Category Archives: レシピ

レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 農業, Halloween, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Kabocha, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Halloween Baby Kabocha Gratin

October 3, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

The witches are gathering for the coming Halloween.
They told they love to concoct magical recipes inside pumpkins, especially the small kabocha the Dragons bring them from the Isle of The Rising Sun!
They seem to take a lot of pleasure out of baking them in hellish ovens!

INGREDIENTS: (for two baby kabocha)

Baby kabocha: 2
Onion: 1/2
Fresh Mushrooms (of your choice): 50 g ~
Chicken breast fillets/sasami: 2
Butter: 30 g
All-purpose flour: 30g
Milk: 300 ml/ 1 1/2 cups
Cheese (melting cheese, pizza cheese or cheese of your liking: as appropriate
Salt, pepper, spices: as appropriate

RECIPE:

Cut the top of the kabocha as to form a lid.
Scoop off the seeds and make a small “pot”.
First heat the kabocha inside a microwave oven for 3~4 minutes or until soft enough. Do check from time to time.

Cut onion, mushroom, chicken in equal bite size pieces.
Fry them all in a little olive oil, salt and pepper over a low fire until soft.

Prepare the white sauce/bechamel (it will be as liquid as a stew sauce. Over a low fire melt the butter. Once melted add the flower and whisk. Once the mixture is smooth add the milk in about three times whisking all the time for a smooth sauce. Once you have attained the wanted smoothness switch off fire.

Add the fried chicken and onion with their juices into the white sauce and stir gently for a uniform stew. Check the taste and add salt, pepper and spices according to your taste and priorities.

Fill the two baby kabocha with the stew and cover with melting cheese.

Bake until the top has melted and cooked to a nice brown color.

Serve immediately with its lid for decoration.
Sprinkle a little chopped green herbs for better effects.

Great comfort food in the cold nights!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

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!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

レシピ, Cupcakes, 美食, Dessert, Desserts, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Muffin, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Halloween Kabocha Muffin Cupcakes

October 2, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Some people like muffins.
Some people like cupcakes.
Some people like Halloween.

Let’s combine them all!

INGREDIENTS: (For 6 cakes)

Kabocha: 120 g
All purpose flour: 120 g
Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Milk: 40 ml (1/5 cup)
Unsalted butter: 50 g
Sugar: 50 g
Egg: 1

RECIPE:

Peel the kabocha and throw away their seeds.
Put inside a cooking bowl.
Cook in microwave oven for 30 seconds at 500 W.
Break with fork to make it easier to mix.

Bring butter and egg to room temperature.
In a bowl pour butter and sugar.
Whisk until mixture whitens.
Add beaten egg one third at a time and mix well.

Add kabocha and mix roughly.
Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix.
Add milk one g\half at a time and mix.

Pour mixture inside 6 paper cupcake cups.
Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
Let cool completely.

Points: Do not mix all ingredients too much.
If you have too much mixture you can freeze it.
Re-heat muffins inside microwave oven before eating them!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegetable Hot Cake Steamed in Rice Cooker/Pancake aux legumes dans un cuiseur a riz

September 26, 2012 dragonlife 38 Comments

Have you ever tried steaming a hot cake/pancake in a rice cooker?
It is easy and certainly healthier than the fried version!
Here is a simple recipe that will help you kids and adults alike to eat vegetables!

INGREDIENTS: For 1 large pancake (to be divided! Don’t fight over it!

Hot cake mix: 1 standard pack
Egg: 1
Milk: 100 ml/1/2 cup
Carrot: 40 g, (finely chopped)
Kabocha: 40 g, (first boiled, cooled and finely chopped)
Spinach: 40 g, (first boiled, thoroughly drained and finely chopped)

RECIPE:

Get everything ready!
Pour the hot cake mix inside the rice cooker dish.
Chop the carrot finely.
Boil or steam kabocha (or cook in a microwave oven) until soft. Let cool down and chop finely.
Lightly boil the spinach. Drain/press out water thoroughly and chop finely.
Break the egg.
Get the milk ready.

Add everything into the rice cooker dish.

Mix everything thoroughly.
Taste and add salt and spices according to your liking.

Set the rice cooker, switch on and cook!

Once cooked take hot cake at once or it will get hard.
Serve it hot or lukewarm.
Serve together with some dressing if desired.

Note: the vegetable choice is endless!

Avez-vous déjà essayé de faire un pancake dans un cuiseur à riz ? C’est possible et certainement plus plus sain que la version à l’huile !

Voici une recette simple qui pourra satisfaire les petits et les grands !

INGREDIENTS: Pour un gros pancake, n’oubliez par contre de le partager !

Mélange à pancake : Un pack

1 oeuf
100ml de lait
40g de carottes finement découpées
40g de citrouille (bouillie ou cuite vapeur, refroidie et découpée finement)
40g d’épinards (bouillis, bien égouttés et finement découpés

RECETTE:

Préparez tout dans des récipients séparés, mettez la mixture à pancake dans le cuiseurà riz. Découpez le carottes finement.

