Yes, I’m still in Minnesota.
Hubs is holding down the Terrace in Tokyo.
I suddenly find myself living back at my parents’ house like a teenager. Or a college student trying to soak every last bit out of life at home. It’s a bizarre situation to be in as an adult. Some of you may be wondering why I’m not in Japan right now. Without going into much detail yet, let me just say it is not solely a result of the earthquake and all that followed. I’ve stayed behind to take care of some personal/family things. When life settles down a bit I’ll share more, but for now that’s the best explanation I can give. I will be heading back to Tokyo at the end of this summer, so life in Japan has not come to a close just yet!
I’ve been thinking a lot about springtime in Japan as I (not-so-patiently) await the arrival of warmer weather here in Minnesota. Here, spring takes its sweet time, sometimes bringing snow rather than flower blossoms and cold winds rather than warm sun beams. Still, when it does decide to grace us with its presence, spring in Minnesota is bliss. Spring in Japan, on the other hand, pops up earlier than I usually expect. For me, it begins with the blooming plum blossoms. Their sweet fragrance fills the air and pops of bright pink and white scatter Tokyo like splotches on a watercolor painting. Then, not too much later, the cherry blossoms bring even more beauty. They announce spring like trumpeters announcing royalty and everyone around, young and old, stops to soak in the joy of spring.
Mixed in with thoughts of plum blossoms, cherry blossoms, and other such things are the weekly routines of life in Tokyo. Every Sunday, hubs and I attend church in Omotesando. In the middle of this very high-end area of Tokyo with stores like Louis Vitton, Chanel, and Armani sits a church filled with wonderful people. And while I couldn’t care less about the designer clothing shops, I always gawk at the windows showcasing macarons. I have totally fallen in love with these light, crisp-chewy cookies. Since they were so easy to come by in Tokyo, I never bothered making my own, thinking it wouldn’t be nearly as worth it as purchasing a perfectly made macaron at Pierre Hermé (or even Starbucks!) on special occasions.
Last week, I decided it was time to try them out. I was very nervous and quite positive they wouldn’t turn out right the first time around. Which they didn’t. They tasted fine and the texture was OK, but they did not look quite right (no feet). The second try, which I did this morning, was a near success. The texture of the shell batter is still not quite right- it was a bit lumpy today, making it impossible to have nice smooth tops to the cookies. Still, they don’t look half bad! I’m not done trying, but I wanted to share my results with you today.
