French Cuisine: Shizuoka Organic Tomato Appetizer at Pissenlit

July 31, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products.
!

As mentioned before, Shizuoka Prefecture is famous all over the country for its tomatoes, especially organic and sweet.
These turn easily into real fruit (as they should be), and I just don’t count how many I eat back home just to refresh myself!

Mr. Tooru Arima had finally announced on his menu board outside his restaurant that he received those great sweet tomatoes gron by Mr. Ishitani In Hamamatsu City!

It was very easy to convince the Missus to sample them!

The dish we were served could be classified under many appellations as it could be considered as an apetizer, a salad or even a dえssert.

Mr. Arima placed quarters of tomatoes around the centre surmounted with mozarella slices and organic greens and basil pesto.
The vinigrette was more a kind of gaspacho made of fine olive oil, juice/coulis for the tomatoes and other seasoning!

The whole concept became very interesting with (same) tomato jelly in the very centre, soft and light, with a topping of (same) omato sherbet!

The perfect appetizer for thirsty customers in scorching summer!

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
Homepage (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK

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Shizuoka Sake Rice: “Azekura Ishin” by Sugii Brewery

July 30, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

“Sakamai/酒米”, or sake rice in Japanese is a variety of riice only exclusively in the making of Japanese sake. You will never find it on your table at a meal.
Sakamai has been traditionally grown only in some regions of Japan.
Shizuoka, for all being arguably the best when coming to Japanese sake, had to “import” its sakamai from other regions.
The problem is that such rice production is not only declining but also unpredictable when it comes to quality.
For example, if the grains of rice are split or broken one cannot make good-quality Japanese sake. The quality of rice will be assessed only upon receipt with the consequent problems if unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, Shizuoka Breweries have gradually come to encourage and rely on Shizuoka-grown sakamai with various success, especially their own brand of Yamanishiki rice or a local hybrid called Homare Fuji.

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City who has always been willing to experiment, especially in old-style (forgotten) methods, came up with an original (limited) brand.
This sake is made with sakamai exclusively grown by Fujieda farmers.
But since the various batches of rice came in grains of different size, Mr Sugii could not really define his sake. It would qualify as a junmai if the grains were of similar size.
The process, dating back to the Meiji Area is the equivalent of “Yamahai” method, a way avoided by many breweries for its difficulty.

Sugii Brewery: Azekura Ishin

Rice milled down to 70%
Alcohol: 15.5 degrees
Dryness: +2
Acidity: 2.1 (high for Shizuoka!)
All rice being harvested in Fujieda in 2009

Clarity: Very clear
Colour: Golden hue
Aroma: Fruity backed by alcohol. Nuts.Custard, Memories of banana and vanilla
Body: Fluid
Taste: Strongish attack, warming back of the palate. Lingers for a short while with a welcome acidity.
Complex: Custard and macadamia nuts. memories of coffee beans/dry grapes/dry cherries.
Stay lighter than expected on its own or with food.

Overal: Very difficult to define. hence a very intriguing and inteesting sake. Completely “out of range” as a Shizuoka sake.
Deserves a second, third and more glasses. Strong ut pleasurable sake. Probably best appreciated as “nurukan/lukewarm”, although it would become drier.
Great with any food, although can be truly appreciated on its own.
definitely a sake deserving plenty of interest!

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Egg Farm in Shizuoka City: Bi-Ou-Ran (Part 2)

July 29, 2010 dragonlife 11 Comments

Mr. Shigeru Shimizu/清水茂

As explained in my previous article I was back on the bicycle trail on Saturday with the difference was that I reached the place in record time in spite of the oppressive heat!

I wonder how many tonnes of feed are contained in these silos and accordingly, how many birds are inside the coops!
After all, the whole place covers no less than 1,500 tsubos (4,300 quare meters), big for a single producer in Japan!

The whole complex is surrounded by a tall hedge to protect it from the wind and help control the ambiant temperature.

Incidentally, I noticed that the silos were also protected against the variations of temperature.

I finally found the real entrance to the compound which opens at the very back, away from unknown eyes!

