More Izakaya dishes

As I’ve previously mentioned, I love Izakaya culture.    So here are some more izakaya-inspired dishes to accompany a martini.    This is very simple: grill sweet potato in oil with a sprinkling of salt until ready. I was drinking a martini when I made this so I can’t remember how long it was in the oven for. 20 minutes? Who knows. There’s a reason … Continue reading More Izakaya dishes

Shime Saba (pickled mackerel sushi)

I love mackerel.   You’ve got to eat it fresh, it looks beautiful, it tastes really strong and it reminds me of fun times trying to catch them in the summer from a very young age.     I also love sashimi, or meat and seafood that is lightly cured, smoked or marinaded rather than cooked outright. So here is a simple recipe for preparing mackerel to … Continue reading Shime Saba (pickled mackerel sushi)

Mini blini

 Here is a highly tasty and versatile nibble from Russia; a country with a huge amount of expertise when it comes to drinking and tradition.    While I would normally encourage making things at home, I saw some miniature blini for sale in the supermarket and decided just to buy them for a martini accompaniment. Otherwise, I have seen several good recipes online. I found this … Continue reading Mini blini