent meal I had at Yang’s Kitchen, and a video my friend Gideon made, I decided to make Tortang Talong at home. While traditional Tortang Talong is served with banana ketchup, I topped mine with a simple tomato, onion, and cilantro salad and tossed with nước chấm dressing. I’m sure even those who aren’t big fans of eggplant will love!
Rice Cooker Hainanese Chicken Rice
Cooking Hainanese chicken rice on a stovetop can be labor-intensive, but with a rice cooker, you can streamline the process. This recipe is perfect for when you're craving something warm and nourishing but don’t want to deal with the hassle of multiple pots. I originally wanted to make this during a heatwave in Southern California and needed an easier, less heat-intensive method. This version might differ from traditional recipes, but it’s equally delicious!
cassata inspired ricotta ice cream
I had this ice cream at a restaurant in Japan, and it said "cassata" on the menu. I had never heard of it before. It looked like semifreddo, but the texture was a little different, so I looked it up. When you type "cassata" in English and Japanese, Google gives you different images. Here is what I learned:
honeycomb ice cream
From this recipe, you will learn two great things: making honeycomb candy and learning how to make ice cream without an ice cream machine! I learned how to make honeycomb ice cream from my friend and my pastry sensei, Jun. This is his long-time boyfriend Paul’s mom’s recipe. It’s super easy and delicious!
matcha zenzai
Matcha zenzai is a super quick pick-me-up dessert. I first had it in Arashiyama, Kyoto. While looking for a place to eat lunch, I stumbled upon a restaurant with a menu hanging outside. The picture of this matcha zenzai caught my attention. It had just the right amount of sweetness from the sweet red bean paste and a very balanced flavor with matcha bitterness. As I was scrolling through my photos from the trip, it reminded me how good it was. So, I’ve decided to recreate it.
cream stew
Cream Stew
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ pound chicken breast (about 1), cut into bite size
½ onion, sliced
2 small Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into bite size
1 broccoli cut into florets
1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preparation
In a small pot, bring water to a boil and add salt. Add broccoli florets and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and set it aside.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside; it's not necessary to cook the chicken completely at this stage.
Add onions, potatoes, and carrots to the pot and mix. Add ¼ cup of chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is completely melted, add 3 tablespoons of flour. Mix to coat the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining chicken stock and mix well until the sauce thickens.
Add the chicken back to the pot. Pour in the milk and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes until the stew is hot. Do not boil to prevent the milk from curdling.
Add the blanched broccoli and season with salt. Mix well and serve while it's hot.
irene’s poor man’s nougat
Brown Butter Pear Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake
For Brown Butter
1 ½ cup unsalted butter
For Brown Butter Cake
Dry Ingredients
2 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 ¼ brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
Brown butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
Riesling poached pear
2 Pears (Bartlett)
1 cup Riesling (or white wine)
⅓ cup water
⅓ cup sugar
1 vanilla beans
Brown sugar butter
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Preparation
Brown Butter Cake
Brown Butter
1 ½ cup unsalted butter
Brown Butter Cake
Dry Ingredients
2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
Brown butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
Riesling poached pear
2 Pears (Bartlett)
1 cup Riesling (or white wine)
⅓ cup water
60g sugar
1 vanilla beans
Brown sugar butter
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
Make brown butter. Add butter to a medium-sized pot and cook until you see brown speckles. Cool it to room temperature.
Make Riesling poached pear. Peel and core the pears. Add all the poached pear ingredients except the pears in a pot. Bring it to a boil and turn the heat. Add the pear, and bring the heat to a simmer. Add more water if the pear is not covered with liquid. Cover with parchment paper (cartouche) and cook the pear until tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside until cool. Slice the pear and remove the stem.
Make brown butter cake. In a medium-size bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate medium-size bowl, add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until there are no visible flour streaks.
Grease the cake pan well. Place a parchment cake round in the bottom of the mold. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 300F.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and softened butter. Spread the mixture in the bottom of the cake pan. Place the sliced poached pears and add the batter. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Place the cake on a baking sheet and Bake, rotating the pan front to back halfway through until a toothpick comes out clean,
Cool the cake and unmold it. Keep the cake in the fridge if you are not serving it within a day. Warm it up before serving.