last day at last

12-31-2013 Tue. chilly, sunny. 



BREAKFAST --- coffee | Chinese sweet rice dumplings | gyoza | apple 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | tangerine 
DINNER ---   champagne | Giante beans and olives |cocktail shrimp|   seared frozen steak | pan-fried potato with onion | sauteed Brussels sprouts | sauteed mustard greens | wine 

 

•   has it been a "good age" ?

grilled sardine

12-30-2013 Mon. chilly, cloudy.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee | homemade sage bread | apple 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ji-cai wonton soup 
DINNER --- grilled sardine | Chinese taco buns with cha-shao pork, caramelized onion and cilantro | sauteed red-stem chard with garlic | sweet and sour lotus root | wine 

 

• hand-handled food

Chinese hotpot or Japanese shabu shabu

29-12-2013 Sun. chilly, rain.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | apple | scallion pancake | Chinese sweet rice dumplings with fermented rice broth 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | tangerine
DINNER ---  Chinese hotpot: napa cabbage, shiitake, pea leaves,  lotus roots, mung bean noodles , cilantro,  lamb, shrimp | wine

 

• very good this time: the broth base: dashi, Sichan spicey auce, the dip: mixture of sha-cha sauce and peanut butter sauce.   heads-on shrimp worked very well in shabu-shabu style cooking, sweet and bouncy. all vegetables are good choice,  fresh flavor and complex texture.

shochu and firelfy squid in Izakaya

12-28-2013 Sat. mild, sunny. 



 WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | apple | tangerine 
 AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---  ( at Taylor G.)  sandwich 
 DINNER --- ( at Izakaya Seki ) shochu | grilled yellowtail jaw | beef tongue with yuzu miso | obanza ( three sides) | house-cured mackerel | cured firefly squid | grilled Pacific saury  | grilled mochi with nori | Japanese beer 

historic water filtration site

 "Immortal beloved" !!

 buckets at trendy sandwich store

 goodwill hunting

in the shadow of  Duke Ellington

***

 

• unusual things found in a corner of the city.
 

 

lamb stew and shrimp wonton

12-27-2013 Fri. chilly, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee |  Norwegian pancake | apple 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | tangerine 
DINNER ---  shrimp and celery wonton soup | spicy lightly pickled cucumber |  lamb shank stew with potato in sofrito | sauteed Chinese greens with shiitake | wine 

 

• all cooked on spot, no more leftovers

cognac and chocolate

12-26-2013 Thu. cold, sunny. 



BREAKFAST --- coffee |  orange bread | grapefruit  | apple  | scallion pancake 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | pomegranate
DINNER --- fried rice made from paella leftovers | sauteed pea leaves | simmered eggplant with fermented fava bean sauce | wine || cognac | chocolate truffle | LU chocolate cookie 

 

• major cleaning and clearing by the end of the year

sweet stuff

12-25-2013 Wed. cold, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee with Baileys | homemade orange bread | grapefruit | apple 

AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- port | chocolate truffle | caramel candy

DINNER --- crab stuffed cucumber | grilled miso marinated cod | sauteed pea leaves with garlic | creamy baby taro with chive flowers | wine 

 

 

• low-key but sweet holiday treat

paella yaki-onigiri

12-24-2013 Tue. cold, windy. 



BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | apple | grapefruit
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | tangerine
DINNER ---  tempura miso soup | paella yaki-onigiri | scrambled eggs with Chinese yellow chives | smoked tofu salad | spinach with ponzu | wine



 

• leftovers into new forms for the C-eve dinner. the orange bread is freshly baked.