Posts in Category: Cooking

Yudofu (Japanese Hot Tofu)

On April 30, 2026 2 Comments - Cooking

Strange Weather in Tokyo

I first heard of yudofu while reading a book by Hiromi Kawakami called “Strange Weather in Tokyo”. The main characters are an elderly, retired professor and his former student (now in her late-30s). These two lonely people meet by chance and, over time, they develop a close friendship. Tsukiko and “Sensei” tend to spend a lot of time in small neighbourhood bars drinking and eating. It is here that yudofu comes up over and over (maybe it is one of the author’s favourite snacks?). They seem to enjoy it so often that I wanted to try it myself, as if i was sitting on the barstool next to them and listening in to their conversations.

Japanese Cooking

I have been a professional chef for most of my life. During that time I have had the opportunity to see some elements of Japanese-fusion cooking while working in fine-dining kitchens. And, of course, I witnessed the late 90s/early 2000s sushi boom in North America. But, apart from that, this cuisine always seemed kind of mysterious to me. I was learning to cook at a time when big, bold flavours were en vogue and high-intensity was paramount. So the more subtle and straightforward flavours of Japanese cuisine were much less familiar.

My Japanese Kitchen

During one period in my own restaurant, through a mix of circumstances (many working-holiday visas and increased eligibility for permanent residency if you were a cook), I ended up hiring a kitchen brigade of mostly Japanese cooks. At the same time, the front-of-house ended up with a large number of temporary Japanese support staff, running food and clearing tables. We had so many workers from Japan that, on more than one occasion, I had to ask them to please speak English (instead of Japanese) so that I could keep up with what was going on in my own kitchen! haha

The most inexperienced cook I have ever hired worked so hard that she quickly became the best and most reliable cook I have had through the kitchen. As my second in command, Ayuko brought weird and wonderful specials to the night menu: ethereal jelly dishes, made to order fresh spring rolls: so popular that it may have been the first time I ever heard her swear in English (“oh fuck..more fucking spring rolls?!? fuck”) Happy days!

dashi jelly with veggies
f#@king springrolls! >: (

As a chef, these were some of the most happy, relaxed and productive days I have ever spent running a kitchen. The food was cooked with pride and precision. The plating was clean and beautiful. Everyone worked hard together as a supportive team to produce the best plates possible everyday. And all with no pushing needed from me. What a dream! On top of this, the staff meals the cooks produced were outstanding. It was here that I first tried things like ochazuke (rice with green tea) or really premium grilled onigiri (rice balls). It opened my eyes to how something subtle but still delicious could be made with just a few fresh ingredients.

Where to find good Japanese recipes in English

Considering how popular Japanese cuisine has become, it is surprisingly difficult to find good sources for recipes (for English speakers anyways). So, I was happy to discover the website Just One Cookbook. This is a wonderfully organized site with picture-heavy directions (just like mine) and logical, step-by-step recipes for hundreds of Japanese dishes.

There are not many cooking sites that I would personally recommend but, this one is truly outstanding. The recipe I am posting here is adapted from their website. The sauce is almost identical. All credit to Just One Cookbook. I am posting my recipe here because I eat it so often and want to make it part of my own personal recipe collection. Go check out their website. There is so much to learn and so many good things to eat!

Yudofu recipe

This is a very straightforward recipe, the one I make all the time. It is very easy and quick and delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 block (around 400gr) silken tofu
  • 3-4 small squares of kombu
  • 1 teaspoon diamond kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 1 or 2 green onions
  • 500ml water (or enough to cover tofu in pot)
ingredients for yudofu
Raw ingredients: kombu, salt, sake, silken tofu, green onion

I like the texture of silken tofu and, if handled carefully while preparing, it won’t fall apart. Once it is cooked in the broth it firms up enough so that I can easily pick it up with chopsticks. If you can’t find silken tofu or if you like a firmer tofu, you can use that instead. Experiment with different brands and find one you like. I use this organic Pulmuone tofu which I can get easily at the local Korean grocery. They also make a “sprouted tofu” which is slightly sweeter with more nutrients and protein. It is worth trying too if you can find it.