Vous pouvez passer la citrouille au four microondes si vous n’avez pas le temps ni l’envie de la bouillir. Quand elle est refroidie découpez la.

Pour les épinards il faut les bouillir légèrement, faites-les bien égoutter pour qu’il ne renferment pas trop d’eau.

Cassez l’œuf et préparez le lait !

Versez tout dans le pot de la machine

Mélangez soigneusement, goûtez et épicez en conséquence selon votre goût

Réglez le timing du cuiseur si nécessaire et appuyez sur start.

Quand il est cuit, retirez le rapidement sinon il sera trop dur. Servez le chaud de préférence ou un peu tiède.

Bien entendu le choi des légumes est sans limites si ce n’est celle de votre imagination.

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

リゾット, レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, 農業, Food, French Cuisine, French gastronomy, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French Gastronomy: Lunch at Hana Hana (2012 Fall) in Shizuoka City!

September 24, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Seared Foie Gras in black truffles sauce on Porcini risotto!

Service: Very friendly and easy-going
Facilities & Equipment: Very clean overall. large superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Typical French, Southern French and Italian Fusion gastronomy. Great products. Excellent wine list.

I have known ever so laughing Chef Jirou Hanabata/花畑次郎さん for what seems like an eternity.
It was such a pleasure to meet him again in his cosy restaurant Hana Hana in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!

Such a simple and welcoming facade and entrance!

The walls inside are decorated with paintings of Southern France and signed by all kinds of people!

The kitchen and his magician!

A small private corner near the kitchen!

Choose your table according to your priorities!
I usually take one by the bay windows!

Jiro’s cuisine is a happy singing mixture of French, especially Southern, and Italian homey gastronomy.
Generous and so reasonably-priced!
For that long overdue lunch I started with chilled seasonal kabocha vichyssoise soup!

A typical Southern French starter: poelee/sauteed scallops salad!

Enormous scallops cooked to perfection!

Plenty of local vegetables for beautiful balance and colorful design!

The star of the day featured a traditional marriage of French and Italian gastronomies: Sauteed Foie Gras in black truffle sauce atop Porcini mushrooms risotto!

Blast the calories! The foie gras was sauteed to a sublimely unctuous extravagance accentuated by the black truffle (plenty of them) sauce!

The lightly baked risotto! All Italy for you!

Another French classic: Cotes d’Agneau/Lamb cutlets!

So tender and beautifully supported by its deglasse sauce made up of the cutlets juices, Madeira and a touch of butter!

Simple but perfect accompaniment: Southern French Ratatouille!

And at last one of Jiro’s simple but so delicious desserts!

Peach compote and home-made raspberry ice-cream!

Important detail: Coffee as it should always be served, even for lunch!

Looking forward to visit the place again when the weather gets colder to warm myself up!

HANA HANA
420-0037 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado Cho, 1-3-12
Tel.: 054-221-0087
Business hours: 11:30~14:00 (LAST ORDERS), 17:30~21:00 (last orders)
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit Cards OK

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レシピ, Croquettes, 美食, 里芋, 農業, Food, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Kabocha, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Halloween Kabocha Croquettes

September 23, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Halloween might all be about pumpkins but when it comes to cooking kabocha is far better!
Croquettes are popular all over the world, so why not make some for Halloween!
The witches will make a special brew to drink with them!

INGREDIENTS (for 6 croquettes)

Kabocha: 500g
Milk: 2 tablespoons
Butter: 20g
Honey: 2 teaspoons
Cinnamon powder: a little
Salt: a little
Cheese or Camembert cheese: 20 g
Raisins: 10g

Flour: as appropriate
Egg: 1
Breadcrumbs: as appropriate
Sliced almonds: as appropriate
If you have them dried somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles)

RECIPE:

Cut kabocha into rough pieces.
Put inside oven dish.
Cook inside microwave oven for 8 mintes at 700 Watts.
Peel skin off.
Bear in mind kabocha will be very hot when you manipulate it!

In a bowl mash the kabocha.
Add milk, butter, honey, salt and cinnamon.
Mix well.

Separate the paste into 3 identical quantities.
Make two balls with the first quantity around cheese/camembert cheese.
Make two balls with the second quantity mixed with the raisins.
Make two plain balls with the third quantity.

Shape each croquette like a small pear.
Roll them in flour, then beaten egg and then breadcrumbs (or sliced almonds, or dried somen).

Heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius and deep-fy.

Serve 3 different croquettes on a dish and decorate with Italian parsley.

How about the above for a more elegant presentation with croquettes filled qith camemebrt Cheese!

So easy!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Gratin, Halloween, Japanese Gastronomy, Kabocha, Pumpkin, 南瓜

Halloween Kabocha Gratin!

