Category Archives: Uncategorized

Italian Cuisine: Umegashima Wild Boar Ragu Pici Pasta at Il Castagno

November 18, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: clean
Prices: reasonable
Specialty: Central and south Italian-style cuisine. Home-made pasta. Very reasonables prices. Progressive wine list.
no-smoking-logo1 Non-smoking!

The other day as I cycled around to find out where I was going to have my lunch between two bouts of computer work, I noticed an interesting if not unusual dish on the menu of the day posted in front of Il Castagno:
Umegashima Wild Boar Pasta!

Umegashima is the area located near the source of the Abe River flowing across Shizuoka city.
It is nationally famous for its many hotsprings, tea culture and wasabi and shamo chicken.
But what people know leｓs is that it is a region replete with wild game, especially deer and wild boar!
The chef at Il Castagno managed to put his hands on a wild boar leg and hind which had been shot down a few days before my visit!

He marinated the meat for 24 hours in herbs, wine and ingredients he did not really want to reveal…
He then simmered slowly with white wine into an incredible Ragu!
Themeat had been so softened that it was easily shredded into convenient bits for a pasta dish.
The present pasta are Toscana Pici, hand-made at the resataurant (all pasta there is freshly hand-made!).
Serve with Italian parsley and Parmeggiano Regiano, it made for an utterly extravagant pasta dish!

IL CASTAGNO
420-0843 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Tomoe Cho, 48 (along Kitakaido Street)
Tel. & Fax: 054-247-0709
Business hours: 11:45~14:00, 17:30~21:00
Closed on Mondays and second Tuesdays
Lunch: 1,260 and 1,860 yen
Dinner: 4,000 and 5,000 yen
A la Carte menu and wine list available. Wine by the glass ok
Reservations recommended.
Credit Cards OK (evening only)
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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

Uncategorized

French Desserts at Pissenlit

November 17, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

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.
entirely non-smoking!

I do not need to introduce Pissenlit, one of the very best French restaurants in the whole Shizuoka Prefecture.
As I often go there, alone, with the Missus or friends, I find it more practical to introduce Tooru Arima’s creations as a group!
This time I would like to introduce you to some of his recent desserts!

Let’s start with the first one (Top picture repeated!):
La France Pear Compote on Vanilla Ice-cream and Creme Brulee.
The pear had been compoted beforehand and kept in the fridge.
It was placed on a portion of home-made vanilla ice-cream.
The whole was covered and surrounded with a light creme anglaise/custard which was then “brulee” with a gas burner. Some glazing sugar and mint were added to the fear as a finishing point!
Succulent and lighter than it looks!

Coffee Creme Brulee.

The dreme/pudding contained a lot of strong mocha coffee for the perfect mariage. The creme was brulee until its srface was thick and crackling.
Served with fresh figs, it almost looked like a chocolate cream.
As usual lighter than usual and a treat you never tires of. Of course served with a high-quality coffee!

Roasted Figs with Vanilla Ice Cream and Roquefort Blue Cheese Cream.

Now, this was quite a discovery!
The sweet taste of the roasted (Shizuoka-grown) figs was counterbalanced in two gradual ways: first the vanilla ice-cream (light as usual) will bring you down a little from the sweet plane onto the salted and sweet plane formed by the Roqufort cheese mixed into a light cream!
An experience!

Caramel Flan/Pudding with Fruits and Vegetables Sorbets.

A seemingly simple dessert until you discover than sorbets are made with vegetables, spinach and tomato! The fruit are persimmon, pione grapes and two small fruits I don’t have a clue about (sorry,I’ll check during my next visit!).
Incidentally the caramel pudding is firm, sweet to the right point and the caramel sauce a beauty!

looking forward to the next ones!

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

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

Uncategorized

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/81): Rose Window Sushi Bento

November 16, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

A Rose Window in English, or a Rosace in French, is a stained glass window designed in the shape of a rose that you can admire in many churches and cathedrals in various countries (don’t get me wrong, I’m agnostic!).
I was going to call this bento with a more prosaic name but I had to quickly backpedal under The Missus’ opposition!…

To obtain that design, the Missus first steamed rice and arranged/seasoned it in sushi style before adding chopped Japanese pickles (cucumber et al). She then made rolls (inside cellophane paper) whith a core of wasabi cheese and German-style Lyoner Ham.
She cut the rolls through the cellophane paper before unwrapping the latter and roll the sudhi in lettuce.
She then placed the rolls inside the lacquered bento box (made in Shizuoka Prefecture) in the shape of Rose Window with plum tomatoes in the middle and a slice of pimento-filled olive to offset the symmetry.

