Christmas morning in my family always began with me sitting at the top of the stairs with my sister. We would wait patiently while my parents put the finishing touches on the gifts under the tree, set up the video camera, and made coffee. The suspense that built not-so-gradually until we were finally allowed to go down the stairs. A fire would be crackling in the fireplace, and we would sit down as a family opening presents. At some point in the morning, we would enjoy a big, beautiful breakfast together.

Now that we have our own little family, I’m thinking of ways to make Christmas morning just as special and memorable for Riley. These gingerbread pancakes are an excellent place to start. Holiday breakfasts that play with the flavors of the season help to make the meal unique without adding too much extra work. The smell of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and molasses fill the air as the pancakes cook. The warmth and joy of the season is undeniable as you bite into the surprisingly light, cakey pancakes. Sitting down to a stack of delicious gingerbread pancakes and a mug of fresh, hot coffee or cider is the simple enough to start any chilly winter morning and festive enough to serve on Christmas morning. Also, pancakes are great to make in large batches because you can easily freeze the leftovers, pop them in the toaster, and enjoy them any day of the week.

This year, we will be spending Christmas in Tokyo. We have a tiny Christmas tree, there won’t be any snow, and definitely no fire crackling in the fireplace. However, we are together with our beautiful baby boy, making new memories with our newly expanded family.

What are some of your favorite Christmas memories or traditions?

Gingerbread Pancakes

Recipe from William-Sonoma

Well, I am officially on maternity leave.

What do people do on maternity leave? I’ve been so busy getting ready for this time that I forgot to figure out what to do with myself once it arrived.

I know I need to get rest, but since that can be a little difficult at 8 months pregnant I have to have some backup plans. One project I’ve decided to take on is knitting this sweater for our Little Man. I found it on Pinterest and am totally in love. By the way, is anyone else out there totally addicted to Pinterest? Yeah, me neither…

I managed to get out for a walk today and even take a trip to the grocery store. My grocery-shopping skills are a little rusty since hubs has taken over that responsibility lately. It was nice to meander around  looking at everything and remembering why I love to shop here. There is never a shortage of curious food things in Tokyo grocery stores that get my creative juices flowing. Grocery shopping keeps me in touch with the fact that I live in Tokyo, Japan. Life gets set in its schedules, even here, and suddenly the appreciation for what surrounds me begins to dissipate. But the food. It doesn’t let me forget. OK, the people looking at me like I’m crazy when I’m the only gaijin around are an occasional reminder too.

The grocery store also reminded me of the season’s offerings. Did you know that it is persimmon season already? And chestnut season? Well, it is. And I almost missed it! That was a close one. Apparently hubs needs to work on his correspondence about his trips.

I’ve been enjoying leisurely breakfasts the last couple of days and so far my favorite option is this apple pie oatmeal. I’ve made it 4 times and have tried to make it better with each attempt. It hasn’t ever been bad, but I finally figured out how to get the apples to the exact taste and texture that I prefer. It’s a tough job, testing apple pie oatmeal recipes, but someone’s gotta do it!

The scent alone is reason enough to whip up this easy and fast breakfast during prime apple season. The entire apartment (or perhaps house in your case) will smell like autumn. I can’t get enough of that comforting scent this time of year. That plus the feeling of this baby growing and moving around inside of me keeps me pretty content.

What is your favorite apple recipe this time of year? I’d love for you to share your tastiest ideas!

Apple Pie Oatmeal

Makes 1 serving (easily doubled, tripled or even quadrupled- just make sure you use the correct pan size so the apple cook evenly)

1/2 cup apple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, skin left on

1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts (I used pecans)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup water (a little less if you like denser oatmeal)

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

Additional brown sugar and cream for topping (optional)

In a sturdy saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apple cubes and pecans and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples and butter. Stir together and cook for another 3 minutes until the apples are softened and the sugar and spices have created a nice coating on the apples. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the oats and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly. The oats should soak up the water.

Transfer the oatmeal to a serving bowl and top with additional brown sugar and/or a drizzle of heavy cream or milk.

Easter has always been a big deal in my family. Actually, all major holidays are a pretty big deal in my family. We enjoy the same exact dishes each year at the same house. For 20+ years, holidays have been predictable and wonderful. Of course, when we moved to Japan everything changed. Holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter were no longer spent around the same group of family members. Instead, we found ourselves surrounded by a new “family” that helped us to break out of tradition and try some new things. In many ways, the changes we experienced helped me to appreciate the consistency I’ve had throughout my life.

