After many re-shoots, lots of hot dogs, and almost an entire bottle of Japanese cooking oil, the long awaited Shoyu Weenie video is now out. My girlfriend, her roommates, and a couple of her friends must have eaten this dish at least five times this week while I was trying to work out the exact measurements for this recipe. This is a semi-original dish that my dad always used to make for my sister and me when we were growing up. It's surprisingly simple and easy to make and literally costs only the price of a package of hot dogs. The original name of the recipe is entitled "Sautuu Shoyu Weenies" but when I asked my dad what that meant he replied, "I don't know? That's what my old man used to call it when he would make it," and so the name "sautuu shoyu weenie" just stuck. Maybe my grandpa was really trying to say sautee. Who knows? I'm not exactly sure how this came to be the next recipe on the list exactly, I think it was just one of those days where I got tired of eating fried rice. Nonetheless, the full video and cooking instructions are listed below.

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Ingredients:

- 3 tbsp Mirin
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce (shoyu)
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 5 hot dogs
-green onions (however much you prefer)


Cooking Instructions:

1. Cut up the hot dogs into 1/4 inch slices and set aside in a bowl.
2. Prepare the sauce that the hot dogs will be frying in.
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
mix these three ingredients in a small bowl and stir gently until all ingredients have
blended into a uniform mix.
3. cook the hot dogs in a frying pan on medium-high heat for a few minutes, until they have
a nice brown tinge to them (usually 2-5 minutes)
4. after hot dogs have "browned" immediately pour the sauce into the same frying pan and cook
for another five minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir occasionally.
5. garnish with some freshly chopped green onions and place onto a plate to serve.


Pictured above is the shoyu weenies with a scoop of rice garnished with Japanese Aji Nori Furikake and three mushrooms which will be its own separate recipe coming soon.
Below is the instructional video on how to make the dish.

It took me a while, but I finally came through with my promise and here is the posting for "How To Make Sauteed Edamame". Edamame is a traditional Japanese dish that is composed entirely of boiled soybeans. However, in this recipe we added a bit of a twist to it and sauteed it with some oil and crushed red pepper. This dish is one of my favorite snacks and I always use to eat this with my sister when we were growing up. Although we never fried it, we would just dip it in some shoyu (soy sauce). Nonetheless, edamame is fast, cheap, easy to make, and it allows for a quick snack on the go! (not to mention it is most likely one of the more healthier dishes one could eat) Below are the ingredients used and the cooking instructions along with a little video. I'm always open for feedback, questions, and comments, so don't forget to write back. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

- 4 cups of water (to boil)
- one bag of frozen edamame (1 lb.)
- 2 tablespoons salt (added into the boiling water)
- a colander

Add while sauteing the edamame in a pan
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cooking Instructions:

1. bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt
2. place frozen edamame into the boiling water and let cook for about 3-5 minutes
3. drain excess water using a colander
4. heat up a frying pan (medium heat) and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil
5. place edamame in frying pan and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
6. stir and fry until the edamame has a nice brown tinge along its edges and until the red pepper begins to soften. (about 3-5 minutes)
7. place in bowl and enjoy!



(an instructional video on making edamame)



Thanks to all of those who have inspired me and may my cooking help those who need inspiring

Hey everybody! So this is my first time ever using a blog so I'm still working out some kinks. But anyway, a little about me..my name is Jeffrey Tomita and I'm currently a student trying to transfer to either Cal Poly Pomona or SFSU for a double major in restaurant management and culinary school.

I love cooking and from what my friends say, I'm not too shabby at it. I have no professional culinary experience, but I'm working on that. Most of everything I learned, I learned from my grandma, who cooked dinner for my sister and me every week and even made sure to make extra so that we can eat it for the rest of the week. Some of my fondest memories are of eating around the dinner table with her. Eating food that was made from scratch and took hours to prepare. When I cook I have her in mind, and my goal is to one day open up a restaurant in her honor.

I've dedicated this blog to sharing all my culinary experiences with as many people as I can. Like I said, my ultimate dream is to one day own a Japanese restaurant and lounge so that one day I can share my love of cooking with the world. This is my first step to that goal. I've decided to share as many recipes as I can with as many people as I can. Some are personal creations, some are twists on some classical favorites, others are creations from my friends and family, however, EVERY SINGLE recipe has a story behind it. Food is not just a thing we eat, it tells a story, holds memories, and becomes a part of who we are. My goal is to not only explain how to make each dish, but give a little insight as to its importance it has had on my life so that these dishes can also become inspirations for others as well.

Hopefully by doing this I can inspire someone else to follow their dreams just as I have been inspired to follow mine.

**I will be blogging as many recipes a week as I can. I'm aiming for one a week. I'll be posting a video to go along with each recipe along with exact measurements and cooking directions** Please enjoy! Please Comment, I am looking forward to your feedback.





P.S. Thanks to my girlfriend Jan for giving me the courage to do this! Love you!