Category Archives: Recipes (Sweet)

The No-Guilt Pleasure of Japanese Pudding

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A sweet taste of Japan.
A sweet taste of Japan.

Even after visiting twice in six months, there are still so many aspects about Japan that I sorely miss:

The speed and efficiency of its bullet trains.

The reverence for ancient cultural traditions.

The civility and orderliness.

And most of all, the pudding.

Whether we had just gorged on a dinner of sushi or ramen or even a fine kaiseki, my husband and I could not pass a 7-Eleven there at the end of the night without stopping in to grab a small container of pudding in the refrigerator case.

Think the smoothest, silkiest flan with a layer of dark, bittersweet caramel.

For all of $1.50 U.S.

Is it any wonder that one taste left us immediately hooked on this pudding that’s known as purin?

Yearning for it back home, I came across a particular intriguing version of it: “Soy Sauce Pudding (Shoyu Purin)”

It’s from the new cookbook, “The Japanese Pantry” (Smith Street Books), of which I received a review copy.

It’s by Emiko Davies, an Australian-Japanese food writer and veteran cookbook author, who runs a cooking school and natural wine bar, Marilu, with her sommelier husband in San Miniato, Tuscany.

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Tiramisu — But Make It With Hong Kong Milk Tea

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An inspired Chinese spin on Italian tiramisu.
An inspired Chinese spin on Italian tiramisu.

Consider this the king of tiramisus.

Not only is it the creation of San Francisco Chef Melissa King. But it cemented her victory on “Top Chef: All-Stars” when one taste immediately brought tears to the eyes of legendary Italian butcher Dario Cecchini, who knows a thing or two about fine tiramisu.

As you can probably glean, her genius move was to give an Asian spin to this classic Italian dessert by swapping out the traditional espresso for Hong Kong milk tea instead.

This recipe for that winning “Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu” is from her debut cookbook, “Cook Like A King” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

Growing up in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley and in San Francisco, she started cooking with her mom as a kid. After college, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. She ended up working under such lauded Bay Area chefs as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel.

In 2014, she was a finalist in “Top Chef” (Season 12) before going on to win “Top Chef: All-Stars” in 2020. I often think she didn’t receive the fanfare she deserved as the first Asian American female chef to triumph on “Top Chef,” largely because the worldwide pandemic erupted shortly afterward that rightly consumed everyone’s attention.

I’m glad to see that this cookbook — filled with such enticing, creative and fun creations — is allowing her to finally receive her flowers.

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Christmas Pistachio and Orange Cookies

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Pistachios, orange zest, and glace cherries make for a delicious holiday cookie.
Pistachios, orange zest, and glace cherries make for a delicious holiday cookie.

The palest green with hits of bright red peeking out here and there, these cookies have Christmas written all over them.

For extra holiday bling, I added shiny, sticky, lipstick-hued glace cherries to these “Pistachio and Orange Cookies.”

The recipe is from “The German Christmas Cookbook” (Weldon Owen), of which I received a review copy. It was written by Jurgen Krauss, a 2021 “Great British Bake-Off” contestant.

A native of the Black Forest in Germany, he moved to the United Kingdom in 2003. His passion for baking was kick-started when he couldn’t find any traditional German bread to his liking in his new home country, so he tried his hand at baking his own.

In this collection of recipes, you’ll find both sweet and savory treats for the holiday season, including — yes — his recipe for “Crusty Black Forest Loaf.” Other temptations include “Mulled Wine Cake,” “Chocolate Waffles with Kirsch Cream,” “Semolina Dumpling Soup,” and “Smoked Fish Canapes.”

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Tea Time with Hojicha Shortbread

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Buttery, crisp shortbread flavored with roasted Japanese green tea.
Buttery, crisp shortbread flavored with roasted Japanese green tea.

Move over, matcha.

The new “It” Japanese tea in town is hojicha.

With its rather homely, dirt color, it may lack the splashy, attention-grabbing vivid green hue of matcha. But like a brooding, slightly mysterious friend, it can take a little time to reveal just how appealing and intriguing it can be.

This low caffeine, Japanese green tea is pan-roasted over charcoal to create its characteristic smoky, toasty and nutty quality that has hints of coffee and caramel.

It stars magnificently in “Hojicha Shortbread,” which bakes up with an unusual top.

The recipes is from the new cookbook, “Baking & the Meaning of Life” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy.

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Saba Jam Will Definitely Be Your Jam

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Saba Jam's Fig Ume Plum Jam stars in these bar cookies.
Saba Jam’s Fig Ume Plum Jam stars in these bar cookies.

Imagine jam that tastes as if peak ripe fruit were picked off the tree, then immediately cooked down before a luscious spoonful made it into your mouth a mere moment after cooling.

I think that’s the highest compliment I can give San Francisco’s Saba Jam, which tastes so clear and vivid, and comes in such inspired flavors as Blueberry Verjus, Bosenberry Beet, and Persian Lime Juniper Berry.

They’re the handiwork of Saba Parsa, an Iranian American who is a former chemical engineer-turned extraordinary jam maker.

She scours local farmers markets for the best fruit in season to make her small-batch jams using a minimum of sugar. She drops new ones only four times per year. They’re so highly regarded that they’ve racked up multiple Good Food Awards.

I had an opportunity to try samples of two of her jams: Nectarine Ginger, and Fig Ume Plum (8-ounce jars for $19.95 each).

Saba Jams made in small batches with seasonal, local fruit.
Saba Jams made in small batches with seasonal, local fruit.

The former is slightly chunky with bits of candied ginger, adding a subtle warmth. It tastes very much like a nectarine crumble. It would be wonderful on so many breakfast staples — be it oatmeal, plain yogurt, toast, scone or bagel. Or even drizzled over roasted squash.

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