Food Maker, Chef, and Traveling Diner
When I think back on all of the many caterings throughout my time as a chef, this particular one is probably the most significant catering that I have ever done. In fact, I get emotional just thinking about how much my Bachan has impacted my …
Another Osechi Ryori has come and gone, but this year is also a special one because Bachan will turn 100 on July 21, 2023, so this is her 100th Oshogatsu and I am so grateful that I was able to prepare and host this year’s …
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make all my usual Christmas deliciousness because Brandon had his hip replaced just before Christmas. The unknown of going through a surgical procedure was a little unsettling, but luckily his hip replacement went really well. Now he’s on the mend towards a really wonderful new opportunity to be pain-free and move around so much better, which is really exciting.
We were able to have a lovely Christmas and see our family and friends while sharing the days with so much love and laughter. Christmas is for tamales, pozole, pasta, prime rib and all the yumminess that we can pack into the days surrounding. We got to see everyone. Brandon stayed stationary so everyone came to him, but he did great and we all made the best out of this lovely holiday season that I adore so much.
Here are some of the photos of the food and celebrations.
Hope you all had a great holiday season and are enjoying the newness of 2023!
Cheers
-Kimberly
Unrivaledkitch
That’s the way the holiday starts! Another year of Tamales and Pozole. I am so grateful that I could continue to share these amazing little delicious packages of yumminess with my family. It’s pretty amazing how many tamales I made and always make but when …
On our way home from our winter trip to Mammoth Lakes, CA we decided to stop at Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine for lunch. My dad had been there before when he goes to Mammoth to fish with the guys for Opening Day. I …
Happy New Year, everyone! 2015 came and went in a flash. It was truly a year of so many ups and downs, but there was so much to learn and so much to grow from through all those experiences. I am so grateful to have my amazing friends and family who have supported each other and helped us all stay afloat, even when we were in some deep water. I truly believe in the power of community, support, friendship and family and knowing that someone has your back, no matter what, is something that is so fundamentally important. We are not alone, stay connected!
I am honestly not a resolution type of person and I believe that with each breath we have a chance to start over again. We don’t have to wait till a new year to get a new perspective or to do things differently, we can begin again at any time. It seems challenging, but the more we do it, like anything, the easier it is. New Year’s Day is always filled with food and family. 2016 was no different and I am glad that I can show five years of osechi ryori on Unrivaledkitch 2015, 2014, 2013. 2012, 2011 and this entry is my 6th.
As much as I have let go of blogging, it is still such a big part of me to share my food, especially these special dishes that I learned to make as a child and some that I have revised or are family favorites. A lot of the the Osechi dishes are things that are particularly important to my Bachan, who has influenced so much of my life and my cooking. And although she’ll always ask me not to do it, it is my pleasure and privilege to cook this food for her and my family every year.
So here is the 2016 Oshogatsu Japanese New Year Osechi Ryori dishes and other Japanese food that we had for New Year’s Day.
Menu
California Roll
Spam Musubi
Beef Korokke
Miso Shrimp
Chicken Katsu
Sesame Chicken
Inari
Tuna Sashimi
Roasted Japanese Mushrooms
Char Siu-Style Sliced Pork
Sweet Asian Fried Chicken Wings
Umeboshi
Tsukemono
Pork Wontons
Bachan Jello
Kinpira (sato shoyu gobo and carrots)
Sesame Gobo
Tazukri (candied, dried sardines)
Kamaboko (pink and white Japanese pressed fish cake)
Shishito Peppers
Namasu (pickled carrots and daikon)
Nishime 5-Sided Carrot, 5-Sided Daikon, Kombu (rolled seaweed), Shiitake Mushrooms, Satoimo(taro root), Renkon (lotus root), Takenoko (bamboo shoots), Gobo
Ozoni (New Year’s Japanese Soup) (Kombu, Carrot, Kamaboko, Daikon, Imo [taro root], Renkon [lotus root], and Mochi in Seasoned Homemade Dashi)
Manju
May you and your loved ones have an amazing 2016 and beyond filled with luck, love and your heart’s deepest desires.
Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Happy New Year! Already 12 days in and I’m still feeling the freshness of the new year and all that it has in store for us. 2014 was a great year, lots of amazing opportunities and growth that I look forward to carrying over into …
This blog was to memorable not to post but it is a month late. Oh well better late than never!
We’ve celebrated birthdays all month long and just about everywhere this summer, which always keeps me busy and on my toes thinking of new ideas and different dishes to make. Having my dad’s birthday at the end of August and Brandon’s birthday on September 7, I’ve been keeping pretty busy in the kitchen. I’m so grateful that my yoga practice and teaching have been taking a great amount of my time and with the start of the new school year (I teach primarily children’s yoga with some senior and adult classes as well), it’s been a really great transition period for my life. I’m glad I can still find time for fantastic meals with my loved ones, because it’s just so important to me to always keep us all at the table together, enjoying delicious and freshly prepared meals.
Brandon’s birthday fell on a Saturday this year, which, for a chef, is the busiest day of the week, but when he could finally muster up a day off, we got together with my family for a Japanese-style sushi and rice bowl dinner. I thought of this awesome little party idea because I wanted everyone to be a little interactive with their food. I didn’t want Brandon to have to cook at all since he cooks practically every day, but I wanted him to be able to put together some sushi, have a beef bowl, and enjoy and relax with a fun dinner. So I drew up this idea at the Japanese market, Mitsuwa, in Venice. There are some really amazing things at that store; all the Japanese ingredients I need to pull off a perfect meal, which is sometimes difficult to find in the valley.
I chose different ingredients that we could all enjoy and make into little sushi rolls with small pieces of nori and ingredients such as salmon and tuna sashimi, imitation crab, avocado, cucumber, umeboshi, ginger and wasabi. I cooked thinly sliced beef in sake, mirin and soy sauce with sliced nori, kamaboko and thinly sliced egg to create my Bachan’s signature beef bowl and made beef and pork wontons with bamboo shoots, scallions and shiitake mushrooms, as well as tonkatsu (panko breaded and fried pork cutlet) and chicken katsu to enjoy. I scooped large bowls of hot Japanese rice for everyone and we made our own concoctions and combinations to enjoy. I love interactive family style food!
I always find that making these dishes connects me with my Japanese heritage and keeps these wonderful traditions that I learned from my Bachan, in our family. Japanese food takes amazing ingredients and lets them shine all on their own with little effort, but lots of care—I love that. I’m so glad I could share these traditions that are so dear to me on such a momentous day: Brandon’s 30th birthday! I’m very grateful that I could make such a special meal for you and to cook for you because you are always so busy cooking for everyone else. Happy Birthday, Brandon, I love you!
cheers
-Unrivaledkitch
My 28th year is here and I believe it will be (and has been) one of the best years of my life. I’ve undergone and am still undergoing a great transformation in my life—learning so much about myself, my relationships with others, my yoga …