Experiencing holidays in both concrete and transient environments has lead me to strongly believe in the power of sharing traditions with others. By sharing I don’t mean forcing people to like the way you do things, just simply allowing those closest to you to see what makes you who you are. The traditions we develop and carry with us help to create the diverse groups of people that make up this beautiful world and we can always learn from those outside of our close-knit circles.

Since many of you will be participating in Easter celebrations this weekend, I’ve put together a menu featuring recipes from Tokyo Terrace that represent the traditional and not-so-traditional aspects of holiday gatherings. Some of the recipes are based on my own family traditions, while others are new developments that have come about over the past couple of years in Japan.

No matter where in the world you find yourself, I hope you are surrounded by good people and comforting food.

Enjoy!

Drinks

Pink Lemonade & Thyme Sparkler

Bloody Marys with a Japanese Twist

Appetizers/Side Dishes

Deviled Eggs

Sweet & Spicy Thai Pineapple

Edamame Crostini with Meyer Lemon & Shiso

Mini Pommes Anna

Main Dishes

Savory Vegetable Galette

Phyllo Squares with Egg, Spinach & Cheese

Desserts

Whole Wheat Cranberry Citrus Scones

Strawberries & Japanese Whiskey Sabayon

Blueberry Tart

Brown Sugar Shortbread with Fig Jam

I have really loved my time at home over the past two weeks. It is always great to be able to spend time with family after months of seeing one another only on a computer screen over iChat or Skype. While it is wonderful to have technology that is advanced enough so we can see the faces of our loved ones no matter where in the world we are, still, nothing takes the place of being within arms reach of your family and friends. This morning we enjoyed some face-to-face time with my parents and sister over a delicious New Year’s Day brunch.

I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart for iPad application, which is pretty amazing. The concept is similar to spanakopita. The original recipe calls for feta cheese, which would be fantastic. I didn’t have feta so I used shredded Romano instead. It was good but lacking in the tang that feta has in contrast to the creamy ricotta. Another change I made was the use of frozen spinach rather than fresh. It saved a little time since I didn’t need to cut the leaves. If you decide to make this with frozen spinach, be sure to squeeze out as much of the water as possible by putting the spinach in several layers of paper towels or in a dish towel. Squeeze over the sink until a small amount of water comes out.

The ricotta and egg mixture is covered with 3 layers of phyllo dough and each layer is brushed with clarified butter.

After just 5 minutes, these delicious pockets are done and ready to be eaten! The light, crisp phyllo is the perfect addition to the creamy cheese and velvety egg yolk.

This was the perfect way to begin the first day of 2011 and the last day of our time in Minnesota. Tomorrow we fly back to Tokyo. Time always moves so quickly…

Phyllo Squares with Baked Egg, Spinach and Cheese

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Makes 6 servings

8 oz. frozen spinach

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup shredded Romano cheese

7 large eggs

1 stick unsalted butter

6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Thaw the spinach according to package directions and make sure to squeeze the water out as much as possible, although a small amount of water is fine. Set the spinach aside in a small bowl. While you are thawing the spinach, clarify the butter by placing it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the butter until the solids sink to the bottom of the pan. Keep a close eye on the butter to make sure it doesn’t cook too quickly to get too hot. Use a coffee filter to strain out the solids from the butter. Keep the clarified butter and a pastry brush close by.

3. In another bowl, combine the ricotta and Romano. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Stir in 1 of the eggs.

4. Brush a baking sheet with clarified butter. Place one layer of phyllo dough on the baking sheet and brush it with butter as well. Repeat with two more layers so have 3 sheets of dough as a base. Keep a damp towel over the dough you are not using as you work- it gets difficult to work with if its too dry.

5. Evenly space 6 scoops of the spinach mixture on the phyllo dough. Use a spoon to make a shallow well in the mixture. With the remaining 6 eggs, separate the yolks from the whites keeping the whites for later use. Carefully place a yolk in each of the spinach scoops. Gently whisk the egg whites and brush the top of the ricotta lightly.