She used the second box of the set of three with a partition to ddesign the “garnish” box according to colors and ingredients.

She filled the left-side quarter partition with a salad of boiled kabocha pumpkin with mayonnaise, cheese creamand black beans.
She filled the right-side quarter partition with a salad of cucumber and shallots slices pickled in rice vinegar and sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds.

For dessert, she filled the upper half partition with fresh red oranges and fig compote I got at Mr. Naitoh’s Garden in Okitsu, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Great colors, plenty of satisfaction and beautiful taste combination!
(I will have to stop praising the Missus or she will become untenable!LOL)

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; Mr. Foodie (London/UK)

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/80): “Nutritional” Bento

November 15, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Why do I call this bento, “Nutritional Bento” whereas bento by definition should be nutritional?
Simply because the Missus streesed on the point this morning when she decided to mix the rice with beans, saying that her bentos should be more nutritional!LOL

The rice she used this morning is Shizuoka-grown “mochi kome/glutinous rice seasoned with matcha tea powder.
Once she had steamed it she mixed it with ready-cooked black beans.
The whole certainly made for fulfilling meal!

The “garnish” made up for a full meal as it contained ingredients both from the land and the sea!

She fried two types of “tsukune/Japanese meat patties”, one toppedwith renkon/lotus roots, the other ones with shimeji mushrooms. She then added sauce to both of them as she finished frying them.
She pkaced both on a little lettuce.
The dessert cosisted of sliced squat persimmons/jiro kaki and red-heart kiwii fruit/kousen/紅鮮/”red fresh”, both grown in Shizuoka Prefecture.

She included fresh sakura ebi/cherry shrimps (only found in Shizuoka Prefecture/we are in season just now!) in the tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette for the sea food.
She arranged it with home-pickled daikon, carrotand cucumber sticks, as well as plum tomato and lettuce!

Nutritional and very tasty!

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Shizuoka Prefecture Agricultural High School Festival 2010

November 13, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

On Saturday, November 13th (not a Friday! LOL) Shizuoka Prefecture Agriculture High School held its annual School Festival!

It has easily become one of the major high school festivals in town and Prefecture.

It requires enormous preparation and many students had to stay overnight in the dormitory to make sure everything was in order for 9:30 a.m.!

Certainly all kinds of visitors appear on such events!

But I prefer the girls of that school!

Without a doubt the stars of the day are the bread and cakes club!
I arrived at 12:30 and only two kinds were left!

The students of the club are very serious about it!

But always smiling!

The pizza master who had been at work since 7:30!
The oven is a real one from Germany!

Unfortunately I couldn’t any of these wood oven baked mini pizzas as they had to be reserved!

The “ticket girls” didn’t have any tickets left for the pizza!
Unfair!

A Japanese national hobby: gold fish!

Poultry for the pleasure of visiting kids!

Special rooms had been arranged to introduce the students’ work and research.

All the while the cakes and bread disappeared to the very last!

I also paid a visit to the fields and greenhouses!

I had a hard time keeping my hands off these!

The school’s green tea was on sale!

And their spinach and shiitake mushrooms as well!

Plenty of photo displays to prove their good work!

I want one of those watermelons!

The sign says, “all oranges/mikan sold”! Unfair!

They grow flowers, too, and a lot of them!

For posterity!

After a hard day’s work!

See you next year!
(Will make sure to come early this time!)

Shizuoka Prefecture Agricultural High School
420-0812 Shizuoka Ken, Shizuoka Shi, Furusho, 3-1-1
Tel.: 054-261-1111/1113
Fax: 054-264-2226
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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

Uncategorized

Organic Tea: Honyama Tea by Bunji Itoh at Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd.

November 11, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Mr. Bunji Itoh/伊藤文治 in his fields in Hirano/平野, Shizuoka City

“Organic Tea will become a new norm within the next 10 years.”
Organic tea is still rare in Shizuoka Prefecture which produces no less than 45% of the total tea crop in Japan.
The Prefecture counts many famous brands, one of which is Honyama/本山 grown along the Abe/安部 and Warashina/藁科 Rivers across Shizuoka city up to the Japan Southern Alps.

