Backyard Patrol

Our dogs are checking out the plants that are coming out for the season. Forsythia is now starting to bloom. It's one of the first ones in our backyard to spring out, and a couple of more plants have the buds ready. I'm already seeing pollen flying in the air. 

"Let me take a close sniff at it...."

Love those little yellow bells.

"Ok, you're checked out fine. I'll be back later to sniff again."

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Asian Umbrella Earrings

I've been thinking about ideas for earrings with an Asian taste and a modern twist. This pair of earrings almost made me think of an Asian umbrella with rain water cascading off from it. What do you see in them?

Do you see an umbrella and rain?

Japanese umbrellas

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Weekend in NYC

We had a wonderful weekend with my sister in NYC. Just a short flight away, we were in for an action-packed getaway. Thank you, sis. It was so much fun!

A vintage chandelier at our hotel Le Parker Meridien

At the Museum of Natural History

Beautiful iron work at the entrance of the museum

Awesome!

Rose Center planetarium. My hubby completely geeked out!

There is a great show inside the planetarium narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. Only 30 minutes long; enough to regroup after a long walk in Central Park and relax with a million of stars surrounding you.

Pasta with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow at Marea

Sea urchin with lardo on crostini at Marea; it melts in your mouth.

Salmon with sautéed tomato at Sushi of Gari

That's a poached quail egg on top. Need I say more?

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Grilled Rice Ball in Roasted Green Tea

I've been trying not to make rice balls just because they are so good I eat too many of them. But if I can be strong and decide to have just one, I want to make it extra special. I've mixed powdered sea urchin broth with cooked rice, brushed noodle dipping sauce lightly and grilled it on a skillet. Pour over some hot tea, crumble the rice ball and eat it like a soup. Best for breakfast and late dinner.

Grilled Rice Ball in Roasted Green Tea

1 cup cooked rice
1 package powdered ochazuke broth, I used sea urchin flavor this time, but it comes in many flavors.
1 Tbsp noodle dipping sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup hot roasted green tea

Powdered ochazuke broth in sea urchin flavor

Brown both sides

Pour this over the rice ball.

Combine cooked rice with a package of ochazuke powder. With clean hands, make a triangle shaped ball. Brush noodle dipping sauce on both sides of the rice ball. In a skillet, warm sesame oil and grill it on both sides until crispy and golden brown. Place the rice ball in a soup bowl and pour hot tea over it. Crumble the rice ball in the tea and enjoy!

Rice ball turns into a soup.

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Soba Noodle Bowl with Daikon Radish and Enoki Mushroom

With the seasoned Enoki mushroom I made earlier this week, I wanted to make something else. The Enoki mushroom is flavored with lots of Umami from bonito broth and soy sauce, so it makes a versatile condiment for a lot of dishes. I cooked up some soba noodles and made a bowl out of it, topping with grated Daikon radish, Enoki mushroom and a pickled plum. 

Soba Noodle Bowl with Daikon Radish and Enoki Mushroom

1 cup cooked soba noodles, chilled

1/3 cup noodle dipping sauce

2 Tbsp grated Daikon radish

2 Tbsp seasoned Enoki mushroom: for the recipe, check out this post.

1 pickled plum

Green onions for garnish

Seasoned Enoki mushroom is full of flavor.

Cook soba noodles according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water. Drain. Grate Daikon radish. In a small bowl, assemble soba noodles, grated radish, Enoki mushroom and a pickled plum. Pour some noodle dipping sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Daikon radish

Grated Daikon radish

A pickled plum adds a tang. Mix it all up before eating.

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Rose Gold Earrings

My hubby's goddaughter is having a birthday. I remember her saying that she is having her ears pierced, and she would love to have earrings for her birthday, so I thought why not make a pair for her. I hope she likes them. They are made with crystals and 14K rose gold findings, so they are gentle for sensitive ears. If she happens to be looking at this blog today... SPOILER ALERT!

This motif makes me think of St. Patrick's Day....

Happy birthday!

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Spinach Salad with Enoki Mushroom

Here is a cold salad I've been into these days. I get a bunch of fresh spinach from the farmer's market and blanch it. Toss it with soy sauce flavored seaweed paste and top it with seasoned Enoki mushroom. Wonderful with a glass of chilled white wine. 

It can make a small appetizer salad.

Seasoned Enoki Mushroom:
1 package Enoki mushroom, cut in 1/3
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp sake
1 tsp powdered bonito broth
1/4 tsp Japanese chili pepper

In a small sauce pan, combine all the ingredients and cook until mushroom is wilted.

Enoki mushroom. Cooked down and chilled in the fridge.

Blanch spinach for 1 minutes. Shock it in icy water. Gently wring it with your hands to rid of excess water. Cut in 2 inch length. In a bowl, combine some of the spinach and seaweed paste and toss it. Adjust the amount of the paste since it's quite salty; keep adding just a little bit at a time. On the bottom of a small bowl, spread a spoon full of Enoki sauce and top it with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle Japanese chili pepper. Serve chilled. 

Soy sauce flavored seaweed

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Valentine's Day Desserts

Valentine's Day fell on a school night this year. That meant we could go out but must come home soon. No partying! We went to our favorite restaurant called Local Three, and quickly but thoroughly enjoyed our course meals. The highlight was of course their desserts. Mmm, that was delicious, now check please!

Chocolate Fondant; rum banana cream and chocolate crumble

Pistachio Dome; strawberry jus and yuzu gelée 

Our little oasis...

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Okame Cherry Says It's Spring!

Our Okame cherry does not want to wait any longer to blossom. This tree is always the first one to bloom in the yard to let us know that spring is here. We planted this tree in memory of my brother-in-law a few years ago, and it's been doing very well. When everything in the yard looks grey, it's nice to see this tree pop in front of our living room. Because of the mild winter we had, it's starting to bloom earlier than last year.

Welcome back! Good to see you again!

A little bit of chills in the air would not falter this tree. 

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