From My Kitchen to Yours

Roasted eggplant with miso is one of my favorite dishes to make in the summer. Quick and easy to bring it all together, even when preparing it for a larger group. Eggplant is the go to in August, but you can easily adapt this recipe by switching out the eggplant for either tofu or konnyaku (a chewy jelly-like cake made from konjac, a type of root vegetable found throughout Asia), either of which are available year round. Either has a neutral flavor that lets the start of the

Today, I want to share with you how the Buddhist teachings of no-mind and non-action can de-revolutionize your approach to cooking, eating, and perhaps living. In this time and place where knowledge impersonates wisdom, it felt appropriate to share my insights by way of a recipe/dharma talk. I am speaking on my own accord, as a chef and monk. This is not a scholarly Buddhist work, and really offers nothing in the way of technical culinary expertise. My apologies in advance if

Thursday, June 27, 2024, was the day that my life changed. It was the day that I graduated from the intensive esoteric Buddhist training at Enryaku-ji Temple on top of Mt. Hiei in the northeastern corner of Kyoto. I was officially ordained as a Tendai Buddhist monk, and sent back into the world to spread the Dharma. The graduation ceremony ended just before 11 a.m. After that my classmates and I had just thirty minutes to clear our belongings from our tatami-mat rooms and

In the West, rice is often treated as an afterthought—a filler side dish to support the "main event." But in Shōjin Ryōri (Japanese Buddhist temple cuisine), rice is the foundation. It is the canvas upon which the meal is painted. When I was training on Mt. Hiei, each meal was centered around a bowl of steamed Japanese rice: porridge in the early morning (okayu) served with ground sesame and salt (goma-shio), and a bowl of perfectly cooked unadorned grains at noon.

Polpette Senza Carne in Sugo Don't tell my nonna, but I've been messing with her meatball recipe. For years, I made traditional polpette—first in my family's kitchen, then professionally at Hearth and Insieme Restaurants in Manhattan under Marco Canora, who had learned his technique from Fabio Picci at Cibreo in Florence. Those meatballs were legendary: fall-apart tender, deeply savory, at once familiar, yet strikingly different. The challenge was recreating that same texture

This isn't another "quick tomato sauce" recipe with shortcuts and substitutions. This is my grandmother's, my nonna's. That is to say it is the ONLY one. And that is what everyone should and does say about their nonna's salsa di pomodoro. And everyone would be right. That said—if we are being honest—there are as many recipes as there are nonna's. But there is a core set of ingredients that serves as the foundation for them all: olive oil, garlic, and canned tomatoes.

This traditional recipe for piadina is austere in its simplicity: soft wheat flour, lard (or olive oil in some coastal areas), water, and salt. Some recipes—like this one—include a small amount of baking soda for slight leavening, but many skip even that. The dough is rolled thin, cooked quickly on a terracotta griddle called a testo (now usually cast iron), and served warm, either as an accompaniment to the meal or stuffed with a variety of fillings and enjoyed as a complete

Walk into any tofu shop in Japan and you'll see okara. It is the fiber-rich pulp left after making soymilk. Sometimes it's free; other times there's a nominal charge. You can also find it at the supermarket in the cold case somewhere in the produce section, which is what I do. Even there, it is less than $1 USD for one pound. In the West, most producers throw it away because there's no market demand. This is textbook mottainai: wasting the inherent potential of a resource

Karaage represents one of Japan's most beloved comfort foods—crispy fried chicken found everywhere from convenience stores to izakayas. It's also one of the foods that I knew I would miss the most as I started my transition to a plant-based diet just over a year ago. Knowing this, I set a challenge for myself: make non-meat versions of my favorite foods that rival—if not beat—the original. This plant-based adaptation delivers: crisp exterior, juicy interior, and not a sing

As autumn deepens and the first frosts arrive, the persimmon tree offers its final gift before winter's rest. The fuyu persimmon hangs like a small lantern, glowing orange against bare branches A moment of brilliance before everything goes dormant.This recipe for Fuyu Persimmon with Sesame Cream honors the Japanese principle of kisetsukan (季節感), living in harmony with the natural rhythm and cycle of the seasons. The fuyu persimmon appears precisely when our bodies need its no

