Monthly Archives: April 2009

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Pizza: Easy French Pissaladiere

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Pissaladiere is the French version of the Italian Pizza.
It originated in southeast France.
The main difference is that it usually makes use for more vegetables and less cheese. Actually if it obviously does not look like a pizza, it can be called a pissaladiere!LOL
The merit of it is that it is usually lighter both in calories and taste.

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My youngest brother, Francois, came up with this simple recipe.
As he works for Areva and has to spend a week every month in the States I believe he has been “influenced”!
For the bread base, he used a large frozen filo-style sheet. He first covered it with onions, large shallots and garlic, which he had cut into thin slices and previously fried in olive oil. He then covered them with a generous amount of thinly sliced ripe tomatoes (this was the end of the summer). Plenty of ground black pepper, herbes de Provence (dried aromatic herbs), a little salt and some secret seasoning (up to you there!) and that was it!
Baked into a hot oven to the right crispiness, it made for a great snack with some heady red wine!

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (4): Auvergne

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France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the fourth of these sheets I’d like to introduce Auvergne.
Auvergne is an ancient land made famous by the Celtic tribe’s, the Avernes, resistance to Julius Caesar when he conquered Gaul.
It is also remarkable for a plethora of natural mineral water sources and spas first exploited by the Romans (who loved their baths).
It is still considered as the last wild region of France with its extinct volcanoes, bitter winters and hardy people.

One can see the following specialties on the stamp sheet:
-Salers Cheese from the Cantal
-Perigord black truffles
-Vichy sweets made in the same city of Vichy renown for its spas and mineral water.
-Salers cows which for great cheese and meat.
-innumerable fruit and nuts including chestnuts.

Plenty more, I guarantee you!
I almost forgot: One of the best trekking areas with plenty of inns and small restaurants vying for the best local food!

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Vegetables Facts and Tips (10): Egg plants/Aubergines

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The eggplant, aubergine, or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum. It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking. As a nightshade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato and is native to India and Sri Lanka.

That for the Wikipedia definition. The word Aubergine is mainly used in Europe. It comes in many shapes, sizes and even colours, but they share the same facts.

FACTS:
-Season: June to September in the Northern Hemisphere, but are available all year round thanks to greenhouse cultivation.
-Main beneficial elements: Potassium, Vitamin C and B1
-90% is water, but the skin contains a lot of polyphenols so useful against aging and arteries cleaning!
It is also of a great help to fight diabetes.

VARIETIES:

As mentioned above, aubergines come in many varieties, but Japa has come up with another interesting kind:
aubergines-mizu
“Mizu Nasu”, litterally “Water Aubergine”
It has the particularity that it can be eaten raw cut and served like sashimi! With miso, pickled plum flesh, wasabi or soy sauce, it opens all kindsof possibilities fro vegans, vegetarians and raw food lovers!

TIPS:

-Choose specimens with a deep colour, bright appearance and comparatively light weight.
-To preserve them, wrap them individually in cellophane paper before storing them in the refrigerator.
-Before cooking them, cut them and leave them in clear water util usage to prevent oxydizing.
If you want to fry them, cut them first and rub them with a lttle salt to take excess water out of them.

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (3): Aquitaine

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France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the third of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Aquitaine.
Aquitaine for a long time was an English possession thanks to Alienor of Aquitaine who after divorcing the French King married the English King (who was “French”, too) and brought one of the richest dowries at the time to a relatively poor nation.
As it is one of of the largest “regions” in France, the wealth of great food can be a bit overwhelming.
One can see the following specialties on the stamp sheet:
-Vineyards and wines (Bordeaux, naturally, but many, many more!)
-Perigord black truffles
-Cannelles de Bordeaux cakes which have been copied almost everywhere.
-Espelette chili peppers from Pays basque.

Not mentioned here are chocolate which was first introduced in the Basque country, too, but I will leave it to you to search for more. Plenty of work, I can assure you!

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TAKY’S classic Cakes (8): Framboise

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I have just discovered his new creation by talented Takuya Hanai and served to one of my students today.
I have to keep a constant lookout as this talented and still young patissier has a habit to offer new cakes almost every week.

