Tamagoyaki: Ciboulette & Cherry Shrimps

For once, the Missus accepted I took pictures while she made a batch of tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette since yesterday was a national holiday and we had decided to take it as easy as possible for the whole day!

Unforunately I can’t say that the pictures are very good, as I had little time to take them in the dark kitchen with a mobile phone. A real camera would have taken too much time, and eggs cook quickly!

The Missus used 3 eggs for the whole tamagoyai. She beat them with some water (3 tablespoons), a little milk (1 teaspoon), salt ( a pinch) and sugar (1 teaspoon).

Instead of making them plain with the above ingredients, she added plenty of chopped ciboulette/chives that the Japanese have come to grow recently.
She included the sakura ebi/cherry shrimps I had bought at the local supermarket while she was having a rest (she spent the day clearing things at home, her notion of taking it easy for the day!) after having added some sake to them.

She served them with a little momjioroshi/grated daikon with chili pepper.
Next time she makes them it will be easier to convince her to write a posting on them as I’m planning to help her with her own (Japanese) blog!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
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Foodbuzz Friend Bloggers Roundup

April 29th being a National Hoiday in Japan, I’m taking the opportunity to check all the links to Friend Bloggers I have referred to for the past 3 years since I started blogging (websites I had started back in 1999 had unfortunately to go with the times!).
It was somewhat a gratifying surprise to discover that the greatest majority of these friends was still very active.

I do have a crowd of friends I have either discovered through Foodbuzz or who later joined the fun. It would be impossible to cite them all, but I would like to thank all and eveyone for enriching my everyday life.

The following friends are special among special and I would like to recommend them as they deserve special attention for obvious and more obscure reasons (there will be other roundups!):

Warren Bobrow: Financier turned gastronomic journalist!

5 Star Foodie: A happy Marriage of Ukrainian and American (and World!) Culinary Delights!

Bread + Butter: The foodie journalist and film director!

Jefferson’s Table: For the love of Jefferson Airplane!

Oyster Culture: A shared love! Hubby is going to kill me! LOL

Gourmet Fury Foodie Fury out of control in Vancouver!

Zoy Zhang: Amazing Zhang!

Hungry Neko: Cats can be gastronomes!

Frank Fariello: The lawyer reminiscing on his Mum’s Italian Recipes!

Mangantayon: Another Shizuoka Foodie!

Hapabento: For the love of Bento!

Elinluv Tidbit Corner: Indonesia forever!

Tokyo Terrace: One ot the Tokyo Tribe!

Maison de Christina: Taiwan forever!

Chrys Niles: Ever an enhusiast!

Lexi: Star-studded!

Culinary Musings: For the love of Hubby!

Wheeling Gourmet: Never Say Die!

Comestiblog: Beware of that one! LOL

Chronicles Of A Curious Cook: Curiousity is a quality!

Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass: One of the Tokyo Tribe!

Tokyo Foodcast: One of the Tokyo Tribe!

Palate To Pen: Wine forever!

Hilah Cooking: The Laughing Instructor!

More than a Mount Full: Would like to invite that friend to Mount Fuji!

Arkonite Bento: For the Love of bento!

Island Vittles: Being stranded on an island does not prevent one from being a great cook!

Skewer It! : For the love of yakitori!

Good Beer & Country Boys: For the love of Beer!

Rubber Slippers In Italy: Growing Shiso in Italy!

Color Food daidokoro/Osaka: One of the Osaka tribe!

The Witchy Kitchen: Always had a soft spot for witches! Check The Life Of A Dragon and you will understand why!

Citron Et Vanille: Vive la France!

Please check the new postings at:
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Cheese Souffle: The Basic Recipe

After being asked about my cheese souffle by a new Foodbuzz friend, I thought it was about time I re-post the recipe for this French classic.
Sorry, as I was caught a bit off my guard I had only and old pic of my cooking available. Let’s hope I will come another one soon!