I quickly met Mr. Shimizu who asked me to wait for a while as he was busy with a small emergency. He offered me to stay inside in the cool, but I declined as snooping around is a bad habit of mine!LOL
It is located very much in the middle of the nature with a beautiful mountain background.

Hand egg-calibrating machine.

I was finally admitted inside, and knowing we were limited in time, I started firing questions.

-When was the egg farm founded?
-1996

-How long have you been actually working in the business?
-Let’s see. I’m 57. I started at 25. 32 years!

-When were you awarded a brand name for your eggs?
-In 1996 (that was quick!).

-How many hens (no cockerel needed whatsoever. I didn’t know!)?
-14,000 (geez!).

I had trouble keeping my hands off these beauties.

-Then how many eggs do you produce a day?
-About 1,200, but that’s little compared to industrial farms. We strive for quality, not quantity (even so, that’ s a lot to me!). We expect each to produce between 280 and 300 eggs.

-You need quite some staff, then?
-We are 10 in all. That’s enough, although we do have to work in shifts (that was said with a knowing smile, meaning Mr. Shimizu was working all day!).
-How long lasts a working day, then?
-7:00 to 7:00, 12 hours. The hens have to sleep. No forced laying here! (good to know!)

-How do you grade your eggs?
-By size first, into 7 different sizes. The largest are reserved for cake-shops and restaurants. The shell quality has to be the same, and the only way to check it is by touch, sight and experience.

-How many kinds of hens do you breed?
-Two only, Sakura and Momiji. It is enough since we strive for only one kind of yolk, whatever the color of the shell.

-That is a lot of hens, still. How long is their life span?
-As far as the egg-laying season is concerned, only one year. Which means an almost constant turn over. Even so, the hens have to be regulary vaccinated after we get the chicks from a designated hatchery. There are many keys to producing a good product (I didn’t have to ask the questions, as Mr. Shimizu warmed up to the subject. I had told him I was born in the country, and that the questions would not be too general, although I would be careful not to delve in trade secrets!):
The hens must naturally stay healthy. We personally check them everyday. This is not an industrial farm where productivity is placed above the animals’ comfort. They are actually penned in smaller numbers than usual.

Interestingly enough, the hens were not nervous at all. Their crests looked so healthy!

-How do you dispose of the droppings?
-Mixed with other ingredients, they will become fertilizer we sell to local farmers.
-Almost organic, then?
-Yes, almost.
-What about the hens which die on the way?
-We ask a specialized disposal company to take care of them.
-What do you do with the hens after the year has elapsed?
-We sell them to a specialized butcher.
-For how much?
-5 yen per head.
-That’s not much, isn’t it?
-You are telling me!

-What kind of feed do you nourish them with?
-A recipe of our own only.
Mr. Shimizu handed me then a pamphlet with all the ingredients clearly stated. I counted no less than 22, 12 of them not found in industrial egg farms. Enumerating them would be fastidious but I have kept the pamphlet for your questions. It is certainly impressive! At least I can affirm that the corn used is not GM and that some ingredients include garlic and paprika!

The egss! I came too late. They had already been collected!
One thing is for sure: a soft shell wouldn’t take that shock. No wonder Mr. Shimizu’s eggs are so popular!

The eggs are transported in a cute van!

Mr. Shimizu delivers his eggs to no less than 21 main distributing shops and to no less than 40 restaurants and cake shops. I counted them, but I’m pretty sure they do not include special customers!

The sign to the original shop!

Please remind me I have to buy some for the Missus’ tamagoyaki!

Bi-Ou-Ran
Shimizu Chicken Farm
421-2112, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Endo Shinden, 41-3
Tel.: 054-296-0064

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Shizuoka Agricultural Products: The Yamaguchis’ Benihoppe Strawberry Fields (end of July)

July 29, 2010 dragonlife 10 Comments

“Benihoppe” or “Red Cheeks” strawberries is a cultivar which was successfully developped no later than in 2002 in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has since been voted as the best-balanced strawberry in Japan, and Izu Peninsula being near Tokyo, we do not see too many of our fruit on our own market stands!

