Monday, December 26, 2011

Merry Christmas

☆Merry Christmas☆ to the whole world!! and I wish all of my family and friends in the all over the world is happy and enjoying the X'mas=) 

For my X'mas Eve, I had a lunch with my best friend mark at the Moxi's. For 25th, I had a family dinner with my brother and Also my dady and momy by Skype! The X'mas dinner menu is here↓

Christmas Tree Edamame Potage with a Star Crouton
(クリスマスツリー枝豆ポタージュ 星のクルトンを添え)

Dill Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon Appe
(ディルクリームチーズとスモークサーモンの前菜)

X'mas Chicken Plate: the chicken marinated for 2 nights
(二日間漬け込んだチキンのプレート)

X'mas tree cheese cake and Strawberry Santa
(クリスマスツリーチーズケーキとイチゴのサンタさん)

I really had a great Christmas this year again! Only few days left till 2012 so I gotta enjoy the 2011=) 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Winter Arrival

Time flies and it's already December now...  The winter in Vancouver is Freezing this year! The Good news is the local mountain is ready for snowboarding since mid November, but the Bad news is the cold winter makes people weak and most people around me are suffering from sicknesses.  Since its freezing winter this year, I invited my friends and my brother to my Hot Pot dinner.

First Hot Pot I made was miso based soften beef shank hot pot

Second Hot Pot was the Shio Chanko Hot Pot
(Chicken stock and pinch of salt)

I'm gonna invite more friends to have Hot Pot party because Hot Pot will warm you up both physically and Psychologically =)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Healthy and Cheap Recipe

I often create my original recipe which is Healthy, Cheap, and still taste good. Here is one of my Okonomiyaki style Tofu Recipe that I made from the ingredients I had in my fridge last week. 
Okonomiyaki style tofu
お好み焼き風ふわっとろ豆腐

I'll post the Recipe in Japanese this time because it is pretty hard for me to explain all the ingredients in English.

材料:(4人前)

豆腐1丁 400g
パン粉 1カップ
小ネギ 3本
片栗粉 大さじ1
粉末だし ひとつまみ
塩 小さじ1/2

作り方

1:電子レンジにかけて、しっかり水切りした豆腐をほぐす
2:パン粉をいれ、よく練る
3:片栗粉、塩、粉末だし、小ネギをいれてもう一度混ぜる
3:フライパンに油をひき、ふたをして両面焦げ目ができるまで焼く
4:お好み焼きと同じようにソースとマヨネーズをかけて、トッピングをして
出来上がり =)

Hope you enjoy my recipe =)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Thrift Recipe

I like to cook something special and fancy, but also using cheap ingredients to create cheap and good food is one of the good way to enjoy my daily cooking.  
Somen chanpuru
 残り物野菜のそうめんチャンプルー
安くて、お腹にたまる!

葱油餅(ツォンヨウピン)
台湾の家庭料理
小麦粉とネギがあれば、安く作れる最高のおやつ!

Natto Cold Noodle
ふわっふわっ冷製うどん
安くて、健康な一品!

Enjoying cooking or eating doesn't only means buying expensive ingredients to cook some fancy food, but it also means that making tasty food from cheap ingredients. It takes a bit effort to create a thrift recipe, but will give you confidence of your cooking after =)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Got A Cold

I got a bad cold since sunday, and had high fever for almost three days. I still have a headache, sore throat, and hard cough... I feel so much better now, but still on my bed and resting =( 
On my first day of cold, I wasn't feel that bad so I made a Simple Konbu Udon.

Before I get cold, I cooked Japanese style curry. I always cook too much when I make curry. So I re-use the curry to make new dish.
Beef Curry, Cole Slaw, and Boiled egg

Curry Bread, Bacon butter corn, and salad for Breakfast

Curry Udon

I have a lot of things I wanna cook after I heal and get better. First thing I wanna cook is a birthday cake for My mother, and Halloween dish for the second =)

Monday, October 17, 2011

Cookpad

Cookpad is one of the biggest recipe site in Japan. It has many recipes from everyone, and anyone can post and access to their recipe on that website. I've been posting my recipes as well, and My recipe has been chosen to one of the famous recipe! My recipe and Nickname was on the top page last week! I was just too excited and called my mom and dad. They were soo happy as well, and cooked my recipe for dinner to celebrate me with white wine. I'm so glad that I have "Lovely Parents". I've been living in Vancouver alone for almost 9 years, so I wish I can cook my parents a great meal one day =) 
My recipe is the Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp by AsahiMeal

My Mom and Dad cooked my Recipe, and Posted picture and comment on my cookpad recipe page!   Love you, Mom and Dad =)

This is the Cookpad Website: http://cookpad.com/
Cookpad has released English site as well: http://cookpad.it/

It was an Annual Vancouver Raining Season, and I was a bit being depressed!, yet this good news brought me a lot of energy and passion to Live powerfully!!!  Love cooking Life =) 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Thanks giving

