Chestnuts have never been a familiar food to me. Basically, I was only familiar with the song…you know, “chestnuts roasting on and open fire….”, and that’s where the relationship ended. When we moved to Tokyo, I had no idea we would be surrounded by so many chestnuts this time of year. Sometimes you can find vendors roasting them, which is always a treat. Buying a paper bag filled with steaming hot chestnuts on a cold, cloudy day is absolute perfection. The nutty smell wafts up from the bag and at least gives the illusion that you are warming up from the inside out. Scooping out the soft flesh and taking that first bite is an incredibly satisfying and comforting moment.

I’ve been a little shy of trying to make anything involving chestnuts at home, short of this soup I made a couple years ago. This year, I decided to put on my big girl panties and try something different. Different for me, anyway. After buying a bag of pre-cooked chestnuts (sorry, but at 39 weeks pregnant I just can’t justify putting myself through the stress of trying to roast my own) and letting them sit on the shelf as I tried to come up with some novel way to use them, I finally decided on kurigohan. Kurigohan is Japanese chestnut rice. The rice is cooked with saké, mirin, a touch of sugar and soy sauce. I used my rice cooker, which is a total lifesaver. If you don’t have one, get one. Immediately.

As I meandered around the internet researching various recipes, I noticed that some called for soy sauce and others didn’t. I opted to use soy sauce because it creates this beautiful crust on the bottom of the rice. The layer becomes a little crunchy and full of umami, which the perfect way to enhance the rest of the rice dish. Also, I didn’t actually see recipes that called for sugar, but I wanted to add a touch to bring out the flavor of the chestnuts and to contrast the salty soy flavor.

The result? A steaming hot bowl full of perfect autumn flavors that made the apartment smell wonderful. I decided to experiment, as I tend to do, by adding a non-traditional ingredient that I thought made this dish appropriate for upcoming holiday feasts. I added a handful of dried cranberries to the bowl and it was amazing! The best way to add the cranberries is to just toss them in the rice cooker with the rest of the ingredients for a little pop of tart flavor. Seriously- unbelievable.

If you have a rice cooker and can find either pre-cooked or vacuum packed chestnuts, it takes literally 5 minutes to throw this together (that obviously does not include the wait-time involved while the rice is cooking). You can make it without a rice cooker and by roasting your own chestnuts- take a look at the links below for help with that.

http://kyotofoodie.com/donabe-yakiguri-gohan/

http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/12/kurigohan-japanese-chestnut-rice/

http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/1513726-kuri-gohan-chestnut-rice-recipe

http://kanakoskitchen.com/2009/10/27/kurigohan/

Kurigohan

1 cup chestnut pieces

1 1/2 cups short grain rice, washed until the water is clear

2 teaspoons saké

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons mirin

1 tablespoon light brown sugar (optional)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1 piece of kombu

In the bowl of a rice cooker, combine the rice, 1 1/2 cups water (equal to the amount of rice), saké, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and chestnuts. stir gently to combine the ingredients. Place the kombu on top of the rice. Close the rice cooker and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

When the rice is finished cooking, allow it to sit and steam for an extra 5-10 minutes.

Toss with a rice paddle or spatula and spoon into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and serve immediately.

The other day, I sat down on the train next to a man who had about 3 or 4 inches of space to his right. I was sitting on his left, uncomfortably smooshed between the aforementioned man and another, rather large gentleman. Usually, people are perfectly willing to scoot over so that seating is a bit more comfortably spaced. However, this man with the extra room did not seem keen to give me that small amount of space so that I didn’t have to sit with my shoulders scrunched up to my ears and my arms awkwardly wrapped around my bulging 6 months pregnant belly. After the 20 minute train ride, he finally got up and I was able to wiggle my way into the grooves of the blue cushioned seat for the remaining 60 seconds of my trip. The only thing that got me through that experience without completely freaking out was the thought of what I was going to have for dinner when I got home. Yes, food is healing in many ways.

In all seriousness though, Japanese food has been more healing to me now than ever before. I’ve been a much more picky eater recently, thanks to my pregnancy heartburn, and Japanese food has been the only constant variety of food that I can seem to eat on a daily basis. Even during my time in the U.S. this past spring, I spent a lot of time trying to find and prepare Japanese food in my parents’ kitchen in Minnesota. This is also when I realized that I don’t know even a fraction of what I want to about Japanese home-cooking. So, I’m working on that. These moon viewing noodles, or tsukimi udon, were a perfect addition to my slowly expanding repertoire of Japanese dishes.