Marugoto Mikan Zerii・丸ごとみかんゼリー In the depths of winter, when the earth rests beneath frost and gardens lie dormant, citrus fruits offer a reminder that even in the coldest season, sweetness persists. This recipe for Mikan & Orange Gelée with Mint honors the Japanese principle of kisetsukan (季節感), the deep awareness of season. Kisetsukan is imbued with the Buddhist understanding of impermanence, reflected in the translucent beauty of this gelée, inviting us to pause, take in i

Chingensai to Abura-age no Ohitashi・青梗菜と油揚げのお浸し The technique featured in this recipe for bok choy ohitashi is derived from the Japanese verb hitasu (浸す), meaning to soak. It was first documented during the Sengoku period (1467-1615) as hitashimono, meaning soaked things, and generally referred to marinated preparations of seafood, such as abalone (awabi) and sea cucumber (namako). It evolved over time, and eventually came to refer primarily to cooked and marinated vegetables

When most people think of sushi, they instantly envision perfectly sliced bite-sized pieces of raw fish draped over warm rice seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and salt. Soy sauce and wasabi to served on the side as a matter of course. What if I told you that there is a rich history of sushi made exclusively from vegetables in Japan? Tosa inakazushi (Countryside sushi from Tosa) is a traditional vegetarian sushi that became popularly known outside of its place of origin, Shiko

This sautéed spinach with shimeji mushroom recipe exemplifies the Japanese idea ishoku dōgen (医食同源): food and medicine share the same source. The simple preparation transforms humble ingredients into a nourishing side dish that supports your body's natural vitality, providing essential iron, B vitamins, while delivering satisfying umami depth in every bite.

The practice of making sunomono has been a staple of Japanese cuisine since the Nara period (710-794 CE), when Buddhist monks brought vegetarian cooking practices from China and adapted them to Japanese ingredients and sensibilities. Originally such dishes were referred to as hashi-yasume (箸休め), or "chopstick vacations," which was a nod to their role as a palate cleanser between richer courses. As part of the ichiju issai format they continue to play a similar role.

This is a simple recipe for kombu dashi, with zero-cooking involved. It does require patience, however: the steep time is 24 hours. If you are in a pinch this isn't going to be your go to recipe. That aside, it lasts for three days in the refrigerator. With minimal planning you can get this started and it will be ready to go by dinner time the following day. I regularly have a batch of both kombu and shiitake dashi steeping in the refrigerator.

As a chef, I learned that stocks are the literal foundation (from the French word 'fond') of cuisine. Consider this simple, no-cook shiitake dashi recipe the first brick as you lay the foundation for your shojin ryori repertoire. This stock is perfect for anyone wanting to reduce or eliminate animal products from their diet, but unsure where to begin. It has depth and umami that will leave you wanting for nothing. Use it like any stock: soups, stews, sauces, or cooking grain

Kinpira Gobo・きんぴらごぼうKinpira is named after the son of Kintarō, a Japanese folk hero, from an old puppet theatre genre popular in the early Edo period (1600s), Sakata no Kinpira.Sakata no Kinpira was known for strength and courage—qualities this dish symbolically imparts to those who eat it, reflecting its remarkable nutritional density.What this dish represents to me is how the path to wellness doesn't require complexity. Sometimes, the most profound changes and shifts in lif

Miso made its way to Japan—like many things we now associate with the country—from China well over 1,000 years ago. Once introduced it went through a metamorphosis, as the Japanese assimilated into the cuisine, making it uniquely their own. The major change that they made was the removal of animal products: the original jiang, as it was known in China, was fermented both with koji and meat products. The Japanese variation eliminated all animal products, and settled on soybean

Shira-ae (白和え) literally translates as "dressed in white." The technique is rooted in the Zen Buddhist monastery kitchens of Japan, and the traditional monastic vegan cuisine known as shojin ryori. What I like about this technique is the transformational aspect. The main ingredient itself—tofu—becomes suprisingly rich and creamy, with a little help from the toasted white sesame paste, despite it being more or less pure protein. So much so, that you find yourself wondering