Leave out the green onion or substitute it with another herb if you like. I have tried flat-leaf parsley and minari (korean watercress) which are both very good in this recipe. I have also tried mitsuba (Japanese parsley) which was delicious but hard to find and expensive.

Kombu is dried kelp. You can find it in little squares or big sheets in any Asian grocery store.

Process:

To make the broth, soak the kombu in around 500ml of fresh cold water for about 2 hours. If you are short on time, you can also make this by dropping the kombu into barely simmering water for 15 minutes or so.

soaking kombu in water
I have several Korean stoneware bowls at home so that it what i use for this dish. You can put them directly on the stovetop and they hold heat very well. If you don’t have a stoneware pot, any normal pot will work too.

After the cold or warm steeping time, remove the kombu…

removing kombu after steeping

Chop green onions

chopped green onion divided into roots, whites and greens
Roots in the compost bin, white centre will go in at the start, green tops at the end

Green onions, sake, salt and tofu. I like my tofu in bite sized pieces that I can pick up with chopsticks but you can cut it any way you like. You can even cook the whole block of tofu and scoop it out with a spoon later.

yudofu prepared ingredients including diced tofu

Heat the broth until just boiling then add 1 teaspoon kosher salt

adding salt to boiling water

Add 2 tablespoons sake

adding sake to broth

Add tofu and green onion white parts. Turn the heat down to medium low and let it go until tofu is warmed through. With the tofu I am using, it usually swells up a little and starts to float to the top.

adding tofu and green onion white parts

While you are warming your tofu, you can make the sauce. This can also be made ahead of time and stored airtight in the fridge for a long time. You won’t use the whole recipe for one tofu block so store the leftover sauce for next time.

The Sauce

This is the sauce recommended on Just One Cookbook and it is a perfect accompaniment for this hot tofu. I add just a bit more mirin…

Sauce ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) sake
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) mirin
  • 1/4 (60ml) cup soy sauce
ingredients for yudofu sauce
soy sauce, sake, mirin, katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Use a good quality Japanese soy sauce. I like this made-in-Japan Kikkoman for cooking. It is very tasty and not too expensive. The sake I used is a little fancy for cooking but my local booze shop was out of the cheaper one that I normally use. Avoid using “cooking sake” which is salted and tastes well…bad. If you wouldn’t want to drink it, I would avoid cooking with it. I would say the same thing about wine in Western cuisine.

about mirin…

At least around me, good mirin is very hard to find. Hon-mirin is a real fermented rice wine. It is delicious as it is and is great to cook with but…nearly impossible to find and expensive. Aji-mirin is in most grocery stores. This is a cheap cooking alcohol, sweetened with corn syrup and flavoured to taste something like mirin. It is not ideal but it is most often the only one around. If there is no alternative it works fine here.

a picture of 2 bottles: first is ahi-mirin, second is hon-mirin
Aji-mirin from the grocery store next to hon-mirin. This is the only hon-mirin I have ever found in Toronto.
sauce ingredients portioned on table
1/2 cup katsuobushi, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon each sake and mirin. Ready to go…

Sauce process

adding liquids to pot
Pour soy sauce, sake and mirin into a small pot and bring to a gentle boil.
adding bonito flakes
add katsuobushi
stirring with chopsticks
stir and cook for one or two minutes over low heat
straining sauce
pour off liquid and squeeze out katsuobushi…don’t worry if some bonito flakes stay in the sauce.
finished sauce in bowl
finished sauce is dark and shiny with a deep savoury aroma

Serve with your favourite sides…

I am having yudofu with a side of fresh salad and white rice. Sauce is in the little pitcher and togarashi spice for a touch of heat.

yudofu hotpot beside white rice, fresh salad
perfect tofu bite with sauce, green onion and togarashi spice
Perfect bite…yudofu, some green onion from the broth, a bit of sauce and a sprinkle of togarashi.

