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Soy & Sesame stir fried Konnyaku My latest recipe features a root which is a little bit controversial - konnyaku. While the name konnyaku might not be familiar unless you are Japanese - you might have heard of it by its many other exotic names - Konjac, Devil's Tongue, Snake Plant, Elephant Yam or Voodoo Lily (my absolute favourite.) Why controversial? Well, both the American FDA and the EU banned confectionary products containing konnyaku - which was believed to present a

Stir fried Corned Beef and Sugarsnaps This recipe takes me back to when my first English language cookbook was published in 1994. The book was called 'Japanese Cooking for Two' and this recipe - "Stir Fried Corned Beef and Sugar Snaps" was one of the recipes inside. You might be thinking that corned beef doesn't exactly sound Japanese but it has quite a history in Japan - there is even a Japanese Corned Beef Day - April 6th! Corned beef became popular after the end of the Se

Marinated Turnip and Choy sum I don't think there can be any doubt that the Japanese love their veggies - it's not uncommon for a Japanese dinner to include 2 or 3 separate marinated or pickled vegetable side dishes for the diners to consume. In the uk, the government advise a 5 - a - day regime for eating vegetables and fruit - in Japan, that's a whopping 13 - a - day and that's only the vegetables! One vegetable that is really commonplace on a Japanese table is the kabu

Pan fried Celery and Shimeji with Bonito flakes Here's a big question for you. Are food likes and dislikes inherited or based on the environment? The reason I ask is that both my husband and I love celery and mushrooms but our sons won't touch either and remove them from their plate with a grimace whenever I serve them up. How did this happen? Answers, please! Anyway, today's dish is one I make when I'm cooking for one or two. I like celery when it is lightly fried and pai