tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155113912024-03-13T11:38:25.394+09:00B-GourmetsLet's eating!Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-32454675529058881682012-12-10T10:19:00.002+09:002012-12-10T10:21:00.472+09:00Swedish Tea CakesThis is a recipe that my family always made together for the holidays every year.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups butter (340 grams)
1 cup brown sugar
3.5 cups sifted flour
2 egg yolks (plus egg whites for dipping)
1 tsp. vanilla
Chopped pecans
Raspberry jam
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg yolks, then add flour. Put dough in the refrigerator for a day. Roll in balls the size of a walnut. DipEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-82214293062855812692012-02-27T17:54:00.015+09:002012-02-27T23:33:42.496+09:00Rice cooker corn breadHaving lived in the south for half of my life, corn bread is something that I occasionally get a craving for. I'm scared to make it in our tiny Japanese oven, because it burns things on top and under-cooks the bottom. So I decided to give it a try in our fancy new rice cooker (a wedding gift!) using the "bake" function.200 g yellow cornmeal (1.5 cups)100 g flour (1 cup)1/2 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-88857304731621580932011-12-11T22:27:00.007+09:002011-12-12T10:04:58.815+09:00Spanakopita!Spanakopita is not as difficult to make as it looks, but phyllo dough could be difficult to get in Japan.I got it in a online shop called "The Meat Guy" (what a great name!).http://www.themeatguy.jp/Search for "Fillo Pastry".Make sure to drain spinach after boiling.The result is crispy outside, creamy and cheesy inside!Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-80912012940198050692011-07-18T10:00:00.005+09:002011-07-18T10:05:47.794+09:00Home Made Bread2 days ago we got this fantastic bread maker and tried to make our very first home made bread with the machine.The result was amazing and we certainly enjoyed our breakfast of the day with a few slices of freshly baked bread.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-50504794269749156812011-07-18T09:40:00.004+09:002011-07-18T09:59:45.497+09:00Okonomiyaki & NegiyakiOkonomiyaki(savory pancake with whatever you like in it) is a famous snack food which you can make quite easily. Basically you just mix batter with veggies, meat or seafood of your choice and fry on the not plate. You can even put cheese and mochi (rice cake) in it.We encountered the best Okonomiyaki when we visited Osaka.That is called Negiyaki(savory spring onion pancake).They look alike but Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-58042683854646413332011-05-28T23:58:00.006+09:002011-06-01T13:42:28.223+09:00Ganmodoki and Daikon Radish StewMight not look great in the photo but this was a piece of success that we loved at the dinner.Ganmodoki is a fried tofu fritter that is soft and absorbs the broth very well when it's boiled.Once it absorbs the broth, it becomes juicy and succulent.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganmodoki Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-78229509413007988132011-04-13T00:27:00.004+09:002011-04-13T20:25:50.544+09:00Strawberry DaifukuDaifuku is a sort of rice cake but it's got stuff inside and my favorite one has a whole strawberry in it. How sweet. There are actually lots of places your can find strawberry daifuku but this one from Yamato-ya (大和や) near Keio Inokashira line Kugayama station is unprecedented.Google Map大きな地図で見るYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-77943994738461641542011-04-12T00:00:00.003+09:002011-04-12T00:07:40.579+09:00Favorite SpreadMy recent hits, Maroon(chestnuts) Cream and 梅(plum) Jam. It's pretty organic and great spread on toasts, pan cakes, etc.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-66238249313509249582011-04-10T23:43:00.005+09:002011-04-12T00:08:04.616+09:00Curry Take-awayLamb curry with saffron rice take-away from "PANAS".Whenever I miss curry take-aways I used to do back in Britain, I would hit this place.To tell you the truth, my stomach wasn't great before I ate this curry. Curiously enough, my stomach got healed after I ate it!PANAS国分寺北口店Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-5012719511455041592011-04-10T16:26:00.003+09:002011-04-10T16:31:55.191+09:00Look what just arrived!Fresh veggies from 加津佐 (Kazusa)! Kazusa is the southernmost part of Minamishimabara city in Nagasaki. It is most famous for potatoes and onions, and it was my home for 2 years. That place will always be special to me!Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-28701336015874533702011-04-09T13:15:00.004+09:002011-04-12T00:07:20.804+09:00Sandwich Kit for PicnicWhen picnic in the park, I often make my own sandwich kit. It's handy and you can make delicious sandwiches everywhere. Freshly baked bread is the key. Fortunately in Tokyo, there is a local bakery in almost any towns and I can easily find freshly baked breads. Grab a few slices of bread, tomato, lettuce, pastrami and anything you like to sandwich with, and pack them with butter, mayonnaise, Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-16127168168689823412011-04-06T01:12:00.003+09:002011-04-06T01:22:31.242+09:00Blueberry Muffins in 15 minsNot exactly 15 minutes to be ready to eat but basically all you have to do is mixing up all the ingredients, fill up the cups, and place them in Oven. Depending on the ability of your oven it would take an hour or so but I still made it with my not-so-great microwave oven so you should be fine with your oven.