When I eat tofu, it is usually as a side or as a minor ingredient in a bigger dish. This yudofu is the only time that I really enjoy tofu as the centre of the dish. The warm and creamy texture with the savoury salt of the bonito and soy sauce is incredibly satisfying. I eat this almost once a week these days.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them in the space below. I always look forward to hearing from you. If you want to know where I found real mirin in Toronto, send me a message through the contact form.

If you enjoy the content and would like to contribute towards website maintenance and development, you can make a donation here. Thank you for reading TigerSalad.

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Simple Kombucha Recipe

On February 7, 2026 0 Comments - Cooking, Fermentation

What is kombucha?

In it’s simplest form kombucha is black tea fermented by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) in the presence of sugar. There are probably thousands of good articles out there that explain this process in great detail…so I won’t add to the pile. In this article, I only want to provide a simple recipe with a clear process for myself and anyone else who might want to try making kombucha.

Why kombucha?

In addition to having a long and mythical history, kombucha is purported to have many health benefits (the final ferment contains live probiotic bacteria). I make it because it is fun, it makes my kitchen smell interesting and funky and it is delicious and refreshing. It is a terrific substitute for soda when you are eating anything heavy or greasy. It’s great with pizza and burgers but even works with more delicate flavours like sushi and sashimi.

Ingredients:

  • 1 SCOBY
  • 6 black tea bags (I am using orange pekoe)
  • 1 cup regular white sugar
  • 12 cups of water

You can’t really “make” a SCOBY. You will have to buy one online or get one from someone who is brewing. Once you have one, it will grow with every batch and you can peel off layers to share with fellow brewers. I got mine from my lovely downstairs neighbour.

You can just use cheap everyday tea bags. I am using orange pekoe bags from the grocery store. Use black tea and avoid anything flavoured (for now). I like these round Tetley brand ones…they are very strong and brew up to a nice colour and aroma.

kombucha scoby
Sugar, SCOBY, cheap tea bags….a simple recipe for fermentation magic.
kombucha scoby in tea
A side view of my SCOBY. It is a jellyfish-like collection of bacteria and yeast suspended in a mat of cellulose. You can see a few layers here. Every time you brew, a new layer forms.
Top view. I keep my SCOBY in a round wide-mouthed storage jar. The SCOBY will grow into the shape of whatever container you keep it in. I think it looks like the planet Venus.

Process

fill pot with water
In a clean pot, bring 12 cups of water to a rolling boil.
add tea bags
Once the water is boiling, drop in the tea bags.
steeping tea for 15 minutes
Turn off the heat and let the tea brew for 15 minutes. It will be quite dark.
removing tea bags
After 15 minutes, remove the tea bags and discard.
adding sugar
Add sugar and stir well to dissolve.
cooling brew in ice bath
This brew needs to cool down to room temperature. Now is a good time to fold the pile of laundry in the corner of your room, call your mom or take a nice long walk until the brew cools off completely. If you don’t have time or patience to let this happen naturally, you can use an ice bath like I did above.
pouring brewed tea into fermenting container with kombucha scoby
Once cool, pour the sweet tea into a fermenting container (usually the one in which the scoby lives).
side view of full container
Here it is…scoby meets sweetened tea.
shows breathable cloth and elastic band used to close top of container
Cover with a breathable net or piece of fabric. Secure it with an elastic band to keep out insects. As with any ferment, insects (especially fruit flies) will be interested in launching a full investigation.
Make sure that the ferment can breathe. I use a cork to keep this lid open and circulate air. You don’t have to use a lid at all. I just happen to have one around. Let your kombucha rest for a week and then start to taste it daily. When you can barely taste the sugar and it has a slight tart flavour, it is ready for bottling. My apartment is cold in the winter so this usually takes around 2 weeks. If the environment is warmer, it will ferment faster. Taste it!