Happy Thanks giving day! It was the thanks giving long weekend in Canada last week, so I invited my good friends over to my house and celebrated Thanks giving with my food. We played Mario cart and wii bowling after the dinner, enjoyed my great friday =)
Inari-sushi お稲荷さん
 (fried bean curd stuffed with vinegared rice and seasoned roots vegies)

Chinese sweet and sour meat balls
中華風肉団子

Japanese style sweet and tender simmered pork
初めて作った豚の角煮

Chinese style light pickled cucumber and bean curd
中華風きゅうりと乾燥湯葉の浅漬け

For Thanks giving monday, I went to a store called "Murata" on E. Broadway where sells Japanese Traditional kitchen supplies to shop some of dishes! I got few simple plates and sake pot there, so I made a roasted beef for thanks giving diner and enjoyed Sake with my brother =) 

My Thanks giving Lunch was the Soba

Roasted beef with three kinds of Japanese spices
(Yuzu flavored White Pepper paste, Aged chili paste, and Garlic paste)
ローストビーフ、3種の薬味を添えて
(ゆず胡椒、かんずり、おろしニンニク)

I had this dish paired with hot sake and enjoyed with my brother for Thanks giving family dinner.
収穫祭で、私の作ったローストビーフをおつまみにして兄と晩酌

I found the Kaede looking leaf when I was jogging that morning.
かえでの葉みたいなものは、早朝のジョギングで発見!
最近桂剥きを練習しているが、まだまだ下手で大根のつまが太い。

Right: Yuzu flavored white pepper from the city called "Miyazaki" where my father was born
Left: Aged chili paste from North area in Japan

I Love to cook for some events. Next event is the Halloween and excited to cook something with pumpkins! I have to curve some pumpkins, make some pumpkin cakes, and make a halloween dish... busy busy, yet too excited and already got pumpkin curving set! =) 

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Gyu-Kaku Arrival

Japanese BBQ Dining "Gyu-Kaku"has just arrived in Vancouver Last Month. It is a cheap and good  restaurant, and I like their Shio Marinated Meat the best.  *Shio: light, white soy sauce base marinade 
Two kinds of dipping sauce

I like their side dishes as well


I wish some other Japanese restaurant will arrive to Vancouver =) 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Warmth

I was looking for some healthy natural food, and I found this Seaweed Noodle at Korean Market. It has only 12.6 kcal and good for internal organs and skin. The noodle was on sale for $0.99, and it taste good as well. 
Natural Konbu Noodle

I made a Korean cold noodle with the Konbu Noodle.

Since I damaged a part of my digestive organ, I started to eat congee almost everyday. However, I got sick of the simple Japanese congee taste, so I created my own congee recipe. Congee warms up our body and heals the sickness faster.
Black cod and cod roe congee
(たらと明太子の親子粥)

Pot-steamed hotchpotch congee
(中華粥の茶碗蒸し添え)

Milk congee by Osono from The Movie "KiKi's derivery" 
(大好きな魔女の宅急便で、おそのさんが作ってくれたミルク粥風)

This is the Milk congee from the movie

The warmth of the congee gives warmth to my heart. I want to create more congee recipes, so that I can cook for my future family and give some warmth to their heart as my mother have done to me =)

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Healthy Japanese

I've been drinking a lot of alcohol since June and I kind of damaged a part of my digestive system. So I often cook Healthy Traditional Japanese these days. Food is the most of the elements that builds our body as well. I have to take care of my eating habit to maintain my healthy body.
Tilapia and bean congee with Yuzu Flavor 

Original Yaki Udon

Tofu, grounded pork and 3 kinds of root crops hamburg steak 

Japanese simple dish
(bamboo shoot, huge clam, and hand made Shrimp and Halibut ball)

Eat Healthy and Live long =) 
I got to learn how to manage my eating plan!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

East Asia

I'm trying to learn how to cook an East Asian food from books these days. The Asian food such as chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai food use a lot of unique spices and hard to learn their recipes.  
Asian- European Fusion Brunch Plate

 Sweet Chili Shrimps 

Szechuan Eggplants

Thai Vegie Green Curry

I'm lucky that I live in Vancouver and be able to meet people from many races. I want to learn more of an famous food from their country than their family recipes and traditional taste =)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Okanagan Winery

I've been to Okanagan last weekend to have Winery tour! I gained a lot of power from Beautiful Nature. Here is my picture diary from Okanagan Trip =)  
On the way to Okanagan

Mission Hill

Grapes to make wine

Summer Hill

Wine tasting

Beautiful Grapes

Mission Hill Outdoor Dining

Pate de Campagne & Brassica Mustard

Seared Haida Gwaii Halibut

Hand made Lasagna


Had a Wonderful Trip with My friend. This is how I enjoy my Life =)