This cake, Framboise, ia reminiscent of Fedora I introduced in an earlier posting.
Also fairly simple in concept, it is nonetheless a small gem:

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On a thin layer of chocolate chips-studded chocolate sponge, he first lay a layer of chocolate bavarois/mousse, then again, but twice as thick, a framboise/raspberry bavarois/mousse with a final layer of thick Raspberry sauce with a fresh raspeberry for the final touch.
The whole cake is “surrounded” with bicolor sponge for mpre personality.
Breaking through the whole and tasting the combination of the various tastes all at the same time reveals the sublime qualities of this other little marvel!

To appreciate with a great coffee or English tea!

TAKY’S
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-11-10
Tel.: 054-255-2829
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (2): Antilles/French West Indies

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France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the second of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Antilles or more commonly known the French West Indies.
One can see the following specialties:

-Seafood, especially lobsters
-Bananas

Now,the French West Indies are not that well known in spite of counting some big islands among them such as Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Fruit are a major export with exotic jams and fruit preserved in alcohol.
Did you know they produce some of the best and rarest rums in the world? These are called Rhum Agricole as they are distilled by farmers in rural areas!

Last but not least they are a major tourist resort with some great local culinary delights reminiscent of Creole Cuisine (this is actually its source!)

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/22)

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Today’s bento was “small” and could become a good suggestion for a small appetite!
The reason? The last few days I overate and overdrank myself and had been physically and mentally (that happens) very busy. When I woke up 5:30 the body just screamed a loud and painful “NO!”. This is a very rare occurrence and I will spare you form the details!

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Only two (fairly big) nigiri/rice balls of freshly steamed rice and shopped fresh ginger covered with white sesame seeds.
Very tasty, actually!

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The very simple salad consisted of my comfort food, tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette, Mini tomatoes, pois gourmands/wholly edible green peas, cress and pepper ham on a bed of chopped veg.

Large enough, I can guarantee you!

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French Gastronomy on Stamps (1): Alsace

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France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the first of these sheets I’d like to introduce Alsace.
One can see the following specialties:
-Baeckeoffe/the name means the “baker’s oven” in Alsatian as people brought to the baker to be cooked for three hours.
-Ginger Bread/Pain d’Epices
-Munster Cheese
-Bretzels

Now do you know other specialties from Alsace?

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Pizza: Bourgogne-style Escargots Pizza

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The Italian are not the only ones to make pizzas!
The French do to, and I have this very, very simple recipe for a Bourgogne-style pizza!

Prepare your own pizza dough, it’s so much better. Brush with plenty of tomato sauce (I recommend basil). Place plenty plenty of mozzarella slices all over it.
Next use frozen ready-made (or home-made. A good way to use any leftovers!) escargots with their butter. A few black olives, some ground black pepper, et voila!

Even my American friends won’t leave a crumb!

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Sushi Restaurant: Ginta

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Yesterday, I had the pleasure to introduce a “hidden treasure” to my friends Anselmo and Ticiana Zeri with Ticiana’s moter, Helda, who were on their 6th visit of Japan. Anselmo had found my blogs some time ago as he researched on Japan and had contacted me for more information.
Anselmo then decided it was grand time to visit Shizuoka Prefecture.
It was my pleasure to guide them for two days in and around Shizuoka City.
Yesterday I took them to Ginta, a minuscule Sushi restaurant not far from Yui Harbour famed for its sakura ebi/Cherry shrimps.
To cap it all we are in the middle of the season guaranteeing the best seafood available in this small city.

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Now, Mr. Hara’s restaurant is unassuming and can be easily missed. But I can guarantee you you do need to reserve if you venture there at lunch as hordes of tourists and businessmen from all corners of Japan make a point tocome just to savour the region’s specialties.

There are indeed many possibilities, and a very good, amost ridiculous prices.
We decided to sample the 3,000 yen sakura ebi full course:

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Raw Sakura Ebi, caught in the very morning in Suruga Bay.
Mr. Hara demostrated us how to recognize fresh Sakura Ebi. Take a few between two fingers. They should slip easily away!

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Boiled sakura Ebi salad. Great with Eikun, the local sake available in Ginta!

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Sakura Ebi lightly pickled in rice vinegar.

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Sakura Ebi in “Suimono/clear hot soup” style with tofu.

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Sakura Ebi Kakiage/Sakura Ebi Tempura. Extremely generous portions.

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The Kakiage is served with salt and matcha tea mixture. Perfect with tempura! We hust ate them with our fingers!