Now, by sheer coincidence a university student of mine, Haruka Yamaguchi/山口春香, just happened to come from a family, based in Nirayama located in the newly named Izu No Kuni City/伊豆の国市, who have switched to the growing of Benihoppe Strawberries as soon as their cultivar was made available through their cooperative!

To make things even easier, Mr. Izuzawa/伊豆沢秀慶, belonging to the government-sponsored local JA (Japan Agriculture) office, was there on hand to provide me with piles of welcome information. Mind you, I had done a bit of preparation as I had asked Haruka to distribute some business cards to the local farming community!

Mitsuo/光雄 and Tamako/玉子 Yamaguchi are the second generation of strawberry growers in their family. Strawberry culture is big in that particular area as it counts no less than 187 registered farms!
The Yamaguchis’ plot covers 1,500 tsubo (4,500 square meters), a fairly sizeable land in this country, and I don’t include other pieces of land here and there they use for re-planting and so on!
As I said, they switched from Akihime Strawberries to Benihoppe Strawberries as soon possible, and this was certainly a good move.
They employ 3 people on a permanent basis and a couple more at harvest time.

Strawberry culture is more complicated than it looks at first, and I didn’t realize how much I would have to go through (and more later) through this interview.
Abroad, for purposes of commercial production, plants are propagated from runners and, in general, distributed as either bare root plants or plugs. Cultivation follows one of two general models, annual plasticulture or a perennial system of matted rows or mounds. A small amount of strawberries are also produced in greenhouses during the off season.
Now, the Japanese seem to do all that at the same time.
End of March every year the original strawberry seedlings are first acquired from Cooperative nurseries and planted under into a “parent soil”.
Runners are encouraged to developped and are re-planted in small elongated pots called “Nira” (as of Nirayama) pots, an idea locally developped.

Interestingly enough, the “nira” pots are not filled with soil, but with a mixture of peat moss and shredded palm fronds and some fertilizer.

The fertilizer is “IBSI 1” sold at the Cooperative. The Yamaguchis were kind enough to show me a bag of it and

its contents. If one can manipulate it with bare hands (Mrs. Yamaguchi’s in this case) there is little doubt the fertilizer is easy on the environment!

The runners are encouraged onto new seedlings into at least 3 successive “nira” pots.

The strawberry plants will be cultivated separately in open air until the middle of August.

Then the vynil covers will be drawn over the greenhouses and ventilators will reduce the temperature as low as 15~18 degrees Celsius to “trick” the strawberries into believing thay are back into winter.

This is the easy way…
Until 15 years ago, when giant refrigerating ventilators were not used, all the seedlings had to be carried by truck up on the slopes of Mount Fuji as high as the Second Trek Station!

By the middle of September, one seedling will be completely cut out and examined to decide whether the time is ripe for re-planting in real soil inside greenhouses.

The greenhouses are already being prepared and this does involve more work and costly specialized equipment.

The method will then be more traditional with plasticulture system. In this method, raised beds are formed each year, fumigated, and covered with plastic to prevent weed growth and erosion.
Holes will be opened for individual re-planting.

The greenhouses along the road crossing the rice paddies.

Harvesting will start in November and lasts until May with up to 6 peaks.

But that is for the next report!

Yamaguchi Benihoppe Strawberry Farm
410-2114, Izu no Kuni, Nan-jo, 8
Tel.: 055-949-2330

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2010/07/28)

July 28, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Latest Seasonal Releases; Harajuku Taproom 1-Year Anniversary Party

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Our summer beat-the-heat beer parade continues with the release of two new seasonal brews: 10-Year Sour Fruit Ale and Export Lager.

