Saturday, December 31, 2005

hiver

I always get a feeling that I wanna listen those CDs in winter. Serge Gainsbourg and Anna Karina. I don't have the other of their album, and I love those CDs, especially in winter.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Negi Gratin(in home)

I've cooked a Negi Gratin again. Because I wanted to get used to cook this dish as soon as possible. Tonight, Negi was more sweet than before, Nice bunch of Negi!!

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Pietro Romanengo fu Stefan

I've bought a pack of candied aniseed bonbon in a small Italian wine store. The bonbon made by Pietro Romanengo fu Stefan, an old-established store in Genoa. I've tasted the bonbon like this before. That was when I'd bought it in France traveling. but It's different. This bonbon is smaller and more sophisticated. I love this!

Monday, December 26, 2005

Cozy music.

I've gone to a record store after a while. and got those albums below.
Is there anyone who has watched "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou". Seu Jorge was actting in this movie too. and he sang and played the guiter in some scenes. Those songs were the cover songs of David Bowie's. Nice cover.




Kath Bloom. She is a folk singer. I don't know the detail, but I liked it.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

The day before Xmas eve.

I've joined a Xmas party after job at my favorite restaurant. We are enjoying in a cosy dinner. After dinner, We've played Jenga. well, again.. There were some people who didn't know hot to play it, and It's fun. At this time, The loser got a penalty. The penalty was that putting a strange mask on.







They were the loser.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Ludens(4)

at the end, The guys have cast lots for turns, and We have got a present. I've got this present on the left photo. Aluminum plate. very beautiful. It's likely made with stainless. The texture was like that.

Ludens(3)

Jenga, We played Jenga. The guys partnered up the ladies and there were a rule we made. We were supposed to use only one finger each, It'd more difficult. it's very fun.

Ludens(2)

I've written a article about The name was this winary before. This one is rose. not sweet, and I like it.







This wine smelts so nice. it's like vanilla flavor. very strong and nice balanced acidy, not acerbic, softly.

Ludens(1)

Sunday, 18th, a party located in our favorite Italian restaurant. At this time, We made a rule at the event. The gentlemen cook the dinner. Instead of that, the ladies bring the present for the men. and after the dinner, play the jenga. I took some photos of the dished below, but I was busy to cook too. Actually, There were more dishes that I couldn't take the photo. rice ball rolled with sliced Parma ham(this is unique and divine!), nems, and tiramisu layered some orange compote that was sliced into rings, It's the first time to eat orange tiramisu and I loved it..

This is sashimi of octopus and fish. I know some people can't accept sashimi as food though. well, We eat raw fish sometimes if it's enough safe to eat. it is a carpaccio style this time. We sauced on it later.


They are a filling dish which is rolled with semi-dried tomato an sliced zucchini. The filling was minced fish with crumb , the crumb was sauted with some herb(oregano, thyme, and etc) and garlic. and oven-fry it

This is a negi(kinda Welsh onion) gratin. I cooked this, but I couldn't take the photo before eating. sad.. lol


Well I couldn't take this one too. It's a shellfish dish. no name. I steamed each shellfish with oil and garick, white wine and brought away. and The soup of all shellfish was mixed with water in the pan, added olive paste, anchovy paste and caper in it. braising sliced potato with the soup, and put the selfish back to the pan. Yes, I cooked this with the chef too.

It's a tomyankun soup which was made with the leftover of all ingredient. the head of shrimp, the leftover of vegetables, and some things.. It's very yummy and made us warm. It was so cold, you know.

Maccha Choco

It's a green tea chocolate with mochi inside it. I think it's not bad.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Wine tasting

I went to a wine tasting event tonight. We've tasted 4 bottles of wine. La Grande Colline and Philippe Pacalet. I've tasted a wine of both winary before and I liked them. La Grande Colline is produced by Monsieur Thierry Allemand and a Japanese guy, Monsieur Oo-oka. I've heard of that Mr Oo-oka has worked in Guigal before.
This wine was a Primeur, a nouveau wine. it smelt like sulfur lightly at first when I were close to the glass. It was lightly, then I had a sip, little acidy and I've got a feeling something like fruits or flower. I can't describe it. After flavor, It's like honey.




Wow, I don't have a chance to taste any Meursault so many time. I can't afford to drink such a expensive wine. Lucky tonight. The wine of Philippe Pacalet that I've tasted before was Beaujolais and I liked the wine like that. This wine smelt like toast, butter, and sugger, people says that is vanilla flavor caming from toasted barrel. about acidy, I hardly felt it.

It smelt like Katsuobushi(Japanese plum) and Ume. Katsuobushi is a Japanese traditional ingredient, boiled and dried bonito flesh. And I like nice light tannic of this wine. less acidy.






This wine was little more tannic and smelt stronger than earlier. more sturdy. but not thick. I like it.

