Tag Archives: グルメ

TAKY’S classic Cakes (10): Chocolat Orange

April 27, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

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

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

Great colours and sublimely simple in taste!

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

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Japanese Cuisine: Meat Balls, Chinese Cabbage & Rice Vermicelli Soup

April 26, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

Meat Balls, Chinese Cabbage & Rice Vermicelli Soup

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

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

RECIPE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/30): “Canned Bento”

April 26, 2010 dragonlife 8 Comments

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

Now, what is the fish laying on the rice?

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

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

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

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

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

The “salad dish” as usual was every colourful!

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

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

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

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES:

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

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Italian Cuisine: Appetizers at Acqua Di Fonte

April 25, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

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

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

Italian salami and mortadella.

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

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

Simple, healthy, yummy and fun!

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

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Tofu & Vegetable Juice Cake

April 25, 2010 dragonlife 3 Comments

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

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

Tofu & Vegetable Juice Cake!

INGREDIENTS: For an 18 cm wide mold

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

RECIPE:

-Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

-Line the mold with an oven baking paper sheet.

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

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

-Let cool completely.

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

-Cut to size and serve.

-Decorate it with chatilly (beaten cream) cream.

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

Easy, ain’t it?

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Tea Time! Green Tea Season Has Started in Shizuoka!

April 24, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

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

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

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

A great treat before boarding a crowded train!

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

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

April 24, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Take-away Sashimi Tray!

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

The Man In Charge: Mr. Oda!

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

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

The sashimi we ordered for the day!

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

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

Served with chopped leeks and grated ginger.

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

Japanese-style tako/蛸 octopus Carpaccio plate!

Anago/穴子 or conger eel tempura.

Maguro zuke/鮪付け or marinated tuna

Botan ebi/牡丹海老 or large sweet prawn

Hotate/帆立 or scallop

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

The deep-fried heads of the botan ebi!

Kujira/鯨 or whale

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

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

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

Anago/穴子 or conger eel

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

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

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

Nameko Jiru/なめこ汁 or nameko mushrooms miso soup

And Shizuoka Green Tea to finish!

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

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Italian Cuisine: Appetizers at Il Paladino

April 23, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

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.

I’ve found over the years that in Japan, and especially Shizuoka, that it is more fun to ask for a few appetizers with a couple of glasses of good wine at Italian Restaurants (mind you, the same would apply to Spanish Restaurants and izakayas!).
When a good restaurant like Il Paladino in Shizuoka City agrees to it, it is simply great fun!

Here are a few examples of what I had the pleasure to savour recently:

Although Italian in concept, I would call this appetizer the “Tomato Road”! Sorry for the bad pun!

Tomato mousse.

Scallops in jelly with green peas, carrot and zucchini.

Involtini di Melanzane/Egg-plants rolls

Egg plant slices are rolled around Emmental cheese, Prosciuto Cotto ham, Mozzarella and Parmegiano.

This Sicilian specilaty is then covered with tomato sauce and baked in the oven.
It is served with a topping of high quality extra virgin oil.

Insalata Carapippara

Red pimento and celery strips, mozzarella wedges, Parmegianno strips, Green olives, Balsamico, Basil leaves and olive oil.

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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Vegan Sushi at Sushi Ko (Shizuoka City, ’10/04/22)

April 23, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

4 Sprout Sushi Set!

Vegan and vegetarian sushi exists!
Although Im neither, I always make a pont to order a few vegan nigiri at my favourite sushi Restaurant, Shizuoka City.
Every time the Missus and I visit the restaurant like we did last night, Mr. Oda knows what’s coming!
Although it is easier in Shizuoka than anywhere else, one should be able to taste them at any sushi restaurant worth its name. A little smile and politeness will do wonders!

The first thing I asked (there will be a full posting soon about the whole meal!) was to devise a set of sprout sushi as shown in picture at top of this posting.
The first sprout was menegi/芽葱 or thin leek sprouts.

The second one was himesoba/姫蕎麦 or buckwheat sprouts.

The third one was mitsuba/三つ葉 or trefoil sprouts with beautiful leaves.

