Tokyo Terrace

New Blog Address!!

2009-05-21T12:35:00.002+09:00

My blog is no longer here! I moved to wordpress. Click here to check out TokyoTerrace's new home! http://tokyoterrace.wordpress.com I hope you will continue reading, and if you are currently following this blog, please sign up to follow my new site!

Thanks!

Simple Sardines

2009-05-18T21:49:00.004+09:00

It's incredible how many different foods I haven't tried. Some things are understandable. For example, it's really difficult to find sea urchin (uni in Japanese) in the middle of Minnesota. Sushi (well, good sushi) in general is difficult to find in Minnesota. I am not blaming Minnesota. Minnesota, it is not your fault and I still love you even with your lack of sushi.

There are some things that most people have tried-and love-that I have not touched. Sardines, until recently, was one of those things. Even Brad was a little unsure...

When I go grocery shopping in Tokyo, I see these tiny, silvery fish presented in a hard to resist way. They are so small it almost seems unlikely that they are edible, or worth eating. I have walked past them many times, all the while thinking, "Someday, I want to try those little guys."

Well, I finally tried them. I just threw them in my grocery basket and said to myself (I say things to myself a lot lately. Don't be alarmed, it is just indicative of the huge amounts of free time I have to spend with myself at the moment while Brad is at work.) So anyway...I said to myself, "I'm going to be daring in the most undaring way and give these sardines a spin in the ole fish oven!" Yes. That's about how it went.

Drizzled a little olive oil. Sprinkled some salt and pepper. Broiled for about 5 minutes. Served with a side of Japanese mayonnaise. Eaten in one little bite. Pretty good. Not my favorite food, but I see why people like them. They must not have been too shabby because we finished them all...

Baseball game fun and fare in Japan.

2009-05-16T09:37:00.013+09:00

In the last of the perfectly clear, cool evenings before the rapid change into humid, sweltering heat, one has to find ways to spend as much time outside as possible. We have used our balcony, gone to the river, taken bike rides, and left our windows wide open to let in the sweet smell of spring. While these are all fantastic reasons for being outdoors (or letting the outdoors in) it is difficult to compete with attending a baseball game in an outdoor stadium. Yes, even in Japan, the act of flocking to a stadium to watch a good old fashioned baseball game with beer in hand is readily accessible and fantastically popular.

There are, of course, some drastic differences. Japan being Japan, they have successfully made it possible for game-goers to purchase bentos, beers, souvenirs, and more, from street vendors on the sidewalks between the train stations and the stadium. On our walk to the game last night, we picked up some edamame, fried spring rolls, yakisoba, gyoza, and 3 cans of beer.

Buying edamame and beer...

In front of Jingu Stadium before the game with our supply of game time fare...

The amazing thing is that you can bring all of these foods/beverages into the stadium! In the States, you can't get into the stadium with a bottle of water. Here's the catch: you have to pour your beverage of choice into paper cups provided for you. Apparently they have had problems with people throwing cans or bottles at players (hard for me to imagine, as the crowds last night were far from malicious in any way) so instead of taking away the ability to bring beverages into the stadium, they somehow keep a completely organized process of politely taking your beverage can or bottle and pouring it into a cup. Here is a little commentary on the hilarious illustration and caption from the cup:

Being the good Minnesotan that I am, I adore the Twins. I am not a fan of most other sports, but the Twins I will follow forever and ever and ever. End of story. (And if Brad asks, I am a Broncos fan too- even though I can't make it through a game without falling asleep. Woo Broncos!) Back to the important stuff. When I go to a Twins game, I always have a "Dome Dog" and a beer. Those are my staples. I did not expect to find anything close to my usual "Dome Dog" piled with relish, onions, ketchup and mustard. To my surprise, when we walked into the stadium after having our beers transferred to their allowed paper cups, the clouds parted, the angels began singing, and the sun shone down on...a HOT DOG STAND! Yessssss.

You can probably guess that I made it to the stand before the end of the game. Brad was in charge of eating the food we picked up on the way to the game, while I held out for my much anticipated hot dog. After the 6th inning, we went to stand in line. A woman came up to me with a piece of paper, asked me what I wanted, wrote it down and handed the paper to me. I had pointed to a picture of what looked as much like a dome dog as possible. After I ordered at the counter, I was handed a little cardboard hot dog holder with...a bratwurst?

So excited!!!

Somehow, I had ordered a bratwurst instead of a hot dog. Super. I decided to be excited about it anyway- I like brats, right? No worries...the "Dome Dog" will have to wait until the appropriate time at a Twins game this summer. After loading the brat with relish, onions, ketchup and mustard, we returned to the game and ordered two beers from the Beer Girls. They were crazy cool. They looked like they were carrying rocket packs on their backs but actually it was 25kg of beer! Their outfits were a riot and when you politely raised a hand to signify you needed a thirst quenching brew, she would smile delicately and with a twinkle in her eye, hand over a perfectly poured beer (in a paper cup).

I had a hard time watching the actual baseball game because the people were so interesting to watch. Maybe next time I will be a little less distracted. Maybe not. Either way, it was a perfect way to spend a clear, cool evening before the rapid change to the humid, sweltering heat of summer.

Edamame Soup in an Enlightened Kitchen.

2009-05-13T18:41:00.008+09:00

While we were in Kyoto a little over a week and a half ago, I bought a cookbook entitled The Enlightened Kitchen. The author and wife of a Buddhist monk, Mari Fuji, compiled recipes commonly found in temple cuisine. All of the dishes are made with simple Japanese ingredients. The recipes are accompanied by a glossary of terms in the back of the book which also helps to explain how to use and select the various ingredients.

Needless to say, I fell in love with this cookbook the second I saw it. I needed something to help me understand more about Japanese vegetables (there are so many I still do not recognize or understand how to prepare). The Enlightened Kitchen not only gave me useful information about Japanese ingredients, it also helped give me a new motivation to try cooking more Japanese-influenced food. I continually fall back on the foods I am comfortable with, which does not usually involve Japanese cuisine. Lately, I have fallen into a rut of using familiar ingredients rather than learning as much as I can about the regional foods (a much cheaper option than almost all of my typical go-to recipes).

It is interesting how the food I make gives away my emotional state. This may sound crazy to some of you...or maybe you can relate to it 100%. Anyway, living in an unfamiliar place (yes, it is still unfamiliar after 9 months) can take a toll. Occasionally, I wish I could drive over to my parents' house for hamburgers and potato salad on the deck. I wish I didn't have to deal with my crazy neighbor who says he can "hear me walk" (see Brad's post on this for details). I wish I had an oven so I could make some chocolate chip cookies!

On the other hand, I get to travel to amazing places. Brad and I have had so much fun discovering little idiosyncricies about Japan. We love the school we are both working at. We have made wonderful friends. There is no shortage of excitement, happiness, and curiosity. Life is anything but boring. The fact is, we are blessed to have this experience and I am not taking it for granted. I am, however, saying that I have off days. As a result of those off days, I crave comfort food and things that remind me of home. Today might be one of those days. One of those days where a momentary feeling of homesickness takes over.

This brings me to my earlier comment when I said this new cookbook of mine gave me new inspiration. I needed some inspiration to get me out of my rut. And this is the recipe that did it: Edamame soup.

Simple. Healthy. Delicious. Cheap. All important factors. Above all, it made me remember why I love cooking. I'm always learning new things about food, technique, and even about myself. Alright, enough of that. On to the recipe!

Edamame Soup from The Enlightened Kitchen
(serves 4)

10 1/2 ounces fresh or frozen edamame beans, in their pods
3 1/2 cups konbu stock (directions for this stock are below; I think you could use vegetable stock if you can't find konbu)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 shiso leaves, finely shredded, optional (I did not use these...)

1. Boil the edamame in their pods in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain. Shell when cool, taking care to also remove the thin inner membrane.

2. Blend the edamame and konbu stock in a food processor until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add salt and soy sauce, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Pour the soup into individual serving bowls and garnish with shredded shiso leaves, if available.

Konbu Stock from The Enlightened Kitchen
(makes about 1 2/3 cup stock- you will need two batches for the edamame soup)

1 2/3 cup water
1 piece dried konbu, 4 inches square

1. The white powder on the surface of dried konbu adds to the flavor, so do not wash the konbu before use, simply lightly wipe with a damp cloth.