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-54992491183543025612011-04-04T23:38:00.005+09:002011-04-05T00:00:07.377+09:00Best Mexican in TokyoPeople say Tokyo is a dead city for good Mexican but I always enjoy home made tacos as it's easy and fun to make. Preferably choose hard taco shells, get nice pieces of beef in the nearest super market and mince it up with our new food processor, or just get a package of mince meat.Fry the mince with beans and any vegetable you like. Fill up the shell with the fried meat and top with grated Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-7924307455079282092011-04-03T22:23:00.007+09:002011-04-03T23:59:22.472+09:00Fami-ResA restaurant chain called Gasto(ガスト) has one of the biggest indulgence of "fami-res" (family restaurant). the reason why I crave for going there sometimes.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-12576826718197722872011-03-28T00:14:00.009+09:002011-04-12T00:08:45.001+09:00English Muffin with Salmon OmeletPretty easy yet very nice lunch. Combination of English muffins and eggs always work very well.Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-76908809958708975812011-01-27T21:44:00.012+09:002011-01-27T22:23:04.781+09:00The Un-peanut sauceWhen you think about it, processed peanut butter is gross. In addition to the added sugar and chemicals, it's also quite unsanitary. A former colleague of mine who used to work in a food factory wouldn't eat peanut butter because there was actually a limit to the amount of RAT FECES that could be present in a final batch. It was in the parts per million, but it still gives me pause when I'm Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-82629755780794932010-04-22T22:35:00.002+09:002010-04-22T22:51:15.225+09:00Cream of Burdock (ごぼう) SoupI invented this recipe today because I really wanted a creamy soup using Japanese ingredients. It's vegan and it will fill you up!Ingredients:1 onion2 cloves garlic2 long sticks burdock, cleaned, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces1 tablespoon vegan margarine2 cups vegetable stock1/4 cup flour2 cups soy milk (or a bit more to taste)2 tablespoons soy saucea bit of fresh mitsubaa sprinkle of black Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-21962392829615818092010-03-16T02:14:00.002+09:002010-03-16T02:20:54.046+09:00Dried shiitakes are surprisingly meatyLast night we made kenchinjiro, which is a kind of miso stew. As Y dug in, he remarked, "Wow...this shiitake is surprisingly meaty!" I couldn't agree more. Dried shiitakes have a much stronger taste than fresh ones for some reason. And as a bonus, you can use the soaking water for soup stock!Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-27633491836459162702010-03-01T20:28:00.001+09:002010-03-01T20:29:16.228+09:00The best according to EricaBananas sauteed in butter + maple syrup + walnuts sprinkled on top = the best dessert ever!Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-89559052960083936672009-10-18T11:04:00.000+09:002009-10-18T11:57:55.257+09:00Japan is not so bad in terms of glutenizationE wrote that MSG, or just "gluten" is in pretty much all packaged food in Japan, and most of meals you have in restaurants, which is not true.If I call the situation that consuming gluten is becoming more common "glutenization," Japan is getting over it. I should say.More and more restaurants, or any places which serve food make their menu without gluten, and advertize that by putting a sign in Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09690012571949545937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-14586646824573176562009-10-08T21:42:00.000+09:002009-10-08T22:00:22.399+09:00ごぼう (Gobou) is related to the artichokeGobou (known as burdock in the west) is a root vegetable found all over the world but only eaten in Japan and other Asian countries. Maybe it's the unappealing twig-like appearance that turns people off (E didn't want to touch it with a 10-foot pole for a looong time) but when you peel away the dirt there's a delicious whitish-grey flesh underneath. It is also high-fiber and low-calorie, and is Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-88524977938324326452009-10-05T14:03:00.001+09:002009-10-05T14:20:18.519+09:00無添加 (Mu-ten-ka)Did you know that it is very difficult to find any food in Japan without added MSG? If you eat in non-organic restaurants, chances are you are consuming MSG with every meal. The only way to avoid it is by cooking your own food...or so E thought.It turns out that almost all packaged food contains MSG as well! ...but not all packaged food. Y taught E the kanji for mu-ten-ka, which means "no added Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-61462386467602459782009-10-05T13:30:00.000+09:002009-10-05T13:38:23.129+09:00This is what happens when you don't have an ovenE made rice cooker zucchini bread!It's actually very easy: all you need to do is put any recipe for zucchini bread (like this one) into the rice cooker and set on "cook" for about 3 hours. E used half whole-wheat flour and reduced the sugar. おいしかった!Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15511391.post-40931079292103470142009-10-05T13:24:00.000+09:002009-10-05T13:39:39.565+09:00The first post!Let's start this blog with a random picture of Y acting like a ninja.Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12607200861895086788noreply@blogger.com0