JAPAN!!!!^_^

i just thought this would be a great picture to open with, yes, ramen cannibalism^_^

ok people bear with me on this random mix of pictures of food. but since this is a "food blog" this is just going to be mostly pictures of the different foods i tried on my trip to japan. it ranges from regular bowl of cornflakes for breakfast to the more authentic freshly caught otoro sushi. i have tried to keep it in a chronological order so i can remember where and what exactly i ate, but if not i'll just wing it^_^ and please forgive me if i didn't get it absolutely correct i tried to verify as much as humanly possible with my friends asuka and toshimi (i think they got irritated because i kept asking "what was the thing called we ate again?"). ok here we go...

 so call me a weird person when it comes to little details, but as i had my little lay over in vancouver, BC i got some subway. we all know what subway looks like so i didn't feel like REALLY boring you, but i thought it was really cool how everything in canada is in both english and french!! i took french in high school and college and i have to say i kinda want to move to canada just to brush up a little bit more! random though...moving on...

 my first REAL breakfast in japan...un-eventful huh? well sometimes food can be un-eventful. but in all honesty i was really happy to have frosted flakes with soy milk and some green tea. plus the view of tokyo as you are sitting on the 33rd floor of an apartment building enjoying your frosted flakes doesn't seem that un-eventful after all^_^

 funny story with this picture. so, toshimi and i were walking around shibuya on my first day in japan. and she asked me if i wanted some sushi. so here i am thinking "i wonder what kind AMAZING sushi place she will take me to?" haha much to my surprise the place we ended up going to reminded me of genki sushi in hawaii. basically all the plates are on a little conveyor belt and you grab whatever you want. not exactly "amazing", but it was still delicious! i also tried fish guts for the VERY first/last time. i was attempting be as adventurous as possible with food while in japan. i basically thought i was going to throw up after i took the first few bites. it had a weird kind of creamy half-cooked egg texture. and if you know me at all i never really liked egg yolk, and that's all i could think of as i ate it. so i spit it out, its in my napkin right above my chopsticks in this picture^_^ enjoy...

 it was ridiculously humid/hot in japan when i went, you could literally stand still and sweat. that is the kind of heat i am talking about people, so when we passed this gelato place in shibuya i ran right in!! i got coffee and hazelnut...yummmmmmm! toshimi said that a lot of gelato places have been popping up all over japan and this one was the most recent one in shibuya. thank you gelato gods!

my first taiyaki!! i had seen these all the time in shirokiya (the japanese market in the ala moana shopping center in hawaii). but i had never tried one until i went to japan. toshimi, being the phone wiz that she is, along with EVERY person in japan, told me that "tai" is a kind of sea bream (fish) and its the shape of the fishes themselves. i thought it was very delicious, the crunchy outside with the sweet azuki beans on the inside, sway, sway, sway.

after the taiyaki we stopped at a little bakery, they wouldn't let me take a picture of the cutest teddy bear cake in the world! picture nazis...but i did get a yummy little macaroon, so i wasn't too hurt.

breakfast on day three: toshimi made a wonderful mixture of chicken, rice, and konnyaku (paste made from potato flour). it was a perfect little meal! and they had this amazing veggie juice. i love japanese drinks, they really have the best ones!! it was all so healthy!! i think i drank the whole bottle and i bought mike and toshimi another^_^ 

toshimi and i got our haircut then went to lunch. we stopped at this place near the oimachi station. they had THE BEST GINGER PORK EVER!!! it was perfectly cooked and seasoned it also came with rice, a hard boiled egg, cabbage, and dumpling soup i was in food heaven!! i finished it all!! oh my goodness, just thinking about it now makes me want more!!

i bought some snacks for the train ride to osaka. i got my veggie juice^_^ and some japanese chocolate sticks, my new fave!! TOPPO!! its like a pretzel filled with chocolate!!

TAKOYAKI!!! basically a pancake ball filled with green onions and pieces of cooked octopus. it is cooked in this special plate/pan and they have to flip it with chopsticks. it comes in a little box of ooey goodness!! with some fish flakes and mayo sauce on top and you are seriously set up!! its oozey and not cooked all the way through, but its is altogether pure BLISS!! sounds weird, but man, i think this is one of my new favorite things!! I WANT MORE!!

asuka took my to her favorite cake place to eat. it was called comme ca. they not only served AMAZING cakes, but also delicious pasta dishes! this is our prosciutto with mushrooms in a cream sauce. its was delectable and  rich, the perfect meal to follow the already digesting takoyaki^_^

these are our cakes, i opted for the chocolate banana cream cake. which was one of the best cakes i have ever had. i have a spot for anything chocolate banana, i think the combination makes the best shake in the world! so of course i had to have it in cake form!! the cream chocolate mixed with the fresh banana just made my little heart sing with joy!! i literally could not stop smiling i was so happy!!

this is asuka's blueberry with a kind of chocolate mousse cake. equally delectable in every way. i took a little nibble and i have to say i love the way this place mixes the fresh fruits with the smooth creams. it just made me sway. i think asuka thought i was a little weird, but hey! food does funny things to people^_^

asuka was sweet enough to leave this for me in my room when i woke up. it was our breakfast for the day, she is so sweet! a nice little coffee and little sandwiches before our long walk through kyoto, the perfect meal for the day!