2. Place the water and the konbu in a saucepan, and leave to soak for 2 or 3 hours.

3. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Just before the water boils, remove the konbu.

Dried figs poached in white wine and orange juice reduction.

2009-05-12T13:19:00.004+09:00

My plan today was this: blog a little, garden a little, laundry a little, read a little, homework a little. Somehow my plans never pan out. I have the entire day to accomplish so many things, and yet I cannot seem to get myself out of blogging mode today. In some ways this is refreshing, as I've been feeling a little short on ideas lately in the kitchen. Still, my list is not getting any shorter.

In the midst of my procrastination/path to inspiration, I was browsing around a website for illegal/legal foods for people suffering from Crohn's disease. (This is not something I am dealing with, but I have several family members who are). As I went down the list, the illegal foods seemed endless. Occasionally I would see something legal that I did not have in my kitchen, so I would quickly move on to the next item. I decided to try a new tactic: what do I already have in my kitchen and are those ingredients legal? Dried figs (legal), an orange (legal), white wine (legal), honey (legal), fresh thyme, basil and parsley (all legal)... What on earth could I do with those! They were all legal on the list, but what the... Wait. I got it! Light bulb moment!

I had read a recipe the other day for cherries poached in red wine. Why not try poaching dried figs in white wine? I wasn't sure if this even made sense, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try.

The only way I remembered eating figs (aside from on their own) was in fig newtons when I was little. I was never sure if I really liked them or not. Fortunately, my appreciation for the taste of figs has developed beyond fig newton cookies. (Can one really call a newton a cookie? I'll never know the real answer to that questions. Typically if there isn't chocolate or I can't dip it in milk, I would have to say no). Although I have grown to like figs quite a lot, my knowledge of how to use them in my cooking is limited. This recipe was certainly an adventure for me.

I began by simmering the white wine until it reduced slightly. I then added fresh squeezed orange juice and honey to the wine and allowed it to reduce by about half. I then added the dried figs and poached them for about 5 minutes. They became soft and velvety in texture, with a slight crunch from the seeds on the inside. I served the figs with some pieces of parmesan cheese and a garnish of orange zest and fresh lemon thyme.

The parmesan cheese added a sligh saltiness to the dish and helped to balance the richness of the figs. The lemon thyme added a clean, herby flavor to each bite. Overall, this was a success!

Dried figs poached in white wine and orange juice reduction

4 large dried figs or 8 small, quartered
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup honey
zest of half an orange
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves (or regular thyme)
small piece of parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer. Add the orange juice and honey and continue to simmer until reduced by half. Add the figs. Poach for 5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, put the figs on a plate. Spoon a little more of the reduction over the top of the figs. Sprinkle with orange zest and thyme. Serve, warm or cold, with parmesan cheese.

A grown-up version of a childhood favorite.

2009-05-12T08:23:00.006+09:00

One of my favorite week night meals as a little girl was something my mom made with pantry staples. A nice piece of bread, piled with tuna and topped with a slice of Kraft cheese. My mom would turn on the broiler and melt the cheese until it started to bubble and began to brown. Simple pleasures.

These days, Kraft cheese doesn't always cut it. Call me a food snob or whatever, but sometimes a girl needs something with a little more sophistication- am I right?

Back to the point- I experienced the same delectable simplicity in sandwich form during our second week after moving to Tokyo. Yep, that's right. The inspiration for this sandwich, oddly enough, comes from a restaurant here in Tokyo called Uncle Sam's. Their sandwiches are comfort food for me when I don't really want something sea weedy or raw fishy.

Brad had the day off on Monday and instead of spending all our time in the kitchen (which is usually find with me, but Brad always gets stuck with the dishes) we made this really easy sandwich.

Here is the recipe. I hope you'll give it a try and let me know what you think!

Grilled Tuna Sandwiches with Cheese and Avocado
Makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices of multi-grain bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can tuna, drained and rinsed (packed in oil if you can find it)
3 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons yellow or dijon mustard (or to taste)
salt and black pepper to taste
2 slices gouda, swiss or cheddar cheese
1 avocado, sliced

Brush the bread with the olive oil. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the tuna, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.

Make the sandwiches with the tuna and cheese only to start. Place the sandwiches in a panini grill, George Foreman grill (this is what I use), or heat on the stove top in a pan until the cheese melts. Remove the sandwiches from grill, take of the bread slice without the cheese and top with the avocado slices. EAT!

Sauteed Eggplant with Garlic Chips and Red Pepper Aioli

2009-05-08T15:37:00.007+09:00

Someone very close to me has recently begun a very strict diet as the result of a medical problem. It is not a serious medical problem, but one of the most effective ways to deal with it is through diet change. Most of my blog posts do not accommodate her diet, so I have been thinking of something that is full of flavor and feels like an indulgence without ruining her diet.

My creative juices were not really flowing when I found out I couldn't use most ingredients I tend to gravitate to in the kitchen. However, without warning, the solution hit me. Ok, it may have hit me in a less natural way than I would have liked...but either way, I had a sort of epiphany.

From that epiphany came this recipe for sauteed eggplant. It's nothing overly impressive, but it is full of flavor and is relatively filling. Best of all, it fits the diet requirements I was challenged to meet.

Sauteed Eggplant with Garlic Chips and Red Pepper Aioli
Serves 2

for the eggplant:

2 Japanese Eggplants, cut in 1/4" slices at a diagonal
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil

for the aioli (see note for alternative ingredients):

2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons mustard (use dijon if you are not on a special diet)
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
lemon juice
1/2 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
*this recipe uses raw egg yolks. if you are uncomfortable with this, do not use the egg yolks, use 1/3 cup of mayonnaise instead.

To make the aioli, put the egg yolks, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, stream the olive oil into the food processor until smooth. Set in the refridgerator until ready to use.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sautee until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and sautee until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the eggplant and garlic to a bowl. Drizzle with the aioli and serve.

Food Market in Kyoto.

2009-05-07T18:45:00.009+09:00

While we were in Kyoto, Jenn, Brad and I walked through a food market on our last day. The huge, crowded strip was packed with fresh seafood, stands serving regional specialties, and many, many more Japanese foods.

I kept waiting to take a good picture of these guys with the octopus. Once they noticed me, one just turned and smiled!

One of the most interesting things we saw at the market ended up being the dashi flakes. Dashi flakes are fish flakes used to flavor a lot of Japanese dishes. The fish looks like it's been petrified and resembles a piece of wood. When it reaches this stage, it is shaved into the thin, airy flakes you see in the photo below. Incredible!

We saw tempura, and tea...

Mochi, a soft, chewy rice cake filled with bean paste (left) and some grilled fish (right)...

Dried figs and apricots...

Our walking tour of the market ended with an ice cream for me and some mini dougnuts for Brad...

Even though the market was crowded, it was a great opportunity for Jenn to see the wide variety of foods available in Japan. Even for me it seemed overwhelming to see all of the strange and unusual foods I now consider relatively familiar. Who knew?

Words cannot describe...

2009-05-01T00:11:00.012+09:00

Today was a big day. Like, really big.

My friend Jenn and I went to Shibuya first. We paid a short visit to the "busiest Starbuck's" for a little pick-me-up before our long day of walking, where I tried to take a picture and was reprimanded...in Japanese...and I caught it all in this photo!

Apparently, you are not allowed to take photos at the Starbuck's in Shibuya across from the train station. This is second time I have experienced this (the first time, Brad was trying to take my picture and get a video). Apparently we are not allowed to steel their "this is how people stand in line at the Shibuya Starbuck's" secrets. Whatever.

After our caffeine fix, we went to Omotesando. Here we stopped by Omotesando Hills (a high end shopping mall), then went to Fujimamas, an Asian fusion restaurant near Harajuku. We had a large dinner planned, so we split the Swordfish burger with black sesame mayonaise and a sweet, gingery salsa. Their cheesecake looked dynamite as well, but we had to pass.

