pearl taro roots

2-12-2016 Fri. freezing cold, snowy.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- homemade orange bread | sweet rice dumplings 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER ---taro roots | simmered tofu skin roll, wood ear, shittake and daikon | stir-fried pork with onion and kale | wine 

 

•  good fresh taro roots from Japanese grocery, and finally got daikon as well.

creamy cheese and creamy taro root

9-20-2014 Sat. mild, sunny.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant | cheese and bread | concord grapes | raspberries 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | taro root
DINNER --- sauteed bitter melon | soy and rice wine braised short ribs | rice | salad | wine

 

• a good autumn afternoon snack : simmered taro roots with seven-spice and mustard seed oil

baby taro and eel bowl

12-18-2013 Wed. mild, clouds. 



BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with pork and vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME ---  apple 
DINNER --- Japanese taro with sesame spices  | celery and shrimp | grilled eel rice bowl and Japanese pickled mountain vegetables | wine

 
• good stuff from the local Japanese shop. baby taro is very creamy.

sweet shrimp, matsutake announce the fall season

9-29-2013 Sun. mild, sun and clouds.  


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | scrambled eggs with cilantro | apple
  AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea 
DINNER ---  Japanese rice bowl with roasted matsutake and grated daikon | sushi | sauteed snow peas | simmered taro roots with arugula | wine 

 

• mackerel (aji and saba ) sushi were sold out in the late afternoon. sweet shrimp is excellent. and we got the last box of matsutake, which just starts the season 

delicious roots

1-02-2013 Wed. cold, cloudy.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with squash curry and sauteed spinach
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed sweet sour lotus root | simmered taro root with dried shrimp | stir-fried young mustard greens | rice | wine 

• very good winter vegetables,  lotus and taro have similar leaves, but very different roots, one is crunchy, the other very creamy and soft.

taro roots and tong-hao leaves

10-22-2012 Mon. mild, sunny.  


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at C.B.) rice noodles and stir-fried green beans, shrimp, chicken 
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | apple
DINNER --- porridge of tong-hao leaves with crushed peanuts | steamed short ribs with crushed roasted rice | sauteed creamy taro root |  rice | fennel and cherry tomato salad | wine 

 

• hearty and homey

vegetarian Thai dinner

4-09-2012 Mon. chilly wind, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bead | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | dumplings
DINNER --- ( in the tea house) mojito | onion flat bread | baked Japanese sweet potato fries ||(vegetarian Thai for Oreste and Francesca) crunchy cucumber and cabbage salad with Thai basil and chili dressing | taro root fritter with minced tofu-fish, shiitake and Thai red curry | Pad Thai : stir-fried Thai rice noodles with tofu-skin-ground-meat, tamarind sauce, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts | Tom Yum: Thai hot and sour stew with fried tofu, straw mushroom, taro root, ginkgo seeds, and kombu knots | Jasmine rice

to the tea house

• vegetarian Thai for Oreste and Francesca, no shrimp paste or fish sauce. taro fritter is messy to make but worth the trouble. roasted Gingko seeds are terrific in Tom Yum Goong.
  

starch three ways

01-20-2011 Fri. cold, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- mushroom pizza
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- oven-baked Japanese sweet potato fries | pan-fried lotus root chips | sauteed young kale with garlic | sauteed taro roots with scallions and minced chicken | wine

• starch in sweet potato, lotus root, and taro root.
  

taro root, lotus root and persimmon

12-12-2011 Sun. cold, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- tea
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea | homemade ciabatta bread
DINNER --- clay pot of simmered taro root, lotus root.king mushroom and napa cabbage | sweet-sour lotus root | sauteed kale with garlic | pan-fried dove sole fillet | rice | wine | Japanese persimmon

• steam from simmered root vegetables warms the the kitchen. finally the persimmon is ripe after three weeks of waiting.
  

Taro root and a farm called Bright Stream

1-22-2011 Sat. very cold, pale sun.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | apple | pear
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | taro root seasoned with shiso and seaweed flakes
BEFORE-CONCERT-DINNER --- braised whole fish with ginger and scallion sauce | sauteed Swiss chard and tofu skin | rice | wine

• taro root is very fresh and creamy today, winter is the season for good root vegetables.

