Past Blogs

Here are previous blog entries from months gone by. Just click on a title to read the full post.

Hello Kitty Rice Krispies, #SundaySupper

04/27/2013

Challenge Thyself. That was the decree for this week's #SundaySupper. The Ninja Baker picked Rice Krispie Treats as her challenge. Go ahead - laugh!

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | Hello Kitty Rice Krispie Treats
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Japanese Wedding Cupcakes, #SundaySupper

04/20/2013

This week’s #SundaySupper honors the tradition of April showers - the wedding and baby variety. I was in a bit of a quandary. Gifts for newlyweds and newborns are given in Japan. However, traditionally, showers are not – yet. 

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | cupcakes | Gifts | Japanese Engagements | Weddings
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Matcha Nutella Tango Cupcakes for Vintage Kitchen

04/19/2013

My friend Paula produces some of the world's best desserts from her Buenos Aires Vintage Kitchen. Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream with Cherry Sauce, French Strawberry Cake and Ricotta Tangerine Cheesecake...The titles alone are enticing. But Paula's photos and recipes at Vintage Kitchen are equally mesmerizing.

When Paula asked yours truly to guest post, I was honored.  And created a...

Keywords:

Guest Post | Matcha Nutella Cupcake | Vintage Kitchen
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Bacon & Eggs Sushi, #Improv Challenge

04/18/2013

Tamagoyaki (Japanese egg omelet) is one of the specialties of Auntie K aka the Ninja Baker. Tamagoyaki is typically sweeter than American omelets. At a sushi restaurant, my friend, Takako-san who is a master of Japanese cooking and baking always tastes the chef’s Japanese egg omelet first. Why? Tamagoyaki, according to Takako-san is the ultimate test of a sushi chef’s skill…

I...

Keywords:

#ImprovChallenge | bacon & eggs | Japanese egg omelet | sushi | tamagoyaki
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Fantasia Cakes, #SundaySupper

04/13/2013

Tokyo hums with sophistication. Neon ads rivaling New York’s Times Square abound. But Tokyo is also a city where temples and tranquility live content next door to skyscrapers. A move to LA from Tokyo as an 18-year-old in the late ‘70s took a toll on my nervous system. Culture shock greeted me at every turn...

The love and comfort of times with dear ones was rekindled as I watched...

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | culture shock | Disney's Fantasia | Tokyo
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Tokyo Pretzel Caramel Macchiato Cupcake, #Dessert Challenge

04/11/2013

A cosmopolitan crisscross of tradition and modern twists on foreign imports; Tokyo is the ultimate destination for the creative and curious. Next to a traditional ramen noodle shop, a Starbucks coffee is served. But don’t ask for decaf. The driven and diligent population drinks only the caffeinated java. (Herbal teas, however, have become en vogue.) In Starbucks Tokyo, you will find Sakura...

Keywords:

#DessertChallenge | Pretzel Caramel Macchiato Cupcake | Tokyo
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Kung Pao Tofu, #SundaySupper

04/06/2013

Cost-saving cuisine is synonymous with quick and easy for this Ninja Baker. Japanese chahan rice and ramen noodles are but two examples. Kung Pao Tofu is no exception. The recipe below is adapted from Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites. Jaden Hair, the author of the cookbook, joined our SundaySupper one week...

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | Kung Pao Tofu | Steamy Kitchen Healthy Asian Favorites
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Chocolate Cherry Dream, #BundtaMonth

03/15/2013

Anuradha of Baker Street and Lora, the Cake Duchess decreed cherries to be the star ingredient in April’s #BundtaMonth challenge. This Ninja Baker was happy to comply as the result was a scrumptious Chocolate Cherry Dream.

The majority of cherries in Japan are grown in Yamagata in the northern part of the country...

Keywords:

chocolate cherry cake recipe. #BundtaMonth | Japanese sakuranbo cherries
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Japanse Castella Pound Cake & Chocolate Buttermilk Buttercream, #ChocolateParty

03/29/2013

Castella honey cake has been a treasured gift in Japan since the 1600s. Portuguese sailors and merchants brought Paõ de Castela, Bread of Castile to Japan in the 1600s. Even when all foreigners were kicked out of the country by the Tokugawa shogunate for 200 years, the cake stayed. For several centuries the treat was reserved for rich folk – like the Emperor! Today the royal dessert is...

Keywords:

#ChocolateParty | Buttermilk Chocolate Buttercream | Japanese Castella Pound Honey Cake
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Omiyage California Citrus Cake, #SundaySupper

03/30/2013

Are you obligated to bring your children, colleagues or your BFF gifts or souvenirs upon your return from a trip? Are you required to bring a present when paying a formal visit to a friend or company? Yes, according to many Japanese.

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | Japanese omiyage | Orange Buttercream Frosting
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200 Year Old Traditional Japanese Cake Shop, Sweet & Short Ninja Baker Video

03/28/2013

En route to visit the Great Buddha in Kamakura, Japan, the Ninja Baker stumbled upon Ebisu-Ya, a 200-year-old sweet shop. (The seller of traditional Japanese cakes is located on Kamachi Road.) Celebrating spring, many Ebisu-Ya treats incorporate sakura cherry blossoms.  As well as sake rice wine!

Keywords:

Japan | Kamakura | sweets | Traditional Japanese Cakes | Video
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Japanese Easter Petit Fours & Flowers, #SundaySupper

03/23/2013

Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are where the masses go to celebrate the holidays in Japan. Japanese partake in water rituals at the entrance. The Ninja Baker's YouTube features Ryo Shimizu who demonstrates the ritual.  (Ryo-san and I met on a TV set in LA where Japanese-English bilinguals were needed.)

In addition to respecting the rituals of the Buddhist and Shinto religions,...

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | Easter | Great Buddha | Ikebana. Petit Fours | Japan | Kamakura
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Japanese Veggie Sandwich's Sweet Substitute, #Improv Challenge

03/21/2013

Sticky white Japanese rice dressed up with a variety of food fashions take center stage in many bento lunch boxes. But sandwiches are also major players. Such as the veggie “sando” sandwich. A luscious tomato, lettuce, cucumber and mayo concoction squeezed into two slices of thin white bread. (No crusts allowed!)

Sometimes, husbands and children will balk at such a sandwich. (“Salad...

Keywords:

#ImprovChallenge | carrot bread | Japanese bento lunch boxes | Japanese vegetable sandwiches
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Lemon Roll Cake, #SundaySupper

03/16/2013

Spring ushers in showers, flowers and a slew of goddesses who bring renewal to the world...For those of us who are domestic goddesses, closets are cleaned out and windows are flung open to welcome in a new season. Along with the physical cleaning, many of us allow cobwebs of old thinking to be cleared from our minds. Such as throwing out any fears surrounding cream roll-cake-making.

Keywords:

#SundaySupper | Asian Goddesses | Cream Roll Cake | Japan | Spring
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