baking breakfast brunch japanese food recipes restaurant recipes sweets

Japanese Pancakes

I MADE FLUFFY PANCAKES!! I MADE FLUFFY JAPANESE PANCAKES!! Sorry for shouting, but I'm so excited!! Ever since the first time I laid eyes on those giggly giant fluffy Japanese pancakes, I've been obsessed. We may or may not have been to almost every fluffy pancake place in Tokyo because of my obsession – here's a run down on the places we've been to. I love the way Japanese pancakes taste: light, airy, and oh so delicious.

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skiing travel

A Guide to Jackson Hole, WY

Jackson, the town nestled in the valley of Jackson Hole, is known for skiing, cowboys, and two national parks: Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Whether you’re visiting to ski down the couloirs of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort or are hoping to spot bison in the Tetons, you’ll need to eat and sleep. Here’s the best of the best in Jackson Hole.

Best bakery Jackson Hole

Persephone is a beloved Jackson bakery cafe serving up specialty coffees, baked goods, breakfast, and lunch. It’s been named the most aesthetic bakery in all of Wyoming and the pastries are out of this world. Be sure to try their rotating seasonal latte (if you manage to get the pistachio crème you won’t be disappointed) and grab some pastries to go. There’s almost always a line at the cafe in Jackson, but it moves relatively quickly, especially if you’re getting something to go. Pro tip: if you’re skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, just stop by the location in Wilson (pictured below), it’s way less busy and right on the way to the mountain. Persephone Cafe - Jackson 145 E. Broadway Jackson, WY 83001 7am - 6pm daily Persephone Cafe - Westbank 3445 N. Pines Way Wilson, WY 83014 7am - 3pm daily

Best pizza Jackson, WY

If you’ve ever wanted to eat wood-fired pizza inside a James Turrell inspired dining room, check out Hand Fire Pizza. Located in the historic Teton Theater, Hand Fire Pizza is hands down, the best pizza in Jackson. You can see right into the open kitchen from the entire dining room, which is bathed in a pink to purple ombré of neon light. They use locally sourced organic ingredients, and their pizza is a mix between neapolitan and New York, about 12 inches across with a bubbly charred cornicione with a sturdy-ish but slightly softer centre. Hand Fire Pizza 120 N Cache St #1137, Jackson, WY 83001 Fri-Sun 11:30am - 9pm Mon-Thur 5-9pm

Best bar Jackson, WY

The Million Dollar Cowboy bar is famous, and rightly so. The bright neon sign, saddle seats at the bar, and live music make it a must visit when in Jackson. Located in the town square, it’s honky tonk at its best. Live music, dancing, and drinks, you can’t go wrong. Plus, if you’re looking hungry for steak, you can head on upstairs to the Million Dollar Steakhouse for a real cowboy experience. Million Dollar Cowboy Bar 25 N Cache St, Jackson, WY 83001 11am - 1am daily

Best après Jackson Hole

If you’re doing après, that means you’re skiing, probably at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, located about 20 minutes away (with no traffic) from the town of Jackson. You should do après right and stay on the mountain. The Handle Bar, with its slope side patio is the best place to enjoy a boot - yes a boot! - of beer and snacks. Shout out to the sausage platter that comes with a pickle salad and three different sausages, house made mustard, and beer cheese. It’s perfect for sharing while you warm yourself by the outdoor fire, watching everyone as they ski down the slopes. The Handle Bar 7680 Granite Loop Rd, Teton Village, WY 83025 11am - 8:30pm daily

Best Sushi in Jackson

Sushi?! In the mountains? Yes! Kampai, located in downtown Jackson, is a beautiful room with beautiful, fresh fish. Grab a seat at the bar where you can chat with the chef and ask what they recommend. Kampai is a true sushi bar experience, right in the middle of the mountains. The chef we had worked in Tokyo (at one of our now shuttered favorite Tokyo sushi restaurants!) and frequently goes back to stay in the sushi loop. Kampai’s shari, or sushi rice, is seasoned heavily with akazu, aka red vinegar, and is the perfect choice for the mountains. The seasoned rice with perfectly fresh fish and creative flavor flourishes make each piece of nigiri a delight. Pro tip: Finish with a negitoro hand roll, they way they do in Japan - very finely chopped toro and chives on top of warm seasoned rice nestled in a sheet of Japanese sourced roasted nori. Kampai 175 Center St, Jackson, WY 83001 Tues-Sat 5-9pm

