La Petite Kitchen

I want to inform you that I'm going to change the Name of my blog to "La petite Kitchen" from nextweek, and new web address will be "http://la-petite-kitchen.blogspot.ca/". Thanks for readying my blog, and I will see you in my brand new blog =)

来週からブログの名前を"La petite Kitchen"に変更します。webアドレスも"http://la-petite-kitchen.blogspot.ca/"に変更されます。これからも、新しい私のブログをよろしくお願いします。

Summer Food

Vancouver is finally getting hot now. When the wether gets hot, I always have cold noodle as most of the Japanese people do!! I believe Noodle is a signature food in Japanese culture. We have 4 main noodle types: Ramen, Udon, Soba, and Somen, and there are tons of other kind of noodle in each region. For instance, we have the most famous Udon called "Sanuki udon" from Shikoku island (the smallest island in the 4 main island of Japan). An udon from my city is called "Yoshida no Udon", and it's my favorite one. It is firm and very thick compare to Sanuki udon.  Today, I'm gonna introduce you my way of having noodle, and where to get noodle in Vancouver. 

This is Soba served on Zaru with Spicy cold soup and a fresh egg. I used dried soba made in Japan. 

Most of the Japanese traditional style dishes are from Daiso again =)

It is usually with 3-4 bundles. Sometime cheap one taste so fake!! Try to get a Japanese brand. You can get it in most of Asian market in Vancouver area. It is very difficult to make Soba soup, so find a soba soup in bottle at Asian store as well.   

This is Tomato flavored Udon from T&T!

I made an original Italian Tomato cold Ramen for my lunch =) 

I'll post the recipe before the summer ends!

I hope to have a long and thick life as Udon!!

Enjoy your summer with noodle =)  

Japanese Style Siu-Mai

Japanese style siu-mai called "Shumai" is a bit different from Chinese one. Our siu-mai uses white-clear siu-mai skin instead of yellow one. Also, green peas or baby shrimp is the symbol of our siu-mai. We put a bit of Karashi mustard and dip in soy sauce + rice vinegar sauce to have an extra flavor to it. Interesting? =)

So today, I'll post my original Siu-Mai recipe here.  

Japanese Style Siu-Mai

For 10-15 Serving 

Ingredients: 

     Shu-mai Skin 

     (sells at T&T / H-mart in Vancouver area)

     Grounded Pork                      160 g

     Chopped Onion -small           1/2

     Chopped dried scallop or dried shrimp      1 table spoon

     (soak it in the water)

     Chopped Shitake mushroom            1

    (dried one is fine, soak it in the water)

     Corn Starch                       2.5 table spoon 

     ☆Oyster sauce                   1 tea spoon

     ☆Soy sauce                       1.5 tea spoon

     ☆Sugar                              1/2 tea spoon

　 ☆Cooking Sake                 1/2 tea spoon

     ☆Sesame oil                      1 tea spoon

     ☆Black pepper                  1/2 tea spoon

     ☆Minced ginger                1/2 tea spoon

     Soy sauce + Vinegar sauce (Soy sauce : Vinegar = 3:1)

Karashi Mustard

I recommend paste style in a tube. You can get it at T&T, H-mart, and Konbiniya on Robson st. in Vancouver area. I just found out that the Karashi paste tube from S&B company has a picture of Shumai on the package =)

Step 1: Add ☆ingredients into ground pork and Mix well with hand in a large bowl. 

Step 2: Coat chopped onion with corn starch to keep onion's natural sweetness of Umami inside.

Step 3: Add coated onion, shiitake mushroom, and dried scallop/ shrimp into the Mixture from Step 1. Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it sit in the fridge for 1-2 hour.

Step 4: Take out Step 3, and start to wrap the mixture with shumai skins as picture below.

Make a circle with a thumb and forefinger. 

Press and make a Shumai shape

Step 5: Put Green peas or baby shrimp on top, and Steam it for 10-15 min.

Hope you Enjoy my recipe =)

Mexican Lover

I visited one of the best tacos restaurant in Vancouver called "La Taqueria" few weeks ago. They sells many kinds of Meat, Fish, and Vegetarian Tacos. The price is a bit expensive compare to tacos in Cancun, Mexico (I just traveled 2 month ago), but worth it!!

The menu is on the black board!

 $2.50 each / 4 for $9.50 for Meat tacos 

OR 

$2.00 each/ 4 for $7.00 for Veggie tacos

Perfect with beer in this hot season!

I love the vivid furniture and decoration inside the store!  

Spicy sauce and Pickles for condiments on pig shaped stone bowls!! 

I really love the red onion pickles there =)

My boyfriend and I ordered fish tacos, corn tacos, beef tongue tacos, beef cheek tacos, pork confit tacos, beef flank tacos, and chorizo tacos. I love beef flank one the best because it was very similar to the one I had in Mexico. A beef tongue was very soft any melty, and chorizo had a great flavor and spiciness!

 I am addicted to tacos again =)

Food Art

I often make cakes, lunch boxes, and dinner plates with famous Japanese character. I personally think edible cute character could make people happy with just looking at my food =)

This is my lunch box with Japanese character from One Piece. 

The omelette-rice is a popular meal for kids in Japan. Typically, we put a message or name on the omelette-rice with tomato ketchup, but I like to put a face of animals just for fun =)

I always get many of cooking and decorating tools from Japanese dollar store called Daiso! This is the drawing pen I use to decorate my plate! Daiso stores are located in all over the world, and they have Online store as well =)

Recently, I put a smiley face on most of my meal. It can makes people whoever eat my meal a bit extra Happy! 

Eat 3 times a day, and Smile 3 times a day♪

Fresh Drinks

I'm in Love with home made fresh drinks now. I wake up at 6AM in the morning, pick the fresh veggies from my garden, and make a fresh drinks with the veggies and Fruits everyday. I have a book  explains all about Fresh drinks from Japan, and I pick a recipe depending on my health condition.

This is a drink for hungover which made with golden kiwi, carrot, vitamin lettuce, and lemon juice.    

Energy drink: Mango, Vitamin Lettuce, Banana, and Soy milk. 

Vitamin Breakfast : Mango, Strawberries, Carrots, and Vitamin lettuce. 

This is the home grown Vitamin Lettuce. 

The fresh drinks actually changed my daily life a lot! 

My digestive system works better, and makes me mentally stable =)