The fourth one was kawairedaikon／かわいれ大根 or daikon sprouts, lightly boiled and topped with umeboshi.

We did have a sushi roll which is vegan: shiso/始祖 or perilla leaves, natto/納豆 and umeboshi/梅干！

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Vegan Tofu Fruit Cake

April 22, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

If you have tofu and flour on hand, you do not need eggs or milk to make a tasty cake!

INGREDIENTS: For a pound cake-sized mold

-Tofu: 120 g
-Maple syrup: 80 g
-Oil: 20 g
-Cake flour: 100 g (wheat flour allergics could use another type of flour or rice flour)
-Baking soda: 2cc/ml
-Walnutes: 50 g
-Dried prunes: 50 g

RECIPE:

-Let rest the tofu over a plate with small holes or a strainer (“Zaru” in Japanese) for at least 10 minutes to get rid of some water.
Drop into a bowl. Add the maple syrup and oil. Mix well with a hand mixer.

-Thieve the flour and baking soda over the tofu. Add the (cut for size if needed) walnuts and prunes. Mix well with a spatula.

-Line a mold with baking paper.
Pour in the cake mixture.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.

NOTES:

-One can use sweet potatoes instead of the dried fruit. Cook them in microwave until soft first.
One can use apple sauce/jam instead of maple syrup.
Some jellied orange peels could alos add a nice finishing note!

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Yakitori Cutting Techniques 6: Liver & Heart

April 22, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Interestingly enough, the Japanese call Liver, “rebaa” and Heart, haarto”, which nothing less than the Japanized pronunciation of the English words!
Naturally, liver in Japanese is “kanzou” and heart “jinzou”, but this refers more to anatomy than gastronomy!

It goes without much saying that you have to use absolutely fresh ingredients!
First wash in clear running cold water.
Peel off the soft thin skin off the heart and cut/discard any veins or blood vessels.
Take off fat but only within reason as it contributes to tasty morsels!

Separate the liver lobes.
Discard veins/blood vessels if you discover them.

Cut the lobes across into pieces big/small enough for easy grilling.

Cut the hearts legthwise to two thirds of their thickness as shown on above picture.
Discard any veins/blood vessels or blood matter.

Skewer the hearts with a stick. Two of them should be enough.
It is easier than it looks.
You may skewer the livers and hearts together but you will ened up in uneven cooking. Better separate them!

Skewer the liver with a stick. Three pieces is best for balance.

Here you are!

Now, you could make the sticks longer and the pieces bigger or liver and heart whole, but personally, the smaller the yummier it looks!
These are more or less appetizers, after all!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Spring Onion with Sesame & Miso Dressing

April 22, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shizuoka Prefecture is famed in Japan for producing the first new onions of the year.
They are very soft and sweet and are much appreciated steamed with a simple seasoning.
If you can grab these onions in your own country or hometown, here is a simple recipe that please everyone!

Spring Onion with Sesame & Miso Dressing!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-New Spring Onions: 2
-White sesame seeds: 1 tablespoon
-Sugar (of your preference): 1 teaspoon
-Soy sauce (of your preference): 1 teaspoon
-Miso paste (of your preference): 1 teaspoon
-Mirin/sweet Japanese sake: 1 teaspoon

RECIPE:

In a mortar (“suribashi” in Japanese) drop the white sesame and grind thoroughly with a pestle. Add the sugar, soy sauce, miso paste and mirin.
Mix well.

-Peel the onions. Cut off the pointed tip. Cut through into four quarters down to 9 tenths of its height (do not cut completely as it must “stands” on its own!).

Place each onion on/in its serving dish (preferably earthenware) and wrap with cellophane paper. Cook in the microwave oven long enough for the onions to become soft. This shouldn’t take long if the onions are new. This method will ensure that nothing “escapes” from the onions!

-Pour the seasoning over the onions and serve!

POINT:

-Grinding your own sesame seeds will provide for a better and deeper taste than using ready-ground sesame seeds!

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Fruit Cocktails by Wataru Matsumoto 3: Kinkan/Kumquat

April 21, 2010 dragonlife 6 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 third 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!