After taking a stroll around Meiji Gardens, we headed back home to freshen up before a much anticipated dining experience. Matsusakyagyu is a yakiniku in the Futakotamagawa area, very close to the train station. Yakiniku basically means BBQ'd meat. There are charcoal grills in the center of the tables where you cook your own bite-sized pieces of meat.

Our first courses included steak tar tar, kimchee, and beef tendon in a delicious sauce served over greens. This was only the beginning of the meat experience.

The waiter sets three different dipping options in front of each person at the table. One is soy sauce, to which you add freshly grated wasabi (another do-it-yourself experience), the second is a sesame sauce, and the third is a delicious salt flavored with what I think was sesame.

After ordering, the waiter bring a cube of fat to the table. Using bamboo tongs, the fat is rubbed on the grill to keep the meat from sticking. Now comes the exciting part...

The first plate was thinly sliced beef tongue. Not usually my first choice, as my experiences with tongue have been tough and chewy, but this was different. The meat was tender and delicious. The next platter was incredible- beautiful pieces of beef tenderloin, beef cheek and rib. The meat grills beautifully and ends up with a crispy layer on the outside (the marbeling in the meat is perfect, as you can see in the photos).

After you have grilled your beef to your liking, it goes straight from the grill, into one of the dipping options, then straight into your mouth for savoring. Wash it all down with a sip of Malbec. Amazing. The final touch was a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and some barley tea. At the end of the meal, you don't feel bogged down and painfully full either. The portions are reasonable and the food high quality. LOVE it.

Jenn and I ended the day at a restaurant our friend in Tokyo call the "Plywood Place" because we don't know the name. It is just a little izakaya with a very 'local' feel. Over an appetizer that resembled the bottom of a lake, some cold sake and ika karage (fried squid), Jenn and I indulged in some girl talk.

I love having Jenn here. It has been wonderful sharing these experiences and I hope we can do it with more visitors in the future (hint hint...)! For even more about our day, check out her blog for the Minnesota Image Company.

Dori Yaki (Red Bean filled Pancakes)

2009-04-30T08:29:00.005+09:00

Click photo to enlarge

My friend Jenn is here spending time with us in Tokyo! She arrived on Tuesday night and will be staying for just over a week. Yesterday was our first full day exploring some of the city, and with no surprise, Tokyo offered an exciting food experience!

Our day was spent walking around Takashimaya, a building full of stores like Gucci, Armani, and many other stores that we could not even fathom actually purchasing something from. However, the basement level was another story. In a seemingly endless space of counters filled with beautifully presented food, from tempura and sushi to chocolates and smoothies, we found an affordable outlet for our inner foodie-ness.

I have actually walked by this particular counter many times over the past months. The delicious smell of fresh pancakes wafts into my nostrils and I am intrigued watching the assembly happening behind the glass. The only problem is that I never really knew what I was watching or wanting to try. I knew it looked like a pancake. The first time I saw them, I thought they were filled with chocolate. Fortunately, I figured out before actually tasting them that it was actually red pean paste! That would have been quite a surprise biting into something expecting chocolate and getting beans instead!

Click photo to enlarge

We walked up to the counter and ordered 1 dori yaki to share. It was warm, slightly sweet, and absolutely delicious!

Click photo to enlarge

Jenn took the photos for this post (she is a fabulous photographer). For more on our day, see Jenn's blog here.

Shrimp Pad Thai

2009-04-26T20:55:00.011+09:00

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Remember that one time...
when I said I would post some Thai recipes...
and then didn't?
Oops, sorry about that.

Well, here I am to redeem myself! Shrimp Pad Thai, anyone?

One of the most frustrating feelings for me is to watch someone make a meal look so easy to cook, only to find out that it is not easy at all.

When we were in Thailand, I watched a woman make Pad Thai for us. She spoke no English, so I had to watch very carefully. I took photos of the different steps so that I wouldn't forget any ingredients. Since she didn't measure any ingredients, I had to experiment with that on my own. Another huge difference is that she was cooking for 30 people. My Pad Thai only needed to feed 2 hungry bellies.

The first attempt was not good. I overcooked the noodles and couldn't seem to get the flavors balanced. This is when that frustrating feeling I mentioned earlier comes into play. Now, I admit that if something doesn't go right the first time, I tend to lose my motivation. But this Pad Thai dish had to be conquered. Brad loved the first try, mistakes and all. So when I mentioned trying to improve the recipe a second time, he jumped for joy!

The second attempt was much more successful. The noodles were great; the flavors were perfect. There were a couple of reasons why this time went more smoothly. The amount of liquids I used to cook the noodles was more accurate and I was able to find dried shrimp (or ebi in Japanese).

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

These little guys are in season right now, so I am suddenly finding them everywhere. Here is an interesting story about them from a great blog: EatingAsia.

The Shrimp Pad Thai turned out beautifully once I got used to the cooking method and the ingredients. We topped it with a bit of sugar, red pepper flakes, chopped peanuts, and lime juice.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

The flavors were so good that when I closed my eyes, I could imagine being back in Thailand...

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Shrimp Pad Thai

*note: The measurements are not exact. If you feel like you need more liquid to cook the noodles, for example, go ahead and add more.

1 package of pad thai noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 cup firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 package bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce (or to taste)
3 or 4 oz. dried shrimp soaked for at least 20 minutes in 4 cups water
Peanuts
Lime
Sugar
Red Pepper Flakes or Chili Flakes
Cilantro

In a wok or large pan with high sides, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes or until simmering. Add the fresh shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 or 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu and shrimp from the pan, leaving the sauces.

Next, add the dried shrimp and the water. Allow the sauce to come to a boil. Add the noodles. They should be mostly but not be completely immersed in the liquid. Cook until the noodles are nearly cooked through and have soaked up most of the liquid, about 10 minutes.

Add the green onions and sprouts and cook for about 1 minute until the green onions are slightly softened. Push the noodles to the side of the wok. Place the egg in the wok, move the noodles on top of the egg. Allow the egg to cook for about 2 or 3 minutes. Toss the pad Thai to break up the egg and work it into the noodles.

Finally, add the shrimp and tofu back to the pan and toss to combine. Serve in bowls topped with sugar, red pepper flakes, chopped peanuts, cilantro and a lime wedge.

Terrace Tonic

2009-04-23T17:34:00.010+09:00

click photo to enlarge

Sometimes, a refreshing cocktail is all you need to set things right. I woke up in a frantic state this morning. I hate it when that happens. Everything else went fine today, but because it started out stressfully, I felt I deserved a nice cocktail when I came home. Call me selfish, but that's the way it is. Fortunately, when I came home this afternoon, I was greeted by warm, glorious sunshine reflecting off the Tamagawa River and showing off the beautiful mountains in the distance. Perfect weather, I thought, for a cocktail.

click photo to enlarge

However, I didn't want just any cocktail. I wanted something clean, refreshing, summery but not overly sweet. After a lot of thinking, I decided to utilize some of the basil plants I recently purchased. I can do without a lot of things, but fresh basil is not one of them. I love...LOVE...fresh basil. Seriously, I don't know what I would do without it. So, I started thinking about how I could incorporate basil into cocktail form. My mom's favorite cocktail is a Gin and Tonic and my Grandma Cahill's favorite is a Vodka Tonic. I have grown to love these as well. I also love Mojitos. So, I decided to get creative with the ingredients from these refreshing drinks to create something new.

click photo to enlarge

Creativity began flowing. A little lemon zest, sugar and chopped basil leaves and nearly 2 shots of vodka crushed in the bottom of my glass made for a flavorful base. Top it off with some ice cubes and tonic water and you've got one delicious aperitif in your hand!
The name of this cocktail, if it wasn't already pretty obvious, came from the title of this blog. Aside from the Wasabi Spiked Bloody Mary, this is the first cocktail I have really developed for Tokyo Terrace. This drink is best enjoyed on a deck (or terrace, if you will) so it is appropriately named the Terrace Tonic.

click photo to enlarge

Terrace Tonic
makes 1 cocktail

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves
2 shots vodka
Tonic Water
Ice cubes

Combine the sugar, zest, basil leaves and vodka in the bottom of a glass. Using a spoon, smash the ingredients together to release and meld the flavors. Add the ice cubes and top with the tonic water. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Chinese Restaurant

2009-04-22T23:54:00.006+09:00

Chinese food in Japan? You betcha! And it is the best Chinese food I've ever tasted...no contest.