green tea shave ice with condensed milk, azuki beans, and mochi balls. in other words the most amazing this in the WORLD! we had been walking through the golden palace and wanted to stop for a snack. again i am reiterating the fact that it was ridiculously humid and hot in japan while i was there, and walking around in a yukata(summer time kimono) was not helping!! so this cool treat really hit the sport perfectly!! kytoto is also known for its green tea, so i had to get it as my flavor of choice!! i ate it all, and even spooned the soupy melted ice out at the end, that is how good it was!

the ladies who ran the shave ice/cafe gave us these when we finished our shave ice, asuka said they were the candy the emperor had given away at his wedding and were a very popular candy in japan^_^

LUNCH TIME!! i honestly don't know how i managed to eat all this food. really!! looking back now on all the food i ate its hard to think about where i put it all! as asuka and i had walked through the central part of kyoto we stopped in a little bakery/cafe to grab a bite to eat. i got a chicken katsu plate(because i miss hawaii that much) with a squash soup, pasta, salad and shrimp tempura. i really love the way every meal in japan looks like a masterpiece!^_^ i almost didn't want to eat it because it looked so nice...ALMOST.

ok, so after our walking spree around kyoto asuka and i met up with my friend, john, for dinner. asuka had told me about her favorite place to eat before i had even arrived in japan. so i was eager to try it. but i was actually really blown away by this place!!

the many dipping sauces...yummmm, i love dipping fried food in sauce. drooling just thinking about it.

my version of the cherry slush, a hawaii delight! cherry slush is usually cherry slush with soft serve vanilla ice cream, but since japan has a fanta melon soda, and this restaurant had a shave ice maker i made my own concoction!! it was fresh and melony, with the creamy vanilla soft serve i ate it all! YUM!

asuka's mother bought me this before i left, japanese hospitality and kindness is truly amazing! i wish i could have stayed with them longer. 

shave ice on a hot and humid day while biking around kamakura, PERFECT!!

call me weird, but i thought their little starbucks was too cute for words^_^ and what better than to get a matcha frappuccino in japan!!

if you are in japan and you don't get ramen, i would think you were crazy!! the noodles are amazing and usually made fresh so they are tender and smooth, not like the pasta that is dried and then boiled. but, completely soft...i want some now after thinking about this...mmm.

plastic food is literally EVERYWHERE!! that is the wonderful thing about japan if you don't know how to speak or read it, you can ALWAYS point it out!

yes, i did still have cravings for american food...i missed my all beef patties!!

i loved the artistic way that all the food was presented. it really showed how much effort they put into all their food and how much it represents their culture. time, effort, and energy to make one simple plate fantastic^_^

final dinner. sad, but the food made up for all of it!!!

love me some bacon wrapped asparagus skewers!!

out of all of these lovely desserts i still remember the one with cornflakes. i kept thinking as i was eating this odd concoction of cornflakes and ice cream "why hadn't I thought of this sooner!?" count on those inventive cooks in that kitchen to open my eyes to the idea. the mixture of sweet cream and crunchy flakes gave an oddly satisfying feeling in my mouth and made me want more. an experience i will not soon forget, even a year later. i can't wait for my next trip to a new land, and after this initial jump to a new country i will keep in mind to keep my palette open to new tastes, you never know where they will lead!!

fun food pics^_^

i recently joined the 21st cenury and got my first smartphone....trust me people, the switch has been long over due!! i've had an LG envy for the past 4 years:-p...anyhoo, amidst the many accidental calls and failing horribly at facetime, i found an app that creates these picture collages so i made a few about food^_^ hope you enjoy!!

"saturday market" i really love the color of the chard stems, i think they are so beautiful and really seem to pop against the contrasting dark green leaves^_^the many different sights, sounds, and tastes of the market is always a treat for me on saturday mornings. grabbing some coffee, walking around and tasting cheeses, fruit, cookies...mmm...cookies....ok, sorry got side tracked. but, it really is a treat, and i encourage anyone to visit their local market. you find some really great kinds of food and there are definitely a few vendors i LOVE and have to see each time i go!

"oatmeal apricot breakfast bread" i actually made this bread, from dorie #2, yesterday on my day off. i found the many ingredients truly beautiful in their blue bowls and the pop of the orange apricots in the bread to be so visually stimulating^_^ not to mention its a LOW-FAT bread, yes, i make healthy food, few and far between:-p

HAPPY TUESDAY PEOPLE!! 

a little french flavor and other yummyness

i recently ventured out with a few of my girlfriends, ashley and jen. wen went to hawthorne boulevard  in portland. talk about an eclectic area! there was food, shopping(at the boutique goodwill and other little knick-knack shops), and more FOOD!!the perfect place to scope out for new fave eateries!!