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Sushi set (part of the full-course!):
Tai/Seabream sushi served with its deep-fried scales between the fish slice and rhe rice.
Aji/Horesemackerel-Saurel with a dash of fresh grated ginger.
Kawahagi/Filefish with its flesh chopped in tartare style with its fresh liver in gunkan manner topped with a dash of fresh grated wasabi. A rare morsel indeed!
Sakura Ebi in gunkan manner topped with a dash of fresh grated wasabi.
Mr. Hara advised us not to dip the sushi directly into the soy sauce, but to “brush” it with a piece of pickled ginger (provided on the same dish) after having dippe it into soy sauce. “That will be just quite enough soy sauce!”, he added.

Actually, once mr. Hara has warmed up to a particular customer, he can become an incredible source of information that even fishmongers at Tsukiji would not be able to equal! I can guarantee you an interesting report next I go there to sample his local fish sushi sets!

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Now, what are these Sakura Ebi-shaped things?
This is another specialty of Yui: People there take the long antenna (three times as long as the body) and dry them in the sun after having “shaped them”. These will be used all year long crushed into powder over a bowl of freshly cooked rice!

Since the Missus gotextremely jealous of our little venture, you can expect a report soon!

GINTA
421-3111 Shizuoka Shi, Shimizu Ku, Yui cho, Imajuku, 165. (get off at Yui Station and walk to your right. Only a few minutes away)
Tel.: 0543-75-3004
Opening hours: 11:00~23:00
Closed on Tuesdays
Reservations on the telephone recommended!

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French Dessert at Rouge et Piquant: Dessert Blanc

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Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value
no-smoking-logo!

After I savoured Rouge et Piquant’s Dessert Rouge after such a long time, I just couldn’t help going there again for the second in a week to savour the other beauty called Dessert Blanc/White Dessert!

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Like Dessert Rouge it is a combination of two desserts:
The cake on its own is called “Cafe au Lait” and consists of a thin layer of Genoise short cake first overlaid with Milk and Vanilla Mousse, and then again with Coffee Mousse, the whole artistically topped with some cream and a chocolate ribbon.

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The second part was a feuillantine biscuit cup containing succulent caramel and vanilla ice-creams topped with almonds and another choclate ribbon.
A final note was added with meringue biscuits and chocolate sauce.

Once again, to be savoured with a good coffee!

Don’t forget there are more to savour: Chocolat Assortment: Chocolat mousse and Caramel Ice Cream + Chocolate Sauce. Assortment (800 yen).
I would also recommend the Entremets glaces at 600 yen (Profiterolle or Mille-Feuille).
Also gateau at 500 yen, Ice Cream at 500 yen. Very good teas and coffes (10 varieties).
Take out homemade biscuits (7 kinds). Birthday cakes on order.
Entirely non-smoking place!

Address: 420-0032 Shizuoka Shi, Ryogae-cho, 2-4-29, Aspis Bldg. 2F
Tel. & Fax: 054-2214358
Opening hours: 14:00~24:00
Closed on Mondays
Chef-Owner: Ms. Kanae Tsunogai

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Sashimi Set at Tomii (’09-04)

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For all my regular visits at Tomii, my favourite Japanese Cuisine Restaurant in Shizuoka City, It had been some time since I last introduced one of their seasonal sashimi plates!

I need little to say anything about the quality and presentation as they are perect as usual, so I’ll just describe the assortment:

Front row, left to right:
Sakuradai Seabream with a sllice of yellow carrot, Grated wasabi, Yari Ika/Calamari variety/Squid, Torigai/Surf Clam with fresh seaweed in front.

Second row:
Behind the shiso/perilla leaf, Aji/Horsemackerel-saurl from Kogawa, Shizuoka, Amaebi/Sweet Prawn, Ishidai Seabream with Shiao/Perilla flowers.

Third row:
Aka daikon/ red Daikon and various herbs, Honmaguro/Blue fin tuna.
Hoped you enjoyed the explanation as much as I enjoyed the taste! LOL

TOMII
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-274-0666
Business hours: 17:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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CHOCOLAT FIN’S CLASSIC CAKES (5): Fig Tile

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I just could not resist buying this latest creation by Chocolat Fin when I saw it! Measuring 12 by 14cm, the price tag of less than 10 US $ was just too much of a bargain! I can always cut it to size later for my students! LOL

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It is fairly simple in concept but certainly asks for professional flair and savoir-faire/skills!
It is first laid on a thin cooky tart base, then spread ove by a fairly thick layer of almond cream/marzipan containg bits of dried figs.