Friday, December 16, 2005

Aloma ointment

Recently, I went to a Chinese medicine doctor(herb doctor?) and got a nice aloma ointment. Because I've got the stiffness in my neck, shoulders, and inside shoulder blade since 2 years ago. I've been struggling for this symptom. Moreover, in This March, I've got a hyperventilation. The doctor had just prescribed a tranquilizer. I use it 2,3 times, but it just made me sleep and faintness. It's temporarily and useless. I haven't used it since. but I just bring it in case I've got a harder one. I don't wanna use it though. Oddly, Bringing is ease.
One of my friends'd recommended to go to a Chinese medicine doctor. The friend said that Chinese medicine was for improving my physical condition and this doctor treasted a unique oil. It's aloma ointment. She prescribed the ointment for each condition. it could work on you, my friend said. I really wanted to figure this out. and felt like doing anything for my symptom. I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago, and The doctor had prescribed a chinese medicine and a aloma ointment for me. About the medicine, I don't know yet it works on me. At least, it's better than tranquilizer. and the aloma ointment works for me! my stiffness is easing up a little. The almoa smells nice too. I hope the medicine works too someday. The doctor office is located in Sakuragi-cho, "Touyou Shinryoujo".

Hot beer!?

I've sipped a unique beer tonight. It's a hot beer made in Belgian. It's categorized as Kriek. Kriek is a beer added black cherries. and this Kriek is supposed to be warmed. taste sweet and smell cherries and little spicy, I think. Might be some people don't get used to drink it, but I like it.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Naples Pizza!

I went out with one of my colleague to get a new jacket for himself since last Sunday. It's a bit difficult to find the right size, because his shoulder is bigger than average. Well, We've found a nice jacket at a shop in Minato-mirai, but we've got tired of the shop's stuff talking. The Jacket was okay. Well, my colleague has been thinking to buy it or not now. After shopping, It's 8pm. We've decided to go to a Pizza restaurant in Kannai. Some of my friends have recommended the pizza before. It's located near Yokohama stadium. The name is "Sisiliya". The pizza is burnt in a kiln.
While waiting for the pizza, We've ordered marinated vegetable(it's marinated with vinegar and mustard) and Tataki(seared tuna, it's a Japanese cuisine.) with tapenade. sipping a glass of wine with the antipasto.





There you are! the pizza is coming. We've ordered fungi pizza and quattro formaggio pizza(4 kinds of cheeses on it). very delicious.







I've ordered a Panna Cotta, but.., I couldn't bear to eat. Sorry.








I've never expected that delicious pizza tonight. my colleague has enjoyed very much. He had been praising. We've decided to come here again soon. Next time, We will take more a few guys to there. I would more enjoy and share more pizza than tonight.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Yakitori

My friends and I went for a Yakitori bar in Noge. very small bar, only 10 seats. The name is Daruma. Only two stuff, An old man who seems over 80 years old(he is the Yakitori master. It said that he's been worked for about 40 years on an article in the net) and A guy who seems like his son.
I thought that I could take some photo but, The Yakitori was too delicious to take the photo. After taking only two photos, I gave up to do that any more. :-)) This Yakitori bar has no menu for the dishs, The stick(bamboo skewer) of Yakitori has been served one by one. The stuff pay attention to the speed of our eating, not staring, just glancing. When should we stop? just say that if you want. That easy.If you have something you don't like, just tell them. What did we bite? well, We've enjoyed those below.

[Ginan]
->ginkgo nut
[Misaki]
->This is a part of somewhere around chicken's hip. I think it would be called "hbone" in English.
[Shiitake]
->Japanese(Asia?) mushroom. very juicy and little hot(aigre?) flavor
[liver]
->richly, stick to the tongue, very delicious
[Green pepper]
->there are miso sauce in it
[Buta bala]
->pork back ribs
[Gyuu tan]
->ox tongue. a little hot flavor
[lamb]
->I was dying to drink a glass of red wine
and so on...

I've noticed one smell sometimes. It's like thyme herb. The younger stuff's told me that the smell is from wood charcol. the yakitori is flavored lightly by it. About the alcohol, There is beer, Sake(cold or hot), white wine, and rose wine. I've never expected that there was rose wine in such a bar. Might be the younger stuff likes some. We didn't taste the wine, We prefer a hot sake then. Next time, we'll choose the wine. It would be interesting. I think rose wine go together with Yaktori.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Beer

TGIF!! I got some beer to sip at home tonight. sipping beer with a movie.
This beer is limited line. it's said that the recipe is different each year. well, I don't know last year's one though, At least, This beer has brown color and smell and taste like brown suger and a little spicy.





The color is lighter. sipcy and little acid. I like this one too.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Oden

It's quite cold tonight, so that my colleague and I went for a Atsukan(it's a small pot of hot Sake) and eat Oden. Oden is like pot-au-feu in cuisine francais. It's a well-known one pot menu, Especially popular in winter. This place is located in Noge in Sakuragicho. The name is Tamaya.



Unfortunetely, this place is gonna be closed the end of this year by some reason. It's the first time to go, but I like it. oden was tasty, and hot sake made me warm.