Entrance sign in front of Bunji Itoh’s registered organic tea fields in Hirano

Bunji Itoh is the 3rd generation of a tea growing family and the 2nd generation at their company, Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd./丸福製茶株式会社.
10 years ago he pioneered organic tea in one of his tea fields in Hirano, up the Abe River near Utougi/有東木, the birthplace of wasabi.
Last year the Shizuoka Prefecture decided to promote its tea in Europe and Bunji Itoh was awarded an Official Organic Tea Recognition Licence in Germany for two kinds of organic tea!

So the other saw a real expedition of ours ride all the way to his fields located at almost 1,000 meters height!
The members of our expedition were (on the picture not featuring me):
Aya Itoh/伊藤彩, his younger daughter, Asami Itoh/伊藤麻実 his older daughter who, besides helping her father, runs her own business at Saiko Chyaen/彩香茶園, Mr. Bunji Itoh/伊藤文治 himself, Mr. Chaminda Jayawardana, a Sri Lankan Tea Merchant and Grower at Lumbini Tea Factory (PVT) Ltd. who had come at the International Tea Event held in Granship, Shizuoka City and who had been invited to join us all by my friend Nahoko Imai/今井奈保子, owner of Teebom Co..
Interestingly enough, except for Mr. Itoh, everyone was fluent in English!

It was actually a great drive along the Abe River and along the wasabi fields!

You quickly understood that the culture was organic as the lane sanking between the tea trees was covered with very healthy moss!

Mr. Itoh grows two kinds of organic tea, Yabukita/やぶきた which is cultivated from grafts and Zairai/在来種 which is grown form the seeds.
The whole area covers 60 ha at high altitude at foot of the Japan Southern Alps.

Stupendous vista from the same fields.
These are not clouds but mist, a major reason for the quality of the tea.

Flowers could be seen (they are of the same family as the camelias) blossoming from the base of the trees.
Chaminda remarked that they would never let them grow back in Sri Lanka where leaves are basically picked all year round, whereas here in Shizuoka they are picked only four times a year.

The area is replete with streams and falls providing clear and pure water not only to keep the fields wet but also to keep the insects away (the trees are watered three times a week to make all insects drop to the ground where they will become organic fertilizer!).
As for fertilizer, Mr. Itoh utilizes only organic matter, mainly composed of grass mowed on abandoned golf courses and let to ferment for three years before being spread between the trees.

There are plenty of damage on the leaves proving that the culture is organic!
The above picture shows downy mildew/炭素病.

Blister Blight/ブリスタ・ブライト.

For a closer view.

Fungi/カビ.

All these problems have to be taken care of in a natural manner.
No wonder a lot of farmers opt for the easy way.
But although Mr. Itoh grows other tea with a minimum of pesticides and artificial fertilizer, he believes he is on the right path with organic tea!

On our way back to Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd. in Wakamatu/若松 in Shizuoka City (see above sign),

we spent a long time observing the manufacture of tea,

and sampling it.
But as I need another visit to properly report on the manufacture it will have to wait until the next article!

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

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

Uncategorized

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2010/11/10)

November 10, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

New Seasonal Releases: Country Girl Kabocha Ale, Bakayaro! Ale and Chotto Baka Ale

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

An annual autumn rite of passage is the release of a deliciously down-to-earth Baird Beer best characterized by two words: simplicity, sophistication. Country Girl Kabocha Ale marks her 9th annual debut on Thursday, November 11 and this year’s version is as terrific as last year’s World Beer Cup gold medal winner. 2008 and 2009 versions will also be available on draught at our Fishmarket Taproom and the 2008 version will be poured along side the 2010 version Nakameguro Taproom.

Fall is perhaps the season in which the glories of full-flavored craft beer shine most alluringly. We seek to help demonstrate this point to you with the release of two additional fall seasonal brews: Bakayaro! Ale and his little brother, Chotto Baka Ale. Each of these will be available beginning Friday, November 12.

