Hi, I’m Yukari! My husband, Aric, a talented chef, and I are on a mission to bring people together through the magic of cooking. We want to build a virtual cooking community where we share budget-friendly meal prep tips, host fun challenges, and teach classes beyond recipes—we tell stories of love, life, and even the lessons we learn from our fur babies. Yes, our Bernese Mountain Dog, Senna, the Dish Pit Pup, and our Ginger cat, Ka-En, the Sous Chef Kitten, are part of the journey too! We believe food is more than just fuel—it’s about connection, culture, and creativity. If you enjoy heartwarming stories, engaging Q&As, and cooking made simple, we’d love to have you in our community.🔪🍲 Join us to cook, laugh, and share the love—one meal at a time.
This One Lesson Changed How I Cook Forever 👩🍳⏲️
Salt, Hands, and a Japanese Potato SaladHello Reader, It's Yukari! Salt and your hands can change everything you cook. But first, I want to take you back to a little Japanese kitchen, where I learned the real magic of cooking… “The Potato Salad That Changed My Perspective” One evening, she made classic Japanese potato salad. I kept asking for more, and she’d laugh, But Terumi's lessons and our conversations were always like this. "How much mayo do you add?" "Oh, I don't know, until it all mixes well." Her recipe only made sense if you watched her. Everything was in her head, learned by doing. Every time I visited her, I'd ask, "I made the potato salad, but it wasn't like yours. What did I do wrong?" Those potato salad talks were more than cooking. Who showed you how to cook? Did the person have recipes written down, or was the person more like my friend, Terumi? ⏲️ The First Dinner of $100 Grocery ChallengeWe challenged ourselves to prepare delicious meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for the week with a budget of just $100 in groceries. Our first dinner? A celebration meal of fresh-roasted chicken thighs from the whole chicken, chilled green beans, and pan-roasted potatoes. 🍽️ 📹 "Roasted Chicken with Chilled Green Beans, Pan Roasted Potatoes, and Chicken Au Jus"Watch the whining Senna in the video at the end, it's adorable and hilarious! 🤣 🐶 👨🏻🍳 Chef's Tip from Aric (1-minute win): Ditch the shaker. Use a salt dish.A pinch from a small dish gives you control you’ll never get from a shaker. 📲 New on Instagram: “Tasting Spoon” Reel!It’s officially soup season 🍂 and Aric’s chef tip will level up your taste game. 👉 Follow us on our new Instagram @AricAndYukari
⏲️ PS: Our Weekly Custom Meal Prep Service is FULL!We can't thank you enough for being such loyal clients, for your support, and for your friendship! 🎄 P.P.S. We are now closed for private dinner parties for the rest of the year!Thank you so much for trusting our work and welcoming us to your special day! 🙏 But we'd LOVE to chat with you if you'd like to reserve us for your special day in 2026!
Thanks again for building this with us. With flavor, love, and stainless steel tongs in one hand, |
Yukari Bianchi
Hi, I’m Yukari! My husband, Aric, a talented chef, and I are on a mission to bring people together through the magic of cooking. We want to build a virtual cooking community where we share budget-friendly meal prep tips, host fun challenges, and teach classes beyond recipes—we tell stories of love, life, and even the lessons we learn from our fur babies. Yes, our Bernese Mountain Dog, Senna, the Dish Pit Pup, and our Ginger cat, Ka-En, the Sous Chef Kitten, are part of the journey too! We believe food is more than just fuel—it’s about connection, culture, and creativity. If you enjoy heartwarming stories, engaging Q&As, and cooking made simple, we’d love to have you in our community.🔪🍲 Join us to cook, laugh, and share the love—one meal at a time.
One Spoon, Big Change Hello Reader, It's Yukari! Today I’m thinking about the tiniest tool in the kitchen... a spoon, and how one taste can change everything you cook and share. It’s the thread that ties generosity to good food, the first nudge toward real hospitality. (Stick around for Aric’s chef tip at the end! 👨🏻🍳) But first… come with me to the kitchen where “Taste this” became the lesson I didn’t know I needed. “Taste This” Remember the Chawanmushi incident? That’s how I met Terumi, the...
A Whisper That Changed My Cooking. Plus Our $100 Grocery Challenge. Hello Reader, It's Yukari! Today, I want to rediscover what happened when Aric and I did $100 Grocery Challenge back in January 2025. (Remember? 🤣) Aric and I had fun doing it, and we learned some lessons along the way. I saved many things Aric talked about cooking during the time, and I can't wait to share his wisdom, too. But first... let me take you back to the kitchen that woke me up, kicked me out of bed, and taught me...
How Bento Making Burned Me Out (And What I Do Now Instead) Hello Reader, It's Yukari! Today, I want to show you how we do “batch cooking," inspired by our Mix & Match Meal Planner. It’s easy, flexible, and packed with flavor. 🥳But first... let me take you back to the kitchen that started it all. Cooking? That's for Adults...Right? A little after my grandma passed away, my mom was admitted to the hospital for testing. Suddenly, all the things I thought were for grown-ups, like cooking, landed...