Best ski resort Jackson Hole

Did you know there are two ski resorts next to the town of Jackson? The mountain that you can see when you’re in Jackson is actually Snow King Resort, not Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Don’t be fooled! Snow King is known for being steep, but if you’re in Jackson, you best be there to ski JHMR. Snow King features a smaller footprint without the variety of terrain that JHMR offers. Plus, the snow at JHMR is worlds above what the locals call Sheet of Ice King. While at JHMR be sure to take the iconic red aerial tram and get the waffles from Corbet’s Cabin! Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Teton Village, WY 83025

Best Restaurant Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

If you’re looking for a hearty delicious dinner after skiing, check out Corsa, it’s Italian trattoria style food at its best. With its warm and inviting room -there are fireplaces scattered throughout the dining room as well as a pizza bar facing a pizza oven- it’s utterly cozy and the perfect snowy vibe restaurant. The bar is beautiful and there are plenty of drinks to explore, especially now that Italian aperitifs and cocktails are trendy again. The pizza is especially good, with a gloriously charred cornicione and robust tomato sauce. It hits, especially after a long day of hitting the slopes.

Where to stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson has what seems like a million places to stay, from the moderately priced (The Cache House)to the ultra high end (Amangani). You can even camp in the Tetons. We’ve done camping, motel-ing, and vacation home-ing, and I’m not sure which one I like best, but I would say it’s best to plan your stay on what it is you’re looking to do. If you want a pure Jackson stay, look for something in the town of Jackson. If you’re wanting to explore the national parks, book a campsite, and if you’re looking to ski, stay in Wilson, WY.

Where to stay if skiing Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

You might be tempted to stay in the town of Jackson - after all, it’s only 20 minutes away - but if you stay in Wilson, you’ll be right on the road that leads you directly to the resort. There are a ton of vacation rentals in Wilson and it’s a real town, complete with a grocery store, cafes, restaurants, and bars. Typically there isn’t traffic between Jackson and the mountain, but why risk it. After all, you’re there to ski, not sit in traffic. Check out The Aspens or even these cute geodomes. You could, of course, stay right on the mountain in Teton Village, but the flexibility of being between JHMR and the town of Jackson is infinitely more flexible.

Is skiing in Jackson Hole hard?

If you’re an intermediate skier, you’ll find Jackson Hole skiable. Would I recommend it to a beginner? Maybe no. The majority of the terrain is intermediate/advanced or higher and if you don’t like pitchy terrain you might not like JHMR. Do I think Jackson Hole deserves its reputation for being one of the most difficult mountains to ski? Maybe no. They have a couple of extreme runs but I don’t think the resort is as insane as the hype implies. They have a lot of terrain variety and they’ve done a lot in recent years to appeal to everyone. When you’re looking at the map, progressing from right to left is going from easier to more difficult.

Best runs

Obviously the most iconic JHMR run is Corbet’s Couloir (above). With its narrow opening, upside-down funnel shaped chute, 3 sides of rock faces, and mandatory cornice drop, it’s not for the faint of heart. Unfortunately for those who want to prove their mettle, Corbet’s only opens in later in the season and usually only when the snowpack is almost perfect. Is it the best run at JHMR? After the mandatory air, the run opens into an average expert run. If you have the skillz, try it! For a less intimidating run that’s almost just as iconic, take the Rendezvous Bowl. It’s the major right off the Tram. It’s big and wide with a moderate pitch. Because it faces South, the snow can range from powder, packed, to icy-rock hard. It also can suffer from poor visibility. That’s it! Hope you enjoy cowboys and girls! xoxo steph

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30 minutes or less chinese food restaurant recipes shrimp recipes

Shrimp Fried Rice

Shrimp fried rice is one of the best fried rices out there. You’ll love this fried rice with juicy plump shrimp, crispy rice, fluffy scrambled eggs, sautéed onions, bonus Chinese sausage, and salty, bombastic flavors bursting with hints of ginger, garlic, and white pepper. It’s amazing what flavors you can get out of ordinary ingredients with the right technique.

How to make shrimp fried rice

  1. Prep. Make sure all your ingredients are ready to go. The shrimp should be prepped, the sausage should be chopped, the onion should be diced, the rice should be ready, and the seasoning should be mixed up. Fried rice cooks fast and having everything prepped makes it a lot easier.
  2. Scramble the eggs. Scramble the eggs in a hot wok until they’re barely set, then remove them from the wok and place in a bowl.
  3. Cook the sausage. Cubes of Chinese sausage add a sweet and salty umami punch. Cook them until they crisp up and some fat renders out. Scoop them out of the wok and put them in the bowl with the egg.
  4. Cook the onions and shrimp. Add the onions to the rendered fat and cook, stirring, until soft, then add the shrimp, briefly stir fry, until just opaque and cooked through, and scoop everything out into the bowl.
  5. Fry the rice. If the wok is dry, add some oil and when it’s hot, add the rice along with the seasoning. Searing the rice, stirring occasionally, until it is heated through, fluffy, and crisp.
  6. Mix and serve! Add the bowl of eggs, sausage, onions, and prawns back into the wok, along with the green onions. Toss everything together until it’s all mixed up and enjoy, hot!

Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for shrimp fried rice are pretty standard: oil, eggs, onions, green onions. Here are a couple notes on the rest:

Seasoning

We’re going to season with chicken stock, garlic powder, ginger powder, salt, and white pepper:

Great fried rice

All fried rice is good, but great fried rice is life changing. Each grain of rice should be fluffy and distinct and each spoonful should have a bit of everything in it for the perfect bite. It should be hot and have a little bit of crisp on the rice and all the ingredients should be perfectly cooked. Good fried rice can stand on its own and needs no accompaniments – it should be so satisfying that you crave another bowl before you’ve finished the one in front of you. Fried rice is usually thought of as a quick 20 minute dish that you just throw together on a weeknight when you can’t think of what to make. It’s true that fried rice comes together in a flash, but it shouldn’t be a second choice when it comes to making dinner.

Why you should make authentic fried rice

To be honest I’m kind of disappointed in the first couple of google results for shrimp fried rice. I shouldn’t make assumptions, but it looks like those recipes don’t have a huge amount in common with authentic fried rice. Do you need to be Chinese to make or enjoy fried rice? Absolutely not. Should you look at a recipe with Chinese roots when you want to be inspired before doing your own take on fried rice? Absolutely.

3 key tips to make your fried rice taste like restaurant style fried rice:

1. Wok

If you have a wok, use it! A wok, with its different heat zones, due to its cute and round shape, is made for frying and tossing, perfect for fried rice. If you use a wok, you’re going to get some wok hei, that essential smokey essence you get when you get when you use a wok over hot heat. Chinese people are crazy about wok hei, which means “wok breath” and if you want that authentic fried rice flavor, a wok is how you’re going to get it. A good carbon steel wok is usually not too expensive and will last you a lifetime. If you have a gas stove, you’ll want a wok that is perfectly round on the bottom. It's truly a game changer. If you are on electric or induction, you need to get a flat-bottomed wok. In either case, it’s best to get a pre-seasoned one so you don’t need to remove the handle and season it yourself. If you don’t have a wok, using a cast iron or non-stick pan is perfectly acceptable, just make sure it it’s big enough and remember that with non-stick, don’t turn up the heat as much. Of the multiple kinds of non-stick pans out there, a ceramic/non-teflon coating is probably your best bet.

2. Oil

Don’t be stingy – if you want restaurant quality fried rice, you’re gonna have to get a little oily. Hot oil helps everything not stick, distributes heat, and helps with distributing flavor. Having said that, please don’t go overboard, no one likes super oily fried rice.

3. Cook step by step

The right way to cook fried rice is to cook everything separately and then combine at the end. This ensures that everything is cooked to perfection. Cooking everything separately, scooping it out and then adding it back in seems like extra steps but this is the KEY to good fried rice. If you add everything to the pan at once or leave things in the pan, things are guaranteed to be overcooked.

Rice

I like using day old jasmine rice. Break the rice up before you add it to the wok by slightly wetting your hands and gently squeezing and breaking into loose individual kernels. Each grain of rice should be firm, fluffy, and distinct.

What to serve with fried rice

Go forth and make the best fried rice of your life!

Shrimp Fried Rice

Authentic shrimp fried rice with juicy plump shrimp, crispy rice, fluffy scrambled eggs, and salty, bombastic flavors.

  • 1/4 cup chicken stock (no sodium preferred)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper (optional)
  • 2-4 tbsp neutral oil
  • 4 large eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 4 links Chinese sausage (diced, about 1 cup, optional)
  • 1/2 medium onion (diced)
  • 4 oz shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined, small preferred)
  • 4 cups cooked rice (day old jasmine preferred)
  • 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
  1. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken stock, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, and white pepper. Make sure all your other ingredients are prepped and ready to go. In a large skillet or wok, heat up a some of the oil over high heat and scramble your eggs until mostly set, but still slightly runny. The eggs will cook a bit more when you fry everything together at the end. Remove and set aside in a bowl.



  2. If you are using Chinese sausage: Crisp up the Chinese sausage over medium high heat, cooking until slightly browned, stirring occasionally. You shouldn’t need to add oil to the pan as the Chinese sausages will render out a bunch of fat, but if they’re sticking, add a bit in. Remove the Chinese sausage from the pan and add it to the bowl with the eggs.



