Traveling, Food, and Connection. Hello Reader, It's Yukari! We’re back from Mexico, and before jumping straight into what’s next, we wanted to pause for a moment. This trip wasn’t about doing everything. It was peaceful, grounding, and full of small moments that stayed with us. 🇲🇽 What Mexico Reminded Us... We surprised our Spanish teacher and his wife by showing up at their school (a little tears were involved 🥹), reunited with a bar owner we’ve known since his 10-seat pop-up days, and...
18 days ago • 1 min read
🇲🇽Hello from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Hello Reader, It's Yukari! Quick hello from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! 🌴 When you read this email, we’ll be soaking up the sunshine in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The third place we’ve called “home” over the years.We also escaped cold Denver, Colorado, at the perfect time… right as an Arctic air mass was settling in for a few days. ❄️😅 🏡 Our Third Place We call “Home.” People often ask us why Puerto Vallarta means so much to us, so here’s the short version. I...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
A Quiet New Year at the Kitchen Table Hello Reader, It's Yukari! We hope your New Year is off to an exciting start!Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year, or did you skip it?No matter what you choose, we hope you reach your goals. We’re cheering you on! Japanese New Year Tradition In Japan, New Year’s food is more than just a meal. Each dish is a wish for the year ahead.There are long-held beliefs about eating a bowl of soba noodles on New Year’s Eve.Soba noodle soup is meant to wish...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Our Holiday Story Hello Reader, It's Yukari! We wish you a wonderful Christmas week! If you spent the holidays cooking, wrapping gifts, or hosting, we hope you find time to relax and enjoy yourself.The holidays can be beautiful and also exhausting.Pull up a chair at our kitchen table, and let us share our Christmas story with you. From Stress to Joy Years in restaurants, especially during the holidays, showed us how stressful the season can be for everyone.We witnessed more than just the...
2 months ago • 1 min read
A Bowl of Healing Hello Reader, It's Yukari! I’m keeping today’s note short because I’m feeling a little under the weather, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to share something warm and comforting with you. Whenever I don’t feel well, I always think of my grandma. I know chicken soup is the go-to comfort food in the U.S., but my childhood memories pull me somewhere different. (Don’t get me wrong, I love chicken soup too!) When I was little, my grandma made rice porridge for me whenever I...
2 months ago • 1 min read
The Soup That Teaches Us About Friendship Hello Reader, It's Yukari! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family! 🦃 And even though the world is in full “shopping craze” mode right now, I hope you can slow down for a moment and relax with us here at the Kitchen Table. 🧡 ✨ Building Our Own "Kitchen Table" Traditions Around the time Aric really fell in love with cooking, he was working in a high-end restaurant and considering culinary school. One day, he asked the chef...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Your Free Turkey Soup Recipe Is Inside 🧡 Hello Reader, It's Yukari! A Quick Reminder! Tonight (Sunday) at 5:00 pm, Aric and I are going live with our "FREE Thanksgiving Cooking Rescue Hotline," and you’re invited. 🧡 If your current plan is “I’ll just wing it and hope for the best,”Let us make it a lot easier. 😅 🦃 Join Us Live at 5:00 pm 👉 [Register for the live Q&A here] You can: Ask us anything about turkey timing, side dishes, or oven logistics! Get real-time help from a pro chef (Aric) and...
3 months ago • 1 min read
🦃 SPECIAL EDITION: Thanksgiving Rescue Hotline THIS SUNDAY! Hello Reader, It's Yukari! Quick heads up! If Thanksgiving already feels like it’s sneaking up on you… We’ve got you! This Sunday, 11/23 at 5:00 pm, Aric and I are hosting a FREE live Thanksgiving Cooking Rescue Hotline, and you’re invited! 🙌 Bring your questions.Bring your panic. Bring the “Wait… How long does a turkey take again?” moment.We’ll walk you through it, calmly, simply, and with zero judgment. Your kitchen stress stops...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Your Free Turkey Soup Recipe Is Inside 🧡 Hello Reader, It's Yukari! It’s almost the holiday season, and everywhere you look, retailers are shouting about Black Friday. But whether you're preparing for a cozy night in or hosting the whole crew, I hope you take a little moment to pull up a chair at our kitchen table today. 🧡 Marge’s Magic: How One Thanksgiving Changed the Way I Cook My first Thanksgiving with Aric’s mom, Marge, is burned into my memory (not the burned-down house I originally...
3 months ago • 2 min read