There are nights every now and again when Brad and I are too tired or busy to have a home cooked meal. Fortunately, we live a city with endless restaurants serving amazingly delicious food. One of our favorites, which ironically sits right next door to a KFC and McDonald's, is a Chinese restaurant about 5 minutes by bike from our old apartment. We have found some of our favorite dishes but always like to try something new when we are there. It also has the added bonus of being uber cheap!

One of our favorite meals at this restaurant, actually called "Chinese Restaurant", is the sweet and sour pork. Unlike the sweet and sour pork (or chicken) we are used to in the States, this version has a rich black sauce smothering a block of slow cooked pork. It is tender, juicy, and exploding with flavor. Add some vegetable fried noodles and some gyoza, then wash it down with a little Yebisu beer and you've got a dream meal! The best part of the eating experience at this restaurant is when the train goes by (there is a station on the same block). It passes directly over the restaurant. The first time we ate there, we thought a huge earthquake hit! It's a great little spot.I still love the sweet and sour chicken at the Chinese Restaurant (Pagoda) in White Bear Lake, but only when I can share it with my family...

I wish I could give you a recipe for this fabulous dish. Alas, I have no idea how to even begin to make it... This sweet and sour pork is something I often wish I could get for take out, but something tells me the ambiance of the restaurant is part of what gives the food so much flavor.

Chinese food in Japan...yep. My life is funny. Amazingly funny.

Bakeries? In Tokyo? YES!

2009-04-19T11:23:00.009+09:00

Before we moved to Japan, I thought for sure that I would have a difficult time finding a good bakery. If there were any bakeries, I thought to myself, everything would probably be dry and not worth buying. Boy was I wrong! I have come across some lovely bakeries in Tokyo and their baked goods are delicious! The only downside is that they are much too expensive.

We stopped by Andersen's Bakery on Aoyama dori in Omote-sando a couple of weeks ago after going to church. Brad took some beautiful photos of what they had to offer while I perused the selection of breads and pastries.

The bakeries in Japan carry loads of bread, doughnuts, croissants...but not cupcakes. Sigh. Since my experience with Nottinghill Cakes, I have yet to find another big beautiful cupcake in Tokyo. It's probably just as well...it's not like I need them. Better stick to eating the plethora of healthier items Japan has to offer, right?

Anyway, Andersen's Bakery is one of our new favorite bakeries. The presentation and quality of their bread is tremendous and a nice treat when you want something a few steps above the typical loaf of sliced bread.

Pizza Party (Japanese-style)

2009-04-16T08:56:00.010+09:00

Last night, we had a few friends over to see our new apartment. Our things were all unpacked, I just bought new curtains at Nitori (a store similar to IKEA), and we were prepared to present our new home. When we decided to have a group over in the middle of the week, it seemed appropriate to make everything as simple and relaxing as possible. The clear solution was something we had not turned to in Japan as a dinner option, but coupled with some Mario Kart action on our Nintendo Wii, it seemed more than perfect...we ordered pizza from Domino's! Let me rephrase that...BRAD ordered, I video taped him ordering (in Japanese, no less.) If you would like to see the video of the hilarious experience, click here.

Japan has the uncanny ability to take something completely traditional and bring it to an unexpected, sometimes scary, new level. Pizza is no exception. We ordered three pizzas to get a variety of experiences. The first pizza we ordered was the "American Special", which was a typical pepperoni pizza with sauce and cheese. Then, we went for it. The "Chicki-Teri" pizza (or chicken teriyaki) was loaded with mushrooms, chicken, pizza sauce, cheese, and a sauce that resembles mayonnaise, but might have a little hint of mustard in it drizzled over the top...I'm still not really sure what it is, but it's tasty!

Finally, we ordered the "Quattro Giant" pizza (pronounced quattro giant-o). This pizza was a combination of 4 different types of pizza. I have no idea what any of them were, with the exception of the chicki-teri section.

After enjoying our pizza slices with some red wine, we played Mario Kart for about an hour. It's truly amazing how something that was so completely entertaining and fulfilling during my elementary and middle school years is still just as enjoyable today. I was thinking last night about the time I used to spend with my friends on a Friday night, eating pizza, talking and playing video games. Now that I think about it, that makes us sound pretty lazy... In any case, it's nice to have friends, even in my 20's, who are not afraid to continue living and reliving childhood moments like we did last night. I think some people become too serious. If nothing else, Nintendo keeps us playful!

Brad clearly enjoyed his pizza...

Conclusion- if you come to Japan, you have to try at least one crazy pizza. Maybe one with potatoes or eggplant...they're all delicious as far as I can tell!

Bloody Marys, Deviled Eggs and a little BBQ

2009-04-13T13:53:00.016+09:00

Easter in my family usually consists of Bloody Mary's, ham and sausage, about 10 different egg dishes, cheesy potatoes, caramel rolls, and some fruit. This year, rather than making all the traditional dishes I've had for Easter every year of my life, we scaled it down and made the basics along with something new. The menu was: Wasabi spiked bloody mary's, deviled eggs, tandoori chicken, spice rubbed chicken, swordfish, and hamburgers.

I'm guessing the tandoori chicken and swordfish needs an explanation first... Instead of spending the whole day cooking, Brad and I invited some friends over and told them to BYOB (bring your own beverage) and BYOM (bring your own meat). The food selection was a diverse collection of chicken, fish and beef. On top of the crazy amount of chicken and fish, our friend Justyna also brought a Polish Easter Pastry (I think that's what she called it...) for dessert.

It was definitely not the Easter menu I'm used to, but it was appropriately festive regardless. The weather was perfectly sunny and warm, so we brought our portable grills down to the river, laid out a blanket and enjoyed Easter outside.

My Grandma Cahill makes deviled eggs every year for Easter, so I had to include those on the menu. I didn't have her recipe handy, so I developed my own. Instead of using a bunch of mayonnaise, I substituted a little plain yogurt to lighten the flavor and texture. They were delicious and very easy.

The next, and possibly the most important part of the Easter menu: Bloody Marys. My Uncle Steve makes the best Bloody Mary's in the world. However, I had to make my own this year. Sigh. Rather than using horseradish, I used freshly grated wasabi and a touch of hot sauce to spice them up. Toss in a Japanese pickle and a little soy sauce and you've got a Japanese influenced Bloody Mary! My Irish Catholic family might faint at the thought, but it was good- I swear! One thing I found out while making these is that fresh wasabi is milder than the wasabi paste or powder I usually use. Because of this, you need a little more. I would probably just go for the wasabi paste next time to give it more of a kick.

Although I missed my family terribly, Easter was wonderful in many ways. Good food, good friends, beautiful weather...can't get much better than that.

Deviled Eggs:

1 dozen eggs, hardboiled
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Worchershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
salt
white pepper

After hard boiling the eggs and removing the shells, cut them in half and remove the yolk. In the bowl of a food processor, combing the yolks, mustards, mayo, yogurt, worchershire sauce, salt and pepper and pulse until smooth. Stir in the green onions.

Using a teaspoon, fill each egg half with the mixture. Garnish with a few green onions and chili powder.

Wasabi Spiked Bloody Mary
Makes 1

Salt (for the rim of the glass)
ice
6 oz. tomato juice
2 oz. vodka or gin
1 teaspoon fresh grated wasabi or 1/4 teaspoon wasabi powder/paste
dash of soy sauce
hot sauce
lime wedge
pickle or other vegetable for stirring

Rim the glass with salt using juice from the lime wedge and add the ice. In a separate glass or mixer, combine the tomato juice, vodka or gin, wasabi, hot sauce and soy sauce. Stir the ingredients to combine. Pour over the ice and garnish with the lime wedge and pickle.

Season for Sakura

2009-04-13T13:16:00.013+09:00

A few days ago, I hopped on my bike in search of Sakura (cherry blossom) trees. For nearly a week and a half, the cherry blossom trees, with their pale pink flowers, had been attracting viewers all over Tokyo. It is amazing to see the number of people who participate in Hanami. They take entire days to sit under the cherry blossom trees to enjoy their sweet smell and gaze up into the hundreds and hundreds of little flowers. It is endearing to see people, who are usually so closed off, have such an attachment to a delicate, beautiful part of nature.