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The center was subsequently decorated with a generous amount of slices of dried figs “cut across the body”.
The whole was brushed with a generous amount of delicious apricot jam.
A delicacy reminiscent of the Middle East, Turkey and Northern Africa!

To be savoured with a great coffee!

Chocolat Fin
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo Machi, 1-3-7 (2 minutes walk from Shin Shizuoka Center)
Tel. & fax: 054-2516321
Business hours: 10:00~20:00

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English Sake Brewer Master in Japan: Phillip Harper (2)

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A lot has been written and will be written both here in Japan and abroad on Phillip Harper as he has, with the likes of John Gauntner, Timothy Sullivan and Melinda Joe, established himself as one of the references proving once for all that Japanese sake has at last expanded beyond the confines of this island for the good of all.
It is only a question of time when sake breweries will become a part of life like wine and beer abroad as demonstrated by the five existing branches of large Japanese breweries in the United States employing a full American staff and Moto I, the entirely owned and run American Sake Brewery.

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What makes the difference is that Phillip has gone as far as becoming the only foreign sake “toji”/master brewer in a Japanese brewery, namely Ki no Shita Brewery in Kyoto Prefecture!
An Oxford graduate hailing from Cornwall, it took him 18 years of sheer courage and guts to break into the closely guarded world of Japanese sake to gain recognition and earn his master brewer status in 2001.
The media (including The Los Angeles Times) finally take good note of his achievements when he was formally asked by Owner Yoshito Kinoshita to become his new Master Brewer (incidentally Phillip had already held that position in Osaka for two years).

This the second of the three bottles I received from his fans in Tokyo. That particular one was sent to me by Etsuko Nakamura.

Kinoshita Brewery, TIME MACHINE Tamagawa
Dryness: -72
Acidity: 3.2 (very high compared to Shizuoka)
Rice milled down to 88%

Clarity: Slightly smoky (nothing wrong with this as it contains some lees)
Colour: Rich gold
Aroma: Powerful. Fruity. Plums
Body: Velvety
Taste: Powerful. Strong and pleasant attack. Complex. Flowery and fruity: plums and mirabelles. Memories of coffee beans and almonds.
Bitter chocolate peaking out later.
Liquorish with a hint of acidity.

Overall: I’ve been accused of not beingvery lyrical in my comments, whatever my feelings towards a wine or sake in spite of my great love for them. I suppose I’m too old to change! LOL
I waited until the very last glass (note, galss, not cup!) before writing my impressions.
Frankly speaking, an unknowledgeable person could be easily fooled into believing into thinking he is drinking wine! What with the bottle shape, the colour of the sake and the quaint label!
Liquorish, but not tart or overwhelming, I slowly savoured it like Sauternes or sweet white Port.
With plenty of translated explanations, it should hit the palate of some vaunted “tasters” anywhere in the world!

PHILLIP’S NOTES:

“We also do a barking mad sake called Time Machine that is made in the style of the Edo Period. Etsuko took a shine to it last year. We pressed this year’sTime Machine last week: specs are

SMV -70, Acidity 3.4, Amino acids 7.3, Alcohol 16.6.”
(Specs seem to vary with what is written on the labels)
Phillip later commented:
“The discrepancy in the data is because you drank last year’s
(slightly diluted) version: I gave the specs for this year’s
genshu – which, for your information, is already more deeply
coloured than the bottle you drank, only a week after pressing.”

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/21)

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Yesterday’s bento was a simple sandwich pack as I wa too busy to eat a proper bento in tranquility.
Today’s lunch was definitely of the traditional kind:

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I’ll talk about the rice later.
The meat are thin slices of pork oven-cooked in sauce and sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The sauce was typical Japanese soy based and spicy.
The “greens” you can see in the left bottom corner are actually wasabi pickles.
I bought some fresh wasabi leaves and flowers last night and the Missus pickled them immediately. They have a nice hot spicy taste, but not as strong as the root. Scooped little by little with rice,they are simply succulent.
The vegetables were cooked in the oven (3 minutes): renkon (lotus roots, which are just in season), shiitake, three color pimentoes.
The salad is a potato-pepper ham-cucumber-capers combination with a lettuce leaf.

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The rice was “shooga maze gohan”/rice steamed with shredded fresh ginger (which are just appearing on the markets!) and later mixed with white sesame seeds. I must admit it is particulary delicious, and I often request it in season!

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The extra salad consisted of smoked salmon on a bed of shredded veg and some fresh cress.

No dessert… oh well, the Missus has started that habit of fondling my love handles!

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