When you mention the word “Souffle”, the first reaction you get is: “Too difficult!”. It is actually dead easy, and I can tell you that some restaurants make an enormous profit from them!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people
Eggs: 4
Flour: 50g
Butter: 50g
Milk: 300cc
Shredded cheese: 100g
Salt
White Pepper
Nutmeg
Thyme
Laurel

RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Butter well the inside of a (possibly round) deep oven dish (about 18cm x 8cm). This will help the souffle rise and prevent it fom sticking.

Separate egg yolks from egg whites.
In a large bowl add a little salt to whites and beat them until solid.

On a small fire, prepare a Bechamel sauce (white sauce):
Melt butter completely, pour in flour and mix well with spatula until smooth. Pour in milk and mix well (diffferent people have different techniques, but I found that the best technique is to mix half of the milk little by little first, then pour in the rest and use a whisker to make a smooth sauce). Add salt, pepper and spices. Keep stirring gently.

Once the sauce has thickened to the point of almost solid, take off the fire (or switch off the fire).
Mix in the egg yolks with a spatula until colour is even. Then proceed the same way with the cheese little by little until mixture comes smooth off the spatula.

Check that the whites have not gone back to liquid (That happened to me quite a few times, so make sure to check! In such a case, just beat them again. They will go back to a satisfactory state quite fast.). Mix in half first as delicately as possible with a spatula (not a whisker, or you will break the air bubbles in the whites and the souffle will not rise!). Then do the same with the second half. Pour in the mixture in the dish and put in the oven to bake for 45 minutes ( although that depends with every oven). To check whether the souffle is properly cooked, insert a thin wooden stick or knife deep into the souffle. It should come out smooth.

Before serving, make sure that everybody is at the table before serving. ” The guests wait for a Souffle, a Souffle does not wait for the guests!”

NOTES:

-1) This souffle can be cooked in individual dishes. In that case the cooking time shall be about 30~35 minutes.
-2) Instead of cheese you could use tinned tuna (2 x small cans), or fresh spinach (one bunch; boil it a couple of minutes in salted water first, then drain thouroughly, and mince it as thinly as possible), or crab (add a little brandy to it and mix beforehand), or thin short narrow strips of ham, or even ham & cheese. The variations are endless!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2010/04/28)

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin
bryan-sayuri.gif

Seasonal Releases; Golden Week Taproom Hours; Nakameguro Taproom 2-Year Anniversary

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The annual Japan Golden Week holiday is just around the corner and we are kicking it off with the release of three distinct spring seasonal beers: Four Sisters Spring Bock, Temple Garden Yuzu Ale, and Love Potion Ale.

Four Sisters Spring Bock (ABV 7%): This is a heavily wheated German-style Maibock brewed annually for spring release. It is bready, wholesome and extremely refreshing given its strength. It is available both in kegs and bottles (633 ml).
Temple Garden Yuzu Ale (ABV 6%): Yuzu is a Japanese citron fruit the aroma of which is gorgeously spicy and the flavor lemon-like tart. This sprite, snappy ale is fruited with yuzu and hopped in a complementary way. It is a perfect spring libation. It is available also both in kegs and bottles (633 ml).
Love Potion Ale (ABV 7%): Good beer is the lubricant to many wonderful things, none more important than love. Baird Beer and The Taproom played a lubricating role in last year’s matrimony struck between two great friends and patrons — Seiji and Naomi. Love Potion Ale, dark in color and strong in alcohol, is surprisingly sprite and wonderfully aromatic. It is at once playful and provocative yet strong and substantive — much like the love in a good relationship. Enjoy a pint in toast to Seiji and Naomi and their one-year anniversary! Love Potion is available draught-only in very limited quantities.
All three of these spring seasonals will be available beginning Friday, April 30.

Golden Week Taproom Hours

2010 Japan Golden Week kicks off for many this Thursday, April 29 with the the national holiday called Showa Day. All three Taprooms will be open from noon that day. Normal business hours will be observed on Friday, April 30. Then, from Saturday, May 1 through Wednesday, May 5, each Taproom again will open at noon. The Numazu Fishmarket Taproom will be closed for business on Thursday, May 6.

Please plan on spending a part of your Golden Week holiday with us at one of our Taprooms, drinking terrific beer and enjoying the warm camaraderie.