New Seasonal Releases:

Country Girl Kabocha Ale 2010 (ABV 6%):
Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin-like squash the taste of which is elegantly sweet. The kabocha we use is grown in the Heda garden of our carpenter-partner-friend, Nagakura-san. We first cook it in order to gelatinize it, then we add it to our mash where the enzymes from the malt help to further break it down into simple fermentablesugars. Several characterful varieties of malted barley produce a hearty wort that when married to the kabocha yields a flavor partnership of great depth and balance. After fermenatation, re-fermentation and conditioning, the result is an earthy, rustic beer that manages to deliver an extraordinarily sophisticated yet subtle complexity of flavor. It is, to many resident beer enthusiasts, the flavor of fall in Japan! It is avail able both on draught and in bottles (633 ml).
Bakayaro! Ale 2010 (ABV 8.2%):
This insolent, snotty and mean-spirited brew is pungently hoppy and wickedly strong. High in malt gravity (1.080), bitter in hoppiness(90 IBU), aggressive in aroma (dry-hopping with Centennial), Bakayaro! Ale just doesn’t give a rat’s ass. We invite you to come in, have a pint and let those around know exactly how you feel. This year, for the first time, Bakayaro! also is available in bottles (633 ml) which can be purchased direct from the brewery E-Shop or through one of the fine Baird Beer retailing liquor shops in Japan.
Chotto Baka Ale (ABV 4%):
This is the Bakayaro’s little brother. He shares a common malt, hop and yeast DNA, only less of everything. If you tire of the overbearing older brother, Chotto Baka is a more approachable alternative. Chotto Baka is available only on draught at select Baird Beer retailing pubs in Japan.
Nakameguro Taproom Event Reminder:
*”Falling for Brew!” Beer School seminar and tasting which focuses on fall-season beers and autumn food accompaniments. The featured beer pairings are as follows:

Baird Fest Lager & Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager
Baird Country Girl Kabocha Ale & Southern Tier Pumking Ale
Baird Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale & Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale
Baird Bakayaro! Ale and Stone Arrogant Bastard
Our chef, Ishikawa-san, has been busy over the past several weeks crafting a fall food menu to accompany this spectacular lineup of autumn ales & lagers. I won’t spoil the food surprise here, but I can promise that participants are in for a real treat. For those participants not fully satiated, and for all those unable to attend because of a time conflict, we will be following the Beer School event with a sneak-preview tasting of genuine American barbecue from the smoking pit of our soon-to-be Bashamichi Taproom Pit Master, Chuck Morrow.

The Japanese language seminar and tasting will take place on Saturday, November 13 (3:00 pm start). The English language version will be the following day, Sunday, November 14 (3:00 pm start). Tickets cost 3,200 yen and seating is limited. Please contact the Nakameguro Taproom directly about attending (nakameguro-tap@bairdbeer.com; 03-5768-3025). Space is still available but it is filling up fast!

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

The Japan Blog List

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/79): Tango Bento

November 9, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

No, this bento has nothing to do with dancing!
“Tango” in French is also the name of a colour halfway between orange and red. This is also the colour and surname of my hometown Rugby Club in Chalon Sur Saone in France: Check their fans’ Forum Page at 16 TANGOS!
Since kaki/persimmon are mentioned in this blog, I couldn’t resist the temptation! I wonder if there is an Amreican Football Team sporting the same colour!
Incidentally beer mixed with grenadine is also called Tango!

The Missus’ bentos might look elaborate, but she actually makes use of simple everyday ingredients most of the time.
Today, after steaming the rice she opened a small can of yakitori and mixed the lot with the rice while it was still hot.

Alright, the home-pickled sansho/Japanese pepper seeds will be difficult to obtain or make outside Japan. Pickled, they are not so common here, either, but they add so much taste and zip!
As for the pickles, the red ones are murasaki daikon/violet daikon that the Missus has marinated with vinegar and konbu/seweed. The yellow shredded daikon pickles are from the supermarket. She sprinkled them with black roasted sesame seeds for a last touch.

The “garnish” box was a combination of leftovers and freshly cooked food.

For the fresh part the Missus prepared tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette with shiso/perilla leaves and sweet umeboshi/Japanese pickled plums. Instead of cutting it across, she cut it at a slant for a different design very similar to what you will encounter at a sushi restaurant.
Leetuce wrap provisded for some more vitamins.

The “leftover” part consisted of macaroni, cucumber and avocado salad she had prepared the night before for dinner.
She added fresh plum tomato and home-pickled renkon/lotus root and more lettuce for good balance.

As for dessert, shizuoka-grown fruits: jiro kaki/squat persimmon for the “tango” part and red-heart kiwi fruit. The latter is very very sweet!

Great bento I must admit,when you consider the relative simplicity of the ingredients!

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/78): Back To Work Bento

November 8, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Today was certainly back to work after a great Sunday spent playing cricket away from the computers for a ful day!

