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.