New Seasonal Releases:
10-Year Sour Fruit Ale (ABV 5%): Continuing with our series of 10-year anniversary commemorative ales, we are releasing today an extraordinarily unique summer session beer. Mild in gravity and alcohol content, this snappy summer ale is infused with only one 15-IBU flavor addition of NZ Cascade hops. Its key attribute, a tartly sour fruitiness, stems from generous additions of fresh amanatsu citrus fruit (peels and juice) picked in the orchard of our Carpenter.
Export Lager (ABV 5.5%): Brewed in the tradition of Dortmund-style export lagers, Baird Export Lager combines depth of flavor with a brisk and refreshing character. Less fragrant in hop character but brawnier in malt body than a pilsner, Baird Export Lager is a supreme thirst quencher. Drink it side by side our Cool Breeze Pils and your tastebuds will experience a demonstration in subtle flavor differentiation that simply can’t be conveyed in words. Our soft Numazu water really stands out in this lager.
Both of these seasonal brews will be available on draught and in bottles (633 ml) beginning Thursday, July 29. They can be enjoyed at one of our Taproom pubs or at one of the many fine establishments retailing Baird Beer in Japan. They also are available for purchase direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop.

Upcoming Events:
*Harajuku Taproom 1-Year Anniversary Party (Sat-Sun, August 7-8):

We opened the doors of our third Taproom pub, the Harajuku Taproom, last August in our first attempt to marry the culture of craft beer with traditional Japanese pub cuisine. Thanks to your enthusiastic support, the Harajuku Taproom enjoyed a very successful maiden year. The Harajuku Taproom will be throwing itself a birthday party on the weekend of August 7-8 (doors opening at noon each day). Highlights of the celebration include:

Numazu-priced Baird Beer (700 yen pints and 500 yen half-pints)
Debut of HT Anniversary Lager (Dekopon Bock)
A smorgasboard of tasty beer fare all for 500 yen or less (one-coin cuisine)
The Anniversary Lager, Dekopon Bock, is a traditional German-style Bock brewed with the unusual addition of fresh dekopon citrus fruit (peels and juice). It has been conditioning in kegs for several months and was absolutely delightful at packaging. Dekopon Bock will be available exclusively on draught only at the Harajuku Taproom.

Kindly mark your calendar and plan to help manager Naruoka-san and his terrific team celebrate their 1-year birthday in fantastic style.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
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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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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Nasu Somen/Egg-plant Somen

July 28, 2010 dragonlife 22 Comments

I’m neither vegan or vegetarian, but I can tell you that the present scorching weather might convince me to become one! LOL
Egg-plants or aubergines (frankly speaking, I orefer the latter!) are abondant in this season, and they are easily available as organic vegetables, too. There are so many kinds in Jpaan, including Mizu Nasu/Water Aubergines that are eaten raw!

Grilled or fried aubergines are very popular, but there are simpler and healthier ways to prepare them!
Somen/素麺 are very thin noodles that are enjoyed cold/chilled in summer.
Here is a simple recipe just in between: Nasu Somen.

INGREDIENTS & RECIPE:

-Count one long-type aubergine per person.

-Peel the aubergine and cut it in very thin strips with the point of a sharp knife.

-Coat the the aubergine strips with cornstarch.

-Prepare one pan full of hot (just before boiling point) and a large bowl full of icy (leave some cubes of ice in it) water.

-Cook the cornstarch-coated aubergine strips in the pan full of hot water (keep the fire low), a small bunch at a time, and as soon as cooked to satisfaction (should not take long, bu experiment!) transfer into icy water.

-Once the aubergine strips have cooled down completely, transfer into a sieve and drain thoroughly. Place on a serving dish as shown on picture above.

-Use vegan dashi and some light soy sauce or ponzu as sauce. Add a little chili pepper if you like your food hot.
Top with plenty of available sprouts and greens as well as grated ginger. Experiment again! There is no end to delicious variations!

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Shizuoka Agriculture Portal: Agrigraph

July 27, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

AgriGraph Japan is an enterprise commissioned by Shizuoka Prefecture.
It is a project aiming at making the agriculture (and also tourism, esppecially green tourism) in Shizuoka Prefecture known to the whole world in real time through IT-related tools.

Shizuoka Prefecture is a region blessed with nature thanks to its famous mountains such as Mount Fuji and the Southern Alps to the north, its rich sea to the south, and also with a great economy due to its privileged location along the east-west axis from Tokyo to Nagoya and Osaka.