Not only is this time of year exciting because of the Sakura trees, but also because of the many Sakura flavored treats one can find. I stumbled upon these delicious little Sakura macarons at a Starbuck's where I stopped for a light lunch. I know...I still frequent the local Starbuck's, even in Japan...I can't help it!

With its light, floral flavor, this macaron reminded me that not only do desserts not last long enough, but Sakura season does not either. With that thought in my head, I spent the rest of the afternoon capturing photos of Hanami. It was beautiful watching the small petals float down through the air like snow flakes. I made it just in time. The next day, the blossoms were nearly gone.

We're in the papers!

2009-04-11T17:41:00.002+09:00

Brad and I were lucky enough to have an article written about us in my hometown paper, the White Bear Press! Both of our blogs are mentioned!

Click here to read the article.

Fresh Scallops in Yoga

2009-04-07T14:24:00.007+09:00

On Sunday, Brad and I went for a little walk in Yoga, the place we stayed during our first weeks in Japan. It was nice to be back in the familiar area where we experienced our first tastes (food and otherwise) of living in Japan.

As we walked through the small side streets, we were both in a little bit of a haze. We moved into our new apartment on Saturday and felt completely drained of all energy. It is amazing seeing the moving process happen so quickly. The last time we moved, it was across an ocean and we had to wait months and months for our things from the United States to reach us in Japan. By the time all the boxes arrived at our Tokyo apartment, it was like Christmas because we had forgotten what we had packed. This time, everything was packed by Friday night, transported to our new place on Saturday, and then unpacked Saturday night (well, some of it was unpacked Saturday night…we’re still working on that…) This quick turn around proved to be exhausting for many reasons, but mostly because it all happened so fast.

So, back to the haze we were in while walking around Yoga… In our exhausted state, we stumbled upon something exciting and new (something that happens frequently here in Japan) that helped to wake us up a little. A festival was taking place with stands selling noodles and seaweed, and a clown putting on a show for the young families. After walking through the festival, we found that they had saved the best for last.

At the last stand, on two small grills, a man was cooking fresh (still in the shell) scallops. The scallops were placed on the grill in their closed shells and as each popped open, the top shell was lifted to reveal a juicy, salty scallop. As they cooked over the smoky grill, they were drizzled with a bit of soy sauce and served on a paper plate with wooden chopsticks.

The scallops were simple, delicious, and a welcome treat on a Sunday afternoon. This discovery reminded me of the simple joys that can get lost when life seems to be zooming along. We nearly missed this stand because we were anxious to get home. I’m glad we took the time to stop and see something new.

Sweet and Spicy Thai Pineapple

2009-04-02T09:08:00.009+09:00

Sweet. Salty. Spicy. If you get as excited as I do about those three little words, you will LOVE what's coming next...

My favorite foods often include both sweet and salty flavors. I cannot resist recipes that transform these very different components into one delicious combination of flavors. That's why the fresh pineapple we had in Thailand last week quickly rose to the top of my list of favorite snack foods. Lucky for me, pineapples are in season in Japan right now! While I might as well promise my first born child for the amount of money I have to spend on a nice, ripe pineapple, it was worth the splurge to fulfill my craving. There are cheaper pineapples here, but they would take a few days to become ripe and I just couldn't wait! Darn you expensive grocery stores with perfectly ripe pineapples!

Since we are moving right now, I am spending my days packing boxes of our things. Pineapple is a healthy snack that I can have to distract me occasionally from what can be a very frustrating task. (Note to self: do not move again for at least 2 years.)

The ingredients for the sweet/salty/spicy topping are simple and you most likely have them in your kitchen already. You can adjust everything to your own taste- spicy or not. Here is how I made my topping:

1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes (if you can find dried Thai chili flakes, it would be more authentic)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you have the Thai chili flakes, don't use this)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle over the freshly cut pineapple.

Try this- you won't regret it!

Buriram, Thailand

2009-03-31T07:18:00.026+09:00

Last week, Brad and I were in Bangkok and Buriram, Thailand. We were working at an orphanage with a group of high school students and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had to date. Experiencing Thailand for the first time, working at an orphanage and playing with the beautiful kids that live there, and of course, eating amazing food.
The experience was exciting, sad, overwhelming, and enlightening at the same time. The children were lovely. One little girl, Dtoy (pronounced like 'toy' with a soft 't'), absolutely stole my heart while were in Buriram (and I'm pretty sure she kept it there with her...) Her tender love for everything was something I had not seen in such a young girl. We played a game where I would hold her, count to three, then flip her upside down. Every time we would stand back up, I would have pieces of hair in my face. She would take her little fingers and gently move each hair behind my ear before saying, "One more" in a very soft voice. Her giggle when she was hanging upside down in my arms was enough to make anyone fall in love with her right then and there. Here she is:

Amazing.

Read more about our experience from our other blog here.

Before I attempt to make the dishes we had in Thailand, I wanted to share some photos of the food being made by the Thai woman who worked at the orphanage. Everything was simple and delicious. I was lucky that she did not get annoyed by my picture taking and question asking in the kitchen. I just had to learn!

One of the first dishes we had in Thailand was, of course, Pad Thai. I think it is like the Cheeseburger of America. You can find it all over the place and when it is made right, it can be the most satisfying meal. You might notice in the photos below that the cooking is happening outdoors. This is how they cooked the majority of their food. The prep happened in the kitchen, but the actually cooking (I'm assuming because it is too hot in the kitchen) happens outside on a patio.

We had fried chicken. Yep. And it was not KFC style. I tried to help with this but I guess I was too slow breading the chicken (keep in mind we were cooking for about 40 people every night- at least that's my excuse for being slow) because I got booted from my job... Anyway, along with the chicken we had stir-fried vegetables and fresh pineapple. The pineapple was my favorite part of the meal. Fresh pineapple is cut into chunks and a delicious, spicy-sweet topping of chili flakes, salt and sugar is sprinkled over the top. I made this immediately the first night we were back in Tokyo... not the same as in Thailand. Must try to get it right...

The next meal was Thai red curry with chicken. SO good! I love curry and this was possibly the best red curry I have ever eaten. She made it with sugar cane rather than straight up sugar. It gave the curry a softer sweetness and did not detract from the flavor of the curry paste.

Overall, the experience in Thailand was something I can only say is indescribable.

This week, Brad and I are moving into a new apartment, so I will not have much time for posting here. However, when I return, my posts will be full of Thai recipes! I hope you're as excited as I am!

Oh, I almost forgot... I am currently in LOVE with baby bananas. I don't know if that is their technical term, but that is how I will refer to them. We had them for dessert one night in Thailand and I think I may have eaten 4 of them... Baby bananas are lovely and delicious.

Preview of things to come...

2009-03-25T19:01:00.002+09:00

This week, I am spending time in Buriram, Thailand working at an orphanage. We have been cleaning, painting, playing with the kids...it has all been an amazing experience.

Because the people who run the orphanage are Thai, they have been making some delicious, classic Thai fare for us to enjoy. The first night was Pad Thai (of course), last night was fried chicken and vegetables with pineapple for dessert, and tonight (drum roll please) will be red curry! I LOVE Thai curries and I am more than elated that I will be able to help prepare this dish with a wonderful Thai cook.

So, if you haven't already guessed, my blog posts when I return to Tokyo will be filled with Thai recipes that I have picked up during my time here. I can't wait to get cooking and blogging!

No Country for Cupcakes!

2009-03-18T06:49:00.006+09:00

All I want is a cupcake! A chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. Or maybe white frosting. I'll take anything!

Sadly, cupcakes are a rarity in Japan. Not only because I don't own an oven and therefore cannot bake my own, but also because I never see cupcakes being sold anywhere. Has no one in this country discovered the simple deliciousness that comes from these teeny tiny cakes? This is how I felt until I found something wonderous and beautiful...

A bakery by the name of Nottinghill Cakes & Gifts set up a small stand in the shopping area down the street from our apartment. The moment I walked by and saw the gorgeous cupcakes under the glass counter, I had to have one. I bought two: Mont Blanc and Chocoholic (because that's what I am) and carefully carried the lovely treats home, trying very hard not to ruin the deliciously presented frosting.