Nakameguro Taproom 2-Year Anniversary Celebration

The Nakameguro Taproom opened its doors for business on Saturday, May 10, 2008. It will be celebrating its 2-year birthday on the weekend of May 8-9 (Saturday-Sunday). During this 2-day party, Baird Beer will be served at low Numazu-prices and a wonderful all-you-can-eat buffet will be available for the hungry at 1,500 yen per person. Sayuri and I will be in attendance on Saturday helping to tap a very special 2-year anniversary ale (details forthcoming shortly). Please mark your calendar and plan on joining us for the festivities.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE


The Japan Blog List

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
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Yakitori Cutting Techniques 7: Shiri/”Hips”

Shiri is often called “hips” in Japanese language. Actually it means bottom/derriere!
I still remember my Mum reserving that morsel for herself every time she roasted a whole chicken: “le cul est pour moi! The ass is for me!” LOL
In any case a healthy chicken should have a prominent “tail”! bear in mind it is not all fat as the chicken need themuscles to strut along its tail erected!

As shown on pic above, insert the knife and cut around the small bone and the meat attached to it.

Cut the fat around the sphincter/anus and discard it together with the sphincter.

Do that operation on both sides. Look at the pic above: you will discard the pieces of fat below the cut hips.

Insert the stick/skewer in the meat passing it just under the bone.

The stick is ready. The bone is a bit hard but succulent with the fat around it.

Now, if you don’t want the bone, cut around the bone as carefully as possible laving no meat or fat with it.

When instering the stick in the cut pieces, respect the same order skin fat/meat for even cooking.

Here are the complete sticks of boneless hips.
Now bear in mind they will cook faster and look smaller!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

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Fruit Cocktails by Wataru Matsumoto 4: Blueberry

Service: very professional and friendly.
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall.
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Fruit cocktails. Cozy and a comfortable, for ladies and gentlemen alike.

This is the fourth recipe of a (hopefully long) series of cocktails concocted by Wataru Matsumoto, owner/bartender at BOTANICAL (Comfort bar) in Shizuoka City.
No worries about copyrights as Mr. Matsumoto is only too happy to share his secrets!

INGREDIENTS:

-Bombay sapphire Gin: 1 standard measure
-Lanka Yoghurt Liqueur: 1 teaspoon
-Monin Myrtille Blueberry syrup: 1 teaspoon
-Cranberry juice: 1/2 standard measure
-Fresh blueberries: 6~
-Ice: 1/2 cup

RECIPE:

-Drop all ingredients in a food processor and turn until you obtain a rough kind of “smoothie”.

-Pour in medium white wine glass.

-Cut a large blueberry half way and “plant” it on the edge of the glass.

COMMENTS:

Not as sweet as one would imagine, but still a dessert of a cocktail!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Warren Bobrow
Tokyo Terrace

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Shizuoka Sake
Shizuoka Shochu
Shizuoka Sushi
Sizuoka Gourmet

Shizuoka SakeTasting: Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Takasago Premium Yamahai Dai-Ginjo Genshu Nama

Fuji-Takasago Brewery certainly makes for long titles!
Located in Fujinomiya City, it is not truly a completely local brewery as it has been absorbed in a bigger conglomerate of the same name.
On the other hand, regular staff are local and the concept of sake brewing is very much according to the Shizuoka tradtion and tastes.

This particular bottle is pretty rare as only 30 (720 ml) of them were made before the rest of the batch was modified with water and more sterilization.

The sake was brewed according to the Yamahai method.
Although it is not a junmai (alcohol was added), it is a genshu, meaning than no pure water was further added to lower the alcohol content. Moreover it is a “nama”, meaning unpasteurized.

Fuji-Takasago Brewery-Takasago Premium Yamahai Dai-Ginjo Genshu Nama

Rice: Yamada Nishiki 100%
Rice milled down to 50%
Alcohol content: 18~19 degrees
Bottled in March 2010
Limited edition: 30 (720 ml) bottles

Clarity: very clear

Colour: Transparent

Aroma: Fruity, complex, fleeting, Pineapple, coconuts.

