Shumai are what is called, Steamed Chinese Dumplings. In Japan, we make by using ground pork, chopped onion and when eating, we dip it into soy sauce, vinegar, karashi (Japanese mustard). Green peas are bright green, so they are used to lend color to shumai.

We were getting to the end of our monthly grocery budget and had some things that needed to be used. I am always "experimenting" with my cooking and adding something else because it seems like it would go good in the mixture of foods used. I think extra mushrooms would be awesome in this dish but I love mushrooms! I also added a fee splashes of soy sauce to one bowl and it went really well too!I hope others enjoy it as much as my family has!

If you like smoothie bowl, Chia pudding, but never have tried Japanese summer dessert Anmitsu, You would like to try this one. It is made of some fruits, AZUKI, SHIRATAMA and KANTEN agar jelly which is nearly 0kcal and contains 80% fiber! Anmitsu is also good for vegetarian or vegan!!!

I wrote a story in April for the "Boston Globe" on onigirazu, since chosen as Japan's 'top dish" for 2015. Here it is:In Japan, food fads come and go. They can be as fleeting as the cherry blossom petals that bloom and fall to the ground just days later. The latest is a stuffed, roasted seaweed and rice sandwich called onigirazu. It is actually an old fad enjoying a comeback.Onigirazu is a creative take on the traditional rice ball (called onigiri or omusubi), a standard snack, lunch, or picnic item. To make onigiri, rice is molded with hands wet and salted, into a compact ball or triangle with small bits of pickled plum (umeboshi), seasoned salmon, or dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi) in the center, like a buried treasure. A belt of roasted seaweed hugs the outside of the rice balls. It takes practice and some skill to make and is the food that reminds most Japanese of their moms.For onigiri to turn into onigirazu, a square of seaweed is layered with warm rice and unconventional fillings like ham, cheese with egg, spicy tuna salad, fried chicken, or some left-over stir-fry. Ketchup and mayonnaise are common condiments used as spreads; greens such as lettuce form demarcations in the layers. You can layer salmon with chive cream cheese and arugula,and roast chicken with tomato and baby lettuces.The seaweed is folded around the layers and wrapped in plastic wrap for five minutes so the warm rice and seaweed have time to adhere. Then the stack is cut in half like a sandwich. Some of the combos may sound like strange bedfellows, but they are quite tasty and are a great way to use up all the bits in the refrigerator.The origin of onigirazu can be traced to a popular mid-1980s food manga called “Cooking Papa.” “The series was about a dad in a family, a ‘salaryman’ who liked to cook,” says Lorie Brau, associate professor of Japanese language and culture at the University of New Mexico, who studies food manga.The recipe recently made a comeback on Cookpad.com, the most popular Japanese recipe-sharing site, which also has an English language version. “All of a sudden it became a popular search word, and now there are hundreds of recipes for onigirazu on the site,” says Brau. According to Brau, onigirazu, means “not to compress or mold,” which makes this anything-goes rice pillow simple to assemble. Onigirazu should be here to stay.To see step by step photos go to:http://www.cookingatdebras.com/2015/05/08/onigirazu/

I love Japanese dango dumplings! It's chewy and gooey!!! Hope you like these Japanese traditional sweets!!! Enjoy ☆ *Please be careful if your kids eat this. They could choke on Dango.

I love miso soup with lots of ingredients...I use all kinds of leftover bits of vegetables in this, so it helps clear out your refrigerator too!Adjust the amount of miso to your family's taste. I usually make this with leftover ingredients in the fridge so the amounts are just approximate.I often put in potatoes, onions and tofu too.If you let it cool down once and reheat it, I think the flavor improves. For about 4 bowlfuls. Recipe by sucoco

Here's the third recipe in my panda series. This one's perfect for hot summers.Don't add all of the water at once during Step 7. Add a little bit at a time while keeping your eye on the consistency. Knead the dough thoroughly at this stage, and you'll have really soft and chewy shiratama dumplings. Recipe by Pichan plus

I made this the other night. it was good. I forgot to get pictures of it over the noodles. will next time. family really liked this.

This is kind of riceballs and perfect for lunchbox. Onigirazu is shaped to flat, rectangle, like sandwiches. You can put anything as fillings, ham, cheese and lettuce inside. Enjoy! 😉

I love it. It's chewy, sweet, and salty. I didn't use bamboo sticks, and I made them fairly big. Yep. :keyboard

I wanted to use up leftover tempura crumbs.It goes bad quick, so consume it quickly.No hints.This is so easy that even kids can make it. Recipe by Ranse

My late best friend introduced me to this dessert. I am hooked! The fun thing is, you can shape it to whatever you like. You can use food coloring or paste to create a unique tasty as well.