My 5 Best Recipes from the Onigiri Cookbook

Onigiri was the first single-subject cookbook that I have fully tested. It was originally written by Ai Watanabe and Samuel Trifot of Gili-Gili, an onigiri shop located in Paris, France. The name of the shop translates from Japanese for “just in time,” for onigiri’s portability.

What exactly is onigiri? It’s white sushi rice shaped into a triangle and wrapped with nori. They are often seasoned or stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients. The cookbook is family-friendly and easy to understand for all cooking levels. As experienced as I am with recipe testing, I picked up a few cool kitchen tricks and trivia. My favorite phrase is fuwa-fuwa, Japanese for airy, the perfect texture of rice.

I worked with my editor David Brothers at Viz Media on all testing and copyediting. I often refer to this book for cocktail hour ideas and for lunches to go. In addition to the 30+ onigiri recipes, you’ll also find a chapter of Soup, Snacks & Pickled Food to enjoy. If you do not have a copy yet, you can get one here.

What are my best 5 recipes in Onigiri?

• Cured egg onigiri - Perhaps the coolest technique in the book! You freeze eggs until they’re hard and then peel them. Once they defrost it’s easy to separate the white from the yolk with your hands. The yolks are then cured in soy sauce and mirin before you stuff them into the warm rice balls. It’s gooey and savory, my favorite onigiri of the collection.

• Okaka onigiri - A surprising combination of bonito mixed with an alarming amount of soy sauce and wasabi. Every bite is a flare of my nose, but I love it.

• Mehari onigiri - I love the presentation of these onigiri. Swiss chard leaves are blanched quickly and then marinated before wrapping the outside of a rice ball in place of nori.

• Bacon & asparagus onigiri - If you need to impress a dinner party, these are so cute. You wrap 2 asparagus spears with bacon and sear them in a pan. You nest them in the onigiri as you shape it so they stick out the top.

• Nut & miso onigiri - I’ve never had a sweet onigiri before, this isn’t too sweet, but it works! It’s equivalent to a salty peanut butter sandwich with the addition of extra nutty red miso.

As a Meat Eater…

• Gyudon onigiri

• Garlic pork onigiri

• Chanterelle omelette onigiri

• Duck breast onigiri

• Ume & ponzu chicken onigiri

As a Pescatarian…

• Mackerel with miso onigiri

• Ikura onigiri

• Russian-style onigiri

• Tuna-mayo onigiri

• Salmon onigiri

As a Vegetarian…

• Chetnut onigiri

• Goma edamame onigiri

• Shiitake onigiri

• Tofu curry onigiri

• Beet & kinpira onigiri

I would love to hear if you cooked any recipes and posted them on Instagram. Make sure to tag me or send them along via email to randwiches at gmail dot com.

My 5 Best Recipes in ISLAS: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking

ISLAS is my first major collaboration with author Von Diaz, who wrote Coconuts & Collards. We met through Nicole Taylor the night we were quietly celebrating the release of The Last OG Cookbook at her home. This time, my role was more involved than just testing the recipes. I developed and consulted on half of them, focusing on Southeast Asia and the Pacific. I also had the opportunity to contribute a multi-page guide to rice, it is a staple very close to my heart because I grew up eating it every day.

Von organized her recipes by cooking method, not by meal or country. She discovered many parallels in her research and travels across islands that are hundreds of miles apart. Despite limited access to ingredients and tools, islanders possess a unique resilience when it comes to cooking with these methods:

• Marinating

• Pickling + Fermentation

• Braising + Stewing

• Frying

• Grilling, Roasting, + Smoking

• Streaming + In-Ground Cooking

Our book team was bigger than most (and I hope others follow suit). I worked in tandem with Bridgid Washington, another recipe developer. After we developed the recipes, tested them, and reviewed the headnotes before they went off to the presses. A few years later, we’re proud to see ISLAS on bookstore shelves and named one of Food & Wine Magazines Best Cookbooks of 2024. If you do not have a copy of ISLAS, you can purchase one here.

What are my best 5 recipes in ISLAS?

Of the Recipes I worked on…

• Chicken Jook - Hawaiian rice porridge may look and sound like Filipino arroz caldo (page 155), but its construction and flavor profile are different. Instead of using leftover rice as with arroz caldo, the raw grains are cooked with chicken broth and finished with scallions.

