Tokyo Terrace

This week- actually the last couple of weeks- came and went in the blink of an eye. With so many things to do it has been difficult to keep track of time. So, as I tend to do when things get busy, I allowed Cocktail Friday to slip by without notice. Oops!

It is Saturday night in Tokyo right now. The sun has gone down and the air has gotten cooler. Our heater is on blowing a gentle heat into our apartment- just enough to keep our toes warm. I feel cozy and relaxed. It’s lovely.

The addition of today’s cocktail was the icing on the cake. A delicious combination of sweet, nutty amaretto with the bright citrus punch of orange (or in my case, mikan/clementine) came together perfectly in this martini. I call it The Nutty Orange. No, not because I am nutty. It’s the flavors. Seriously. It’s not me.

With Thanksgiving coming up, this is a great cocktail to serve before the meal, or even afterward. The flavors are classic for this time of year and will certainly bring a much needed moment of relaxation into your busy schedule.

The Nutty Orange
Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Disaronno or other Amaretto brand
1 oz gin
1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice

Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake it. Shake it some more. Just a little more. Ok, you can stop.

Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with a thin slice of orange.

My secret project can now be revealed! Read on to find out exactly what it is…

Since Brad and I discovered the amazingness of yuzu, we had been thinking about the best possible way to take advantage of the unique flavor inside this intriguing citrus fruit. We toyed with the idea of making yuzu sorbet or ice cream after having it in a restaurant in Tokyo. Then, I thought about making yuzu curd…and am still thinking about it… But then the lightbulb went on and we decided to make limoncello. With yuzu. Aw yeah.

In this post are photos of the first day. I used 12 yuzu and one bottle of vodka. After peeling all of the yuzu with a vegetable peeler and scraping off the white pith, I placed the zest in a glass container that could be sealed tightly. I poured the vodka over the zest, sealed the top, and now we wait for 10 days before the next steps.

I’ll be keeping you all up to date with the whole process with photos and short posts until the final day! Stay tuned to see how it turns out!

Can’t wait to give a great toast with this stuff!

There are few desserts that bring joy to my heart like this one. Simple, beautiful, delicious, and texturally perfect. Ok, maybe I’m getting a little too sentimental about my food- as usual- but hey, that’s what I do!

This dessert takes very little time to make and it can be as neat or rustic as you like. I made it last Friday night when our dear friends Rose and Alessandro had us over for a lovely Italian meal (Alessandro is from Italy, so you can be assured that the meal was amazing!) I had been working all day and knew that I would not have time to make anything too involved. So, I turned to the simplest, most scrumptious dessert I know: a rustic pear tart.

Usually, I prefer my tarts and pies made with apples. However, I came across two beautiful pears at the market on this particular day and knew they would be perfect. Slightly firm, gently sweet and with a gorgeous green skin, the pear slices made the tart an aesthetic and flavorful success.

To be honest, I have not always been a great baker. I used to destroy even the simplest cookie recipe without even trying. Tollhouse? Ruined them. Peanut butter cookies? Ruined them. Ask my parents. It was sad. Fortunately, I have outgrown my miserable baking skills and have finally developed what could be called decent baking skills.

The crust I made for this tart turned out perfectly. I made it totally blind- no recipes or anything- and somehow the stars aligned and I produced something wonderful. A buttery, flaky crust that was as golden and beautiful on the bottom as on the top. I have made the recipe twice and I can confidently say that it is fool proof. Go on- give it a shot!

With the holidays fast approaching, this is a perfect dessert to contribute to the buffet!

Rustic Pear Tart
Makes one 9-inch tart

1 medium pear, any variety, slightly less than ripe, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch of salt

1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick of butter (4 T), placed in the freezer for 1 hour
1 tablespoon shortening
zest of half a lemon
1/4 cup ice water
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Sugar for dusting

Start by making the crust. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, butter, shortening and lemon zest. If you froze the butter (which I highly recommend) use a cheese grater to grate it into the mixing bowl. This will make it easier to work into the flour and keep the temperature cold. This is a trick of my mother’s that works beautifully! Using your fingers, combine the dry ingredients with the butter and shortening until the mixture resembled small crumbs. Using a teaspoon, slowly add the ice water 1 teaspoon at a time. Do this until the mixture hold together well and is not dry or crumbling. I usually have to use 2, maybe 3 teaspoons, but this can vary depending on climate, etc.

