Friends.
Family.
Roasted turkey and gravy.
Adorably gorgeous babies whose smiles are like sunshine.
Employment.
Weekends.
Paychecks.
A nice place to live.
Tokyo, Seattle, Washington DC and environs.
Health.
Christmas season and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving
It's a holiday in Japan too, though it's "Thanks for Working" day here (technically "Labour Thanksgiving Day").
I am bringing poached pears to a Thanksgiving party, to be served with ice cream.
I am bringing poached pears to a Thanksgiving party, to be served with ice cream.
peeling pears
I picked up "La France" pears--like anjous--at my neighborhood grocery store, a few days shy of being ripe. Halve, core, peel, sprinkle with lemon juice, and tend to the poaching liquid.
poaching in progress
Turn up the heat, and let it bubble away.
A nice big Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven would be so nice right now.
A nice big Le Creuset enameled cast iron dutch oven would be so nice right now.
reducing the syrup
A bottle of wine, half a lemon and the juice of eight pears gets reduced to about a half cup of dark, spicy syrup.
tender and fragrant
The pears are tender and fragrant in no time, and the house smells of warm vanilla and sweet wine.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Cheese Festa 2006
Have a nice day with cheese: this is what I did on Saturday.
The Spiral building in Omotesando hosted the annual Cheese Festa. Spiral has an amazing gift shop, nice restaurants, and hosts lots of events and exhibitions.
Pop joined Ai and I and we had a fun afternoon learning about cheese, tasting samples and purchasing ingredients for fondue. I won a tub of berry cream cheese.
The Spiral building in Omotesando hosted the annual Cheese Festa. Spiral has an amazing gift shop, nice restaurants, and hosts lots of events and exhibitions.
Pop joined Ai and I and we had a fun afternoon learning about cheese, tasting samples and purchasing ingredients for fondue. I won a tub of berry cream cheese.
Would you like a huge wheel of stilton?
Each corner gave out samples of one of the representing country's cheeses. Spanish Manchego, Japanese cream cheese and New Zealand cream cheese were all fine and people gladly ate them, but the Stilton counter was a madhouse. It was like the line for Splash Mountain at Disneyland. It was like herding dairy cattle. People were shoving, pushing, walking over feet to get to the Stilton.
Then they brought out these humongous wheels of the stuff, and I'm sure a couple of people ended up going home with a year's supply of moldy British cheese.
Lovely paired with raisin-pear jam, and a glass of red wine.
Then they brought out these humongous wheels of the stuff, and I'm sure a couple of people ended up going home with a year's supply of moldy British cheese.
Lovely paired with raisin-pear jam, and a glass of red wine.
Kinokuniya Bakery and Deli
After the madness, we three walked to gourmet grocery store Kinokuniya's little first-floor cafe, the Bakery and Deli.
I used to come here all the time when I worked in the neighborhood, for perfect tossed salads and a cup of coffee. Friendliest, cheeriest store manager in town.
This book on tarts was always fun to browse.
I used to come here all the time when I worked in the neighborhood, for perfect tossed salads and a cup of coffee. Friendliest, cheeriest store manager in town.
This book on tarts was always fun to browse.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Say Obi
I interviewed Kahori Ochi for the magazine I used to work for, and she invited me to join one of the events she organizes so that foreigners in Japan can meet other foreigners and Japanese people, and experience traditional culture, especially through wearing kimono.
Last Sunday was the November full moon, so she put on a tsukimi (moon viewing) party in Asakusa. It was a lovely and surreal experience. How often do you get to celebrate something as common as the moon rising? Being in those beautiful swathes of silk put me in a different mood, where time moved a little bit more slowly.
Last Sunday was the November full moon, so she put on a tsukimi (moon viewing) party in Asakusa. It was a lovely and surreal experience. How often do you get to celebrate something as common as the moon rising? Being in those beautiful swathes of silk put me in a different mood, where time moved a little bit more slowly.
With host Kahori
On the moon-viewing roof
Kahori set up the tiny roof veranda into a peaceful sanctuary with benches, potted plants, willowy susuki, a stack of origami for making paper cranes, benches and an offering tray of omochi, presented to the moon.
The sky went from normal afternoon light to dusky violet then indigo and finally nighttime darkness, and then the glowing full moon came up over the horizon of building rooftops, and everybody cheered.
The sky went from normal afternoon light to dusky violet then indigo and finally nighttime darkness, and then the glowing full moon came up over the horizon of building rooftops, and everybody cheered.
waves
One of the gorgeous kimonos, a pattern of menacing black waves against a scalloped scarlet background.
kitsui des ka?
After picking out the kimono we wanted to wear, the expert fitters wrapped, folded, tied, cinched, pulled, knotted and tucked the beautiful fabric into place. The bottom kimono layer wasn't used, so everyone just wore the robes over everyday clothes.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Drinks at Amanis
Lovely cousin Midori came out with the sis and I for a Saturday night out in Roppongi. Talk always turns to guys and relationships when she's in the room, since she's incredibly level-headed and always has sharp advice. Tip of the day: if you want a response, you've got to put something out there for them to respond to. Don't play hardest to get.
After seeing 21 Blades at Rock Factory, we went across the street to the classy lounge Amanis for a few rounds.
Salty Dog: Vodka, grapefruit juice, salt around the rim. My new favorite drink. Apparently, without the salt, it's a Greyhound, but why would you want to do that?
Plus the friendly proprieter gave us each the special cocktail they serve to ladies, all night, for FREE, on Thursday: tequila with strawberry, I think. Something pink. Very nice.
Check them out when you're in the area.
After seeing 21 Blades at Rock Factory, we went across the street to the classy lounge Amanis for a few rounds.
Salty Dog: Vodka, grapefruit juice, salt around the rim. My new favorite drink. Apparently, without the salt, it's a Greyhound, but why would you want to do that?
Plus the friendly proprieter gave us each the special cocktail they serve to ladies, all night, for FREE, on Thursday: tequila with strawberry, I think. Something pink. Very nice.
Check them out when you're in the area.
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