Acerola

Acerola has a natural high vitamin C, there are 1677.6 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of fruit and we ate a lot of acerola in Holland.

Unfortunately, I haven't found this kind of acerola in Singapore yet.  We have a lot of acerola juices, food in Japan though. 

Tonkatsu (Pork cutlet) Himonya Style

Tonkatsu(Pork cutlet) is very popular in Japan and you can eat at a Japanese restaurant in abroad as well.  I had Schnitzel in Germany and it is like a thin Tonkatsu and was very tasty.

However, I wanted to create more easier way and this is what I made.

I used sliced thin pork such as Shabushabu pork. 
1. Bit pepper on it.  (Do not put salt cause make the meat very watery).
2. Put sliced onion and cabbage and roll up.
3. Sprinkle flour, egg and panko(bread crumbs).
4. Fry til golden brown.
5. Eat with good salt or Tonkatsu Sauce(Japanese Worcestershire sauce).

Pork must be cooked well, but this is very thin so doesn't take long time.  You can put any vegetable and create your own.

Prosciutto with apricot cream cheese

Prosciutto is always good for appetizer. I make Melon with Prosciutto or Papaya with Prosciutto.  It's easy and taste good.  But sometimes I feel it's boring so I tried new appetizer with Prosciutto.

Mix apricot jam and cream cheese then roll up with prosciutto.  Cut spring onion (Green part) about 5cm and decorate like the photo.  Of course, you eat with spring onion.  Yummy!

Yakitori

This is Yakitori with Negi(Leek).  It's called "Negima" in Japanese.  Very easy to make.

1. Cut Chicken breast or leg for small pieces (not too small, just fit to a stick).
2. Cut Leek and put into a stick with chicken.
3. 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar into the small bottle or bin like an empty cleaned jam bottle or something like that, then shake well.
4. Put the chicken into the pan and grill. (you can brush the sauce above to chicken while you are cooking into the pan, but it's easy to burn so be careful to do so).
5. When it's almost ready, put the sauce from the jam bottle and mix well.

Yakitori and beer are great combination!

Salted Pork with Sumiso(Miso with vinegar)

This is also the appetizer I often make.  Just boil Pork shoulder with Leek and Garlic and Celery for about 50 minutes.  When it's cooked, put salt around of pork.  The sauce is mixed with Miso, Vinegar and Sugar.  This is great with cold dry sake.

Tofu Appetizer

As you probably know, Tofu is a food made by soy beans. Tofu is relatively high in protein and soy protein may reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

But I know many people don't like the taste as it is very plain and soft.  There are many kind of dishes of Tofu and I would like to introduce one by one.

This is Tofu Appetizer.  I have served this appetizer to many people and all nationalities like it.  Try for yourself first and see you like it or not:)

Wrap Tofu(Silken) with kitchen paper towel about 1 hour in the fridge.  Scoop Tofu into a small bowl and sprinkle chopped tomato.  Put Mentsuyu (is a condiment made from dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar) about 1/2 tsp and a bit sesame oil.  Sprinkle sesame, bonito flake , spring onion and parsley on top.  When you eat it, stir and mix it up and you will have a wonderful taste.  You won't believe it is Tofu. 

Temarizushi (Ball shaped sushi)

Temarizushi is good for appetizer.  I made Salmon and Tuna Temarizushi.  Temari means hand ball in Japanese.  I decorated with Shiso leave(Perilla) and ginger on it.

Food Paradise

In Paris, at La Grande Epicerie in Le Bon Marche, It is a food paradise!  I wish I could stay all day there!

All kind of spices from the world, lots of good salts, jams, chocolates, fruits, vegetables and meats.  I bought many Guerande Salt. I will go back there for sure!!

Kinpira Gobo (Braised burdock root)

Gobo is a burdock root, very common in Japan.  We use for miso soup(I make cream gobo soup as well), cook with butabara(pork belly) with soy sauce etc.  But the most common dish of Gobo is Kinpira Gobo.

Ingredients:
1 Gobo
Half Carrot (cut short and thin strips)
Mirin 2 Tbs
Sugar 2 Tbs
Sake 1 Tbs
Soy sauce 2Tbs
Sesame Seeds 2 Tbs
Vegetable Oil 2 Tbs

Just peel gobo skin and cut in thin strips.  Soak the strips in water for about 10-15 minutes then drain it.  Heat vegetable oil in a pan and cook about 5 minutes.  Add carrot strips and cook. Add cooking wine or sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce and put cover on a pan with low heat.  Check occasionally until it becomes no watery.  Put on a bowl and sprinkle sesame seeds.

If you like spicy one, put a chili pepper in a pan before putting gobo.

Sugar Peas with Sesame sauce

This is "Sugar Peas with Sesame sauce".  It is the same method of Spinach Sesame sauce, but Sugar Peas are a bit more easier to make as you can just boil it before mixing with sauce and taste sweet.

Herring

The most popular fish in Holland is herring.  It's now in a season so you can eat the most fresh one in Holland.  We love herring in Holland, especially eat with chopped onions. 

We also have herring(Nishin) in Japan, but usually we eat cooked one with other vegetables such as bamboo shoot or Kombu and soy sauce.  Personally I like Dutch herring much better!