• Lemon Lasary - Malagasy lemon zest and chile pickle require some patience! It is best cured for 4 weeks and can last up to a year. I loved it so much that I put it on the hot dog menu at Wonderville and called it the Lemon of Zelda with brie cream and poppy seeds.

• Gato Pima - These fritters with chile are a lot like falafel except they are made with lentils and not chickpeas. I especially loved that it was easy to make and flash freeze for easy meals.

• Beef Tapa - A classic Filipino breakfast protein. In most recipes it is tenderloin, but I opted for sirloin or skirt steak for its availability. The beef is sliced thinly, marinated with calamansi, and oven-dried a little. It is then fried and served over rice.

• Sinigang Sa Mangga - I grew up eating Filipino sinigang na isda, a sour tamarind soup with fish and tomato. This version adapted from Yasmin Newman’s 7000 Islands leans on green mangoes as a souring agent.

As a Meat Eater…

• Griot - Haitian fried braised boneless pork shoulder. This celebratory dish is often eaten with Pikliz (page 99).

• Churrasco - Puerto Rican grilled steak marinated with garlic, oregano, and vinegar. It’s then finished with a tart wasakaka, a Dominican herb sauce with lots of lime.

• Poulet Boucané- Martinique sugarcane smoked chicken! It is also known as “buccaneer chicken.” The chicken is marinated in lots of allium, lime, rum, allspice, and thyme before it is grilled with sugarcane pieces.

• Lechon Kawali - A Flipino classic! Crispy deep-fried pork belly. Best enjoyed with bottled mang tomas and/or Sinamak (page 48).

• Soup Joumou - Haitian “freedom soup” to commemorate Haiti’s independence from France in 1804. Its base is pureed pumpkin and cooked with beef or goat with vegetables and scotch bonnet peppers.

As a Pescatarian…

• Vindaye Poisson

• Kinilaw Na Isda

• Mas Riha

• Cari de Poisson Et Potiron

• Bouyon Bred

As a Vegetarian…

• Asar

• Keshi Yena - Replace the beef with plant-based ground “meat”

• Mofongo Con Guiso - Pork rinds are optional!

• Ensaladanf Talong - Omit the shrimp paste.

• Curried Green Jackfruit

For Building a Cool Pantry…

• Asinan

• Ginger Beer

• Jerk Pork Tenderloin

• Seychellois Massalé

• Tamarind Chili Salt Salad

If I were Throwing a Massive Party…

• Kālua Pua’a

• Chamorro BBQ Chicken

• Red Rice

• Shoyu Ahi Poke

• Pickled Green Papaya

I would love to hear if you cooked any recipes and posted them on social media. Make sure to tag me or send them along via email to randwiches at gmail dot com.

23 Fresh As Hell Recipes I Developed in 2023

What a year. It’s dizzying to think of everything I made in my kitchen (and other’s people’s kitchens) in 2023. I can never describe my cooking in a word or theme, but I can tell you I have cool clients who trust me to create unique menus. There was no shortage of snacky bites, hot dogs, sandwiches, and cheese. Last year, I promised myself to explore more seafood and I plan to keep it in my weekly rotation. I’m also letting go of the “I’m not a baker!!” mantra. It turns out that I can bake. I accomplished a long-term goal of making my own bread for the return of random sandwiches—which I was very nervous to bring back into the world. Through cookbook testing, I learned a lot about plant-based eating and Vietnamese cookery.

To everyone who ate my experiments, thank you. Here’s to more communal eating, cookbooks, and knowledge sharing 🥂

Here are 23 dope recipes I developed over the last 12 months.

1. Cheese Board Smörgåstårta

• Laughing Cow Spread (Patreon)

• Sweet Blue Cheese Filling (Patreon)

• Cider Cheddar Filling (Patreon)

2. Fried Chicken N’ Spam Musubi

3. Ocean Teal Ginger Chicken Bao

4. Asparagus Sea Bean Miso Soup (Patreon)

5. Marinated Tofu Mochi Pocket (Patreon)

6. Lion’s Mane Satay with Peanut Sauce

7. Scallion Pancake Hot Dog

8. Stuffed Bries

9. Sourdough Loaf Pizza

10. Peppers, Please! Ssamjang Mayo with Tortilla Crunchies

11. Furikakemari Damacy: Yuzu Mayo & Crunchy Furikake (Patreon)

12. Eggplant “Parm”: Eggplant Lasagna with Mushroom Bechamel

13. The Boba Shop: Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Champagne Pickles

14. Mortadella Melt with Pickled Pears

15. Tomato Pesto Scramble (Patreon)

16. Ramp Leaf Pasta with Ranch Cream

17. Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Ramp & Chorizo (Patreon)

18. Figure 8 Larb Dumplings

19. Faroe Island Salmon Namerou (Patreon)

20. Banana Leaf Wrapped Salmon

21. Shiitake Cured Salmon

22. Ube Funfetti Cake with Pandan Frosting

23. Aji Verde Tostone

Some of these recipes are on my Patreon for a small monthly fee. Others, I would love to fully write for publication 🤗 If you’re an editor interested in any of these, please get in touch!