Moon viewing in Japan happens mid-autumn, usually around the end of September or early October. These noodles are eaten around that time, with egg symbolizing the harvest moon. In a manner similar to that of hanami, or cherry blossom celebrations, moon viewing is a pretty big event. We have not quite reached autumn here in Tokyo, but since many of you reading this are enjoying cooler temperatures and fall weather, I thought you might appreciate this recipe.

In Japan, the egg is often served raw in the bowl of hot broth and noodles, but I prefer mine lightly poached prior to adding it to the bowl. Once the broth and noodles are made, the assembly of the dish takes only about 10 minutes, so make sure everyone is ready to eat right away, since these are not as good if they are too cold. I would suggest making the broth and noodles ahead of time (no more than 2 or 3 days) to save yourself some prep when you decide to serve this dish. The broth is simple to make and easy to store in the refrigerator. For the noodles, simply cook them, run cold water over them immediately after cooking, and store in a ziploc bag. When you’re ready to use them, just run more water over the noodles to loosen them up. The hot broth will heat the noodles through before you serve them.

Moon Viewing Noodles

Slightly adapted from Washoku by Elizabeth Andoh

For the Sanuki Sea Stock:

*You may wish to use regular dashi rather than the sea stock if dried sardines are hard to find. I still like to add the shiitakes to the broth for extra flavor. If you can’t find any of the needed ingredients for sea stock or dashi, try using light chicken broth or vegetable broth. The flavor will be different but still tasty.

4 cups cold water

8 dried sardines

3 pieces of kombu, about 4″x4″ each

5 shiitake mushroom stems or 2 dried shiitakes

For the rest of the dish:

4 teaspoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons saké

2 teaspoons sugar

4 large eggs

12 ounces dried udon noodles

1 scallion, both green and white parts thinly sliced

In a medium saucepan, add the water, dried sardines, kombu and mushrooms. Allow to sit for about half an hour.

In the meantime, cook your Udon noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for about 4-6 minutes for smaller noodles, a little longer for the thicker noodles. Drain and run under cold water. Set aside.

Place the broth over medium high heat until small bubbles begin to form. Turn the heat down to medium (or adjust accordingly) to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover for 3-5 minutes. Strain the broth through a coffee strainer fitted with a coffee filter. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, saké and sugar over low heat. Stir until the sugar has just dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the serving bowls by dividing 1/4 of the noodles among each dish. Have these nearby so you can easily transfer the egg and broth to the bowls.

In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of the broth and 1/4 of the soy sauce mixture (a scant tablespoon). Bring to a boil. Add one of the raw eggs and poach for about 3 minutes or until desired doneness. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg and add it to one of the bowls. Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the broth into the bowl being carefully not to break the egg. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 bowls. (You may also poach the eggs all together in water and simply bring the broth and soy mixture to a boil without poaching the eggs in it, though the flavor will not be the same.)

Garnish each bowl with the sliced scallion and serve with chopsticks and a spoon.

The other day, we went to a Butoh performance with a few of our friends in Tokyo. Butoh is a style of dance that feels like watching a Picasso painting that has come to life. Very minimalist style with much room for interpretation, Butoh is a beautifully and refreshingly different type of performance. One that I never thought I would truly appreciate. I’m sure I would not like all Butoh performances, as some are grotesque and, as my husband described it, “Marilyn Manson-esque”. This does not exactly describe some of my favorite styles. However, the particular show we saw was calming in a sense. There was no speaking, little as far as a set on stage, and the movements were slow, steady, and graceful. Here are some clips from the same performance we saw: Sankai Juku. The majority of the music was lovely, with the occasional low buzzing noise. Didn’t care for that.

Attending this performance made me remember how important it is to experience something new every once in a while. We get so caught up in the everyday grind that the idea of seeing a show or exploring a new area of the city seems to float away. I guess that just goes to show that no matter where you live, you are susceptible to becoming “beige”. Everything is the same. A little splash of color on occasion is all we need to spruce things up!