Therefore, no less than five reporters will scour the whole Prefecture every day in an endeavor to help everyone discover the agriculture and rural villages of this rich “Fuji no Kuni Shizuoka/Shizuoka, the Land of Mount Fuji” through live blogs posted through iPhone in Japanese and immediately delivered in English, Chinese, Korean, French and Portuguese by qualified native staff translators to convey the true meaning and nuances of the reports. No automatic translation whatsoever!

If you wish to promote your own agriculture and farm(s) and create a new relation with other producers abroad, do please join us through our interactive blogs as guest participants. All blogs about agriculture from any country are most welcome!

Check the following links:

AGRIGRAPH (Entry Homepage with acces to all articles and languages)

AGRIGRAPH ENGLISH BLOG

AGRIGRAPGH FRENCH BLOG (FRANÇAIS)

AGRIGRAPH PORTUGUESE BLOG (PORTUGUÊS)

AGRIGRAPH KOREAN (관하여)

AGRIGRAPH CHINESE (中文)

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/55): Indian Sushi Bento

July 27, 2010 dragonlife 8 Comments

Most Indian people have to devise their food according to a somewhat harsh climate (at times. Of course people living at the foot of the Himalayas would say otherwise!). The Missus is a great fan of Indian cuisine and anything called “curry”!
Today, sushi bento day, she came up with a simple twist to call her sushi Indian-style!

Having prepared the sushi rice, she added a good measure of curry furikake to it. Furikake means “seasoning to be sprinkled” in Japanese. There a good many of them including the curry variety she used today.
Simple, ain’t it?

She deep-fried large prawns in breadcrumbs and included them in rolls she made with a bamboo sushi roll and cellophane paper. She then took the rolls out of their cellophane paper and rolled them inside lettuce before wrapping them again into cellophane paper to facilitate the cutting.

plenty of home-made pickles to provide me with the salt I will lose during the sweating-hot day: cucumber, fresh geinger, carrot and sansho/Japanese pepper.

Loads of fruit for dessert for the vitamin C and fibers: red grapefruit, nectarines and blueberries. The latter are supposed to be good for the eyes. If true, they will help mine which tend to get tired at the end of the day with all my PC work!

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, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus;

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/54): Neverending (Heat) Story Bento

July 26, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

-“I hate this place! It must be 50 degress (C) in this kitchen!”
The Missus has been badgering me for some time with moving to a new home. What with the neverending scorching heat assiling us for the past two weeks with no end in view, her argument sounds the more convincing by the day!

All that heat means a lot of sweat and loss of body salts.
The Japanese are conscious of their health to the point of addiction. You wouldn’t believe the number of TV health programs we are subjected to ( no wonder I keep away from the TV. BG, that’s one for you!)! be assured that my bento are partly devised according to them (LOL)!

To compensate this loss of body salts, The Missus mixed the freshly seamed rice with home-pickled umeboshi (in vinegar, not slat). mini melons, asabi stems and sansho/Japanese pepper (I mean all are pickled)!

Now, for the stamina and vitamins!

She first made karaage/deep-fried chicken, and then cooked them in amazu/sweet vinegar, seame seeds and cornstarch. Very tasty!

Some fresh lettuces, fried goya and red pimentoes seasoned with gomadare and tamagoyaki.
Mow, these tamagoyaki were a bit different with the white in the middle and the yolk outside. I don’t have a clue as to how she made them but they were delicious!

The heat has finally a good side to it!

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Fruit Cocktails by Wataru Matsumoto 11: grapefruit

July 23, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

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 eleventh 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:

-1 Whole grapefruit
-Fresh whole rosemary: 1 sprig
-Vodka: 3 measures (will need only 1 for the cocktail itself!)

RECIPE:

-Let rosemary soak into vodka for a good hour before usage.

-Cut grapefruit in half. Cut out the core (bitter!). Press grapefruit juice out.

-Pass fresh rosemary along the rim of a large glass. Pour some salt on a plate and coat the rim of the glass with the salt. You couls also first grind salt and fresh rosemary in mortar with a pestle first and coat the glass with the mixture!

-Drop a large sphere of ice inside the glass.

-In a stir glass pour the grapefruit juice and 1 measure of rosemary vodka. Stir. pour over ice into the glass.