Time to bottle

Mine did take exactly two weeks….
finished brew in container 2 weeks later
This tastes and smells a little sweet and a little sour.
removing scoby
Remove the SCOBY. Make sure you wash your hands and that your bowls etc are clean. This is a very robust collection of beneficial microbes…you don’t need to sanitize everything but make sure it is freshly washed with soap and water.
Drop the SCOBY into a clean bowl.
removing 2 cups of brew to keep scoby in later
Measure out about 500ml (2 cups) of the fermented tea from the brew. This is the SCOBY’s home. It will need to be in this liquid to survive.
adding brew back to scoby
Add the 500ml tea back to the SCOBY and set aside for now.
shows glass bottles with swing tops
Prepare clean bottles for the brew. I am using glass, but plastic soda type bottles are probably safer. I know that my brew will likely not ferment much more in the bottle. Not enough to break glass anyways. If your brew has more residual sugar than mine, it may continue to actively ferment in the bottle and cause it to burst. If you do choose to use glass, these swing top beer bottles are designed to withstand a certain amount of pressure.

Additional Ingredients / Second Ferment

You can bottle your fermented tea just as it is. It will be delicious. Or, if you like, you can also add some aromatics as you bottle. I almost always add fresh ginger and dry hibiscus flowers to mine. The ginger adds a little sweet snap to the brew and the hibiscus add a little tang and a beautiful rosey colour.

Over the years I have tried citrus peels, cinnamon sticks, all kinds of herbs and spices and I always come back to ginger and hibiscus. It is a winning combination with the fermented tea. You can usually find whole dried hibiscus flowers in any spice shop, asian grocery store or Mexican grocery (where it is called Jamaica). It may also be under the name Rose of Sharon. It is all the same thing and definitely worth seeking out.

ginger and hibiscus
Fresh ginger and dried hibiscus flowers.
sliced ginger
Peel and slice the ginger. One thick slice per bottle (around a teaspoon).
ingredients portioned for bottling
Cut the ginger into matchsticks. It is much easier to get it into and out of the bottles in this shape. I have enough brew for around 5 bottles so I like to sort my aromatics into 5 piles to make sure they are more or less evenly distributed.
adding fresh ginger to bottles
Place the aromatics into the empty bottles.
adding brew to bottles using funnel
Fill each bottle leaving a little space at the top.
shows bottles full, 2cm from top
Like this…
bottles are closed
Make sure caps are clean and tight. These bottles are going to stay at room temperature for another 3 days. During that time, the sugar in the ginger or any residual sugar in the brew will reinvigorate the ferment to some degree.
storing bottles in metal pot
Because I am using glass, I keep my bottles in this deep metal steamer basket just in case one bursts.
Cover on too, just in case. There is not much of a risk of a bottle rupturing but, if one of them is chipped or cracked, it is possible. And it makes a huge mess.
Store in a cool place…I keep mine in a lower kitchen cabinet out of the way. You might consider setting a reminder in your phone calendar so you don’t forget about them. Mine will stay in here for 3 days or so.

Scoby Storage

putting scoby back into washed container for storage
Give the fermenting jar a good wash with hot soapy water, dry it and put the SCOBY back in.
Add back the 500ml of fermented tea from the brew.
shows scoby in liquid in container on shelf for storage until next brew
Cover and store at room temperature. I usually brew at least once a month. At that rate, the SCOBY stays happy and healthy at room temperature. If you are going to leave it for longer, brew up a small amount of sweet tea to refresh the liquid every 4 to 6 weeks.

3 days later…

After 3 days in the bottle at room temperature, place the bottles in the fridge. The brew is done.

shows finished kombucha sparkling in a wine glass
This turned out well. The colour is a nice rosy amber, it smells sweet and tart and the flavour is potent but also refreshing. It’s just a little fizzy. I am not the type of maniac to drink kombucha out of a wine glass, but these are the only clear glasses i have to show off the colour.