This Uni Pasta is a great way to change the typical creamy pasta recipe. Uni (sea urchin) is a creamy, nutty flavored delicacy, especially in Japan. Really good sea urchin tastes of salt water from the ocean with a sweet hint of hazelnut. Seems strange, I know, but trust me. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever tasted. A sure way to impress your Japanese friends is to eat fresh uni. We often get asked two questions: Do you eat natto? NO! Do you eat uni? YES!

Don’t fret if you can’t access good, fresh uni. You can add something else for a little splash of color! Be creative. Find something that will enhance and liven up the flavor of the pasta that you perhaps would not have used on any regular day. Even adding a little squash or pumpkin puree is a great way to lighten up and add flavor to rich, creamy pasta dishes. Sprinkle a few toasted hazelnuts and few parsley leaves on top and you’re all set!

If you do decide to use uni, make sure to add it just at the end before serving. This will preserve the flavor as much as possible. If you can’t taste it, what’s the point, right?

Creamy Uni Pasta with Fennel Fronds

Makes 4 servings

1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup cream

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

zest of 1/2 a lemon

salt and black pepper

About 3 oz. fresh sea urchin

1/3 cup loosely packed fennel fronds or flat leaf parsley

Begin by cooking the pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and beginning to soften (about 2-3 minutes) being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the red pepper flakes and cook another 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream, parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook gently until heated through. Add the cooked pasta to the cream, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta to coat with the cream. Remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the sea urchin and fennel fronds, reserving some of the fennel for garnish.

Serve immediately topped with a piece of uni, fennel fronds and extra parmesan if desired.

There are some foods that, no matter what you do, are just not pretty. They are brown and mushy looking, lacking any vibrant colors or eye-catching patterns to reel you in like a fish on a hook. On the other hand, there are some foods that mystify with their beauty. Combine the two and you have “Beauty and the Beast”, as my husband put it.

I used my pickled lotus root from the other day as a garnish to some delicious, but not-so-pretty, short ribs. The short ribs were browned in a pan, placed in the bottom of my slow-cooker, covered with Japanese beer (Kirin), carrots, onions, 2 bay leaves and a sprinkle of herbs de provence. After nearly 10 hours of slow and low cooking, the ribs came out absolutely falling off the bone. There was nothing I could do to keep the meat fully intact as I removed it with my tongs. It just insisted on melting into beautiful shreds. And by “beautiful” I mean perfectly cooked…not visually beautiful. To make this dish appealing to the eye, I simply placed one slice of pickled lotus root on top with a few snow peas. The drastic contrast in color and texture helped make what is otherwise a pile of mush into something photo-worthy.

It’s wonderful when nature shows off a little with the creation of something as breathtaking, and imperfect, as the lotus root. Each lotus root is different- the holes are different shapes and sizes, form different patterns, and are never perfect. Before the lotus root is peeled, it looks a little rough around the edges. But as you dig deeper and find what is hidden inside, the oddities disappear. The imperfections and differences are what make them beautiful. If only we could look at everything…and everyone…with the same admiration and joy.

Japanese Beer Braised Short Ribs

Makes enough for 4-6 servings

3-4 pounds meaty short ribs

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 12 oz. can Kirin beer, or other rich-flavored lager beer

1 cup sliced carrots

1 large onion, sliced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon herbs de provence

2 tablespoons flour

In a large, heavy pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, dry the short ribs with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the short ribs on all sides in the pan, about 1 1/2-2 minutes per side.

Transfer the ribs to the slow cooker. Add the carrots, onions, bay leaves and Herbs de Provence. Pour in the beer and set the slow-cooker on low. Allow to cook for at least 8 hours and up to 10.

Gently scoop the ribs out of the slow-cooker with a slotted spoon or tongs and place on a platter. Don’t worry if they fall apart- that’s a good sign! In a heavy bottomed pan, add about 2 cups of the remaining cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer. Gradually sift in the flour and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the ribs. Serve over brown rice and top with pickled lotus root and snow peas…or other naturally beautiful garnish.

Sorry about the title…couldn’t help it!

Pommes Anna is a French dish made simply of potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. The potatoes are very thinly sliced, layered, and baked to a blissful combination of crisp creaminess. It’s the perfect example of humble ingredients resulting in indulgent, flavorful dishes. Now, I can’t claim the genius behind making this mini-version. The credit for that goes to Naomi of Bakers Royale, a fantastic blog with a whole host of wonderful recipes. Her mini Pommes Anna can be found here.