  3. Sauté the onions for 1-2 minutes in the rendered fat, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of oil to the pan if needed and cook the shrimp with the onions very briefly, until just opaque and cooked through. Remove from the pan and pop it into the egg and sausage bowl.



  4. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the rice. If you’re using rice from the fridge, it’s best to break it up with slightly wet hands before putting in the pan. Add the seasoning to the rice and fry over high heat, stirring occasionally until the rice is fluffy, crispy, and heated through.



  5. Add the eggs, sausage, onion, shrimp, and green onions and toss everything together so that everything is evenly distributed. Enjoy hot!



Estimated nutrition does not include optional ingredients

Main Course
Chinese
fried rice, shrimp

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salad vegan

Tiktok Green Goddess Salad

If you love chopped salads, you’re going to love this green goddess salad. This salad has been all over my Tiktok. Green goddess salad isn’t anything new, but this version does it with a twist and it’s pretty amazing. If you have any resolutions this year to eat healthier or go vegan-lite or full on vegan, this salad should be in your back pocket. I have this thing where I love eating salad with a spoon. Weird, I know, but chopped salads will forever and always be number one in my heart. So when I saw Baked by Melissa (link) dicing up cabbage and cucumbers and mixing them with sliced green onions, I was sold. She serves it up with a creamy vegan green dressing and scoops it up with tortilla chips, pure magic!

What is green goddess salad?

Any salad that’s tossed with green goddess dressing is a green goddess salad. There are hundreds of takes and variations which is nice because it’s perfectly customizable.

Green goddess salad dressing

Its pretty green tint is what inspired the name “green goddess.” Invented in San Francisco, the original recipe calls for anchovies, green onions, parsley, tarragon, mayo, sour cream, and chives all blended into a creamy tangy dressing. The green goddess salad dressing we’re making today doesn’t have much in common with the classic aside from the chives and green onions. There’s no anchovies, mayo, or sour cream, making it completely vegan. The dressing is a riff off vegan pesto and is herby, fresh, bright, and slightly tangy. It also has an addictive cheesiness to it because of the nutritional yeast.

Green goddess salad ingredients

The salad itself is simply cabbage, cucumbers, green onions, and chives, all cut into a very fine dice, similar to a finely chopped coleslaw. The dressing is Melissa’s green goddess dressing, which is a take on a vegan pesto with walnuts and nutritional yeast instead of pine nuts and parmesan.

How to make green goddess dressing

For the dressing you’ll need: Place the ingredients into a blender, with the liquid ingredients first, then blend until smooth and creamy.

Storage and make ahead

The salad keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge, either dressed or undressed. If you want to make it ahead of time just to have around, it's better to dress it beforehand. The acid in the dressing keeps it fresh and cabbage is very hearty, it'll taste great!

What is nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast is cheesy, nutty, and full of flavor. Think of it like powdered cheese, but vegan and shelf stable. It’s a flaky, golden powder that’s made from a species of yeast grown specifically for food, then harvested. When harvested, heat deactivates the yeast, then it’s washed, dried, and crumbled. The result is a cheesy, nutty, savory ingredient that is used to make vegan cheese sauces, vegan dips, in soups, scrambles, stews, and more. Like its name implies, it’s super nutritious, full of protein, B vitamins, and antioxidants. This recipe works best with large flake nutritional yeast, which you should be able to find anywhere that carries bob's red mill, or online.

Green Goddess FAQ

Variations

This particular salad is vegan but if you don’t have nutritional yeast at home and aren’t vegan you can substitute in parmesan for the nutritional yeast. Hope you enjoy. Give scooping it up with a spoon a try, maybe you’ll be a chopped salad spoon convert too! xoxo steph

Tiktok Green Goddess Salad

A super satisfying green goddess salad inspired by tiktok.

  • blender

Salad

  • 1 small cabbage (finely diced, or iceberg lettuce)
  • 3-4 small Persian cucumbers (finely diced)
  • 1 bunch green onions (sliced)
  • 1/4 cup chives (finely sliced)

Green Goddess Dressing

  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small shallot
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 tsp salt
  1. Finely dice or chop up all of the vegetables  and toss in a large bowl.



  2. In a blender or food processor, add the dressing ingredients, liquids first: lemon juice, olive oil, rice vinegar, shallot, basil leaves, spinach, nutritional yeast, walnuts, and salt. Blend until smooth.



  3. Add the dressing to the bowl with the diced vegetables and mix well. Enjoy on its own, on tacos, as a side with protein, or scooped up with tortilla chips!



Salad
American
green goddess, salad, tiktok

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