6. Carefully place another layer of phyllo over the spinach and egg. Gently press down around the mixture lightly sealing the top layer to the bottom layer. Brush the phyllo with clarified butter. Repeat with 2 more layers so you have three total on the top.

7. Use a pastry cutter or pizza cutter to cut around the mixture, making 6 squares. Bake for 5 or 6 minutes until lightly brown and still soft in the middle. Serve right away!

It’s not often that I get out of bed thinking “I want to make breakfast! Something more complicated than cereal and milk, or fried eggs and toast!” No, usually I get out of bed thinking, “Why is there not a cup of coffee in my hand right now?!?” Apparently all I need to get my butt in gear is a situation worth getting panicky about.

Let me explain.

This is our dog Callie:

As I write this post, Callie is on a plane to Tokyo. This has been a long, hard journey for her, for us, and for our family. It all began 2 years ago when we had to leave her behind as we ventured out into the great unknown of life in Japan. We weren’t sure how well dogs would be accepted in the country so we thought it best to say a temporary goodbye to our pup. As it turns out, dogs are actually very popular in Tokyo. When we realized this, it took about 2 milliseconds to decide that Callie would join us.

The paperwork was a nightmare, as expected. But once everything was finalized and we scheduled her flight we figured we were out of the woods.

Oh boy were we wrong.

Yesterday (Friday in the U.S. and Saturday in Japan) Callie was supposed to get on a plane. However, a lovely employee at my least favorite airline informed my mom, who has been wonderful about taking care of Callie through all of this, the wrong time to be at the airport. After arriving at the airport, mom was told that Callie would not be allowed on the flight because she was late.

So we rescheduled the flight, confirmed that she would still be accepted at Narita Airport in Japan, and booked a car (since we don’t own one) for today. Whew, right? Yeah, not done yet…

The quarantine office where Callie needs to be looked over and given the ‘OK’ for entry into Japan closes at 7pm today. Her flight was originally supposed to land at 5:30pm, giving us just enough time for the final step before she came home with us.

Her flight was delayed by almost 4 hours. Meaning we will miss the 7pm cut-off time.

*Since I wrote this post, we have figured out that Callie will be here late tonight. We will pick her up tomorrow afternoon and bring her home then. Currently she is half-way to Tokyo!

I was so worked up and frustrated this morning. What could I do with myself? How could I channel all the energy that felt like it would explode out of my ears?

I made pancakes. They were delicious; crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside, and full of flavor. Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes, slightly adapted, from Food & Wine Magazine’s website, turned out beautifully. Even if I did brown them a bit too much. Less-than-perfect pancakes execution for a less-than-perfect day, right? Even so, it turned out that making breakfast this morning was exactly what I needed. Who knew panicking and pancakes went so well together?

Needless to say, my plans for doing oodles of blogging this weekend have been derailed. But here is the recipe for the pancakes with a little twist: yogurt in place of buttermilk.

Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes

Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Serves 4

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the eggs, olive oil and water. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, leaving small lumps.
Set a griddle or skillet over moderate high heat and spray it with vegetable oil spray. When the pan is hot, spoon in 1/4-cup mounds of batter and spread to form 4-inch rounds. Cook the pancakes until the bottoms are browned and bubbles appear on the surface, 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve the pancakes warm.

Hello, my name is Rachael and I’m addicted to coffee.

This may sound a bit dramatic, but one of the reasons I am able to get out of bed early in the morning is because of coffee. There are so many wonderful sensations that are associated with a warm cup of coffee; its enticing, toasty smell and rich, nutty flavor are comforting and refreshing. And the way milk swirls in the dark brown liquid, eventually transforming into a lighter, creamier shade (I’m not a sugar kind of girl- milk only, please) makes my heart skip a beat. I told you this was dramatic.

Yes, this could easily be described as an obsession.

These strong feelings are not only associated with the coffee itself, but the people with whom I share it. Many of my favorite memories of living in Tokyo the past two years include sitting with my husband at the kitchen table, sipping on coffee and discussing the adventures, frustrations and wonders of our life here. The only thing that can make those moments a little more lovely is something delicious to munch on. This recipe for chocolate chip anise biscotti is the perfect accompaniment to a steaming hot cup of coffee.