Today’s bento was also very much a classic bento.
The Missus steamed plain rice and filled one box with two layers of it separated with seaweed, a very popular way to remind the taste of a seaweed wrapped musubi.

She added home-pickled renkon/lotus roots with black sesame seeds, gobo/burdock root and carrot salad in gomadare/sesame sauce, and the last the mukago/yam nuts from my nighbor’s garden she had deep-fried beforehand.

The garnish was also a classic in two separate parts.

Karaage chicken/deep-fried chicken, Japanese-style, and friedsweet ptatoes with lettuce and lime for seasoning and more vitamins.

Salad of home-pickled cucumber, carrt, pepper and daikon.
Dessert consisted of apples stewed in roselle (hibiscus) jam I had made following a visit at a local farm.

A solid and tasty bento!

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Organic Tea Honyama Tasting at Marufuku Tea Co. Ltd.

November 6, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Organic tea by Marufuku at differrent stages of refining and from different parts of the tea leaves.

Organic tea exists in Shizuoka! Although still very rare in the largest tea-producing region in Japan (45%), it is also found in Kyushu Island.
Mr. Bunji Itoh, owner of Fukumaru Tea Co. Ltd, whose company is also growing and processing organic tea from his own fields high in the mountains of Hirano, Shizuoka City above the Abe River, was kind enough to help me taste organic tea of his own and that of a good friend, Mr. Nishi in Kyushu!

Ichiban Cha/First growth, best quality tea grown by Mr. Itoh in Hirano, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City high in the mountains.

The same as above.
Very soft color, almost yellow. Very little tea particles found.
Very soft, almost sweet, delicate. Very little acidity or tartness.
The best of all tasted on that day!
Extremely elegant.

Tea from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.
Mixed with genmai/whole rice/dry) and matcha tea powder.

Same as above.
A “fancy” tea. Very popular with ladies and children.
Very tasty, probably best drunk chilled.

“Hojisha” from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.

Same as above.
The tea is roasted in a different manner to obtain this brownish color.
Easy to to drink. Resembles Oolong tea, but the process for the latter is completely different.
Refreshing but unsophisicated.

O-ban cha from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.
This is “regular” tea for the masses.

Same as above.
Not really impressive.
Mainly used for everyday drinking.

Ichiban cha from Mr. Nishi in Kagoshima.

Same as above.
Very different from that of Mr. Itoh.
Good tea indeed but a bit too smoky to my taste.

Marufuku Seishya Co. Ltd. (Mr. Bunji Itoh)
Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Wakamatsu Cho, 25
Tel.: 054-271-2011
Fax: 054-271-2010

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2010/11/05)

November 6, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

2010 Release: Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale!

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

The wait is over. Today we are releasing from our cellars the 2010 version of Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale! You should be able to find pints on draught at your favorite Baird Beer drinking establishment beginning Saturday, November 6. Bottles (633 ml) too are available through our network of Baird Beer retailing liquor stores in Japan as well as direct from the brewery via our online E-Shop: http://bairdbeer.com/en/shop/.

New Seasonal Beer Releases:
*Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale 2010 (ABV 7.2%):

Scotland, an historically important center of beer brewing, has a cool climate that favors cultivation of the hardy barley plant. Scottish Ales, thus, tend to feature the rich and robust flavor of malted barley. Baird Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale is, in a word, opulent! The color is a deep mahogany brown and the head is dense, creamy and tan. The aroma is one of soft fruit esters and warm fusel alcohols. The body is chewy and the flavor exhibits notes of molasses, caramel apples, rum cake and pit fruit. One hearty pint is enough to take the bite out of the late autumn chill. Two pints will leave you toasty, and blissfully, warm. Three pints and…. YABAI!

If one version of Strong Scotch Ale is not enough for you, stop into one of our Taproom pubs for a second, handpump-dispensed version called: Fat Old Hound Scotch Ale (ABV 7%). This small-batch brew is available in very limited quantities exclusively at our Taproom pubs.