The moment I saw her gorgeous photos, I knew I had to make this dish. But with a Japanese spin, of course. The first step was to use Japanese sweet potatoes, satsumaimo, in addition to small white fleshed potatoes. Then, I walked past a display of Kyoto red carrots. This is the perfect time of year for these beautiful roots and they are traditionally seen in Japan around the New Year. Their gorgeous red color and sweet flavor are similar to the familiar orange carrot, but slightly different. The flavor was perfect in these little 2-bite appetizers. And since Pommes Anna is basically the same color bottom to top, I thought a splash of red Kyoto carrot would be gorgeous!

Fortunately, the carrots were perfect. I layered them with the potatoes and put a few on the top for a splash of color. (Next time, I would add even more carrot slices, fanning them out so they are easier to see between the layers of potato.) With a leaf of chervil as a garnish, this is an ideal recipe for a holiday cocktail party. They are easy to eat as finger food and look beautiful on these bamboo dishes.

I used Naomi’s recipe, which you can find by clicking here. I didn’t need to change anything at all and it worked perfectly!

*You can purchase eco-friendly products like catering supplies and plastic plates from restaurantware.com and receive 10% off by entering the coupon code: tokyoterrace. For the dish used in this post, click here to purchase.

When I was young, my family went on a lot of road trips. We would drive from Minnesota to Tennessee every year to visit my mother’s family and I remember, more often than not, driving through Western Wisconsin talking about the grilled cheese and tomato soup we would have for dinner as soon as we arrived home. This was the meal of choice partly because there were no groceries to speak of after 2 weeks of being away, but also because its a meal we all enjoyed.

After spending the weekend in Thailand I’ve been craving something simple and comforting. Since grilled cheese and tomato soup is not exactly common around here, I tend to want onigiri or Japanese noodles instead. This meal of simple somen noodles with warm dashi was the perfect meal after my “road trip” to Southeast Asia. Often times somen noodles are eaten with cold dipping sauces, perfect for hot summer days in Japan. I’ve decided to give them an autumnal spin instead by using the hot dashi broth. Sometimes, if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll add a dollop of miso butter to the broth to give it a bit more body and flavor.

With a couple umeboshi, this is the perfect light meal after traveling. Or just when you’re short on time and want a healthy, satisfying supper. Most of the time I’m too impatient to dip my somen noodles. Instead, I’ll just put the noodles right in the broth and skip the dipping.OK, I’m just a messy noodle-dipper-slurper. There, I admitted it.

Somen Noodles & Hot Dashi

Serves 2

For the dashi:

2 cups water

1 3-inch piece kombu

2 dried shiitake mushrooms

1/3 cup bonito flakes

1 T soy sauce OR 2-3 T miso butter

Put the water in a saucepan with the kombu and shiitakes. Allow the kombu and shiitake’s to soak in the water for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight (the longer you let the sit the more flavor you will get in the stock- I usually let everything soak for about an hour when I’m short on time).

Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. After about 5 minutes remove the kombu and shiitakes. Remove the stock from the heat and gently add the bonito flakes. After about 3 minutes, strain the stock through a coffee strainer. Stir in 1 tablespoon miso paste (or miso butter) if desired or just the soy sauce. Reheat if needed before serving.

For the noodles:

2 bundles somen noodles (typically sold in small bundles at Asian grocery stores)

Cook according to package directions. Usually these delicate noodles take only 2-3 minutes. Strain and run under cold water. Serve alongside the dashi and garnish with chopped green onions or Chinese chives.

There are few flavors that excite me more than the combination of sweet and salty. These two drastically different tastes are magnificent and used in seemingly endless ways. Usually, I only find this flavor combo in unhealthy dishes. OK, I’ll be honest: that’s probably because the unhealthy dishes win most battles based on my own inability to say ‘no’.

That was the case until this salad came along.