Body: Fluid

Taste: Sweetish attack. Turns dry and deliciously acid very quickly.
Complex. Cherries, coconuts, mirabelles, pineappple.
Fades away very quickly with notes of bitter chocolate, apricot, coffee beans and dry almonds.
Surprisingly mild for such a high alcohol content.
Holds its own so well with any food.

Overall: Surprisingly elegant for a Yamahai.
No wonder so many breweries in Shizuoka are tackling this kind of sake judged “rustic” in other Prefectures. Shizuoka yeast influence?
Most probably.
Another sake for all seasons, to be appreciated at all temperatures on its own or with food, chilled, at room temperature or “nurukan” (40~45 degrees)!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Warren Bobrow
Tokyo Terrace

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/31): Johoku Park Bento

Today’s bento has been named “Johoku Park Bento” because the Missus who had a day off yesterday called me during the afternoon to join her for a walk in Johoku Park during a break at work. I actually had to bicycle there first. LOL.

But it was defunitely worth the trip.
Johoku Park is located by the new Shizuoka Municipal Library and it is the ideal place to stay away from the bustle of city, but still within manageable distance. On the other it gest crowded on Holidays.

One can freely choose his/her right spot for a deserved rest and meal.
If it rains, no worry as there is great cafe called Tables Spoon nearby (I’m planning a post on it)!

The Missus did work a lot preparing today’s bento.

She had concocted the meat balls with minced beef and pork and bits of lotus ro0ts the night before before frying them this morning. The lotus root provided for a welcome crunchy bite. Tomatoes are sweet and grown in Shizuoka. As for the peas in their pods, they come from her family’s garden.

She added chopped red pimento and string beans (boiled) and cheese to the tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette (very soft and yummy). Lettuce and Kyoto-style red pickled cucumbers provided the colours and fibers.

The “mame gohan”/rice and green peas has an interesting story.

She first boiled the green peas inside their pods.
She discarded the pods but used the water she boiled them in to steam the rice, giving it plenty of nutrients and a beautiful colour.
She mixed the boiled peas with the rice only once the rice was steamed. If you steamed together the peas will become mushy.

For dessert fresh orange from her family’s garden and canned Chinese lychees!

Next time, if the weather is fine (it was a horror today…), I plan to take my bento to the park!

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

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TAKY’S classic Cakes (10): Chocolat Orange

Talented Takuya Hanai at Taky’s has come up with a new creation that I had the pleasure to share with a student of mine. (No wonder I have problems slimming down. LOL)
Mr. Hanai does delve into grand demonstration of his start, but keeps to perfect ingredients served in a simple and beautiful manner. It goes the same with names: he simply called this cake “Chocolat Orange”.

The cake lies on a base of spongy biscuit made with hazlenuts offering a delicate crunchy bite to the general softness of the cake.
The first mousse/bavarois layer is made with milk chocolate while the second tier is orange mousse/bavarois.
The topping is orange marmelade jelly with pieces of orange rinds/zests and a couple of green pistachio nut halves.

Great colours and sublimely simple in taste!

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

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, While My Sautoir Gently Sweats, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

Please check the new postings at:
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Japanese Cuisine: Meat Balls, Chinese Cabbage & Rice Vermicelli Soup

The Japanese are very fond of two culinary delights, namely dango/団子 or meat balls and haruzame/春雨(Spring Rain) or rice vermicelli.
They do make for great and simple combinations.
How about the following one:

Meat Balls, Chinese Cabbage & Rice Vermicelli Soup

INGREDIENTS: For basic recipe. You can multiply it at will!

-Chinese cabbage: 6 leaves
-Pork belly: 80 g
-Chicken lean breast: 60 g
-Panko/breadcrumbs: 1 tablespoon
-Japanese sake: 1 tablespoon
-Fresh (if possible) ginger juice: 1/2 teaspoon
-Rice vermicelli/Haruzame (dry weight): 20 g
-Egg (beaten): 1/2
-Water: 3 cups/600 cc/ml
-Chicken bouillon: 1 cube or as appropriate, crumbled into powder.
-Salt: 1 teaspoon (can be varied according to preferences and priorities)
-Pepper: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Chop the core of Chinese cabbage finely, and cut the leafy part in 5 cm square pieces.