September 14, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Halloween will be soon with us again this year!
Have you ever thought of cooking all these pumpkins?
In Japan Kabocha is the most popular pumpkin as it is very solid, therefore easy to prepare in many ways!
How about a Halloween Kabocha Gratin, then?
A great comfort food for the whole family!

INGREDIENTS: (for 2 people)

Kabocha: 300 g
Onion: 100 g
Bacon: 60 g
Garlic: 1/4 teaspoon, grated
Olive oil: 2 teaspoons
All purpose flour: 2 teaspoons
Pizza cheese: as appropriate
Dried chopped parsley (or fresh, then chopped): as appropriate

For the white sauce (Bechamel)
Milk: 250 ml
Consomme powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 2~3 pinches
Nutmeg: a little
White pepper: a little

RECIPE:

Cut the kabocha into 7 mm thick slices (cut them in halves after that if too big). Place on a oven dish. Cover with cellophane paper and cook in microwave oven for 3~4 minutes at 600 Watts
Slice the onion thin.
Cut the bacon into thin 1 cm wide strips.

In a large skillet pour olive oil and fry bacon first.
Add sliced onoin and grated garlic. Fry until onion has taken on a nice light-brown color.

Lower the fire to minimum.
Add flour and mix well. Add milk and mix. Add salt, consomme powder and white pepper.
Mixing all the time cook until the sauce bubbles up.
Add kabocha and cook for 3 more minutes.
During that time heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius.

Transfer the whole into a gratin dish.
Cover with pizza cheese.
Bke for 10 minutes at 250 degrees Celsius.

When cheese has become a nice color, take the dish out. Sprinkle parsley over the cheese and serve!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

レシピ, 美食, 里芋, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe for the coming Winter: Vegetables and Yuzu Casserole

September 13, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

I’m neither a vegetarian nor a vegan although I eat heaps of vegetables but many of my friends are.
It is always a problem for them to vary their food coming winter, unless they want to fill themselves with beans and potatoes all day long!
Here in Shizuoka we are blessed with a mild winter replete with citruses, winter vegetables and the like and it does become a paradise for such priorities.
Here is a very simple and very Japanese dish prepared with vegetables and yuzu/lime that you might often encounter in homes and restaurants.
This is the basic recipe you can expand at will.

Note that for better and more even cooking the use of Le Creuset-type pan/casserole is best!

INGREDIENTS: (For 2 persons)

Small turnips: as appropriate
Lotus root: as appropriate
Taro root/Sato imo: as appropriate
Cauliflower: as appropriate
Yuzu lime skin: 1/2 a fruit
Salt: as appropriate
Olive oil: as appropriate
Water: a appropriate

RECIPE:

Use a thick wrought iron pot (with lid such as a Le Creuset casserole).
Cut vegetables to size of your preference, but try to make them roughly the same size.
Place the vegetables inside the casserole.
Cut the yuzu lime skin in 1 cm long strips and place them evenly on the vegetables.

Pour the water gently on the vegetables. Cover with lid.
Steam for 3 minutes on a medium fire. Lower fir to minimum and keep cooking for 15 minutes.
Switch off fire.
Do not take lid off!
Leave as it is for another 15 minutes.

Open the lid.
Place vegetables on serving dish with natural salt and premium olive oil you will sprinkle or pour over the vegetables before savoring them!

Simple is best, isn’t it? (Well, most of the time!)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

レシピ, 美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Summer Italian Truffles at Soloio in Shizuoka City!

July 15, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Service: Pro and very friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Great overall cleanliness and superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Fresh local ingredients whenever possible. Both traditional and inventive Italian cuisine. Good wine list at moderate prices. Open late!

Summer is a great season when it comes to mushrooms!
No wonder that Solio is offering Italian Summer Truffles on its menu, and this at a very reasonable price!

They were clearly stated on the seasonal carte inserted inside the regular menu!

Proud Chef Takehiko Katoh/加藤武彦 and Sommelier Mieko Ozawa/小澤美恵子!

But before we sampled these beautiful black jewels there were other morsels to take care of to satisfy our appetites!

Tuna tartare!

So light and so succulent! Heavens for any fish lover!

Solio has a constant array of anitpasti you can’t escape from: Shrimps and octopus!

And so elegantly served!

On a bed of superb carpaccio of sole!

Beautiful octopus!

By then it was time to indulge in the truffles!

On white asparaguses!

Solio serves simply the best rizotto in the Prefecture!

Extravagant Summer Truffles risotto!

For once we skipped dessert and finished with coffee…

Actually, the home-made crostini made for a nice little dessert! LOL

To be continued…

SOLOIO
420-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 9-7, Kita, 1
Tel./fax: 054-260-4637
Business hours: 16:00~24:00
Closed on Monday
Credit cards OK
Private parties welcome!
Smoking allowed BUT Non-smoking until 20:00 everyday!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, 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,
Susan at Arkonlite, 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, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,