Upcoming Events at our Nakameguro Taproom:
*”Falling for Brew!” Beer School seminar and tasting which focuses on fall-season beers and autumn food accompaniments. The featured beer pairings are as follows:

Baird Fest Lager & Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager
Baird Counry Girl Kabocha Ale & Southern Tier Pumking Ale
Baird Yabai-Yabai Strong Scotch Ale & Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale
Baird Bakayaro! Ale and Stone Arrogant Bastard
Our chef, Ishikawa-san, has been busy over the past several weeks crafting a fall food menu to accompany this spectacular lineup of autumn ales & lagers. I won’t spoil the food surprise here, but I can promise that participants are in for a real treat. For those participants not fully satiated, and for all those unable to attend because of a time conflict, we will be following the Beer School event with a sneak-preview tasting of genuine American barbecue from the smoking pit of our soon-to-be Bashamichi Taproom Pit Master, Chuck Morrow.

*Homebrew & BBQ Celebration: The Pale Ale Category of this year’s Japan Wan Cup homebrew competition was sponsored by Baird Beer. As part of this sponsorship arrangement, we agree to brew the gold-medal winning recipe at our brewery together with the champion homebrewer. This year, two champion Pale Ales were selected. We have brewed one of these already: Mr. Hitoshi Tanka’s GIN’s #76 Pale Ale. Tanaka-san will be making the debut tapping of this gorgeous American-style Pale Ale at the Nakameguro Taproom at noon, Sunday, November 28. Brewing staff from Baird Beer also will be in attendance to talk and drink beer with homebrewers and non-brewing enthusiasts alike. Bashamichi Taproom Pit Master, Chuck Morrow, will be smoking up low and slow a terrific arrangement of genuine American BBQ for the event. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Yamanaka Brewery-Aoitenka Junmai Hyakumangoku Rice

November 4, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Yamanaka Brewery is a small, ancient and traditional brewery lost a long way south of Kakegawa Station and it is not easy to find their brews even in Shizuoka City. Luckily enough I happened to find this sake made with Hyakumangoku rice grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Hyakumangoku (Shizuoka-grown)
Milled down to: 65%
Dryness: +2.0
Acidity: 1.4
Yeast: Association No 1001
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in June 2010

Clarity: very clear
Color: transparent
Aroma: fruity, light, banana, chocolate, vanilla, hints of pineapple
Body: fluid
Taste: Dry soft attack with junmai petillant.
Complex and fruity: chocolate, coffee beans, banana.
Quickly disappears with notes of almonds.
Gets drier with food.
Easy to drink.

Overall: A sake for all seasons.
Very fruity, dry and soft.
Actually quite complex and showing more facets than expected.
A sure value!

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/77): Omu Raisu Musubi Bento

November 2, 2010 dragonlife 6 Comments

The Missus had planned to make an “Omu Raisu”, that is, fried rice coververed with omelette for my bento oday but she was not satisfied with her fried rice and decided to make musubi with it!

So, having steamed the rice, she fried/sauteed it Chinese style with finely chopped vegetables, spices and tomato sauce.
She then shaped the rice into triangular musubi/rice balls (not round, then! LOL).
She next made a thin rectangular omelette for each and wrapped the musubi inside it. She finally placed then in the box half-wrapped in lettuce.
She added some home-pickled carrot, cucumber and red pimento as well as cut plum tomatoes and olives.

For the salad dish she served bean salad mixed with hijiki sweet seaweed and freshly cut okra and celery.
Dessert consisted of sweet potatoes cooked in honey and lemon as well as figs in compote I acquired during my interview of Saitoh Orchard in Okitsu, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Great balance and certainly yummy!

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

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

Uncategorized

Shizuoka Agricultural Products: Horiuchi Vegetables Garden

October 30, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

“We grow vegetables 364 days a year, and sometimes 365 days!”, replied Mrs. Satoko Horiuchi/堀内里子 when asked how busy she and her husband were.

Her family has been growing tea and rice for 6 or 7 generations (“I don’t remember!” confided the sweet old lady with a laugh).

Eggplants.

The Horiuchi family was introduced to me by my good friend Natsuko Koyanagi/小柳奈津子from Agriroad/アグリロード in Miwa/美和　in Aoi Ku/葵区 in Shizuoka City.

Basil.

“Whenever we are short of vegetables at Agriroad Market, we just give her a call and she will fill the place again!” Natsuko explained.

Komatsuna/小松菜 or Japanese Mustard Spinach.

The Horiuchi family cultivates vegetables over an area of 25 acres.
Satoko and her husband do most of the work with occasional from their daughter.

Satoimo/里芋, taro

As far as fertilizer is concerned they use a combination of organic manure fertilizer and artificial fertilizer.

