2009/02/27

Spring will come soon...


When snow begings to thaw and the warm sunshine strikes
the ground, leaves of trees get colored with green.
Wild plants such as butterbur sprouts and horsetails raise their heads
in fields and mountains.
And rape blossoms cover all over with its yellow color.

Recently,I enjoy cooking using spring ingredients for my dinner
and decorating with spring flowers in my house.


This is Tarano-me.Popular spring sprout of Tara tree.



Tarano-me is called "King of Tempura".This tempura has
a fantastic fravor!!



Spaghetti with rape blossom & firefly squid.Both are popular spring
ingredients.



You will see this MOMO no hana(peach blossom) at the entrance of my house.
I am looking forward to UME(japanese plum blossom) ,SAKURA(cherry tree)
and my favorite flower Sweet pea.








2009/02/14

Hina matsuri-Girls festival

March 3

Hinamatsuri is a festival celebrated by family with girls,
wishing their daughters a good health and growth by decorating
beautiful dolls made solely for this occasion.
On this day,We prepare special dishes like colorfully decorated garnished sushi,
red rice,clam clear soup and shirozake(white sweet sake made of sake and rice malt).

These dolls were given to me from my grand mothers when i was born.
I decorate them in this season every year with sushi and sweet.

Today I made these 3 kinds of dishes using spring ingredients
for this occasion.

I can feel spring will come very soon !



Chirashi-sushi
Decorated sushi rice with traditional ingredients






  Wakegi to Akagai no Teppai
Red shell and japanese green onion dressed with white miso dressing




Hamaguri no sumashijiru
Clam clear soup


2009/02/02

Setsubun

Setsubun is held on February 3 and 4, a custom to banish evils
and calamities from households.

I prepare special sushi roll and grilled sardine for my family every year.




After the dinner, we do mame-maki(a rite of throwing beans is to let devils out
and welcome happiness).And then we eat the same number of beans with the age.