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Paneer vs Chikko
As a fun Saturday project, Tod suggested we make paneer. I was on board with that because I have been wanting to make the Chiba version of paneer, chikko katametano. Chikko katametano (entirely too long a name, so I just call it chikko) is traditionally made with colostrum, but since that’s not available unless you…
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Green melon salsa
Summer fruits make good toppings for savory meals when you turn them into salsa. My basic recipe pairs sweet fruit with sour, salt, and spicy elements and a kick of herbs. I make variations of it with whatever fruits and herbs we have through the season; I adore mango salsa but mangos are rare. This…
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Happy 55th
Tod’s mom baked his favorite birthday cake and we invited friends over to enjoy it with us. We spent the day preparing. Tim & I hung lights in the garden while Jeanie baked. Evening came and so did the guests. Our first party on the patio was a success. Happy birthday, Tod!
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Matsuri-zushi
Today I joined the Oyama Senmaida sushi-making workshop. It’s not regular sushi. This is vegetarian sushi rolled in special ways to form pictures. It’s like the origami of sushi, really. In today’s class we made a camellia and a snail. For the first 90 minutes, we prepared all of the parts we’d need, cutting sheets…
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Cassoulet
I made my first cassoulet yesterday. I didn’t get a photo when we sat down to eat it, but I snapped one while making it. Tokyo friends with good food sense came to visit and I had a freezer full of random meat, so I emptied the freezer in pursuit of a special dish for…
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Ants Climbing a Tree
I made this Chinese noodle dish for a party and want to save my version of the recipe so I can make it again. The key to the whole thing is finely chopping all of the ingredients so that the “ants” can climb the tree of the noodles. The flavor is spicy from the mustard…
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Demystifying our Mikan
555 is chockablock with citrus trees. There is a yuzu in the front garden, a kumquat over by the hatake, and our Kobayashi mikan. We added a lemon and a lime to the mix this year. And there are four mystery citrus. Probably some kind of natsumikan, a sour orange that ripens in early summer…
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Chocolate for breakfast
Today marks the 8th anniversary of my yoga classes in Kamogawa. They started as a twice weekly practice at Satoyama Design Factory and later become a daily class first in person and then via Zoom. I never set out to be a yoga teacher, but I am glad that I did. My practice has created…
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This summer’s fav drink
Japan ‘s beverage & snack industry is known for its seasonal and limited time products. It’s a manufacturer’s nod to the seasonality of produce and fish, I suppose. Nothing sticks around forever. I appreciate it now, but I still remember the juniper-flavored soda I encountered on our first trip to Japan in 1995. It was…
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Ricotta cheesecake cupcakes
I love cheesecake but a whole cheesecake at home for two people is daunting. Smaller servings are easier to share, so cupcake tins are the way to go. This recipe makes 12 single-serving baked cheesecakes that are creamy and delicious with a generous crust. I adapted this recipe to work with the ingredients I had…
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