Maya's Blog
Notes from Maya on cooking, keeping recipes and feeding people. 27 posts, all of them free.
- Family recipes (4)
- Sushi (7)
- Chopsticks (4)
- Feeding people (2)
- Batch cooking and the freezer (6)
- From the kitchen (4)
Family recipes
4 postsHow to run a family recipe swap
An afternoon that gets a whole family's recipes written down at once. What to ask people to bring, and the...
In praise of cooking the same six things
Most good home cooks have a rotation of about six dinners. Why that is a strength rather than a rut,...
The shoebox problem: what to do with a pile of recipe clippings
Almost every family has one. A method for getting through it in an afternoon without throwing away the thing that...
Why I still write recipes out by hand
I work for a company with a website and I still keep my recipes on cards. Three reasons, one of...
Sushi
7 postsThe one thing that makes sushi rice stick
Rice is the only part of homemade sushi that genuinely needs care. Here is what actually matters, and the one...
Is supermarket fish safe for sushi? The honest answer
Sushi grade is not a regulated term in the US. What that means in practice, the one question to ask...
What is actually in a sushi kit, and what is padding
We make one, so read this with that in mind. Which pieces earn their place, which are filler, and why...
Sushi for a dinner party, without cooking during the party
Do not roll for your guests. Put everything on the table and let them build their own. A timeline, quantities...
Vegetarian sushi that is not just cucumber
Nine fillings that hold their own without fish, and the two techniques that make vegetable rolls taste like something rather...
Maki, nigiri, sashimi: what you are actually ordering
A short guide to the eight things you will meet on a sushi menu, what makes each one different, and...
Why your sushi rolls fall apart
Five reasons a roll bursts, and the one that catches nearly everyone: too much filling. What a correct roll actually...
Chopsticks
4 postsHow to hold chopsticks, properly, in about ten minutes
The bottom stick never moves. That is the whole secret, and almost nobody is told it. Four steps, plus what...
Chopstick etiquette: the two rules that actually matter
Most etiquette lists are twenty items long and nobody remembers them. Two rules are genuinely important and the rest is...
Disposable or reusable chopsticks? We sell both, so here is the honest answer
We make both, which means I have no reason to pretend one is always right. When each genuinely makes sense,...
Chopstick length is not a detail
Why cooking chopsticks are long, why Chinese ones are longer than Japanese ones, and how to pick the right length...
Feeding people
2 postsMake-ahead side dishes that actually improve overnight
Seven sides that are better on day two, three that must be made fresh, and how to plan a holiday...
How to feed eight people without a bad afternoon
The rule is one hot thing. Everything else is cold, made ahead, or bought. Quantities, a timeline, and the two...
Batch cooking and the freezer
6 postsOvernight oats, five ways, once you have the ratio
One ratio, five variations, and the two mistakes that make overnight oats gluey. Batch a week at a time in...
The Sunday hour that makes the whole week easier
Not meal prep. One hour of five small jobs that removes most of the daily friction, without committing you to...
Quick pickles: the thing that fixes a boring plate
One brine ratio, fifteen minutes, and almost anything in the vegetable drawer. The cheapest way to make ordinary food taste...
Sous vide without a vacuum sealer
The water displacement method costs nothing and works. How to do it in a reusable bag, what temperatures to use,...
Your freezer is a filing cabinet, not a cave
Freeze flat and file upright and you can see everything you own. The single change that stopped me throwing food...
Sunday batch cooking that still tastes good on Wednesday
Most meal prep fails on day three because everything was finished on day one. Cook components, not meals, and season...
From the kitchen
4 postsFive things I stopped buying for my kitchen
I work for a company that sells kitchen things, which is exactly why I am careful about what I own....
Maya from Albino monkey
Welcome! My name is Maya and I work for Albino monkey. Albino monkey® is an brand and an company selling best of the best...
Some useful tips to prepare a perfect sushi roll
Sushi is well known Japanese dish which is available all over the world these days. This dish is prepared by...
Get acquainted with the nutritional benefits of sushi
Majority of people are not aware of the nutritional benefits of sushi. Varieties of toppings and fillings are made for...