we started at chez machin, a cozy little spot filled with remnants of paris. not to mention some delicious savory crêpes^_^ i got La Fermière: an organic buckweat crêpe filled with mozzarella, mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes and topped with a pesto crème fraîche. i have never EVER had a savory crêpe, but i have to say after having this decadent little meal i will have to try more. the creamy, melty mozzarella, and the pesto added to the sweet flavors of the tomato and the creamy texture of the avocado.

mmmm coffee^_^

this was ashley's La Villageoise: organic buckwheat crêpe topped with a fried egg, filled with avocado, mozzarella, spinach, scallions, feta and pesto crème fraîche.

little touches: our petite plant at our table, but DO NOT WATER!

jen's french onion soup. this soup was delicious, the broth was amazing and not too salty with the addition of the melted swiss.

we decided to do some window shopping and ashley wanted to find some gifts for her friends back in hawaii before we went to...
THE WAFFLE WINDOW...that is all that needs to be said when stopping by this little brightly colored blue window of heaven.

our creation of guittard chocolate and peanut butter dipped waffle with vanilla ice cream and a lovely swirl of whipped cream...yes, this is the time to drool^_^ and all for $5!!! such an amazing deal! other items that caught my eye on the menu included: a bacon, cheddar and jalapeno waffle and also a bacon brie and basil waffle. but there will be other waffle days to conquer those savory delights^_^

on another day off: girls BRUNCH!! as i had mentioned before brunch and happy hour in portland are two of the busiest times to go out! that saturday morning wasn't any different. we headed to Besaw's. i had heard of this restaurant/bar before when i was looking for a great place to take some friends, don't you love YELP?! so i was ecstatic when i heard we were heading there for brunch^_^

this was my wild salmon scramble: three scrambled eggs, house-smoked wild salmon, fresh herbs, cream cheese, chives. this wonderful scramble was very reminiscent of sara's lox and bagel platter...

isn't it so visually pleasing?! i think next time around i'm going to get this lovely plate of deliciousness!!

isn't the inside of Besaw's perfectly edgey?! the wood floors, the bar stools, and the dark wood walls. it's almost like an episode of cheers minus being on the east coast and no one knew my name...

after brunch we decided to take a stroll down 23rd ave. to window shop. jen found a bright pink store full of shiny sparkley goodness and couldn't help but go in...look at all that bling!!

handcuff necklace anyone? ^_~

after our stop at the break fro bling, we stopped by two tarts cookies to grab some sweet little nibbles...mmmm...cookies!!

i always have room for cookies!!

we also stopped by an interior decor store...interesting items all around. jen wanted those fox shoes...i was trying to talk her out of it:-p

all in all, a great couple days around town with some great people!! i hope you guys get to visit any or ALL of these places...thanks portland for more sunny days and food^_^

HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!

heaven on earth does exist people!!! and its called EAT MOBILE 2011!! yes, the one event of the year i was excited to go to is FINALLY HERE!!! imagine me+30 some odd food carts=HEAVEN!! when my ticket and band arrived in the mail, you better believe i did a little dance...yes, i looked a little crazy but 30+ FOOD CARTS!! well check out the listings and you will understand!! get your tickets while they last!! 

buttermilk biscuits

i received my dorie greenspan Baking: From My Home To Yours, the other day and i couldn't wait to break the bindings and get to baking!!^_^ i was checking the mail every day for this thing!! it was actually this book that had the recipe for the tiramisu cake i recently made as a test run for my sister's wedding^_^ in my house other than brown rice we don't really eat too many carbs, minus the multi-grain bread for toast in the morning. i know, i know, hard to believe considering i make so many carbalicious treats on the regular, but, as i have mentioned before we TRY to be healthy eaters, extreme emphasis on TRY!! well, the other day, as i was fixing my usual breakfast of egg whites and toast i discovered we had no bread to make toast:-p but being the resourceful little baker that i am, i jumped up the stairs to my room to grab dorie #2!!^_^ i had some left over buttermilk from a recent cake i had made and i thought "what better than to make some buttermilk biscuits"^_^ 

Buttermilk Biscuits (courtesy of Dorie Greenspan: Baking From My Home To Yours)

Makes about 12 biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

2 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt (i would cut this down a smidge, my biscuits came out a bit too salty for my tastes)

3/4 stick (6 T.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

3/4 cups cold buttermilk

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Get out a sharp 2-inch diameter biscuit cutter (or a knife will do to cut into squares, if doing so roll the dough into a square), and line a baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat. 
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with the flour mixture. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between--and that's just right. 
3. Pour the milk over the dry ingredients, grab a fork and toss and gently turn the ingredients until you've got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick gentle kneading--3 to 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together. 
4. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough with a little bit of flour and pat the dough out with your hands or with a rolling pin until its about 1/2 an inch high. Don't worry if it isn't completely even--a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy.
5. Use the biscuit cutter(or knife) to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of the first round. By hand or with a small spatula transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working them as little as possible, pat out a 1/2 inch thick disk and cut out as many biscuits as you can. Transfer to the baking sheet. 
6. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. EAT ASAP!

 I ate mine right away. they were delicious with some guava jelly and my eggs^_^ mmm, can't wait to eat them tomorrow morning too!!^_^ happy baking people!!