Sawsawan, Filipino Dipping Sauce

When I first encountered North Carolina whole hog barbeque, I couldn’t exactly explain why I immediately loved it. Was it because every large family event I had been to involved a whole pig? Birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals. Or was it the thin, vinegar-style bbq sauce that was generously doused onto the pork?

It hit me, yes. Growing up, we had tall, skinny bottles of vinegar steeped with chilis and garlic. As I traveled around the Philippines, every dining table had ramekins of calamansi, chili, and garlic to make your own. Sawsawan is the secret to consuming tons of fried pork and grilled fish. The acidity dances with the fatty molecules on your tongue to cleanse and ready you for more. Try it with lechon kawali, fried chicken, or even French fries.

This is a basic mixture, so feel free to experiment by adding a little sugar, chopped onion, dried fruits, soy sauce, and/or calamansi juice. Swap out the vinegar if you don’t have white vinegar; rice vinegar will yield a mellow sauce, while balsamic will be sweet. If you can’t find Thai bird chilis, sub in 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. This was part of my dinner with Lara Heintz, check out the full menu.

Sawsawan

Makes 1 cup

Things you'll need:
1 cup white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns	1 bay leaf 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1-2 Thai bird chilis

1. In a clean jar or plastic container with a lid, mix 1 cup white vinegar with ½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns, a bay leaf, 2 cloves sliced garlic, and 1 or 2 sliced Thai chili peppers.

2. Let the mixture marinate at room temperature for up to 2 hours and then store in the fridge for 3 days before using.

3. When the sauce runs low, you can keep adding vinegar and aromatics to keep it steeping. Make sure all the elements stay submerged and you’ll be good to go.

Did you try this recipe? Let me know on social media by tagging @Randwiches.

Luscious Pork Chops with Fresh Plums and Sage

I worked with Claire Matern to help Local Roots refresh their website for their fall CSA. Every season, their inventory changes, so we needed to showcase the latest offerings as well as a few simple recipe ideas.

Pork chops are pretty easy to master at home. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan (like it has a metal handle and not a plastic one), you can still complete this dish on the stovetop. Just watch the temperature! And if you do go the way of the oven, don’t forget the handle will be very hot.

In the case you can’t find fresh plums right now, a dollop of apricot jam or sweet chili sauce will do just as nicely.

Pork Chops with Plums and Sage

Serves 2

Things you'll need:
2 Local Roots pork chops Salt and pepper, to taste	2 plums, pitted 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 leaves fresh sage, stems removed

1. Pat the completely defrosted pork chops with a paper towel.

2. Drizzle the olive oil onto the pork chops and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

4. Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe pan on high on the stove.

5. Sear the pork chop on both sides for 2 minutes to brown the outside.

6. Place the pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

7. Continue to cook the pork chop until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (for medium).

8. Transfer the pork chop to a plate to rest.

9. (Not pictured) Using the pan juices, saute the sage leaves for 1 to 2 minutes and pour onto the pork chops.

10. Serve alongside sliced plums.

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Let me know if you try this recipe out!

If you'd like a discount on Local Roots subscriptions, enter the code RANDWICHES at checkout.

Garlic Scape Escabeche

One of the last events at Daddy’s on Graham Avenue in Brooklyn was a wedding tasting disguised as a pop up. My friends Sam and Nico had asked me to cater their wedding, all they wanted were burritos. So burritos they got! I needed to test the recipes but you can’t just make one. We decided to make a bunch and also sell posters for Burrito Solutions (you still can buy them on Etsy!).

To accompany the burritos, I made my own springtime version of escabeche or pickled carrots and jalapeños. At many Mexican places in California, you’ll get a few pieces of pickled vegetables, sometimes there would be radishes or cauliflower. They’d all have a slick of oil on them because they’ve been lightly cooked but are still crisp when you bite into them. When garlic scapes are in season around April and May, you can use them to replace alliums like onion, leek or garlic.

