A loaf of Bread

I like to bake French type of breads such as baguettes and " a la campagne". Then Jun and Taro request an ORDINARY BREAD that we usually see at the stores. This loaf of bread is quite common in Japan.

They think that is the breakfast!

Although I hardly use rich ingredients such as egg, butter and milk, the bread has enough soften and tasty. I was just kneading, kneading, kneading and kneading the dough well.

It's quite tough work though.

Does anyone praise me for my effort??

Seeing the just baked bread, we cannot help tasting right away even our tummy got full.

We tasted it with peanuts butter and strawberry jam as a dessert!!

Yummm :-)

Gobo Spaghetti

Back from Sydney yesterday. We got tired of eating meats during the trip. Need vegetables!! But only few vegetables left in the fridge.....

To clean up our fridge and open our bowels, made

Gobo Spaghetti.

"Gobo(burdock)" is one of the Japanese typical roots vegetable and it has lots of dietary fiber.

Japanese people may be surprised when I use it for pasta. However, the taste and the texture of it are really similar to artichoke! Try it!

~Gobo Spaghetti recipe~

Ingredients

2 sticks gobo

2 cloves garlic

1 red pepper ( if you like)

3 tablespoons extra vergin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

200g spaghetti

parmijano lejjano cheese as much as you like

Method

1 shred gobo and soak them into the water added a little bit vineger for 5 mins to keep the colour when braised.

2 put garlic and oil in the thick pan( le creuset would be fine) with low heat. Add gobo.

3 Put the lid on the pan and braise until soften. probably 15~20mins.if you like to enjoy the texture, 10minutes should be fine. Turn the heat down to minimum while cook.

4 add salt and pepper.

5 cook spaghetti in salted boiling water according to packet instruction (1 table spoon seasalt for 1litre boiled water)

6 Drain and quickly toss together with the braised gobo sauce

7 Add some salt and pepper if you need.

8 put the shred Parmesan on the spaghetti

serves 2

Tip: Use high quality seasoning and a thick pan such as le creuset!! Never failed.

BBQ in Port Stephens

We went to Port Stephens where is very famous for beautiful beach and dolphins in NSW.

Had dinner at my uncle's friend's place.

Marinated ram with mustard(strong one would be better) and soy sauce.

This is the first time to taste this flavour!!

Very beautiful.

Today's Taro's rate: no marks.

He cannot eat ram since he has only a few teeth....

Near future, he will be able to eat them.

Hot Pot

To make hot pot is the easiest way to feed my family more vegetables.

My uncle's one is Japanese-Chinese fusion style.

Aside from several kinds of meat, he put some fish balls and chicken liver.

Serve with corriander, spring onion, grated radish, lemon juice and soy sauce.

Today's Taro's rate:　★★★★★　full marks!!

He loves soy sauce taste. Ate a LOT.

I am happy:-9

My Dear Crumpets!!

While I stay in Sydney, I always have crumpets for breakfast. Crumpets is similar to pan cakes but the shape is a little bit different. There're lots of bubble holes on the pancake like a sponge. Not sure how the shape would be but I guess lots of baking soda or yeast make it this shape.

Does anyone know how to make them?

Although I love it very much, I still cannot find it in any stores which sells imported foods in Tokyo . I don't know why. Very yummy though....

Today's Taro's rate: ★★★★

He loves crumpets as I expected. He likes to eat anything that is made from flour.

Butter and honey: Absolutely his favourites.

I need to feed him more vegetable....

think think think....

My uncle's speciality

Tonight meal :

Steamed fish(snapper(we call it "Tai"鯛 in japanese) & Thai style vermicelli salad

My uncle used to live in Hong Kong before. Chinese food and Thai food are big influence on him.

In regard to steam fish, Seppanyu（石班魚）is quite popular for this meal in Hong Kong but in Sydney, he usually use a snapper instead.

I had both of them before when I lived in Hong Kong but I haven't tried to make them yet.

These two meals look gorgeous and they are suitable for dinners when we invite someone.

I will make them next time when I go back to Tokyo.

Today's Taro's rate : ★★★★（full mark is 5 stars.)

Besides fish, rice and vermicelli, he ate slices of cucumber!! figured out he loves cucumbers even it is hard to cut and chew using his only 8 teeth.

Thought he needs cucumbers since it is hot in here. Probably he will not eat it in winter.

Cucumbers make his body cool down.

Hello from Sydney!

We're in Sydney now. Staying at my uncle's place.

He made brunch for us.

Congee (Chinese style rice porridge) and Dumpling filled with pork.

Enjoyed brunch with drinking white wine.

Taro is playing with wine bottles. He wants to show others how much strength he has. He took all the bottles out and put them back repeatedly. He will keep doing this until we say stop. :-(

This is his training style to keep himself fit?!