Ambitious Deliciousness – Dont Eat Lazy.

Exactly a month ago, we first learned of the tsunami and earthquakes that devastated Japan. It was really disturbing for me to watch the videos of the natural disasters, and I felt helpless, because all I could do is send prayers their way, and maybe some money.

It was around the same time that I came across this recipe from No Recipes. Marc, who is Japanese, had posted a traditional Japanese mackerel recipe in light of the natural disasters. And it involved cooking with a pressure cooker.

I have a pressure cooker but have only used it to make brown rice and beans (as opposed to white rice), for its health benefits. (And it’s actually my sister’s.) This might be obvious to you, but it never occurred to me that I could make anything else in it! So I was excited to add a new mackerel dish to my collection of recipes, as well as show my support to the Japanese people during a difficult time.

And that was the last time I cooked with the pressure cooker.

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Okonomiyaki (or Japanese pancakes) is something I’ve been meaning to make for a long time. My cousin J and her husband J made it for me once and it was quite delicious! Thanks! When you put the fish flakes on, it wiggles around due to the heat. It’s the best part!

The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning “what you like” or “what you want”, and yaki meaning “grilled” or “cooked.” Not sure how authentic my recipe is, as I put whatever vegetables I had into this dish. But who cares, as long as you end up with a delicious experiment?

Over Memorial Day weekend, I had a few friends over for a leisurely dinner and relaxation. We paired this with a “make your own summer rolls” spread, as it was super hot in my place to make anything else requiring heat.

L-R: Fish sauce, peanut sauce, Sriracha sauce. I love sauces!!!!!

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