Can you guess what these are?
Peanuts/Rakkasei/落花生!

Exploring their garden is like a lesson!
These are kabocha/南瓜 flowers!

The kabocha itself. Still too young and soft yet!

Edamame/枝豆! They are actually soy beans/daizu/大豆 harvested still green like you would do with string beans.

Enormous okra/オクラ!
The Japanese like them small, although I like biting through their seeds after having steamed and marinated them!

Satsuma Imo/Sweet potatoes/薩摩芋.
The Horiuchis use as little pesticide as possible although it is a daily fight with their daughter who wishes to grow more organic vegetables to satisfy the new demands!

Broccoli in front and myoga/myoga ginger/茗荷 at the back.

Japanese lettuce variety.

The Horiuchis on the average will grow at least two if not three of vegetable varieties on the same plot of land depending on the season.

Cucumbers.
This particular greenhouse is their daughter’s organic domain!

Beautiful and healthy!

The “heart” of the garden!

All these are the Horiuchis’ property, not counting the oranges and tea fields in nearby mountains!

There is a constant demand for peppers or piman/ピーマン in Japanese!

Daikon still at an early stage.
Don’t forget that the leaves are also edible. They make for great pickles!

And the leeks/negi/葱　naturally!
I’m convinced that the Japanese must be some of the highest consumers in the world!

You will understand why I will have to visit their garden in the near future!

Incidentally they also take direct orders apart of of selling their vegetables in many markets. Give them a call to find out what is available!

Horiuchi Garden
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Nakanogo, 32
静岡市葵区中乃郷３２
Tel.: 054-296-3886

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

Uncategorized

Vegetarian French Lunch with Shizuoka Ingredients at Tetsuya SUGIMOTO (2010/10/28)

October 28, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ranking：
Service: Highly professional and friendly
Equipment: Great overall cleanliness. Beautiful washroom
Prices:~
Strong points:Freshest produce and ingredients only, mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture. Organic vegetables. Seasonal food only
Map (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking!

I have to keep regularly to Tetsuya Sugimoto Restaurant as his ingredients are seasonal and nothing else!
As today is practical for a light lunch I visited him a bit late on purpose to have ample time to report. Tetsuya does not mind at all and actually always welcome the chat!

As there was no real local meat around, we kept it purely to vegetables.
He didn’t say he had that many form Shizuoka, only to show a dozen Tupperware to choose from!
Now, the mushrooms above are wild ones from Fujinomiya City’s vicinity at the foot of Mount Fuji!
They are called “Shougenji” mushrooms. And these were bigger than the cultivated variety!

Tetsuya Sugimoto is quickly turning into the Alain Passard of Shizuoka!
So he started “shopping” among the incredible (and he said small!) array of his vegetables.
The above are organic chayottes (hayato uri in Japanese)f from Hamamatsu.

His vegetables and all other ingredients are stored with such great care!

Now, can you guess what this vegetable might be? If you can, you owe my respect as this was a first for me!

Rice stalks or “ine” in Japanese. These are grown that thick on Amagi Plateau in Izu Peninsula!. The thick core is very easy to cook!

Look at these! All from Shizuoka Prefecture and organic to boot!

The other vegetables included:
Lotus root (“renkon” in Japanese, slightly boiled preserved in its own water) from Asabata, Shizuoka City
Winged Bean (“Shikaku Mame”) from Hamamatsu City
White and violet “Mabiki” Daikon, Tsurumurasaki and Carrot (“Ninjin”), all from Matsuki Biofarm at the foot of Mount Fuji!

The vegetables were first slowly fried with some white butter and a minimum of water and covered with a lid to prevent the juices to evaporate.

The vegetables were taken out in order according to their size and softness.
A minimum amount of water was added from time to time to help the larger vegetables to cook properly.

A lttle butter was added to liaise the sauce made up of the vegetables juices only as well as a little salt and a little lemon vinegar. Nothing else!

In front of me!

From another angle!

Testuya told he is going to scour the Izu Peninsula in search for seaweed varieties (Shizuoka has the largest number of varieties in Japan!) to create a vegetarian marine cuisine!

Tetsuya SUGIMOTO
４２０－００３８ Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Umeya,, ２－１３，１Ｆ
Tel./Fax: 054-251-3051
Opening hours：１１：３０～１４：３０，１７：３０～２１：３０
Holidays: undecided
Cedit cards OK
ＨＯＭＥＰＡＧＥ