-Humidify lightly the panko/breadcrumbs with lukewarm water if coarse. Us them as they are if they are fine.

-Drop the pork belly and chicken lean breast in a food processor and mince. Add the sake, panko/breadcrumbs, ginger juice, beaten egg and a little salt. Mix.

-Soften the rice vermicelli in slightly salted lukewarm water and drain.

-In a pan pour the water. Add cut Chinese cabbage, salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Cover with lid and cook over a small fire until the Chinese cabbage has become translucent.

-Fashion balls with the processed meat. Add to the Chinese cabbage and cover with lid. Cook over small fire for up to 20 minutes.

-Add the rice vemicelli and cook for 3 more minutes.

-Serve as shown in above picture.
Add some finely chopped thin leeks for a “green” finishing note!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento

Please check the new postings at:
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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/30): “Canned Bento”

The title “Canned Bento” is only a joke. It just pointed out to the good use of canned food in a bento!

Now, what is the fish laying on the rice?

This is where the title, “Canned Bento”, comes into play!
The Japanese are very good at canning food, especially fish (Shizuoka is a major canning area). They do it more or less along traditional European process (did you know that the French were the first to successfully can food?), although their tins are definitely smaller and seasoning is far more varied.

The Missus used a small Japanese (it is also very popular in South Korea) can of “sanma/秋刀魚/Pacific saury:

Sanma/Pacific saury is a very fat red-meat fish and its marinade makes for a delicous seasoning on the freshly steamed rice.

Roasted sesame seeds ‘”yellow and black”) were added for futher seasoning.

Lightly fried lotus root slices, home-made pickles myoga ginger and wasabi plants made fro the rest of the “staple” dish.

The “salad dish” as usual was every colourful!

Shizuoka winter orange for dessert with trevise lettuce, sliced/chopped red radishes, celery (Shizuoka-grown) and plum tomatoes (Shizuoka-grown).

Boiled string beans (they were first introduced in Japan by the French over 100 years ago) and boiled shrimp salad!

Just wondering what I’m going to call tomorrow’s bento. LOL.

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES:

Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen

Please check the new postings at:
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Italian Cuisine: Appetizers at Acqua Di Fonte

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: very clean all around
Prices: reasonable
Specialty: Central and south Italian-style cuisine. Very reasonables prices. Very reasonably-priced wines.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking at tables and most of the counter!

As I said before, I’ve found over the years that in Japan, and especially Shizuoka, that it is more fun to ask for a few appetizers with a couple of glasses of good wine at Italian Restaurants (mind you, the same would apply to Spanish Restaurants and izakayas!) than to go for the full course repeatedly in the same restaurant.
When a good and unpretentious restaurant like Acqua Di Fonte in Shizuoka City agrees to it, it is simply great fun!

Italian salami and mortadella.

Timbalo di Spaghettini, French washed type cheese Luccolon, Zucchini Flan and home-made lard on Bruschetta in the middle.

Marinated paprika, mint-flavored grilled kabocha, and marinated and sauteed radicchio.

Simple, healthy, yummy and fun!

ACQUA DI FONTE Antica Osteria
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 1-10-10, Pia Takajo, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-6440
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 18:00~22:00
Closed on Wednesdays and first Tuesday
Credit cards OK

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento, Happy Little Bento

Please check the new postings at:
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Tofu & Vegetable Juice Cake

The great thing about tofu is that you can devise simple and yummy food with few ingredients and little money!

Here is a simple recipe for a healthy cake for adults and children”

Tofu & Vegetable Juice Cake!

INGREDIENTS: For an 18 cm wide mold

-Real 100% vegetable juice: 400 g
-Tofu (Silk tofu): 300 g
-Sugar: 50~80 g
-All-purpose flour: 100 g
-Eggs: 2

RECIPE:

-Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

-Line the mold with an oven baking paper sheet.