-Serve.

-Great and refreshing in summer! Perfect as an aperitif, too!

BOTANICAL (Comfort Bar)
420-0082 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho, 1-6-13, Shade Bldg, 1F
Tel.: 054-221-8686
Opening hours: 17:00~01:00
Closed on Mondays.
Credit Cards OK

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Egg Farm in Shizuoka City: Bi-Ou-Ran (Part 1)

July 23, 2010 dragonlife 12 Comments

Eggs do come in many shapes, don’t they?

The Japanese have always eaten of lot of eggs. Not so long ago, in the Edo period,they were even considered as a rare delicacy.
Since then, with the abundance of high quality eggs the Japanese have turned this supposedly simple farm product into many world-known delicacies: tamagoyaki, dateyaki, oyakodon, onsen tamago and so on.
On the other hand the same Japanese have increasingly become more exigent and precise about their eggs, requesting for better shape, color and quality.

Bi-Ou-Ran sign

For a long time I have been intrigued by the above sign I regularly passed along during my bicycle trips to Miwa along the Abe River in Shizuoka City.
After some belated enquiries, I found out that the eggs produced by Bi-Ou-Ran/美黄卵/Beautiful Yellow Eggs Farm are not only top-class in this country, but that they have also been awarded a brand name/controlled appellation by the Japanese Government!

An investigation was long due!
After lunch yesterday I took the bicycle and first rode to their small shop (a lot of their eggs are directly distributed all over the country from their farm) up in Miwa (a good 30 minutes ride from my work place).
A small shop it is, but interestingly enough you can buy eggs there through a vending machine almost all day long (that is until everything has disappeared in spite of being re-filled regularly).

A look at the praise received in many neswpapers and TV interviews.

Beautiful eggs inside the vending machine!
Sakura Mixed batch: 300 yen for 12
Sakura Small: 300 yen for 12
Sakura Large: 300 yen for 11
Red Treasure Medium: 300 yen for 11
Red Treasure Large: 300 yen for 10

Onsen tamago: Eggs slowly cooked into running yolk soft-boiled eggs. A delicacy!

Eggs waiting to go!

Home-made chiffon cakes on sale!

Very eclectic: they also sell fresh products from neighbors’ gardens!

From the left bank of Abe River in Ashikubo District.

People/employees at the shop were very kind. They put me through to the farm where Mr. Shimizu and employees are raising their chicken.
Interviewing on that very day was not possible. Wrong time! They were busy at something I couldn’t catch on the phone.
Nevertheless, Mr. Shimizu, who didn’t seem to understand much of what I was trying to tell me agreed on an interview at the farm tomorrow, Staurday, at 13:30!

Their farm is still a 10 more minutes ride up river.
Knowing myself and having some time on hand, I decided to find the farm as directions were a bit scant.
Even knowing the address is not much help in the country where almost nothing is indicated.
At least the Ashikubo River was easy to find.
That did not prevent me from venturing onto the wrong bank of the river!

But riding a bicycle has an enormous advantage: it does not matter how many times you get lost, you will eventually find your way around, whereas by car would tax any driver heavily!
As I said I took the wrong (larger) road.
So I turned back and enetered th very narrow road along the left bank of Ashikubo River.
I can’t miss it on Saturday thanks to the little red Shinto Gate (Torii) at its entrance!

Neither wide nor long, the Ashikubo River is renown for for its great water coming down the nearby mountain slpes all year round. The Abe River might get completely dry, but not this little river.
Even now, many local Sake Breweries come here to collect water in large tanks!
No wonder that the farm has chosen this location. A constant supply of water ought to be vital!

Still a long way to ride. Two cars would be in real difficulty if they happened to meet halfway.

I finally reached my destination, although I didn’t know for sure at first!
No sign at the entrance, and no clue of how such a farm should look like from the outside.
But the fact I was born in farmland did help me as I noticed some silos obviously used to store feed.
But I couldn’t see any bird in spite of the imposing size of the farming complex.
Bear in imd I was in the middle of nature without a homestead within sight (that is on the left bank).

