Super Delicious Superfoods!

Yumi Komatsudaira grew up in her family's seaweed shop, snacking on the green treats from her family's health-based culinary business. Here's how she describes it:

"Growing up with my sisters, our first playground was our family’s seaweed factory. We would run around playing and grab handfuls of seaweed to snack on. Even as children, we all loved the smooth silky texture of seaweed. It was my favorite snack as a child, so a healthy diet has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. All of these experiences inspired my career in cooking healthy food."

Now she shares the secrets of healthy eating that have guided the Japanese for ages in her beautiful new cookbook, Japanese Superfoods. In the book Yumi combines her extensive expertise with ocean vegetables and Japanese cooking to show you how to create simple, delicious, and super-healthy Japanese-style meals at home! You'll find power-packed, super-nutritive recipes like:

Red Quinoa Salad with Hijiki and Kabocha
My Grandma's Scattered Sushi Bowl
Napa Cabbage, Potato and Bacon Miso Soup
Edamame Hummus
Yakitori Grilled Chicken Wings
Okinawa-Style Braised Kombu and Pork
Matcha Cheesecake
Kombu Smoothies with Lemon Yogurt and Blueberries

Japanese Superfoods is out now wherever fine books are sold! And we are giving away an exclusive signed copy to a lucky winner on this newsletter list — so just send us an email to enter!

Check out some of the interior photos below, and order a copy of Japanese Superfoods today!

A Comic Book Artist Travels Japan!

In these times of limited or challenging travel, we could all benefit from an escape to another culture in book form. Audry Nicklin is a comic book artist who traveled Japan and kept an amazing journal — one you'll love to read and possibly emulate on your next trip!

Although she only had ten days to see everything she had dreamed of, Audry recorded some amazing sights. Armed with her watercolors and accompanied by her husband, Connor, she explored Hiroshima and its Peace Memorial Park; the famous red-gated shrine at Miyajima; Himeji Castle; neon-lit Osaka; the ancient temples of Mount Koya, Nara, and Kyoto; and the crowded streets and leafy parks of Tokyo.

The highlights of Audry's grand tour of Japan include:

Encounters with wild deer while visiting the famous Miyajima red gate
A visit to Hiroshima's Atomic Bomb Museum
Spotting geishas on the backstreets of Kyoto
A visit to the Tokyo graveyard where the famed 47 Ronin are buried
Tasting authentic dishes like sushi, okonomiyaki, ramen and Japanese BBQ.
Tips on getting around Japan by bullet train, local train, ferry, and bus!

With cute illustrations and entertaining commentary from the artist, this book will appeal to manga fans and anyone who loves Japan. And it may just be the perfect artful getaway for those who can't get away.

Here's a sneak peak:

You can preorder Audry's gorgeous book here. And if you want to enter for a chance to win a copy, plus a custom illustrated and signed bookplate, head over to our Instagram page.