-Drop the vegetable juice, tofu, sugar and eggs in a food processor. Mix until smooth.
Add flower and mix again until smooth.

-Pour the lot into the oven mold and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30~40 minutes.

-Let cool completely.

-Take out the mold and place on a serving dish. Chill it properly inside the refrigerator.

-Cut to size and serve.

-Decorate it with chatilly (beaten cream) cream.

-You can experiment with the taste with liqueurs and so on!

Easy, ain’t it?

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Tea Time! Green Tea Season Has Started in Shizuoka!

Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all tea in Japan and 70% of the total national production is also traded in our Prefecture!

As I was going to take my train to University at Shizuoka JR Station, a major and very busy station in Japan, I noticed the Shizuoka Green Tea stand in the middle of the station.

Notwithstanding the beautiful young ladies serving the tea for free (quite difficult to time the photo, I can assure you!) I was attracted as I appreciate the beverage a lot. The tea was Motoyama, oneof the major shizuoka varieties grown in Shizuoka City (which spreads up to the Southern Alps!).

A great treat before boarding a crowded train!

I wished they could do that for sake, but obviously the police would more than frown upon it!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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Sushi Restaurant: Dinner at Sushi Ko (Shizuoka City, ’10/04/22)

Take-away Sashimi Tray!

As promised, here is the full photograph report of pur dinner at Sushi Ko the other day.
Some pics are fuzzy, pressed for time as I was by the missus!
Sorry!

The Man In Charge: Mr. Oda!

Generous serving of Shosetsu sake (Shizuoka City, Yui)!

Like in any good sushi restaurants one can have a good look at their ware in glass displays!

The sashimi we ordered for the day!

Katsuo/鰹 or bonito (from Shizuoka Prefecture!).

Kinmedai/金目鯛 or Splendid alfonsino (from Shizuoka Prefecture!)

Served with chopped leeks and grated ginger.

The next sake: Junmai ginjo by Fujinishiki Brewery (Shibakawa Cho), rice milled down to 55%. Priveate label for Sushi KO!

Japanese-style tako/蛸 octopus Carpaccio plate!

Anago/穴子 or conger eel tempura.

Maguro zuke/鮪付け or marinated tuna

Botan ebi/牡丹海老 or large sweet prawn

Hotate/帆立 or scallop

Hirame/平目 or sole. Seasoned with lemon juice and salt only!

The deep-fried heads of the botan ebi!

Kujira/鯨 or whale

Vegan sushi tray! Menegi/芽葱 or thin leeks sprouts, Himesoba/姫蕎麦 or buckwheat sprouts, Mitsuba/三つ葉 or trefoil and Kawairedaikon/かわいれ大根 or daikon sprouts (lightly boiled) with umeboshi!

Hamaguri/蛤 or large clams. Unusual as they are quite a work to do for little profit!

Pirikara Hotate Futomaki/ピリ辛帆立太巻 or Spicy Scallops thick roll, one of Mr. Oda’s specialties!

Anago/穴子 or conger eel

Shiso, Nattou to Umeboshi Maki/紫蘇納豆梅干巻 or sushi roll with perilla leaves, fermented soy beans and pickled Japanese plum. Vegan!

Sakura Ebi Gunkan/桜海老軍艦 or fresh cherry shrimps. Only available in Shizuoka (cheap) unless you want to pay a helluva money in Tokyo!

Ikura Ko Donburi/イクラ小丼 or small bowl of salmon roe.

Nameko Jiru/なめこ汁 or nameko mushrooms miso soup

And Shizuoka Green Tea to finish!

SUSHI KO
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours: 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 (Sundays)
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Warren Bobrow, Bread + Butter, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Think Twice, Frank Fariello, Mangantayon, Hapabento, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Tokyo Terrace, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles,Lexi, Culinary Musings, Wheeling Gourmet, Comestiblog, Chronicles Of A Curious Cook, Bento Boutique, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World, Palate To Pen, Yellin Yakimono Gallery, Tokyo Terrace, Hilah Cooking, More than a Mount Full, Arkonite Bento. Island Vittles, Skewer It!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-