Slow cooking - lamb stew

Pasta Marinara

Sometimes a simple dish like this is very good. Love the pasta especially with garlic toast.

Fried chicken

BBQ Burger

My husband and I had a craving for a nice juicy burger and decided to do BBQ. We really like our meat on the rare side but to be safe, we compromised with medium close to well-done. We believe that there is something about charcoal BBQ which cooks meat smokey and very juicy.

Homemade Ohagi - Japanese sweets

I made Ohgahi for my friend visiting me with her baby. Ohagi is a sweet rice ball covered with Anko (sweet red bean paste) and eaten especially around September when the season of Autumn begins on the calender. Ohagi has different variations such as a sweet rice ball with Anko inside and covered with ground black sesame seeds or with Kinako (soy bean powder). I love making Anko since the aroma from cooking red beans is so nice and gives me somewhat nostalgic feeling.

Flower arrangement - chrysanthemums and Japanese maple

There is a venerable Japanese maple tree in our property which I like to use often for my flower arrangement. Since chrysanthemums are in season for Autumn, I was hoping to use colored maple leaves but this season has been so warm and the leaves have not turned their colors yet.

Amanatto (Japanese marron or bean glacé)

I bought these Japanese sweets when I was back in Japan. Amanatto is one of popular traditional Japanese sweets which resembles Marron glacé or fruits confits. They are either beans or chestnuts rather than fruits. Japanese sweets often reflect the season of the moment and chestnuts are typical Autumn sweet ingredients.

Yuan Yaki

Yuan is a kind of teriyaki with a sauce made with soy sauce, mirin (Japanese sweet sake) and yuzu (Japanese citrus). Yuzu has a very distinctive flavor which is used very often in various Japanese dishes and it gives teriyaki a nice twist.

Monthly diner homage

The time has come again for this month.....Breakfast at dinner
Had an omelet with mushroom and home fries.

This is my husband's breakfast, eggs benedict. I could hear my blood clogging just by looking at it but it was scrumptious.

Beef curry

Love Japanese curry!

Egg salad sandwich

Store-bought stuffed flounder with crab meat

This stuffed flounder was a store-bought but it was very good. Sometimes I need to take an easy way out....

Simmered Satoimo

Satoimo is a kind of Taro and used very often in Japanese cooking. This one is simmered and sprinkled with yuzu (Japanese citrus).

Birthday dinner

We had my husband's birthday dinner at home with his mom. She and my husband loves Sushi and sashimi and therefore, I made Japanese dinner for the occasion. Starter was Tempura and simmer vegetables.

Salmon, chutoro (medium fatty tuna), sea urchin, yellow tail and salmon roe.....

Happy Birthday!

Broiled salmon with creamed spinach

I had leftover sauce béchamel which I made for the other night. Decided to make creamed spinach with it and served it with broiled salmon.

Leek and chicken gratin

Hamburg steak with demigras sauce

Hamburg steak with demigras sauce

Cream stew with chicken

Light dinner

Salad with bread, eggs, broccoli, tomatoes and prosciutto

Wako cafe and Wakamatsu in Ginza

Tea time at Wako cafe. I had a very nice chestnut dessert but forgot to take a picture.....

Ginza Wakamatsu

Wakamatsu is known for its Mitsumame.

Dessert from Takano

Takano is famous for its beautiful desserts which use lots of different fruit. This has white and yellow peaches, Kyoho grapes and custard puddings on the top of moose and sponge cake. It was not too sweet and very delicious. I wanted to bring something sweet for my dad who watched the house while my mom, aunt and I stayed in Yokohama.

Lunch in Yokohama

Food from "Depachika"

On one of days I stay in Japan, I usually stay with my mom or sister at Yokohama Panpacific hotel. It is a very nice hotel and they also have excellent package plans which give you different options of meals and reasonable rates. This picture is taken from our hotel room.

We bought dinner at "Depachika" (Basement floor in a Japanese department store which usually has all sorts of food departments and they are known for their very high quality and versatile food) and brought it back to our hotel room. We like to do this since we can relax in our room after we take a nice long bath overlooking the beautiful view of Yokohama bay and then enjoy the delicious meal together. The picture is charcoal grilled chicken. Everything was soooo yummy!

Steamed sweet rice with autumn vegetables





Chinese chicken salad





Simmered pork belly

Steamed sweet rice with red beans

Airborne food

Kani chahan - Fried rice with crab meat

Norimaki dinner

I made norimaki with tuna salad. The combination of mayonnaise and sushi rice is surprisingly successful.

Indian curry

I found Nan at Kings. I made Indian curry and had it with them. The Nan was not bad but a little sweet for my taste.