Peter Cat

When we think of Murakami and drinks, we usually picture beer, whisky or strong coffee. But if you read closely, white wine in Murakami's novels turns up almost as often as red, and one bottle stands out: Chablis . Crisp, dry, cold and perfect with seafood, it quietly follows his characters through some of their loneliest and most important evenings. Who drinks white wine in Murakami's books? Our notes observe that many of his women prefer their white wine very cold. Male characters drink it too, in books such as Sputnik Sweetheart , 1Q84 and Killing Commendatore . When the men do, two things tend to be true. The wine is relatively inexpensive, nothing fancy, and they drink it when they want to build a small atmosphere for themselves, alone. A cold glass becomes a way to hold the evening still. That fits the broader Murakami Kitchen mindset we love: simple things done with care. If you want to cook along, try our spaghetti recipe or the cucumber sandwich , and open someth...

Autumn is cabbage roll season, and this one has a special history: stuffed cabbage rolls were on the menu at Haruki Murakami's own jazz bar, Peter Cat. In this Murakami Kitchen episode we make our version, with meaty, juicy rolls in a hearty broth garnished with fresh perilla. Hello, Harukists! This recipe needs some hand work, such as kneading, stuffing and rolling, but it is not difficult. If you enjoy time in the kitchen, it is for you, and if you just appreciate a good dish, it is also for you. Why autumn, and why Peter Cat Autumn sits close to my heart. I love the coloured leaves, the fall sweaters and the crisp air that brings new energy to an established routine, though shorter days make me look for seasonal cheer. So when I learned that Peter Cat used to serve hot cabbage rolls, I was elated. I will have my pumpkin latte and my steaming plate, please. For anyone new to the story: Murakami opened Peter Cat in 1974 in Tokyo, later moving it to Sendagaya, and ran it u...

As featured in: Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami Fall and Winter are the Seasons for Pancakes! Hello Harukists! Who’s ready for pancakes? It feels as if it were February just yesterday and we’ve already found ourselves in October! My husband and I are snuggled on the sofa these days, getting inspired for some Murakami-style cooking . It would be safe to say that fall is one of our favourite seasons. It is when we find excitement in homemade baking and take a step back from cold refreshers and salad bowls. For me, fall is winter’s way of opening the door a creak for Christmas baking– one of my favourite activities. But, you don’t need to whip-up an entire bowl of carrot-cake batter to enjoy fresh made goodness. We’ve got a pancake recipe to share that’s sure to satisfy your sweet-tooth! This recipe aims to do two things: bring to life the Rat’s pancake ensemble and fulfill your regular pancake craving. It takes the compelling pancake & Coca-Cola coupling and ad...

Spaghetti is probably the most famous dish in Haruki Murakami's fiction. In this Murakami Kitchen recipe, we make a rich, slow-simmered spaghetti sauce inspired by the pasta that shows up throughout his books. Spaghetti in Murakami's world Pasta is everywhere in Murakami's writing. It appears in Norwegian Wood , and it is how The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle begins, with the narrator boiling spaghetti when a mysterious phone call interrupts him. There is even a short story named after it, The Year of Spaghetti , about a period when the narrator ate little else, cooked alone. Our sauce is a complemented variation on the dish. Murakami's works are not cookbooks, and they were written long before anyone could google a recipe. It is easy to make a dish exactly as it appears in the book, but we want recipes that turn out delicious. In the end, the fun is putting together a new dish inspired by a Murakami novel. Ingredients Garlic (whole heads, ends trimmed), plus fresh...

Welcome to the first episode of Peter Cat's Murakami Kitchen , where we cook the dishes that appear in Haruki Murakami's books. Today's recipe is a cucumber sandwich, the one served in Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World . Our version adds a few extras, and it takes less than thirty minutes. Murakami mentions a lot of delicious food in his works, from the humble sandwich to elaborate home-cooked meals. How many of us have found ourselves craving a dish we never cared about before reading about it? Suddenly a bowl of pasta or a plain glazed donut sounds irresistible. The sandwich in the book In Hard-Boiled Wonderland , the narrator is working through a long stretch of work when an old man arrives with a large basket. “Brought you fresh coffee and sandwiches,” he says. “Cucumber, ham, and cheese. Hope that’s all right.” The narrator eats more than half of them himself, and agrees they really are tasty. Murakami never gives a recipe, so we...

Haruki Murakami does not have much of a sweet tooth, but there is one big exception: donuts. His affection for them runs through his essays and his fiction, and the more we look at it, the more it seems to be about something deeper than sugar. Today we are digging into the truth about Murakami's love for donuts, and why that circle with a hole in the middle keeps turning up in his work. Food as a language in fiction Many writers use food as a metaphor for happiness, desire, power, or even violence. Murakami is no different. In his novels, food carries the loneliness and sense of lack that his modern characters feel, and it tells us as much about them as the plot does. If you like this side of his writing, our Murakami Kitchen series, including the Coca-Cola pancakes , explores it further. Murakami has said that he sometimes wants to eat a donut for no reason at all, and he has a particular soft spot for Dunkin' Donuts. Donuts also appear in his writing, including a menti...