Things you'll need:
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced thinly on a mandoline 4 medium carrots, cut into small dice 4 garlic scapes, chopped into 1/4” pieces 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup water 1 clove garlic, crushed	2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat a frying pan on high.

Sauté the carrots and scapes in the olive oil, just to get some char-color on the edges for 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix the vegetables and thyme in a large sterilized jar or a heatproof plastic container with a lid.

Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorn in a small pot. Bring it to a boil.

Stir the brine to dissolve the salt and sugar. Lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the bay leaf and peppercorn.

Carefully pour the brine over the vegetables, making sure they are all submerged.

Let the pickles completely cool to room temperature.

Cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Fantasy Kitchen: Pears & Sausage in Oil from the Lies of Locke Lamora

Eric Molinsky hosts the podcast Imaginary Worlds, a bi-weekly broadcast about science fiction and fantasy. My friend and fellow Kickstarter Creator in Residence  Fran Wilde introduced me to Eric for an episode titled "Fantastical Feasts." He and his helper Stephanie came over to record a food demo where we used the sound effects of cooking in the episode.

I chose to cook pears and sausage in oil from the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (!!!), who was later interviewed in the same episode. When Locke joined the Gentlemen Bastards gang, his welcome dinner is a double portion of pears and sausage in oil. You can substitute the sausages with fresh chorizo or longaniza. Slightly under ripe pears are preferred because they roast up like potatoes.

It isn’t mentioned in the book but I added arugula and szechuan peppercorn to the dish. They both have unique peppery qualities that I think would resonate with Locke. When the Thiefmaker punishes Locke at Shades Hill, he forces him to drink fire oil, a sensation that he remembers later on as he drinks a ginger scald.

Things you'll need:
2 Anjou pears 2 hot Italian sausages 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn	1 tablespoon flour 1 cup broth 1 cup of arugula

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and core the pears.

Heat a cast iron pan on high heat.

Add the oil to the pan and sear the sausages for a minute on each side.

Add the pears to the pan and cook for another minute.

Turn off the stove and transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes.

Turn off the oven.

Place the arugula in a heat-safe bowl or platter.

Transfer the pears and sausage to the arugula platter.

Put the pan juices back on the stove on low heat.

Whisk the flour into the juices. If there aren’t any sausage juices, add a pat of butter.

Whisk the broth and peppercorn into the juices to make a gravy.

Strain the gravy and serve alongside the pears and sausages.

Crackling Toffee S'mores with Ancho Morita Marshmallow

The FeedFeed is hosting its 2nd annual s'more contest and we invite you to compete! All you have to do is follow @TheFeedFeed and @Ghiradelli on Instagram, then add the hashtags #Ghirardelli, #feedfeed & #contest to your post (not in the comments). The contest ends on September 3rd, 2018 at exactly 10:59 PM EST. Multiple entries are encouraged!

It came to me when I was researching English cracker toffee with saltines. What if I made a s'more with softer graham cracker toffee? It sounded like too much at once. Should I add nuts? How could I balance so much sugar? The answer: HOT SAUCE! My first iteration used a large, Jet Puff marshmallow. Then I tried mini mallows. But to get an exact square, I would have to do something different. I melted it down with butter as if I were making Rice Crispy Treats. Then I poured it into a sheet pan to cool off in the fridge. The result was a sheet of marshmallow that I could fold.

Things you'll need:
1 sleeve graham crackers 12 Ghiradelli chocolate squares 1 cup light brown sugar	1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon divided 1 bag of mini marshmallows 1 tablespoon Humble House Ancho Morita hot sauce a pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a saucepan, melt two sticks of the butter and the brown sugar. Stir to combine.

Line a quarter sheet pan with silpat or oiled parchment. Arrange the graham crackers in a single layer.

Once the sugar is bubbling, turn off the heat.

Pour the mixture over the crackers and put the sheet pan in the oven for 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and place the chocolate squares over the hot candy to melt it.

While you wait for the toffee to cool, melt the rest of the butter in a pot.

Add the marshmallows and stir on low heat until they melt completely into a smooth sauce.

Prepare another pan with silpat or oiled parchment paper. Pour the marshmallow into the center and spread it around evenly. Squirt the hot sauce in lines over the marshmallow.

Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before moving both pans to the fridge for another 15 minutes.