I made it through the door and let out a sigh of relief when all of the sudden, without warning, the box containing the chocolatey gems bumped the wall. The Mont Blanc frosting was toast. It slid right off the cupcake and stuck to the side of the box. Fortunately, that was the one and only casualty. The Chocoholic stayed completely intact. Whew!

The cupcakes have been eaten and enjoyed. They were a wonderful treat! Thanks, Nottinghill Cakes!

The Luck of the Irish

2009-03-17T18:57:00.012+09:00

There is something special about St. Patrick's Day. Suddenly, in the midst of a sometimes dreary transition between winter and spring, everyone becomes Irish for a day. There is a reason to celebrate- although I don't know how many people actually know what they are celebrating. Laughter, celebration- who cares what the real reason is. People are happy.

This year, without our usual group of friends to celebrate with in the States and a busy schedule keeping us from celebrating much here in Tokyo, it seemed St. Patrick's Day would slip by quietly. This was a huge disappointment. Coming from a strong Irish heritage, I loosely refer to St. Patrick's Day as "my holiday." It was looking unlikely that this year would bring anything Irish to our table at Tokyo Terrace.

I was pleasantly surprised when Brad called and told me not to stop at the grocery store on my way home. He said, excitedly, "I'm making dinner tonight." Now, this is not an easy thing for me to deal with. Giving up my kitchen is like handing over my right arm. Okay, maybe not that severe. Still, I have serious control issues in the kitchen, mostly because I am the only one in it the majority of the time. The best way to maintain sanity when I'm not is to stay in a separate room where I cannot be a "back seat chef." So, I came home, went straight to the living room and worked on other things while the clang and clatter of pots and pans came from the kitchen.

It should be noted that when my husband cooks, it is usually from a short list of one of the following: macaroni and cheese (quite amazing actually- I will have to write a post about it sometime), grilled cheese and tomato soup, or stir fry. This experience had its moments. Before he started cooking, Brad actually had to ask what beef stock was. Later, he ran into the living room with tears streaming down his face, not from cutting himself, but from the agony of cutting eight cups of onions.

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, Brad made an unexpected dish that totally surprised me. It was not only Irish-themed, but something new! Two and a half hours later, two steaming bowls of Guinness and Onion Soup with an Irish Cheddar Crouton were presented for dinner:

We did not have any Irish cheddar here in Japan, so regular cheddar made an appearance instead. Although, swiss or Emmentaler would be great as well (oops...there is my back seat chef coming through). For the recipe that Brad used, click here.

As I sat in the living room, enjoying the smells coming from the kitchen, I thought to myself, "Maybe I can let go more often and let someone else do the cooking." Then, I realized I'd have to do the dishes. I think I'll stick to the cooking side of things!

Thanks to my hubby, this St. Patrick's Day was fun and special. Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

Rainy Saturday Morning=Pancakes!

2009-03-14T11:57:00.008+09:00

We woke up this morning to a gloomy, rainy, windy Saturday. The nice part about the rain is that it has that "almost spring" smell. The humidity is high and heavy (which is a strangely welcome feeling)and the scent of new flowers is in the air. It seemed to be the perfect morning for some lazy-day pancakes.

Pancakes make very few appearances at our breakfast table. After making this recipe, I think that will change. These pancakes have the nutrition of whole wheat flour, yogurt and olive oil. They are light and full of flavor, without being dry. I made enough to make 3 batches and am keeping the extra around for the next time we want to have pancakes. The recipe below makes enough of the dry mix to make about 36 pancakes. These are SO easy and delicious. I hope you'll try them!

Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancake (Dry Mix)

3 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to an airtight container.

Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes

2 cups of the dry pancake mix (recipe above)
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
lemon zest from one lemon

Place the 2 cups dry mix in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites, buttermilk, yogurt, honey and lemon zest. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and olive oil. Whisk the wet ingredients in one bowl until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry mix and stir until just combined. Lumps are good! Don't get rid of them!

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium non-stick pan. Measure 1/3 cup of the batter and pour into the pan. When you start to see small bubbles on the top of the pancakes and the edges are beginning to cook, flip the pancake.

Serve with maple syrup or fruit topping.

I hope this recipe cheers up any rainy Saturday morning you wake up to! For the hubby and myself, this recipe was the perfect way to kick of a relaxing Saturday at home.

TGIF

2009-03-14T10:44:00.014+09:00

Life here in Tokyo has been moving at a very fast pace lately. In general, we are keeping ourselves as busy as possible. In truth, we are blessed to be busy. At the same time, it can be hard to keep an optimistic attitude when things at home are piling up like dirty laundry- literally.

I made a decision that this Friday night would be for nothing but relaxation. This means making some yummy food that could easily be eaten while watching TV or playing video games (we do enjoy playing video games on our Nintendo Wii.)

I decided to make Japanese inspired finger food; gyoza and calamari. With a nice glass of wine, what better food could there be for a Friday night?

Since this food can tend to be less than healthy, I tried to opt for the healthiest method of preparing them. For the gyoza, I used spinach, diakon radish and tofu for the filling. The squid was more difficult to make "healthy" so I tried to make a healthy dip to go alongside using low-fat yogurt and spices.

Tofu, Spinach and Daikon Gyoza

1 cup firm tofu, cut into small cubes
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup diced daikon radish
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce or tobasco sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
40 wonton wrappers

Combine the tofu, spinach and daikon in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce and red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce over the tofu mixture. Lay out the wonton wrappers on a cutting board or counter top. Working on one wonton wrapper at a time, spoon a small amount of the tofu filling in the middle of the wrapper. Using your finger, line the edge of the wrapper with water and seal the edges together until all the gyoza are filled and sealed.

In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until slightly smoking. Add the gyoza, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook the gyoza for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Serve with sweet chili sauce.

Calamari Dip

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
salt
white pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon balm or cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve alongside calamari for dipping.

Calamari (Fried Squid)

4 small squid bodies and tentacles, sliced into rings
1 cup corn flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
2 egg whites
1/2 cup oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl or on a plate. In a seperate small bowl, whisk the egg whites lightly. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan.

Coat the squid rings and tentacles with the egg whites and transfer to the dry ingredients. Coat with the dry ingredients and put on a plate. Carefully place the squid in the hot oil and fry for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Garnish with cilantro or lemon balm.

Old recipe, new tricks.

2009-03-11T21:50:00.008+09:00

When I was about 12 years old, my mom taught me to make a chicken casserole that we called "Rachael's Chicken Supreme." It was made with chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, and some form of cooking wine, probably sherry. It was topped with slices of swiss cheese and breadcrumbs and cooked in the oven. Super easy. Super delicious.

I haven't eaten this meal in years but when my mom told me the other day the she and my dad had Rachael's Chicken Supreme for dinner the other night, I remembered the comforting taste and satisfied feeling I had after making it for my family.

Here in Tokyo, we do not have an actual baking oven. We have a stove top with 3 burners, which is great.... but still... no oven. Without an oven, how was I going to recreate Rachael's Chicken Supreme? While the recipe turned into something vaguely reminiscent of it's original casserole, the end result was something more grown up. I guess you could say it's built more for the 25 year old version of me rather than the 12 year old.

I've replaced the cream of chicken soup with a cranberry, walnut and mushroom chutney made with a little whisky, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. I found this to be a surprising but delicious combination of flavors. Tartness from the cranberries. Sweetness from the sugar. Earthiness from the walnuts and mushrooms... The whisky added just the right amount of kick and heat, while the crunch of the walnuts helped to balance the texture of the cranberries and mushrooms.

To adapt to my non-oven way of cooking, I pan roasted the chicken, then put it in our fish oven (like a small broiler) to melt the cheese on top.

Here is the recipe:

Rachael's Chicken Supreme (the revised version)
with dried cranberry, walnut and mushroom chutney

2 chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 slices raclette cheese

for the chutney:

1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms, any variety
handful of dried cranberries, chopped
handful of walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup whisky
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt
white pepper

For the chutney, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small to medium sized pan. Add the shallot and ginger and cook until fragrant, abou 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, over low heat, for about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the cranberries and walnuts. Add the whisky and cook for 30 seconds, then add the brown sugar, stirring constantly. Add the basamic vinegar, salt and white pepper to taste. Cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and add to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, allowing the sides to brown. (Timing may vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts. If you have the option, I would recommend browning the chicken in the pan then transferring it to the oven, covered in foil, to prevent the chicken from drying out.)

