Hi, I’m Yukari! I’m a home cook married to Aric, a talented chef, and together we share practical, encouraging kitchen content for people who want to cook more at home without feeling overwhelmed. We believe food is more than fuel. It can be comfort, connection, creativity, and a small way to care for yourself and the people you love. Here, you’ll find budget-friendly cooking ideas, meal prep help, relatable stories, and simple encouragement to help home cooking feel more possible in real life. And yes, you’ll also occasionally meet Senna, our Bernese Mountain Dog, and Ka-En, our ginger cat, who are very committed to supervising everything we cook. 🐶🐱 If you’re looking for cooking that feels more doable, cozy, and joyful, welcome.
Food Creates Memories... 🧡
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Hello Reader, It's Yukari! I hope you had a beautiful Easter and got to enjoy a little spring sunshine. Food, Connections, and MemoriesLast Easter Sunday, Aric and I were invited to our clients’ Easter crab boil party, and it was one of those gatherings that reminded me why food matters so much. We talked, laughed, and ate a lot. And at one point, I found myself thinking: Food creates memories. An Important Thing I Learned After Our 14-day Reel ChallengeThat same feeling came up again while Aric and I were working on our 14-day Reel challenge. Even while filming, we found ourselves talking more, laughing more, and enjoying the process more than I expected. What Does Cooking Mean to You? Cooking is more than just getting food on the table. It can be about connection. Whether it’s a holiday crab boil with friends, a simple meal at home, or even trying something new together in the kitchen, food has a way of bringing people closer. We’ve seen that in our private dinner parties. Sometimes people ask us cooking questions while we’re serving dinner. It’s about the feeling around it. That’s why I believe people aren’t only hungry for good food. They’re hungry for connection, too. And food helps create that connection. Before you go, I’d love to know: What does cooking mean to you most right now?
What’s one food memory you’ll never forget? I’d love to hear from you. It always makes my day to read your stories about how food has brought you and your loved ones together. 🧡 |
The Kitchen Table with Aric and Yukari
Hi, I’m Yukari! I’m a home cook married to Aric, a talented chef, and together we share practical, encouraging kitchen content for people who want to cook more at home without feeling overwhelmed. We believe food is more than fuel. It can be comfort, connection, creativity, and a small way to care for yourself and the people you love. Here, you’ll find budget-friendly cooking ideas, meal prep help, relatable stories, and simple encouragement to help home cooking feel more possible in real life. And yes, you’ll also occasionally meet Senna, our Bernese Mountain Dog, and Ka-En, our ginger cat, who are very committed to supervising everything we cook. 🐶🐱 If you’re looking for cooking that feels more doable, cozy, and joyful, welcome.
Hello Reader, It's Yukari! Some of you met Aric's mom, Marge, here last year. The woman who put a turkey in the oven and then took me shopping. (If you're new: she was a force. She could cook, sew, garden, and tell the funniest stories, usually all at the same time.)And about the morning after my first Thanksgiving. The soup she made from the bones, with dark meat and tiny acini di pepe. The little turkey sliders she set out during the football game. Salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. That's it....
Hello Reader, It's Yukari! When I first moved to Colorado, there weren’t many of us here. Not many Japanese people, not many Japanese restaurants. A few, scattered, if you were willing to drive. And the ingredients I’d grown up with were mostly not available at all. This was long before you could order anything from anywhere. So if I wanted the food I missed, I had to make it. And if I wanted to make it, I had to make it out of what Colorado actually had. That’s where I learned it. Not from a...
Hello Reader, It's Yukari! It was a last-minute decision, but I went to visit my dear friend in Japan for two weeks. (I talked about her in this email newsletter, too. Read ➡️ The Teacup that Broke Me) Now I’m back from Japan. Before the jet lag wears off and everything starts to feel normal again, I want to tell you about an embroidered T-shirt. It cost 5,900 yen, which is about 38 US dollars, at a souvenir store. Fujin and Raijin T-shirt had gorgeous embroidery on the back with Fujin and...