The heat was a scorching 35 degrees by then and I wondered how chicken scould be kept inside. But,… I also noticed large ventilators here and there. I couldn’t be wrong (if I were I was in for a long frustrating search!)!

Since the appointment was not not for that particular day and knowing people working there were very busy, I rode a few seconds on until I found a side entrance,… and heard the unmistakable sound of chicken amid the roaring of the giant ventilators!

I certainly felt relieved knowing it would be a faster ride thanks to my little investigation next Saturday!
An employee did notice me and came to me without being asked to check if I was looking for something or somebody. I explained (after a polite greetings and taking off my shades) that I would come on Saturday and was just checking my way.
-“I see! See you, then!”

Bi-Ou-Ran
Shimizu Chicken Farm
421-2112, Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Endo Shinden, 41-3
Tel.: 054-296-0064

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Vegan Italian Cuisine: Appetizer at Il Paladino

July 22, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great and very large washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable to expensive.
Specialty:Sicilian Cuisine. Top-class Italian wines and great collection of Grappa.
Non-smoking at tables.

With the scalding heat frying us all day long, what can we possibly eat without overcrowding our system?
When I visited Il Paladino, probably the best Italian restaurant in the Prefecture (BG is going to kill me again for that kind of comment!), the chef genially replied: “Just eat vegetables, more vegetables, and even more vegetables!”

Shizuoka Prefecture is blessed with an almost limitless array of vegetable varieties. Actually one has to keep his eyes, nose, and even ears well open, as many more new ones come by the day! I am certainly not one to complain as such knowledge comes inhandy at work when interviewing local farmers!

Present (notice I said “present”) Italian gastronomy wouldn’t exist without tomatoes. Well, I know some good Italian friends who would love to discover the local cultivars.
Shizuoka is receiving a lot of attention for its tomatoes, especially the “Ameera/Very Sweet” genus, which comes in various sizes, from minuscule to large plum-sized.
Il Paladino’s chef chose the latter to prepare his appetizer. They are not only very sweet and fleshy, they also are red all the way through with very little water and pips. You thoroughly enjoy cutting them with a knife, a rarity in Japan!

The tomatoes are peeled first before being marinated with garlic, cucumber (that is served together), lemon, vinegar, olive oil, laurel leaves, sugar, salt, pepper and some “secrets”.

The tomato is then served chilled with the cucumber. Red pimento (not marinated) and basil leaves are added for taste and looks. Finally marinade will be sieved above the whole before being served with toasted home-made bread. I cannot guarantee that the latter was vegan, though, but you certainly need the bread to sponge off the marinade (make sure your bread is vegan, then!)

Tratorria Il Paladino
420-9839 Shizuoka City, Aoi-Ku, Takajo, 2-8-19
Tel.: 054-253-6537
Opening hours: 11:30~13:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Mondays
Credit cards OK (Dinner only)

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Learning Agricultural Skills at an Early Age at Shizuoka City Ryunan Primary School

July 21, 2010 dragonlife 16 Comments

From time to time I go coaching the game of cricket in some local primary schools in Shizuoka City.
It is a good break from everything and keeps my feet on the ground.
Ryunan Primary School is fairly big by Japanese standards, but it is just located between the city itself and the nearby mountains/country. The kids are definitely city kids, but with a country nuance.

Many primary schools, contrary to establishments in the large metropolises, in Shizuoka have a “garden” where pupils learn the basic skills of growing vegetables and flowers, be they boys or girls.

The kids will be waiting impatiently for the winter when they can eat these “satsuma imo/sweet potatoes”, especially grilled!

Shizuoka is celebrated for it tomatoes and it shows!
All the pots bear a name plate of each individual pupil.

Red shiso: makes for some great juice in summer!

Cucumbers still at the flower stage.

Flowers, flowers,… All varieties of “Asagao/Japanese Morning Glory”!

For a closer look!

Soory, I forgot to check the name!
Does anyone know?

Now, what are these/ Look at the next pic!

Edamame! (green soy beans!)

Okra!
I actually taught the kids how to “twist and pinch them out”!

Now, what kind of kid can grow such a strangely shaped cucumber?