Fruit Cocktail 3:Kinkan/Kumquat

Kinkan/金柑 in Japanese means “Golden Orange” or kumquat!

INGREDIENTS:

-Kinkan/Kumquat: ~6
-Fresh ginger slices: 2
-Gin (Beefeater): 1 standard measure
-Sweet Ginger Ale
-Ice

RECIPE:

-Choose a long and fat glass.

-Drop enough ice in the glasss.

-Press the two slices of ginger. Pour the juice in the glass and drop the ginger slices in the glass, too.

-Pour the gin in the glass.

-Cut the kumquat in halves. squeeze them lightly over the glass before dropping them over the ice.

-Stir.

-Fill with Sweet Ginger Ale and stir again.

As it is an “eatable” (Wataru Matsumoto’s words!), serve with a long thin fork!

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

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

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Tofu & Cabbage Okonomiyaki

April 21, 2010 dragonlife 7 Comments

Okonomiyaki, originally a fast food from Osaka and Hiroshima has become so popular abroad that one has to try and find variants of the original recipes.
Here is a simple and healthy one:

Tofu & Cabbage Okonomiyaki!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Tofu/kinudofu/silk tofu: 1/2 block, ~200 g
-Cabbage: 1/6
-All-purpose flour: 3 tablespoons
-Thin pork slice (belly): 50 g
-Egg: 1
-Hon dashi/dashi stock soup powder (if unavailable, use bouillon powder): 10 g
-Salt & pepper: as appropriate

Sauce:
-Ponzu: as appropriate
-Chopped leeks: as appropriate

RECIPE:

-Pres water out of tofu as much as you can. Break up the tofu in a large bowl with a spatula and stir until smooth.

-Cut cabbage leaves thinly.

-Add cabbage, flour , egg, hon dashi powder, salt and pepper.
Mix well.

-In a large enough frypan, fdry-ry the pork slices. There is enough fat in the pork, no need for oil! Spread pork slices evenly.

-Pour batter all over the pork. Cook and turn over until you are satisfied with both sides of the okonomiyaki.

-Serve on a warm plate. Season with ponzu (better and healthie than sauce) and chopped leeks (for the vitamins!)

Easy, isn’t it?

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Edamame Spanish Omelette

April 21, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Edamame/枝豆 seem to become evermore popular throughout the world.
It is ironic that common soy beans were not Japanese originally to later become a Japanese specialty in its unripe shape!
Everyone knows about Spanish omelettes. Her is a simple recipe combining Spanish and Japanese Cuisines that I’m sure everyone will be able to expand on:

Edamame Spanish Omelette!

INGREDIENTS: For a 20cm-diameter frypan

Potatoes: 3 medium
-Onion: half 1 medium/thinly sliced
-Eggs: 3
-Salt: 1 teaspoon or as appropriate
-Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
-Edamame: 100 g (beans only)

RECIPE:

-Boil the edamame enough to be able to peel the beans easily.

-Peel potatoes. Cut lengthwise in 4 portions and cut each portion in about 3cm thick strips. Cut strips into 3 cm long pieces. Wash rapidly and drain.

-Pour oil in a frypan. Add salt (imporatnt point) first. Throw in potatoes and fry for a short while until potato pieces are completely coated with oil.

-Reduce fire to medium low. Cover with glass lid. Cook/simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn over from time to time to evenly cook potatoes. Avoid “burning” them. Once the potatoes have become translucent (if 10 minutes have not elapsed, stop cooking!), switch fire and Pour excess oil in a small bowl.

-Beat the eggs in a bowl and season according to preference. No need for more salt!

-Throw the edamame and sliced onion into the frypan containg the potatoes. Add the oil back.

-Turn the frypan around to coat all the vegetables with the ol. Cook over a small fire for about 5 minutes. Trurn over from time to time for even cooking. Avoid “burning” the vegetables.

-Season the vegetables according to preference. No need for more salt!

-Add the beaten eggs evenly. Fry, turning from time to time.
If you want to cook only on one side keep frying until the omelette is ready.
If you want to cook on bothe sides, get a plate ready in your other hand and turn the omelette onto the plate and let it slide again into the frypan. Repeat operation 2 or 3 times if necessary.