New Year' Eve(Oomisoka)

It's almost 2012.  Today is the beautiful day, no rain but very hot.  I see the sunset like the photo.

Tonight, we have a very casual meal as we have to eat the traditional evening meal, to have while waiting to greet the new year is a bowl of soba noodles, called Toshikoshisoba.  It means "end the old year and enter the new year".

I will just make some finger foods such as salmon canape and cheese platter and some good bread with a glass of champagne before we will eat noodles.

I made Misobutadon the other day.  Lots of lettuce on the rice with pork sliced and a boiled egg.  It's really good combination.

Have a happy new year and all the best to you in 2012!

Christmas Dinner

I made roast pork with thyme, rosemary and served with caramelised pineapples, prunes and apples.  Baked potatoes with turmeric, paprika and Brussels sprouts with bacon.  Chiffon cake was decorated by my younger daughter.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

In Japan, the new year's day is the most special day.  We celebrate eating special dishes and go praying etc.  Of course, Christmas is also a special day, but it is more like a style or fashion in Japan.

I celebrate Christmas and a New year's day both.  Tomorrow I will bake a roast pork with apples, prunes, pineapples etc.  We will have a big Christmas dinner!  I will up date it here.

Now I am baking a Chiffon cake so at the moment, no photos:)

Merry Christmas to everyone!  Happy eating!

Lotus Root Tempura

Lotus Root is a vegetable from Asia and is found underwater.  It is good for Salad, cooked with meat and other vegetables.

How I like to eat Lotus Root?  Simply Tempura.  Peel the skin and slice it and soak in the water a little while.  Dry.  Mix flour and cold water together and coating Lotus Root.  Fry with 180 degrees oil for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle good Himalayan or Guerande Salt on it.

Buta Shabu Salad

ShabuShabu is a traditional Japanese dish you cook in a pot.  Usually, you cook by yourself just swish the meat in the pot.  You cook thinly sliced beef and vegetables and are usually served with dipping sauces.

It is more like a winter dish as you cook in a pot(Nabe) in front of you on the table.  It's so warm and cozy during a winter season.  However, here is a tropical country and sometimes I make ShabuShabu with air conditioning room and still very hot.

So I made this ShabuShabu Salad instead.  It is very summery and light dish.  I used very thinly sliced pork and made sauce with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili oil(Rayu), sesame oil and chopped leek.

Fruits Salad

What I like living in a tropical country is that there are so many kind of fruits which you can't get it or it's very hard to get it in Japan.

Mango is from Thailand, Australia, India, Indonesia and they are all sweet.  Apple is from New Zealand or Australia, some of them are from South America.  Dragon fruits are very nice, looks like a bit Japanese sesame sweet.  Kiwi is also very nice.

Just cut a cube size and mix well in the bowl.  In the end, put Mandarin Orange(canned) so that fruits don't change the colours.

Good for snack or dessert.

Tamagoyaki(Japanese Omelette)

Tamagoyaki is very popular in Japan.  I make so often this Tamagoyaki because my family love it and good for any occasion such as for breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sushi and lunch box to take out.
It is made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg.  I put sake, sugar, soy sauce, dashi and a bit water and mix with eggs.  Then cook it.

Tofu Shiraae(Mashed Tofu Salad)

Tofu has many way of eating and as I live in a tropical country I like to eat like Hiyayakko.  This is another way to eat Tofu.  It's called Shiraae.  Shira means white and ae means mix.

Wrap tofu with kitchen paper and leave it in the fridge about 2-3 hours or put microwave for few minutes. Mash tofu gently and put Mirin, Soy Sauce, Sugar and sesame seeds.  I put Hijiki(a brown sea vegetable) which contains a lot of mineral and fibre.  Also carrots and sugar beans for color.

Beef Brisket

Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal.


I don't cook beef so often, but sometimes I feel like cooking beef.
I found a very nice beef brisket in a shop so I got it and cooked with red wine for 3 hours with onions, carrots and garlic.


It is very juicy and tender.

White Asparagus

White Asparagus is very popular in the Netherlands.  They serve with potatoes.  My mother-in-law make wonderful Asparagus during the season.

In Japan, you can find canned white asparagus, but it is not so nice.  First time, I saw real white asparagus in the Netherlands, I was so touched.
It is delicious, tender and can not stop eating.

Asparagus with Orange Dressing

Asparagus has many kind of vitamins and I like to cook Asparagus in Japanese way, Western way.

This is Asparagus Salad with orange dressing.  Boil Asparagus then soak in the cold water so that the colour stay bright green.  Squeeze 2 oranges into the pan and bring to boil.  It becomes thick then off.  Add chopped onions and mustard and orange zest.  Grate pecorino cheese on top.