Made with umeboshi, a Japanese plum that is dried then pickled, this salad is simple yet bursting with exotic flavors. The salty and tart flavor of the umeboshi can be strong on its own, but paired with creamy avocado and a walnut oil dressing, the flavor is a bit more mild. Mild, yes. Unnoticed, no. The flavor still pops, just like the pink color, in the midst of the crisp greens and smooth avocado. The addition of walnut oil vinaigrette, made with walnut oil and Japanese mirin, adds a slight earthiness that helps to counter the tang of the umeboshi. Because mirin is slightly sweet, the marriage of the vinaigrette with the umeboshi is perfect. Subtle and beautiful, this salad fulfills the need to quench my salty-sweet cravings in a healthy way. And how gorgeous are the black sesame seeds? The contrast in color is nearly as wonderful as the flavor itself.

I chose to use a bitter green for the salad, but any light, leafy green, such as bibb lettuce, frisée, or microgreens, will suffice.

If you are interested in giving umeboshi a try, check at your local Japanese or Asian grocery store.

Umeboshi & Avocado Salad

Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish

1/2 cup umeboshi, pitted and roughly chopped

1 head leafy-greens, frisée…anything you prefer, washed and chopped

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup walnut vinaigrette (see recipe below)

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

Pile the lettuce in a large bowl. Arrange the avocado slices on top followed by the umeboshi. Drizzle with the walnut vinaigrette and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve.

Walnut Vinaigrette

Makes a scant 1/3 cup

1/4 cup walnut oil

3-4 tablespoons mirin

Whisk the walnut oil and mirin together. Season with salt if desired. (If using on the Umeboshi & Avocado Salad, refrain from using salt as the pickled plums are very salty on their own.)

Inspiration comes in many forms. I find myself inspired by the lunches Japanese students bring to school that are so carefully prepared and planned by their mothers. Inspiration creeps in while riding my bike down the street and passing a noodle shop that smells like rich miso broth and sounds like grateful soup slurpers. Other times, inspiration finds its way into my mind by opening up a book. A cookbook, that is. It’s no secret that we all have different moments that give us that creative jolt to come up with the next great idea, whether it is in the kitchen, at the office, or elsewhere. That’s the beauty of creating. It happens differently for each of us and the result, though not always what we imagined, becomes just what we need to continue developing ideas.

For this recipe, my inspiration came from David Chang. Chang’s recipe for miso butter in his cookbook, Momofuku, is a simple combination of salty miso paste and creamy butter. But oh, the possibilities that come from these two simple ingredients are endless. I modified the miso butter recipe slightly for the wine dinner. Using equal parts miso paste and butter resulted in a perfectly creamy, flavorful base for crisp, green sugar snap peas, rich, perfectly cooked salmon, and a gorgeous fried egg with a bright orange yolk.

For the wine dinner I used a fried quail egg. Let me just say that was the worst idea ever. Oh, it turned out beautifully in the end, but it was madness trying to break open all those little eggs for 40 people! And then frying them?!? Long story short: What was I thinking? So, since quail eggs are difficult to find for some, I’ve substituted a regular, sunny-side-up egg in this post. Feel free to use whatever you like- they both make a gorgeous presentation! I have a pretty serious love affair going on with eggs, so anytime I can top a meal with one I jump at the chance.

When you shop for salmon, make sure to look for thick lines of white running through the flesh and try to smell it if you can. It should be odorless. Having adequate fat in the salmon ensures it won’t dry out when you cook it. For the wine dinner, we used Scottish salmon from Coastal Seafoods (if you live in the Twin Cities and aren’t already buying your seafood there, get on it!) that was just perfect. Here in Japan we are fortunate to find plenty of salmon year round (yay!). It looks like this:

As the main entree, this dish was perfectly paired with a 2007 Deux Amis Zinfandel. When Kurt told me he was going to pair the salmon with a Zinfandel, I was skeptical. But as I’ve said before, Kurt is a master when it comes to wine (he has several awards for Best Wine List from Wine Enthusiast to prove it!) so I went with it. It turns out that the Zinfandel stood up nicely to the miso butter, salmon, and egg without overpowering the dish. Perfection.

Here are the recipes and pairings we have covered so far:

Lotus Root Chips with Hou Hou Shu Sparkling Sake

Edamame Crostini with Meyer Lemon & Shiso, paired with Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo

Scallop and Corn Gyoza with Sriracha Dipping Sauce, paired with HB Picpoul de Pinet 2009

Pork Belly & Leek Yakitori with Asian Slaw, paired with Ramon Bilbao Crianza Rioja 2005

Salmon with Miso Butter, Sugar Snap Peas, and Fried Quail Egg, paired with Deux Amis Zinfandel 2007

Only one more post to go! Are you ready for dessert?

