Short essays and notes on food, history, and the kitchen.
Where ideas live before they cool into a book.
- Recipe NoteDecember 14, 2025 · Recipes · 5 min
Sauce Bigarade
Bitter orange and duck fond built over a gastrique base — the sauce that defined canard à l'orange and demonstrates how caramel acid balances rich game.
- Recipe NoteDecember 13, 2025 · Recipes · 2 min
Albóndigas
This recipe combines ground meat and spices to create tender meatballs, typically simmered in a rich sauce.
- Recipe NoteDecember 12, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Warabi Mochi
This recipe highlights the delicate balance of ingredients and techniques used to achieve the characteristic chewy texture of Warabi Mochi.
- Recipe NoteDecember 11, 2025 · Recipes · 6 min
Agedashi Tofu
Silken tofu in a light starch crust, served in warm dashi broth — tofu moisture management and the starch-broth interaction are the two technical points.
- Recipe NoteDecember 10, 2025 · Recipes · 4 min
Gambas al Ajillo
This dish showcases the interplay of garlic and shrimp, highlighting the importance of timing in flavor development.
- Recipe NoteDecember 9, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Anmitsu
Anmitsu is a traditional Japanese dessert that harmonizes various textures and flavors through a careful assembly of ingredients.
- Recipe NoteDecember 8, 2025 · Recipes · 5 min
Rouille
Saffron, garlic, bread, and olive oil — a Provençal emulsion where bread acts as emulsifier and saffron extraction determines the final color.
- Recipe NoteDecember 7, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Patatas Bravas
Crispy potatoes paired with a spicy tomato sauce deliver a classic Spanish tapas experience.
- Recipe NoteDecember 6, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Yokan
Yokan is a gelatinous dessert that balances sweet red bean paste and agar-agar, creating a firm yet smooth texture.
- Recipe NoteDecember 5, 2025 · Recipes · 5 min
Steak au Poivre
Pepper-crusted steak finished with a cognac-and-cream pan sauce — Maillard crust, flambé, and reduction in a single pan, sequenced correctly.
- Recipe NoteDecember 4, 2025 · Recipes · 4 min
Gazpacho
A cold Spanish soup that balances acidity and sweetness through raw vegetables.
- Recipe NoteDecember 3, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Monaka
A delicate Japanese confection, Monaka features crisp wafers filled with sweet red bean paste.
- Recipe NoteDecember 2, 2025 · Recipes · 5 min
Sauce Choron
Béarnaise enriched with tomato concassée — a daughter sauce that teaches how a finished emulsion receives new flavor without breaking.
- Recipe NoteDecember 1, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Tortilla Española
A classic Spanish dish composed of eggs, potatoes, and onions, creating a dense, cohesive texture.
- Recipe NoteNovember 30, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Dorayaki
Dorayaki consists of fluffy pancakes filled with sweet red bean paste, showcasing a balance of texture and flavor.
- Recipe NoteNovember 29, 2025 · Recipes · 5 min
Sunomono
Vinegar-dressed vegetables with the san-bai-zu ratio — 3 parts vinegar, 1 part soy, 1 part mirin — a Japanese salad built on salt-wilting, acidity balance, and the logic of seasoned vinegar.
- Recipe NoteNovember 28, 2025 · Recipes · 4 min
Paella Valenciana
A traditional Spanish dish structured around a base of rice, proteins, and vegetables, cooked in a single pan.
- Recipe NoteNovember 27, 2025 · Recipes · 4 min
Okonomiyaki (Osaka style)
This savory pancake combines a variety of ingredients, resulting in a harmonious blend of textures and flavors.
- Recipe NoteNovember 26, 2025 · Recipes · 6 min
Aioli
Garlic and olive oil emulsified by hand in a mortar — the Provençal sauce that is both simpler than mayonnaise in concept and more demanding in execution, with garlic as the structural soul.
- Recipe NoteNovember 25, 2025 · Recipes · 3 min
Dolma
Dolma entails a method of stuffing vegetables, particularly grape leaves, with a savory filling.