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Tokyo got cold this week, and this was ridiculously good. It’s a mashup of matcha latte and hot chocolate. All you have to do is add milk, matcha, and white chocolate to a beaker and heat it up in the microwave before using an immersion blender or milk frother to whisk it together. For a link to the video and recipe, make sure you’re following me and leave a comment with “recipe” in it and I’ll DM it to you.

Whether you're planning an autumn BBQ or a classy dinner gathering, these easy make-ahead marinated mushrooms are versatile and perfect for making any dish burst with flavor and umami. Throw a fancy appetizer together with some goat cheese smeared on crackers with a mound of these luscious mushrooms on top, or serve them alongside a roast for a tangy, refreshing side. For a link to the video and recipe, make sure you’re following me and leave a comment with “recipe” in it and I’ll DM it to you.

It may not sound very exciting, but this simple side dish can take your tonkatsu game to the next level when it’s made well. The trick is to use the sweet and tender inner leaves of a head of cabbage and soak them in water first to get them nice and crisp. For a link to the recipe, make sure you’re following me and leave a comment with “recipe” in it and I’ll DM it to you.

Tamagoyaki may seem intimidating, but it’s one of those dishes that Japanese moms throw together in minutes in the morning to pack into bentos. It’s just eggs seasoned with salt and sugar (I like adding some usukuchi soy sauce for flavor) and cooked in thin sheets that get rolled up. It does help to have a rectangular tamagoyaki pan, but it’s not necessary, and you can still get the shape with a round frying pan by folding the sides over as you roll. For a link to the video and recipe, make sure you’re following me and leave a comment with “Tamagoyaki Recipe” in it and I’ll DM it to you.

After nearly a decade of experimentation, I've finally gotten my Oyakodon to a place that rivals the ones you get at fancy Yakitori shops in Japan. The tough part has been to get the tender, juicy texture of medium rare chicken and almost raw egg without getting people sick. To do this, I used a few culinary tricks to season and tenderize the chicken before locking those juices in. The result is an Oyakodon with big hunks of tender chicken that burst with flavorful juices draped in a luxuriously rich sauce brimming with umami. For a link to the video and recipe, make sure you’re following me and leave a comment with “Oyakodon Recipe” in it and I’ll DM it to you.

I've got a little secret to share with you this week. You know those irresistibly crunchy yet tender green beans at your favorite Chinese restaurant? There's a trick to achieving this paradoxical balance of cooked yet luminously vibrant string bean, and it's called oil blanching. This week, I'm sharing how you can turn just 3 simple ingredients into this flavor-packed, vegan-friendly side dish that's garlicky, spicy, and brimming with umami. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

Is there a dish that transports you back to the warmth of mom's kitchen? Here in Japan, that comfort food for many people might be salmon onigiri. With tender flakes of salt-cured salmon lovingly swaddled in a fluffy pillow of rice. These self-contained meals are as portable as they are scrumptious, and I've developed a few tricks to make them even better. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

This week, I've updated a classic Chinese-American staple: Hunan Chicken, infusing the comfort-food vibes of your go-to Chinese take-out with the spicy, garlicky flavors of traditional Hunanese cuisine. Think succulent marinated chicken, earthy shiitake mushrooms, vibrant peppers, and a drool-worthy umami-packed sauce that wraps it all up. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

It's still hot in Tokyo, but our fish markets are filling up with autumn gems, including fresh sujiko (skeins of salmon roe). This week, I'm showing you how to transform these sacks of roe into the vivid orange pearls of ikura we all know from sushi restaurants. It's easier than you think, and the transformation is magical. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

Few dishes capture Italian cuisine's warm, sun-kissed soul like Spaghetti al Pomodoro. It's one of those miraculous recipes where 5 summer ingredients come together in a joyous dance of flavors and textures in an almost magical way. Mastering this one dish is the gateway to unlocking next-level pasta, and this week, I'm walking you through the secrets you need to know to make this better than most pros. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

Crying Tiger Beef is my favorite way to do steak in summer. I marinate the beef in a flavorful mix of oyster sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger before grilling it up which should be plenty addictive on it’s own, but this magical dish from the northeast of Thailand is served with a refreshing steak sauce called Nam Jim Jaew that’ll light up your tastebuds with savory fish sauce, tangy lime juice, fruity tamarind paste, nutty toasted rice, and fiery chili flakes. It's a medley of textures and tastes that’s the perfect contrast to the rich beef. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

I dunno how those glow-in-the-dark tubs of “seaweed salad” got associated with Japanese food, but they’re not a thing here. What we do have is an easy and nutritious salad made with a mix of naturally colorful seaweed such as wakame, konbu, tsunomata, and itokanten. I like to combine mine with salted cucumbers and toasted sesame seeds with a refreshing ginger dressing to make for an easy yet flavorful side dish. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.

Everyone knows sake, the beverage, but did you know it's also a magical ingredient that can make any food taste better? Learn everything you need to know about sake in this week's post, including what it is, why it's used for cooking, and how to use it to improve your food. I've also bundled up a bunch of great recipes using sake. Click @norecipes and follow the link profile to get to it. Do you want to see more deep dives into ingredients like this?

It may sound a little crazy for anyone not from Japan, but Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯) is a popular breakfast staple here, and this week I’m gonna show you my favorite way to prepare it. The egg partially cooks, resulting in a rich velvety mixture that’s kinda like the Japanese equivalent of Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Don’t have access to safe raw eggs? I’ve got you covered with a few alternatives. Click @norecipes for a link to the video and recipe.