Lily's Homemade Anko Paste and Red Bean Popsicles!

Experimenting with new ingredients to make a yummy treat!

Red bean ice cream and other red bean flavored sweets have long been something I go out of my way to sample when a restaurant offers them. For some Westerners, the idea of using beans to make a sweet dish probably sounds a little strange or unappetizing at first, but I've gobbled up everything I've ever come across that's flavored, stuffed with, or otherwise full of this sweet, creamy goodness. 

After Nanea was released and it was confirmed that she had a Japanese best friend, I knew I wanted to make something that either featured red (adzuki) beans, or red bean paste (anko) as a way to investigate the history of one of my favorite treats, and to try my hand at making my own desserts featuring this unique ingredient. 

There was just one problem: finding anko paste!

Lily's Chicken Ramen Bowl

A cross cultural favorite with some interesting connections to World War II!

I love ramen. For a carb lover like me, it’s hard not to be excited about a massive bowl of hot noodles swimming in salty or spicy broth. The meat and veggies are good too of course, but for me, it’s definitely all about the carbs. 

As it turns out, those carbs – and more specifically, what kind of carbs – are responsible for why ramen enjoys such international fame. Although this dish originated in Korea, it became intensely popular in post war Japan because the noodles were made of wheat flour, not rice. Read on to find out why that was so crucial, and how to make a yummy bowl of ramen in your own home.

Lily's Wasabi Tuna Onigiri, Complete with Cherry Blossoms

And perfect for a picnic!

It’s cherry blossom season in Washington, which means hordes of tourists flocking to the Tidal Basin to view the gorgeous Japanese cherry trees lining the walk ways and monuments. Of course, trees all over the city are in bloom, but these are undoubtedly the most famous, and with good reason. They’re gorgeous, and people have been appreciating and documenting their beauty long before the invention of the selfie stick. 

But why does Washington boast such a beautiful variety of cherry blossoms? And who is this character you’re using to represent this post?