two kinds of potatoes

11-20-2015 Fri. chilly wind, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Ji-cai wonton soup 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato fries | pan-fried little croaker | potato with rosemary butter | sauteed mustard green | wine 

 

• winding down

simmer and bake

2-26-2014 Wed. cold, snow.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- Ji-cai wonton soup 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple 
DINNER ---  baked Japanese sweet potato fries | sauteed Brussels sprouts | simmered napa cabbage, wood-ear, fried tofu puff, quail eggs  and beech mushroom | rice | wine 

 

•   winter is definitely not over

a great season for Japanese vegetables

10-023-2013 Thu. warm, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee  
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- peach | tea 
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato fries | pan-fried shishito pepper | broiled matsutake mushrooms with dashi and daikon | sauteed Japanese greens | steamed egg custard with matsutake | rice | salad |  wine 

 

• everything has  its unique flavor, coming in fresh to the local Japanese store today.

sweet roots

9-26-2013 Thu. mild, sunny. 

  
 BREAKFAST --- coffee
 LUNCH --- rice with chive flowers and smoked tofu 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- watermelon | tea
DINNER --- baked Japanese sweet potato fries | caramelized carrots and onion with bacon and cilantro | sauteed baby spinach with sofrito | simmered silken tofu in fish broth | rice | salad | wine

 

• sweet and nutty Japanese sweet potato fries , sweet carrots,  tender sweet spinach

Japanese vegetables from the new world

12-27-2011 Tue. chilly, rain.



BREAKFAST --- coffee with baileys | scallion pancake | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- tempura of shishito peppers with dashi dipping sauce | baked Japanese sweet potato fries | sauteed pea leaves, radicchio and mushroom with garlic sauce | wine

• both peppers and potatoes in Japan become sweet.
  

a collection of root vegetables

12-05-2010 Sun. cold wind, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee with Baileys | grape fruit | pan-fried Shanghai-style soup dumplings | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | pomegranate
DINNER --- roasted Japanese sweet potato | wonton soup with fennel and shrimp | caramelized onion and carrots | rice | wine

• a winter meal with root vegetables: sweet potato, fennel bulb, onion and carrots
  

French onion soup

11-24-2010 Wed.chilly, pale sun.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stew of wheat gluten and vegetables (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- chai
DINNER --- Chinese-style cured fish and pork | baked Japanese sweet potato | French onion soup | garlic bread | fennel salad | wine

Chinese cured fish and pork, Japanese sweet potato,French onion soup

• French onion soup is kind of like French baguette, basic French food, but not easy to achieve at the particular level as that in France. this time the soup is better than some earlier attempts. a vegetable broth ( simmered fresh fennel, carrots, celery, cabbage, radish and garlic ) is used in the place of beef broth. It is a good way to use leftover french bread, cheese to create a hearty and soothing meal.
  

Japanese sweet potato, roasted Italian way

10-07-2010 Thu. cool, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed green beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- patate al forno ( oven roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with olive oil )| sauteed snap peas | pasta with sofrito | wine

• Japanese sweet potato, white with purple red skin, nutty, sweet, creamy and firm.
  

Vegetable day

1-5-2010 Wed. cold and windy, cloudy

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- steamed dumplings ( leftover from yesterday's dinner)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- Wulong green tea | clementine
DINNER --- spinach soup with shiitake mushroom simmered in dashi stock | roasted Japanese white sweet potato | five-spice cabbage | eggplant stew with mushroom, cilantro, caramelized onion in fermented-black-bean sauce | short grain rice | red wine

• Japanese sweet potatoes are the best, one kind is white inside with purple skin, and the other kind is in completely reversed colors: purple inside with white skin!