The calming effects of sipping a hot cup of tea on a cold day allows you to slow down and take a moment for yourself. When many of us are at risk for getting sick or feeling run down during the holidays or during the change of seasons, a daily cup of green tea can have powerful effects on both your health and mental well being. A known superfood, green tea is said to be high in antioxidants, and its low levels of caffeine are said to help improve your mood, mental clarity, and focus. But for some, the grassy taste and vegetal aroma of green tea is not appealing to their taste palette. As an alternative, we have prepared a green tea soup that has all the benefits of green tea but in a delicate vegetable broth.

Lisa makes Masaharu Morimoto's Asari No Miso Shiru recipe from his book Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking and serves it in Gato Woodworks. Find her review of his cookbook here.

Lisa makes Masaharu Morimoto's Hijiki Seaweed recipe from his book Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking and serves it in Gato Woodworks. Find her review of his cookbook here.

Lisa makes Masaharu Morimoto's Tekka Don No Poke recipe from his book Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking and serves it in Gato Woodworks. Find her review of his cookbook here.

For the inexperienced Japanese food fan, preparing flavorful and impressive Japanese dishes in the comfort of ones home might as well be impossible. After all, to make it properly you need to master its subtle flavors and use techniques that could take years to master... right? As our Wholesale Manager Lisa learned, this couldn't be further from the truth. She shares her thoughts on Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto and her learnings while preparing a few select recipes and presenting them in Gato Woodworks.

As the winter cold sets in and the days become shorter, there is nothing more satisfying than drinking a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. Marshmallows are one of those sweets whose fluffy texture is somehow always magical. Pair this treat with matcha, and you have a combination of sweet and umami (savory) flavors that are perfectly balanced.