Eggplant & Squash Tian

cookbook / cooking from the heart

“Late summer” has finally happened here in Austin… it’s warm and sunny, as opposed to hot and muggy, and it feels pretty amazing. Technically it’s fall, but I still have a ton of eggplant, zucchini and other summer vegetables scattered around my countertops. And this rainbow colored vegetable tian was quite possibly the perfect way to celebrate them. (Plus, it was ridiculously fun to make). This recipe is from chef John Besh’s Cooking from the Heart, which comes out next week. It’s a (huge) beautiful cookbook that is also a very personal story about the places and people who have…

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Miso Sesame Squash Salad

fall / salads / yuzu

Does anyone else have a fascination with grocery stores in other countries? In Japan, we spent lots of time at food markets, but we spent countless hours wandering the aisles of grocery stores. It was so fun just trying to figure out what everything was. I collected non-perishable(ish) items to bring back – miso pastes, spice mixtures, etc… We also had a short list of items to get for a very good Japanese friend back home. A few of them were a little hard to find – buttered peanuts, and a specific brand of salad dressing. She eventually sent us some photos so…

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Kappabashi Kitchen Town

travel / tokyo / japan

We rounded the corner onto Kappabashi-dori. My eyes lit up, my heart skipped two beats. At the same time Jack let out a big sigh and whined “oh nooo… today is going to SUUCK.” Luckily, there was some free wifi in the area so he could distract himself while I carefully looked through every last copper pot, ginger grater, and tiny painted bowl… I have no words, really. Store upon store, stuffed with stuff (good stuff). Pinch me. click to keep reading, more after the jump:

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Easy Peanut Noodles

This simple recipe offers two variations for making delicious, easy peanut noodles. These vegan dishes make great weeknight dinners or weekday lunches!

easy / vegan

I don’t make peanut noodles nearly enough. I forget how easy it is to make a peanut sauce, and that I usually already have all the ingredients on hand. I’ve made other peanut sauce variations before, but this time I wanted to simplify it down to just the necessary six ingredients. It takes about 5 minutes (tops) to stir it together… then toss it with noodles & veggies. Dinner is done. We rarely have leftovers when I serve peanut noodles for dinner, but when we do, I use the leftover peanut noodles in lettuce wraps for lunch the next day.…

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Nasu Dengaku {Miso Eggplant}

eggplant / japan

If you need a reason to try (and love) miso, this is your recipe. I’m hoping eggplant is still in season where you are. I was excited to find these little nearly-black beauties at our farmers market last weekend. If you don’t have eggplant, this sweet & salty glaze is amazing on cod, tofu, and even sweet potatoes. There are many variations to the dengaku recipe – some use sake along with mirin, some add a bit of ginger… I’ve even made it with agave syrup before (although that would probably not be approved by the Japanese, shh).  I like…

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Yudofu (Tofu) in Kyoto

travel / japan / kyoto

In Japan, tofu is not a meat or dairy replacement. It’s just a regular food that regular people eat – and hardly anyone there is vegetarian. The very best way to experience tofu is at a yudofu restaurant in Kyoto. You sit down (on mats) to a set meal which starts with a few small dishes made out of various types of tofu. Then comes the big star – the simmering pot of soft tofu. It’s luscious, creamy, and unlike any kind of tofu that has ever come out of a box. This particular meal was at Okutan, a 350…

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Uji & Matcha

travel / japan / matcha

A few days ago, we took this short little day trip to the land of Matcha. Uji is famous for producing the finest Matcha in Japan since the 14th century. It’s not necessarily a “must see,” but it’s an easy 30 minute train ride from Kyoto and it was just so beautiful. We strolled the little main street, saw a (pretty touristy) tea ceremony, drank some frothy matcha, and had a nice cha-soba lunch.

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Fushimi Inari-Taisha

travel / japan / kyoto

…otherwise known as Fushimi Inari-Taisha. (We nicknamed it Starfox Mountain). This shrine is the #1 Kyoto attraction on Trip Advisor, yet last time we were here, we somehow missed it. We really try hard not to fall into major tourist traps… I guess sometimes we try a little too hard. This one is amazing. If you go, prepare to walk up a ton of stairs (it’s about 35 minutes to the top), so be sure to wear good shoes like I didn’t. Some fun geek trivia – a friend of Jack’s who lives here who worked on the old Super…

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A Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast at the Claska Hotel in Tokyo. Miso soup, rice, pickles, and miso broiled fish - SO delicious.

travel / tokyo / japan

We made it to Japan! I think it’s only fitting that our first post is about the first meal of the day. I wouldn’t normally recommend eating breakfast at your hotel, but in Japan you have to (at least once) experience the Japanese breakfast. If you haven’t heard of it, the concept might rock your mind… I mean, it is miso soup and fish for breakfast after all… This particular breakfast was at the Claska, a boutique hotel in Tokyo. We spent our first two nights there and our favorite part was their version of the Japanese breakfast. It was…

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A Spicy Margarita Party

I can't think of a better way to end the summer than with good friends & spicy drinks! Especially when drinks are Jalapeño Margaritas!

summer / entertaining / refinery 29

I can’t think of a better way to end the summer than with good friends & spicy drinks! A few weekends ago we had this fun little margarita party for Refinery 29 and Grand Marnier. I made a jalapeño version of the classic Grand Margarita. Let’s just say, no one left until every drop was gone.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.

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