As best you can, break the toffee into squares. Save any broken bits for ice cream topping or snacks.

Pull up the edge of the marshmallow and fold it like an envelope over itself 3 times. Trim the edges and cut squares smaller than the toffee squares.

With a chocolate-side up, lay a piece of toffee on a heat-safe surface. Put a marshmallow in the center of the toffee.

Torch the marshmallow until it bubbles on all sides. Finish by placing another piece of toffee, chocolate-side down, onto the marshmallow.

Have you tried it? Let me know!

Getting Salty for the Summer

I’ve got a new salt bae! I’ve teamed up with Morton Salt to debut their Alexa app skill, “Morton Salting Sous Chef.” When enabled, you can ask Alexa to “Open Morton” and she’ll ask you what you’re cooking. Answer the prompts and she’ll share helpful tips for boiling, grilling and roasting. Here are two recipes that use Morton Coarse Kosher Salt in different ways to bring out better texture and flavor.

Grilled Butter Wings

Imagine KFC’s fried chicken without all the breading. I’ve substituted fresh herbs where I could and broke out the basil and thyme to sprinkle on the end to activate their essential oils with the heat emanating from the chicken. The magic of salt brining is that it keeps meats moist. I know it’s a pain to wait for food to marinate, but trust me, it’s worth it.

Things you'll need:
1 pound of chicken wings 1 cup buttermilk 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 4 1/2 tablespoons Morton Coarse Kosher Salt, divided 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, stems removed 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped	1 teaspoon oregano 1 tablespoon mustard 2 tablespoons paprika 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder 1/2 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon ginger, minced 1 tablespoon pepper

Brine the chicken wings in the buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of salt for at least an hour and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, mix the rest of the salt with the butter, oregano, mustard, paprika, garlic, onion, ginger, and pepper.

Start a grill or preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Drain the chicken wings from the buttermilk and grill for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. Brush them with the spiced butter every 5 minutes. They are done when they are no longer pink and have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Alternatively, bake the chicken wings from 20 to 25 minutes until they read an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Remove the wings to a platter and finish with the fresh basil and thyme.

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Firework Potato Salad

Light up the picnic table with this bright, crunchy potato salad. Instead of celery, I’ve added colorful rainbow chard stems to the mix. Boiling the potatoes with salt flavors them seamlessly so you don’t have to add more salt later.

Things you'll need:
2 potatoes, cubed 4 leaves Swiss chard and stems 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 spring onion ½ cup mayo	2 tablespoons mustard 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 lemon, zested 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup Morton Coarse Kosher Salt

Boil a pot of water with the salt. Once it is at a rolling boil, add the potatoes. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Turn off the heat.

Combine the garlic, half the onion, mayo, mustard, vinegar, lemon zest, juice, paprika and salt in a mixing bowl.

Quickly drain the potatoes and combine with the dressing. Fold in half of the swiss chard leaves and stems.

Place half the potato salad on a serving platter, cover with the remaining chard and pile the rest of the potato salad. Garnish the top with the last of the onions.

#MadewithLocalRoots: Mustard Crust Fingerling Potatoes

I learned an invaluable brunch trick from my time at Home/Made. Their potatoes are tossed in mustard and a variety of herbs before roasting to a crisp. I’ve come up with an easy version that uses up leftover salsa or the bottom of a hot sauce bottle. Serve hot or let it cool for a tangy potato salad for your next cook out.

Things you'll need:
1 pound fingerling potato, split lengthwise 1/2 cup mustard 1/4 cup salsa or hot sauce 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled	1/2 pound arugula 1/4 cup olive oil Salt Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the mustard, salsa and oil in a small mixing bowl. Toss in the potatoes and coat well. Lay the potatoes out in a single layer, cut side down on a baking sheet.

Generously salt and pepper the potatoes. Roast them in the oven for 45 minutes and up to an hour and a half, until their tops and undersides are browned. The mustard should have bubbled off and formed a crust on each potato.

BEFORE

AFTER

While you wait, toss the arugula with a spoonful of leftover mustard mix. Place in a serving bowl.

When the potatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves and peel them (or keep them on to make it a game for your guests! Haha!).. Real talk: depending on if your guests like garlic, leave them whole or chop it up and sprinkle over the bowl.

Place the hot potatoes over the dressed arugula, so they wilt.

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Tried it? Let me know how yours turns out by tweeting to @Randwiches.