Salmon with Miso Butter, Snap Peas, & a Fried Egg

Serves 4

4 center cut salmon steaks, skin on

2 cups sugar snap peas

1 cup shiro (white) miso paste, room temperature

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 eggs

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Lightly pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the miso paste and butter. Stir until smooth and fully incorporated. Use  a pastry brush to smear about 1/4 cup of miso paste in the center of each serving plate. Arrange the sugar snap peas on top of the miso butter in one layer. Set the plates aside while you cook the salmon and eggs.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. After about 1 or 2 minutes, add about 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Wait for the oil to heat, about 1 minute, and add the salmon, skin side down. (The pan should be hot enough that it immediately sizzles when the fish is placed in the oil.) Allow the fish to cook on one side for about 3 minutes. Flip the fish and cook or another 2 minutes for medium-rare. Cook for 3-4 minutes if you’d like your fish more done.

Carefully remove the salmon from the pan and put on a plate. Set aside.

In the same pan you used for the salmon, fry the eggs in the olive oil until the whites are firm (but do not flip for sunny side up). If the whites are not done and it seems the bottom is getting too done, you can transfer the eggs to a lined baking sheet and put them under the broiler, watching VERY carefully, until the whites have set.

While the eggs fry in the pan, place the salmon steaks on top of the sugar snap peas. When the eggs are done, put them on top of the salmon. Sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper flakes and serve immediately.

It’s hard to believe that I am beginning my third year in Tokyo. Especially considering this was the conversation when we decided to come here:

Husband: “Do you wanna move to Tokyo?”

Me: “Um, do I have to decide right now?

Husband: “Yes.”

Me: “Well, uh….(nervous stomach flutters)…I guess so.”

Husband: “Ok! Sweet!”

6 months later…

Husband: “So how long should we stay?”

Me: “Probably 2 years. At the most.”

Husband: “Yeah, I agree.”

And now here we are. Our third year in this foreign land that has become our home. I can say with complete certainty that I did not see that one coming!

We spent our third anniversary of moving to Tokyo enjoying the Obon festivities (read more about Obon here). Specifically the fireworks, or hanabi. The weather was oddly comfortable in the midst of the oppressive heat of summer. We enjoyed takoyaki (doughy balls of batter with pieces of octopus, scallions, and ginger covered in a savory sauce and fish flakes) while we waited on our plot of land covered with a plastic tarp for the fireworks display to begin. And of course we did a little people watching.

The lovely yukata (click here for more about yukata) offered a splash of color to the crowd of thousands of people.

The food and the fireworks did not disappoint.

Cheers to year #3!

Going home to the Midwest from Japan for the summer is a funny sensation. On one hand, I feel completely relaxed. Like I can finally take a deep breath instead of a shallow one. Like I can finally stretch my limbs and soak up some open space. On the other hand, when summer is over and it is time to return to our Tokyo life, I get to come back to my own kitchen and to familiar routines. I am reminded that I am living in an exciting city where I get to have experiences (and eat food) that I will remember for the rest of my life. While I am thankful and happy with life in Tokyo, there is little that can take the place of going home.

The recipe for my scallop and corn gyoza is a little bit like home for me. It’s a recipe that turns out beautifully every time I make it. I always end up wondering why I don’t whip these up more often. And there is never enough for the people I serve them to.The golden brown crisp on the side that has been fried, the chewy noodle-like consistency of the opposite side, and the filling of sweet, salty, crunchy and soft corn, scallops, cabbage, soy sauce, ginger and garlic is mouth-wateringly perfect in every way. I love the sizzle of the pan when I first toss these babies in the oil. Ah, beautiful music that can only be made better when followed by a bit out of one of these dumplings…

You may remember seeing this recipe a few months ago. No, you aren’t crazy- this did appear on the site already. However, I dressed up the presentation for the wine dinner at Ursula’s Wine Bar & Cafe, where it was served with a 2009 HB Picpoul de Pinet. It was like taking a little black dress (already a classic) and adding a pair of red stilettos. It just needed to be gussied up. The red dots on the plate are Sriracha, a spicy Asian sauce made with garlic and chili, and the sauce under the gyoza is Sriracha mixed with Greek yogurt.

Click here for the recipe if you’d like to give these a try! You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!