Now, I’m afraid this cucumber was abandoned by its owner!

Green peppers!
Well, one way to have kids eat vegetables is having them grow heir own food!

Look at my okra! Look at my okra!

And look at my tomatoes!

Look at mine, too! look at mine, too!
Alright, alright! Stand together and show them to me together!
Sweet kids….

Took a last picture before taking my leave:
Beautiful flowers! What might be their name?
Can you read the name of the school on the pot?
The “Running Mount Fuji” is the mascot of Shizuoka Prefecture!

I might do well to check on the next primary school tomorrow!

NOTE: I didn’t take pics of children as the Japanese law does not allow to show kids’ faces (especially inside a school) without a previous written agreement from their parents.

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French Cuisine: Summer Lunch at Pissenlit (2010)

July 21, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

The weather has turned from hot to scalding and it has become increasingly a real challenge for all restaurants to serve lunches both light, tasty and healthy to ever demanding clienteles (especially when considering that most customers then are ladies spending their husbands’ wages!)!

I though it was about time I sampled what the ladies enjoyed at Pissenlit, one of the best French restaurants in the whole Prefecture (~4,000,000 souls)
The appetizer above was a bit of a puzzle: Ripe Peach Chilled Soup (Vychissoise)
The soup itself was prepared with ripe peaches, vehetables consomme added with milk and fresh cream and a simple seasoning of salt and pepper.
It came topped with a sherbet made with the smae peach.
Very refreshing summer appetizer! I seemed to be caught between sweet and slightly salty notes all the time…

The next appetizer was not on themenu actuallly.
It is a terrine of “ayu/鮎”. a small indiineous (Japanese) trout-like fish coming with the grand Latin name of Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis. It is a very popular fish with river (it also swims in nearby seas) anglers.

It is also called Sweetfish.
As a terrine it a rare treat indeed. The whole fish, head and tail was used.

The dressing is also a rarity as it is concocted with “tade/蓼” or water pepper, vinegar and olive oil.
Why do I feel so spoiled? LOL

I chose a fish for the main dish. Definitely lighter on the system.
The fish from Sagara in Shizuoka Prefecture is called “kochi/鯒”.

It is also called “Sand Borer”. It is typical fish of Shizuoka Prefecture although it can found in other Japanese water.
It is a slightly extravagant fish to order. It is both appreciated raw and cooked, so you can imagine the compeptition between restaurants!

An “end view” of the fish.

It was roasted and later seasoned with a red wine sauce. The meat has definite bite for a white-fleshed fish that would please even meat eaters!

From a different angle for a better view of the vegetables.

The vegetables were bBack Cabbage, Baby Corn, Violet Carrot, Romanesco Cauliflower (in Japanese sango/coral cauliflower), Morroko Ingen/Morrocan String Beans, all organic from Hirooka Garden in Mishima City, as well as more carrot and Chinese greens.
The perfect (and healthy) balance!

I just couldn’t resist some cheese for dessert and consequently brought the whole healthy balance to nothing!LOL

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/53): Maze Sushi Bento

July 20, 2010 dragonlife 10 Comments

There was no bento to write about yesterday as it was a National Holiday!
Instead we spent most of the day lazying about at home as it was simply too hot outside and visited a new (for the Missus!) sushi resstaurant in the evening!
The scales were ceratinly a pleasure to look at this morning!
Therefore back to healthy food and habits!

The Missus prepare “Maze Sushi/混ぜ鮨, or “mixed sushi” in English.
-“What did you put in it?” I asked most politely.
-“At least 10 ingredients! Why don’t you try and discover them?”
Alright, alright…
Avocado, ham, cheese, black olive, tomato, sansho/Japanese pepper (pickled), …. that does make 10! I’m in for a beating tonight.

The “salad” was certainly colouful once again (and tasty, an healthy!)!
Cut Renaissance tomatoes grown in Kakegawa City (I buy them regularly at Kakegawa Station on my way back from university), cornichons, lettuce, carrot tagliatelle saled with walnuts, and semi-boiled egg topped with black olive. East meets West!

Alright, I loved it!