Hi! I am Shari Sweeney and
here on A Certain Aesthetic I’m serving you elevated food, mindful experiences and the beauty of living in Okinawa, Japan!
All in Recipes
We are in the full swing of summer which means we are indulging greatly in fresh foods and delicious salads! Whether you are picking fresh salad greens from your own garden or if you have a bag of spring baby lettuces, this Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Salad with Pumpkin Seeds is perfect to enjoy as a delicious summertime meal for brunch, lunch or dinner!
We’re back at it with another recipe in the #ACAinJapan series! Recently, I shared a blog post about the Japanese mortar and pestle called suribachi and surikogi. It’s such a beautiful and well-designed kitchen tool. I’ll be honest when I say that it would be a good idea to have one of these in your kitchen arsenal. The suribachi and surikogi serve as a vital tool in making today’s recipe, which is a Sesame Honey Miso Dip!
Happy Juneteenth!!! It’s been a wild ride this month filled with incredible protests, activism, personal sacrifices, thorough discussions, courage, strength, and so much more to shed light on the important fact that black lives matter. This month the act of celebrating Juneteenth is more powerful than ever before and I’m excited to take part in it this year all the way in Japan! I’m a proud black southern woman and I grew up enjoying delicious southern sweet tea on hot summer days. I remember adding lots of ice and even a little bit of water to dilute the sweet tea because at times our folks could be a bit heavy-handed with the sugar. Meaning that it can become pancake syrup in a glass lol! Today’s recipe is a Spiced Citrus Sun Tea with Mint and it is my loving homage to Juneteenth and the south!
There’s something so special about butter. It’s perfect on toast, adds a richness to sauces, browns baked chicken beautifully and so much more! Butter already seems perfect as is, however when you add herbs, spices, and other types of flavorful ingredients, it transforms into something amazing called a compound butter. Since we recently learned about delicious summer herbs, today’s recipe is a Summer Herb Compound Butter with Garlic and Lemon Zest!
When I go to Japanese restaurants, sometimes sunomono is served with the main course and it’s one of my favorite parts of the meal! Sunomono is a Japanese cucumber salad and it’s such a refreshing side dish, especially in the hot and humid summer months…
It’s Memorial Day weekend which means summer is officially here! This Sweet Basil & Cardamom Lemonade is bursting with refreshing summer vibes and I know you’re going to love it. Even though we are in the throes of a pandemic, you can still live the good life by allowing this drink to take you to a faraway place in your mind or in your backyard! ;)
The weather is beautiful right now and that means summer is quickly approaching! Even though we are the middle of a pandemic, it’s important to find ways to enjoy the coming of this new season. A great way to do that is to indulge in delicious grilled meat on a stick so these rosemary and lemon shrimp kabobs are perfect for this occasion!
Making your own vinaigrette is easy and delicious! In this recipe shallots are the shining star because they bring a small amount of bite due to their onion-like flavor and texture to the dressing. What’s special about this vinaigrette is that it’s well-rounded with a pop of brightness from the coriander seeds and it has a great mouthfeel…