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about half an hour and up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, take the pear slices, cinnamon, sugar, salt and lemon juice and combine in a bowl. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes but not more than 15.

Remove the crust from the refrigerator. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large circle, about 13 inches. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly dusted with flour. Arrange the pear slices as desired on the pie crust. Fold the edges of the dough over the pears to that it covers about 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches. Press lightly on the creases in the dough to ensure it stays laying down.

Brush the edges of the dough with the egg white and sprinkle with extra sugar.

Put the tart in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 C) for about 20 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned.

Serve topped with vanilla, cinnamon or dulce de leche ice cream, whipped cream, or all on it’s own!

When I was a kid, my dad used to make fried egg sandwiches. I particularly remember them being made in the colder months when Minnesota was especially cruel to those getting up before sunrise. Once I reached high school, my dad brought my sister and me to school most mornings and often times would leave the house with a steaming hot fried egg sandwich wrapped in tin foil to keep it as warm as possible. At that time, I didn’t appreciate the comforting taste of these simple sandwiches.

My dad’s fried egg sandwiches were always made with ketchup and the yolks were hard. Sorry dad, but I’m not so much a fan of the hard yolks. I did, however, enjoy the ketchup addition. My husband does not feel so great about ketchup. The first time he saw me put ketchup on a fried egg sandwich he pretty much flipped out wondering why I was ruining my sandwich that way. He puts cheddar cheese on his fried egg sandwiches instead.

The fried egg sandwich I am sharing with you today is a combination of my dad’s version and my husband’s version with a little Asian flair. There is still the presence of a red condiment and the cheese. I added a couple spinach leaves and a nice drizzle of Sriracha chili sauce for a delicious blend of sweet and spicy. The last time hubs had this he said (and I quote), “This is so good it’s ridiculous!” And he’s no liar when it comes to food.
Sriracha chili sauce is a spicy, slightly sweet and garlicy sauce that can be found in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores (both in the U.S. and in Tokyo). It is a great addition to many foods, even French fries! If you haven’t tried it before I would recommend you do so. Right now!
The great part about this sandwich is that it only takes about 5 minutes or so to make and you can vary the ingredients. Fried egg sandwiches are perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Or wrapped in tin foil to take in the car as you lovingly bring your kids to work on a cold Minnesota morning.

Fried Egg Sandwich with Sriracha

Makes 1 sandwich

2 eggs

2-3 spinach leaves, washed a dried

1 slice of cheddar cheese

2 slices of bread

2 teaspoons of butter

Sriracha chili sauce (about 1 tablespoon)

Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a nonstick skillet. When the butter is melted, fry the eggs to your liking (I like mine runny but not over easy). Meanwhile, toast the bread. When the bread is toasted, spread the remaining 1 teaspoon butter on the one side of each slice.

Place the cheese slice on one piece of toast. Carefully place the eggs on top of the cheese. Layer the spinach leaves on top of the eggs, drizzle with Sriracha chili sauce and top with the second piece of toast. Cut in half and serve!

With cold weather making its way to many locations around the world, I thought today’s post should be warm and comforting like a big soft scarf on a chilly day in early winter (yes, I said it- WINTER.)

Today’s Cocktail Friday post is actually not a cocktail at all. I decided that it was acceptable to post a drink sans alcohol today because, let’s be honest, everyone needs a break sometimes. This delicious treat is from a blog that I visit regularly. The posts are well done, as are the recipes. When I saw their recipe for homemade Chai tea, I knew I had to try it. I’m so happy I did.

Talley from Houseboat Eats posted the recipe for this spicy, slightly sweet and super comforting Chai tea a while back and it is well worth the effort to make. The ingredients are somewhat flexible (I replaced the dried orange peel with a dried kaffir lime leaf- unusual but extremely delicious) allowing you to control the spicy factor. An extra bonus is the amazing aroma that fills your kitchen from the wonderful combination of spices. If you aren’t in the holiday spirit yet, this will certainly help you get there! Please visit Houseboat Eats for the recipe.