Biscotti is easier to make than you may think. These crunchy treats are perfect gifts for friends, easy make-ahead desserts for dinner parties, or to keep around as an occasional treat. Biscotti are also very versatile- there are many flavor combinations, both sweet and savory. Chocolate chip and anise create a delicious combination of rich chocolate and licorice flavored anise are a match made in heaven. Subtle but indulgent, simple but elegant. The perfect mate for a cup of coffee.

What are your favorite biscotti flavors?

Chocolate-Chip Anise Biscotti Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis’ recipe for Chocolate Citrus Biscotti

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground anise (Use a microplane or spice grinder to grind whole pods)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups dark (or semisweet) chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a whisk, stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, ground anise and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in another large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar and beat just until blended (the dough will be soft and sticky). Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, forming two mounds spaced evenly apart. Moisten your hands with water and shape the dough into two 11 by 4-inch logs. Bake until lightly brown, about 35 minutes. Cool the logs for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the biscotti are pale and golden, about 25 minutes. Cool the biscotti on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

When you live in a place for a certain amount of time, it can become difficult to find those hidden places that keep life exciting. And yes, this even happens when you live in a place like Tokyo. Routines bring you down the same streets, past the same buildings, into the same stores…and before you know it, you’re missing out on hidden treasures that are only a few steps off the beaten path. This past weekend, hubs and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. I’m so glad we did, because the discoveries we made reminded me why I am so lucky to have the opportunity to live in a place like Tokyo. These photos are just a few of the enchanting scenes we found in a park that is, at the most, a 2 minute walk from our front door.

After our walk (while scratching a few monster mosquito bites) we decided to head down the hill to Hara Donuts. Hara Donuts is a chain in Japan specializing donuts made with okara, a by-product of soy milk or tofu. Before you chuckle and say, “Tofu by-product donuts? Those aren’t donuts!” I must tell you that these are, hands down, the best donuts I have ever tasted. With a texture that can best be described as light and cakey on the inside with a delicate crispiness on the outside. The balanced flavor and texture are enough to make me as obsessed with donuts as Homer Simpson. D-o-o-o-nuts….

To make things even better, these donuts are preservative free and use products made with local soy beans from Hokkaido. To read more about these fabulous donuts (since the official site is only in Japanese) check out this great article. One (or two) of these donuts along with a steaming hot latte make for a fantastic weekend breakfast. With Krispy Kreme invading Tokyo like a disease, Hara Donuts is a ray of sunshine in the world of donuts.

Just looking at the pictures from this weekend makes me feel the same serenity and complete happiness I experienced on Saturday. It was one of those mornings I often dream about but can rarely make happen because there are so many things to do. Letting loose and doing some exploring was the perfect way to spend my last weekend in Tokyo before leaving for Minnesota on Wednesday.

There are times when I wonder how it is physically (or mentally) possible to be so busy. Brad and I have both been pulled in about fifty directions over the past few weeks, leaving my kitchen and blog a little cold and lonely. From traveling to Hawaii to moving to our third apartment in the past 2 years we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off. We are blessed with work and friends and fun that keep us on our toes and help us to appreciate the times when we are able to slow down and soak in some slower, more silent moments.

Our new home has become a haven for us in the midst of the chaos that is Tokyo. Coming home to an apartment with a patio surrounded with beautiful plants, filled with the sounds of chirping birds and flanked by friendly neighbors is a welcome change to our previous apartment where street noise was constant and we didn’t exactly feel welcomed by the other tenants. To be honest, it doesn’t really feel like we live in Tokyo until we leave the confines of our new little world. Me likey.

Still, in the whirlwind of our lives, simple, delicious, seasonal home-cooked meals are imperative to helping us keep our sanity. In the markets these days you can find nice little cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and fava beans galore. The foods are fresh and brightly colored which makes it perfect for spring-time dishes. For breakfast the other day, I wanted to stay true to the freshness and sweet flavors of the tomatoes and sugar snap peas. So, with a quick sautee in a little olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and accompanied by a fried egg, my simple breakfast came together in about 5 minutes. To add a little Cinco de Mayo flare, I added some fresh cilantro leaves from my herb garden, a sprinkling of jalapeno-flavored Tabasco sauce and I was done!

I am looking forward to more simple spring meals in the coming days. Too often I find myself getting wrapped up in making dishes complex. For some reason that seems to be more impressive. However, meals like this remind me that the food itself, in its simplest form, can often be far more impressive than anything else. Simple, uncomplicated and honest.

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!