When the chicken is done, top with the raclette and heat under the broiler until it is melted and beginning to bubble and brown.

Transfer the chicken to a plate, top with the chutney and serve with a simple green salad and some crusty bread.

As you can see, my husband seemed to appreciate the meal:

Something New

2009-03-09T19:36:00.007+09:00

After a long, stressful journey to the U.S. this past week, my husband and I were craving something healthy (as in NOT fast food), flavorful and new. Our diet has recently consisted of Subway, McDonald's, and Chili's. Ugh. I feel so bogged down by both the food portions (way too much) and the type of food we had to eat. I should mention that this is not normally how we eat when we travel to the U.S., but we were on a trip with a group of 16, 17 and 18 year old boys. Need I say more about the diet they are accustomed to?

I went to the grocery store this evening with no particular plan in mind except to fulfill the aforementioned requirements. After wandering around for a little while, I started to get some ideas. I picked up some bok choy, pumpkin (in Japan, pumpkin looks more like what we call squash in the U.S.- green skin, orange flesh), fresh udon noodles, shitake mushrooms and bass fillets. In the back of my mind, I had a list of the ingredients I already had at home and could use to put together a healthy meal. I am getting much more comfortable cooking without a recipe in front of me and trying to work with what I already know about different flavors and how to create a meal out of various types of ingredients. So, tonight was another adventure in the kitchen! Here is what I came up with...

Asian Spice Rubbed Bass with Udon and Stir-Fried Vegetables

Serves 2

2 bass fillets
Asian spice rub (recipe below)
4 tablespoons cooking oil
1 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili sauce or tobasco sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped
Udon Noodles
bok choy
4 shitake mushrooms
black sesame seeds

For the spice rub:

2 tablespoons sea salt
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the spice rub. Add the oil and mix into a paste-like consistency. Rub all sides of each bass fillet with the spice rub. Set aside.

In a medium or large pot of boiling water, add the udon noodles and cook according to the package directions. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the bass fillets and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a wok or large sautee pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add 1 tablespoon each of the chopped garlic and ginger and heat until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the pumpkin and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, chili sauce and vinegar to the sautee pan and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the cooked Udon noodles to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce (it will be a very light coating).

Serve with a sprinkle of the black sesame seeds.

You have to be very careful with the amount of salt in the spice rub- less is more!

Enjoy!

Saturday brunch...

2009-02-28T13:44:00.007+09:00

I finally woke up at 11am this morning after a long night of much needed sleep. While enjoying a cup of coffee with Brad, I had the urge to make something special for breakfast. Being that it was already after 11am, I decided it should be a brunch appropriate meal. The decision was an easy one: eggs benedict. So, I hopped on my bicycle and rode to the grocery store.

My mom used to make eggs benedict on Sunday mornings every once in a while. Her hollandaise sauce was always so creamy and flavorful and soaked in perfectly to the toasted english muffins along with the egg yolks. The canadian bacon sandwiched between the bread and egg added just the right amount of salty flavor to round out the meal. This was my first attempt at making my own eggs benedict and I made a couple of small changes. Rather than using english muffins, I used fresh baked white bread from a bakery down the street. In place of Canadian bacon I used smoked salmon. Lastly, I added a side of sauteed asparagus.

For the recipe for the hollandaise sauce, click here.

Sweet Dreams...

2009-02-26T13:35:00.005+09:00

I think it is amazing how dreams can impact your entire day. Last night, I had a horrible dream. I woke up, confused and jolted, wondering if I really had been dreaming or if my life had been turned upside down. It's funny that even when I realized it was, in fact, a dream, I could not shake the unsettling feeling. It was like a bad aftertaste that you can't seem to cover up, even though the food has long been swallowed. To me, there is only one solution to this sometimes scary and empty feeling...ok, there are two solutions...a big hug from my husband and hot chocolate!

For some reason, there is nothing more comforting than a deliciously rich, steaming mug of hot chocolate. Something about it feels like a big fluffly blanket wrapped around my shoulders while big soft snow flakes gently fall from the sky. Unfortunately, in Tokyo, the snowflakes are a dream in and of themselves. Still, hot chocolate helps me to imagine, or dream, that they are there.

Below is my favorite recipe for hot chocolate. I like mine with a little spice, so I add a small amount of cayenne pepper. You could substitute cinnamon for the cayenne if you are not a fan of the heat.

Spicy Hot Chocolate

Makes 1 serving:

1 cup of milk (1% is preferable)

1/4 cup cocoa powder (or to taste)

1/4 cup of sugar (or to taste)

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Heat the milk in a heavy pan over low heat until it is warm but not boiling. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar until combined and free of lumps. Add the cayenne pepper and heat for 30 seconds, being very careful not to scorch the milk. Pour the hot chocolate into a mug and top with fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Dreaminess in a cup- yummmm!

Fishy fishy!

2009-02-25T20:18:00.009+09:00

Some of my most content moments are spent in the kitchen. A collection of fresh ingredients, a glass of wine and some good music and I am one happy camper. Just today, I went to the grocery store immediately after school, bought some clams and sea bass fillets and a bottle of wine and went home to make something delicious and brilliant. Well, maybe not brilliant...but it was pretty darn good.

The food I made tonight was definitely not Japanese, but I was able to take advantage of the fresh seafood that plays a large part in the Japanese diet. The seafood part of this post comes in a little later...I began, not with fish, but with a white bean and mushroom dip. It was sort of a play on hummus using cannellini beans (rather than chickpeas) and broiled mushrooms with oregano. Here is the recipe:

White Bean and Mushroom Dip

1 can cannellini beans, strained and rinsed
5 or 6 medium sized mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed (any variety)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper

Move oven rack to the top of the oven and heat the broiler. Arrange the mushrooms, stem side up, in a baking dish. Drizzle the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with the dried oregano. Place under the broiler for 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft and cooked through.

In a food processor, combine the rinsed cannellini beans, mushrooms with their oil and oregano, salt, pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pulse the until the ingredients are combined but still coursely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Top with freshly chopped flat leaf parsely and serve with crackers, vegetables, or bread.

The flavor of this dip is earthy and satisfying. To add more texture contrast, this dip would be lovely with some chopped walnuts sprinkled on top as well.

After enjoying the white bean and mushroom dip, I made a fish stew with the clams and sea bass I'd purchased earlier. I have read many different recipes for fish stew, so I tried to remember aspects of each that I particularly enjoyed to develop my own version. This stew is warm and comforting, yet light and full of flavor. One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the dill sprinkled on top at the end. It adds a touch of summer to an otherwise winter worthy meal.

Fish Stew

12 little neck clams or mussels
1/2 pound sea bass or other firm fleshed white fish, skin removed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small/medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 cups white wine
1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large pan or dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic and bell peppers. Heat until soft (5-10 minutes). Add the paprika, cumin, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste, and heat until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add the white wine and cook until simmering. Cook an additional 5 minutes, uncovered. Add the water and saffron and cook for another 5-10 minutes, covered. Add the clams and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the fish and cook until firm (5 minutes). Ladle into 4 individual bowls and garnish with the parsley and dill.

We enjoyed our fish stew with some toasted bread with olive oil and salt and a glass of white wine. Cooking tonight was a much needed break in the middle of a very busy week!

More Kamakura

2009-02-23T22:01:00.006+09:00

Rice crackers are probably my favorite snack food in Japan. They are light, crispy, flavorful, cheap and relatively healthy. In Kamakura, we went to a small shop where rice crackers were made fresh and sold individually for 50 yen each. As soon as I saw this, I had to try one.

The fresh rice crackers were warm and dipped in a sesame flavored glaze. The woman making them folded a small piece of nori (dried seaweed) on the bottom of the cracker. This helped keep my fingers from getting sticky and made for a delicious last bite. After enjoying our snack, we bought some small bags of rice crackers to sample different flavors. Our favorite flavor was Uni (sea urchin). They also had different curry, nori and pepper flavored crackers.

