Shiitake

Shiitake mushrooms
The shiitake mushroom is native to East Asia and have been cultivated for over 1000 years. These I got from an acquaintance of mine whose husband grows them as a hobby in their backyard. They typically grow on dead logs from the shii tree (Castanopsis cuspidata). These beauties can be used not only as food but also in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a medicinal remedy taken to prevent all kinds of ailments such as upper respiratory diseases, poor blood circulation, exhaustion, liver trouble and to boost qi. Best of all, it is believed to prevent premature aging. Sorry Chanel, but the recently purchased Hydra Beauty Crème Riche, hydration protection éclat – hydration protection radiance, will have to rest, at least for a trial period. As for whipping up a delicious dish, in Japan the mushrooms are often served in miso soups while in China we used to sauté them in vegetarian dishes, preferably with a sprinkle of garlic. In Thailand, the mushrooms were simply fried wok style. Today comes with beautiful weather – hope your weekend is great too!

Yoghurt Icecream

Midnights are spent watching Jamie Oliver´s 15 Minute Meals, dubbed into Japanese. To catch Oliver´s intensity, the Japanese dubbing resembles the Duracell bunny, you probably get the idea…  Although I at times would like to think of myself as the kitchen wiz, there´s no way I could whip up a meal and keep a clean kitchen in only 15 minutes. 

Something possible to do in only 5 minutes though, probably less, is this delicious ice cream made from natural yoghurt, frozen berries, a touch of honey and a sprig of mint.

You´ll need: (serves 4-6 people)

500g frozen berries (and fresh berries for decoration if you like)

500g natural yoghurt

1 tbsp honey (or to your own taste, I have used both runny and more solid)

A few sprigs of fresh mint as decoration (or put in with the rest of the ingredients)

* Put the natural yoghurt and honey into a blender. Whiz.

* Add the frozen berries and whiz again until it’s all combined.

* Decorate with fresh berries and/or fresh mint leaves.

Ready to serve. Enjoy!

Friday night dining in Tokyo

Friday night and time to eat. The areas around the stations are often filled with anything from fast food to holes in the walls serving up delicious Japanese food.

Can’t read the menu? Just check out the fake or plastic food which is custom tailored to the restaurant and order from there.

いただきます! Have a great weekend around the world! 

Feast your eyes

Around midnight Foodies TV (Channel 545) comes alive with popular Giada at Home. Eating with your eyes is definitely calorie free, something I desperately need at the moment. Although I wish I had this raspberry cake on the table, I went for something not quite in the same delicious category but still a category full of fulfillment. A salad made out of the lettuce and herbs in my urban balcony garden. To top it off, I added some feta cheese and grapes and a slight hint of extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Yum!