Asaf and Sulamif Messerer in The Bright Stream, 1930's

Bolshoi, the Bright Stream UK Premiere 2006

• another Shostakovich's work, this evening is a ballet of its own kind: the Bright Stream ( a "collective farm" in 1930's Soviet Union )

ad hoc Chinese

11-22-2010 Mon. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed napa cabbage and octopus ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- steamed and sauteed Brussels sprouts | Chinese winter greens with mung bean noodles | stir-fried shrimp with red onion | pan-fried scallion and taro roots | rice | fennel salad | wine

• ad hoc Chinese home cooking usually works fine when putting together a meal with whatever ingredients one can find at hand.
  

Harvest moon

9-22-2010 Wed. warm, thunder storm.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with stir-fried cabbage (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- parboiled fresh soy bean in pot | pasta with hot red pepper sauce | sauteed king mushroom in rice wine | fennel and bartlett pear salad
MOONLIGHT-TIME --- Chinese moon cake | green tea | Turkish delight

• Fresh soy beans and taro roots, wine and moon cakes are among the special food for Chinese harvest moon festival

• official beginning of autumn at 11:08pm. the storm moved away, sky was clear deep blue and the harvest moon with bright Jupiter nearby shined upon us, view from the tea house.
• 《把酒问月》 李白 （701－762 A.D.)
  青天有月来几时 我今停杯一问之
  人攀明月不可得 月行却与人相随
  皎如飞镜临丹阙 绿烟灭尽清辉发
  但见宵从海上来 宁知晓向云间没
  白兔捣药秋复春 嫦娥孤栖与谁邻
  今人不见古时月 今月曾经照古人
  古人今人若流水 共看明月皆如此
  唯愿当歌对酒时 月光长照金樽里

a Perfect day for figs

9-18-2010 Sat. warm, sunny and clear


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( in the garden ) coffee | middle eastern yogurt drink | Concord grapes | fresh figs | sugar nut melon | Asian brown pear | coconut cream bread | scallion pancake
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( in the garden ) green tea | fresh figs | steamed taro roots with honey sauce | moon cake
DINNER --- ( in the garden ) grilled fresh figs with rosemary and olive oil | steamed manila clams with lemon juice | fresh corn sauteed with onion and sweet pepper | pan-fried taro roots with Japanese green onion and Chinese five-spices | steamed fermented tofu with pickled vegetables and sesame oil | Chilean white wine

breakfast in the garden

afternoon tea time, moon cake and taro root


giant green onion from the Japanese store


fresh figs from the Iranian store

grilled figs for appetizer at dinner

• perfect early fall weather, too nice to be inside. the sun is warm and bright, the moon is cool and near full. Fresh figs are beautiful to look at and interesting to eat as fruit or as an appetizer.
  

Vegetables and tofu

4-27-2010 Tue. mild, sunny


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed bean sprouts
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- stir-fried Chinese string beans and smoked tofu | sauteed taro roots | steamed fermented tofu with vegetable pickles | rice | red wine

• one can do a lot with vegetables and tofu.
  

Tofu-skin rolls with taro and mustard greens

• 2 sheets fresh tofu skin, cut into roll wrapper size
  
• 1/4 cup pickled mustard green, finely chopped
  
• 1 cup taro root, boiled and skin removed
  
• 1 tbs seasoned seaweed paste
  
• a little milk
  
• salt and sugar
• cooking oil
  
• 2 tbs dashi broth
  
• 1/2 tsp sweet soy sauce
• sesame oil

1. smash taro roots ( like mashed potatoes) in a big bowl, add salt and sugar and a little milk
   
2. add mustard greens and seaweed paste, mix well
   
3. put 2 tbs taro mixture on a sheet of tofu-skin wrapper, make a roll and seal with a little water or tight with a dried gourd string
   
4. heat the cooking oil in a pan, fry the rolls lightly all sides
   
5. arrange the rolls in a shallow bowl, add dashi broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil
   
6. put the bowl in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes.
   
7. cut the rolls in small sections and serve