Miso katsu

Deep-fried pork cutlets ("katsu") are a wonderful Japanese specialty, and in my opinion the rich miso-sauce-coated version that is Nagoya's local specialty is the best. I finally managed to make it at home, and it turned out pretty damn delicious, if I do say so myself. But it wasn't all fun and games. The tasty photo you see here hides behind it a legacy of terror...

Ramen

It pains me to know that for most people in the English speaking world, ramen brings to mind three-minute snacks laced with artificial flavoring and msg. I do respect Momofuku Ando, the creator of instant noodles, as one of the most innovative and motivated businessmen of post-war Japan, but unfortunately the convenience over quality of the instant noodle fails to capture the glory that is true ramen.

Ramen, sometimes referred to as “Chinese noodles”, is one of the foods I miss the most when I’m away from Japan. Imagine slurping perfectly firm noodles out of a bowl of hot, oily soup, occasionally interrupted by slices of rich roasted pork. A complicated aroma of soy sauce, ginger, browned meat, and a fresh heaping of spring onions fills your nose, and every bite is garnished with a generous addition of freshly crushed garlic. Just thinking about it makes me drool. 

Yakisoba

Columbus Day Weekend, 2008.  The place: Candlewood Lake, Connecticut.  The cast of characters: ten thesis-crazed Amherst students looking for a little R&R.  We spent four days at a friend's house on the lake, surrounded by sparkling water and fiery New England autumn hills, doing our best to forget about the work awaiting us back at school.  We slept until noon and spent the afternoons drinking beer and lounging on the dock.

And, taking advantage of the huge and elegantly equipped kitchen, we cooked.  We cooked like the hungry young fiends we were, overwhelmed with delight at our temporary freedom from dining-hall blandness.  We bought everything we could get our hands on at the local Costco, and put together elaborate communal dinners full of fresh vegetables and bright flavors.  And by far the most successful meal we had that weekend was our friend Shaylon's yakisoba.

World's Best Lasagna -- Seriously.

I love lasagna. I used to hate it, because I used to hate mixing foods. I was one of those people who refused to have her foods touching on the plate. But the first time I had lasagna (I think it was my freshman year at Amherst), it was love at first bite. Since then, I have been on the hunt for the perfect lasagna bolognese. I was pretty sure that Pasta E Basta had perfected the recipe - until I tried this.

The first time I had this dish was this past summer with several of my Amherst friends under the direction of recent alum Jordan Gilbertson '10. I made it alone for the first time for my parents and sister, and made it a third time this past weekend for a big family event. Some of the responses included:

"This is UNBELIEVABLE."

"I consider myself a lasagna aficionado, and this is seriously the best lasagna I've ever tasted."

"What did you put in this?! It's amazing!"

"I can honestly say this is the best birthday dish I have ever had." (The Guest of Honor)

"Can you pack some of this up for me to have a 2AM?" (My cousin, a cop on the Friday night shift)

Good cooking tunes - very important!

Have I built this lasagna up enough for you yet? Good. Because it is definitely time consuming, but it is also COMPLETELY worth it. And, best of all, the leftovers taste just as good (maybe even better!) for the next few days.  The original recipe is from allrecipes.com, but there are a couple tweaks I've made that I think make a serious difference, so I'm posting my version. Enjoy with a Caesar salad, garlic bread, and a nice red wine (or all by itself, since it's so hearty ... except, don't skip the wine). Hope you love it!