The finished brew is perfect as is but, feel free to add a squeeze of lemon or a few drops of honey or anything else you might want to try. If the flavour is too intense, you can cut it with bubbly water. I often do this if I am drinking this with more subtle flavoured foods.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave them below. I always look forward to hearing from you. If you enjoy the content and would like to contribute towards website maintenance and development, you can make a donation here. Thank you for reading TigerSalad.

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Roasted Peanut and Anchovy Banchan

On February 3, 2026 0 Comments - Cooking

Roasted Peanut and Anchovies:

This is one of my all time favourite Korean side dishes. It is much more common to see it called Fried Anchovy and Peanut / 멸차땅콩볶음 but this version has far more peanuts than fish so I reversed the name to Peanut and Anchovy / 땅콩멸치볶음. There are a few different grocery stores around me that sell ready made versions and I have tried all of them. Some are spicy, some are not and the ratio of anchovy to peanut is all over the place. Some are mostly anchovy, some half and half and some (in the cheaper places) are mostly nuts with just a few fish. Peanuts are cheaper than dry anchovies by far. This recipe is a mostly peanut version..which is really the one I love most. I also have an anchovy only recipe here.

Ingredients:

  • 250 grams (about 1.5 cups) dry non-roasted peanuts
  • 25 grams (1/2 cup) medium small dried anchovies
  • 45 grams (3 tablespoons) brown sugar
  • 50-60 ml (4 tablespoons) water
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic
  • pinch of korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
  • sesame oil and sesame seeds (optional but tasty)
  • olive oil for frying
Raw ingredients.

Feel free to change the ratio of peanuts to anchovies. You can even make this without anchovies for a vegan side dish.

The peanuts should be non-roasted and unsalted. I found these red skin dry (but not roasted) peanuts at a local asian grocery store. If you can’t find raw peanuts…you can substitute roasted peanuts and skip the oven step.

I am using medium small dried anchovies. They are roughly twice the length of a peanut and probably the biggest anchovy I would use without gutting them. I found these at a Korean grocery store in the freezer section.

You can use white sugar instead of brown.

Process:

On a tray, roast nuts in a single layer at 350F / 175C for 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic. Tiny dice is better than crushing the garlic into a paste.
Combine the water, brown sugar, garlic and chili flakes in a small bowl.
Mix it well until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
After around 25 minutes in the oven, the nuts with be somewhat darker, the skins will split a little and they will smell deliciously roasted. Taste one..if it still has a raw texture, put them back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
Once the nuts are finished roasting, drop the anchovies into a warm dry pan. Set the heat to high.
I like to mix them with my hands until they get almost too hot to handle. This will remove any moisture from the fish.
Once the fish are warmed through and dry, add some oil to start frying. I am using olive oil…around 1 or 2 tablespoons.
Add the roasted peanuts to the pot.
Mix together until everything is hot. They should already sound pretty dry and crunchy in the pan. The heat should still be set to high.
Once everything is hot, push the fish and nuts to one side and drop in the sugar, water, garlic mixture. Let it bubble and hiss until it reduces and thickens.
Once it has thickened up, stir to coat all the nuts and fish.
Keep stirring until the sugar starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. There will probably be some smoke and a strong caramel aroma.
Turn everything out onto a pan or plate to cool completely to room temperature. It will seem kind of sticky at first but once it cools completely it will have a crunchy candy coating.
After cooling, taste them and add any other seasonings you may like. You can dust a little chili flakes on them if you want them more spicy. I like to toss in some roasted sesame seeds and a squirt of good sesame oil. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container. They should last for a couple of weeks but really, they are so delicious that I am surprised if mine last even 3 days!

How to eat them

These are delicious to eat straight out of the container with a beer, like a bar snack while you watch a movie. You can, of course, serve them as a side dish to any food. Probably my favourite way to eat these is to use them as a crunchy topping on fresh salad. The deep savoury and nutty sweetness can really make a pretty plain salad extraordinary.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave them below. If you enjoy the content and would like to contribute towards website maintenance and development, you can make a donation here. Look forward to hearing from you and thank you for reading TigerSalad!

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