After our adventure at the rice cracker shop, we went off for more sightseeing. A lot more sight seeing, in fact. We did a lot of walking, viewed more temples and found the beach. Click here for more about what we saw.

The restaurant we went to for dinner was the perfect remedy for two tired, cold travelers. Horetaro, a restaurant specializing in okonomiyaki (savory pancakes),was a short walk from our hotel. Okonomiyaki are not like the traditional breakfast pancakes served on Saturday mornings. Instead, okonomiyaki are made with chopped vegetables, meat and seafood. The best part (aside from the taste) is that you get to make the food at your table.

The waiter brings the ingredients to the table in a bowl. Everything is raw and piled separately in the bowl, so the first thing to do is mix the ingredients to make a batter-like consistency. Once the ingredients are mixed, the contents of the bowl are poured onto a griddle in the center of the table. When the okonomiyaki are cooked through, they are transferred to a plate and topped with sauces and other Japanese condiments like soy sauce, mayonnaise, fish flakes, etc.

Brad and I tried two kinds of okonomiyaki: pork with wasabi (our favorite), and squid. The wasabi flavor was unexpected in a pancake but added a welcome bite to the dish. Enjoyed with some sake, this Japanese meal was a new and welcome form of comfort food.

Kamakura showed us a different side of Japan. We were introduced to "old" Japan through the many temples and shrines we visited and became familiar with some traditional and not so traditional foods from this little island. I hope to return to Kamakura to see what else it has to offer.

Kamakura, Japan

2009-02-22T17:01:00.003+09:00

This past week, Brad and I had two days off of school. We decided to travel outside of Tokyo to escape the busy city. Since the break was short, we chose to travel somewhere that would require little travel time. The best place we found was Kamakura, Japan. An hour south of Tokyo, Kamakura feels like another time period. There are numerous shrines and temples to visit, beaches and of course, great food.

Our first day in Kamakura began with a stop at a coffee shop. We arrived around 11am and needed a little caffeine before we started sight seeing. Along with our coffee, we shared a small snack. In many coffee shops around Japan, different foods are made with hot dog-like sausages. We happened to have one wrapped in a croissant. Although this is not my favorite food in Japan, it hit the spot at this particular time.

Our first destination was the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha. The statue is beautiful and breathtaking. To read more about it and the other places we visited, click here.

After spending some time exploring, we left the Daibutsu and made a couple stops to sample local food. The first thing we tried is something easily found in Tokyo. Mochi, rice cakes covered in a miso sauce, have a great flavor and a funny texture.

They are gooey and served warm on a stick. Ours had sesame seeds on them as well.

Purple sweet potatoes are popular in Kamakura. They are used to make potato chips, lightly breaded and fried potato cakes; my favorite food made with these delicately sweet potatoes is soft serve ice cream. Yes, that's right...purple sweet potato ice cream (pictured above). It is actually a light lavender color and tastes a little like vanilla with a hint of sweet potato. My family makes a dish at Thanksgiving each year made with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon and marshmallows. The purple sweet potato ice cream reminds me of the sweet potatoes from that dish, only more mellow.

That night, Brad and I went to a restaurant above the Kamakura train station. It is actually two restaurants that work together. The first, Tenten, specializes in tempura while Furin serves fish and seafood. Brad and I each ordered a combination of sashimi, tempura, miso soup and salad. To help get rid of the chill that night, we enjoyed some warm sake.

Speaking of warm sake, I did a little research on how to heat sake. Here is how to make your own warm sake:

You will need:

Sake pitcher (heat resistant- most are made of ceramic)
pot of hot water
Sake

Fill the pitcher with sake. Carefully place the sake pitcher upright in the hot water. When you see small bubbles rising from the sake, remove the sake from the water. Do not allow the sake to boil. If it gets too hot the taste will be ruined. Pour the sake into small sake cups and enjoy!

I think I will let you all digest that for now. Tomorrow, I will add more about our second day in Kamakura. Thanks again for reading and feel free to share your thoughts!

Oden and Shabu Shabu

2009-02-17T13:25:00.009+09:00

There is a cold wind blowing through Tokyo tonight. When chilly weather finds its way to this bustling city, Japanese people turn to two classic meals: Oden and Shabu Shabu. Both of these delicious, warming meals are made in a hot pot called a Nabe. Brad and I just bought our first Nabe two weeks ago and have used it twice for Shabu Shabu.
Tonight, Justyna, a good friend in Tokyo, made Oden and Shabu Shabu for a small group of us for dinner.

Oden is made in a dashi broth, which is also the base ingredient for Miso Soup (click here for a recipe).

Ingredients like tofu, boiled eggs, fish cakes, daikon radish, carrots, mushrooms, etc., are boiled in the dashi broth. Oden is also seen in most Japanese convenience stores throughout the winter season. I have never tried it from a convenience store, as it does not look or smell appetizing to me...sorry.

Shabu Shabu, one of my favorite Japanese meals, is similar to Oden in that the food is cooked in a broth. The difference is that it is made with more fresh ingredients. Typically, shabu shabu consists of leeks, cabbage, mushrooms and meat or fish, tofu, and possibly noodles. The ingredients, after being cooked, are dipped in a sauce. The sauce can be made with egg, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions, etc...or can be purchased from the store ready made. From what I understand, using an egg is the Chinese way of making the sauce. Either way, it is delicious.

Shabu Shabu

3 inches dried kombu (sea weed)

leeks, sliced on an angle about 3 inches long

enoki mushrooms

Chinese/Nappa Cabbage

Firm tofu, cut into 2 inch cubes

thinly sliced beef, pork or sashimi grade fish

water

Fill a Nabe (hot pot) with water. Add the kombu and put over medium heat until simmering. Add vegetables to the broth to add flavor. Add ingredients to the broth as needed until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon or chopsticks, remove the ingredients from the broth and dip in shabu shabu sauce (recipe below).

Shabu Shabu is made entirely in the Nabe. Cooking everything at the table is what makes this form of eating so entertaining and endearing. I love it for the flavor and because it keeps me out of the kitchen and spending more time with guests!

If I were to chose, Shabu Shabu would be my favorite over Oden. It has more flavor and there are more creative options to be had. I love that almost any vegetable can be used. I also enjoy the creative sauce- using a raw egg (something that is not frowned upon in Japan) along with any ingredients that appeal to you, you can make something unique and delicious. Here is my favorite version of Shabu Shabu sauce:

Shabu Shabu Sauce
1 raw egg
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
fresh ginger (chopped)
fresh garlic (chopped)
red pepper flakes
scallions (chopped)
freshly ground sesame seeds

Just mix the ingredients together in a small bowl to use for dipping. If the egg makes you uneasy, it can be omitted.

Stay tuned! This week Brad and I are travelling to Kamakura and are sure to experience some great Japanese food and culture!

The beginning...

2009-02-15T16:58:00.000+09:00

Hello from Tokyo! I am creating this blog to satisfy my creative side. I love to cook and I am beginning to love developing my own recipes while learning more about Japanese cooking. I thought it would be nice to share some of the things I learn along the way.

The name of this blog comes from the name of the apartment building where my husband and I live in Tokyo, Japan. It is a small building with 4 floors and a terrace outside of each window. The terraces are beautiful and my favorite part of the building.

Since moving to Japan, I have tried to learn as much as possible about the food culture. It is difficult to do this for two reasons: 1) the language barrier, and 2) lack of familiarity with much of the food. Through the creation of this blog, I hope to be more motivated to seek answers to my questions and broaden my knowledge of food in general.

Much of my experience with Japanese food has been attained from eating out at restaurants. Not knowing what I am ordering or eating has kept me from learning much about the food itself. I know what I like (salmon sashimi, tuna sashimi) and what I do not like (any form of cartilage...especially shark cartilage). My struggles come from not knowing what types of produce to buy and how to prepare it, to asking the fish monger down the street for a specific type of seafood.

I hope this blog will help others in similar situations and will entertain those who are curious about the everyday task of deciding "what should we have for dinner tonight?"

Enjoy reading! Please feel free to leave comments or questions...or answer my questions!

Rachael