Category Archives: Cooking

About making food.

New Year’s Day

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The most important thing to do for the new year is to go to the shrine or temple to get a tiger. The tiger will protect you from bad luck and illness during the year. This has been a tradition for Chie and me during the last 7 years or so. And Coco has been included since last year.

This year was no exception. We walked with Coco to the temple. On the way we took a detour so that Coco could run free for a while. Something he enjoys very much.

Coco Coco

Arriving at the temple the people usually wash their hands before praying or whatever they are doing at the temple. We took a picture of the dragon providing the water washing the visitor’s hands. In difference from western dragons the Japanese dragons are not considered evil. So instead of breathing fire and kill people thins dragon just enables people to wash their hands.

Warter-breathing dragon

Then we did our main business at the temple. The tiger. We got one for each of us, Coco, Chie and me. As you can see we were not the only ones wanting protection.

Tigers for us Chie and Coco
Johan and Coco Tigers, tigers, tigers

In the evening we had traditional New Year’s day food (osechi). Usually the stores are closed for a few days during New Year in Japan. So there is a need to have food that can be preserved for a few days. This is what we had for dinner.

Dinner

New Year’s Evening

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4 degrees in the room as I woke up this morning. My breath made a puffy little white cloud. I got dressed in light speed to get down to the warm kitchen as soon as possible.

When it got warmer outside Coco took me for a walk again. The sky was blue and it was very nice day. Though a little bit cold in the wind.

In the evening we watched some typical Japanese New Year’s T programs. Like K-1 fighting and some kind of sing contest or rather sing performance of famous Japanese artists. I prefer the K-1. But I agree that it is better to watch Japanese artist sing old style songs than watching K-1 while having dinner.

New year's dinner

Since it was New Year’s evening we had hand-roll sushi and crab. It was deliscious and we ate for a long time. Many of my favorite fishes were there, such as chu-toro and kampachi. The only thing that we did not eat was the salmon, which is not considered a good fish for sushi in Japan.

Raw fish for sushi Crab

We all got quite tired after eating too much. But only Chie and Coco took a night nap. I had my nap during the afternoon instead. Once Coco woke up he wanted to play again.

Chie and Coco sleeping Coco

Cooking Class at Tokyo Gas

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A really busy day today. We went to Shinjuku to attend a cooking class arranged by Tokyo Gas. This is Chie’s and my 3rd cooking class together. They are quite fun. Usually it is CHie, me and about 30 women. Most of them are very impressed that I can cut, for instance, a cucomber without chopping of my fingers. Under such circomstances it is easy to impress.

Chie at the cooking class    Me at the cooking class
Cooking sensei    Me cleaning up

We cooked a Christmas dinner today. Green salad, chicken cream stew pie, Belgian clam soup, caramelized apple with vanilla ice cream. We were 6 people in our cooking group including Chie and me. And I can honestly say that I was not the worst at cooking in the group. The apples were the best, even though a pinch of cinamon would have made all the difference.

Caramelized apples with vanilla ice cream

After the cooking class Chie and I continued to a hotel nearby. Isetan department store had a family sales there. I bought some underwear for half price or so. And a pair of warm socks.

We continued to Isetan department store in Shinjuku. Zig-zagging between all the people. It was crazy. We got tired just because of all the people. And then we had to walk for a few hours too. Between all the places we visited.

At 8 we were arriving in Ebisu and we were just too tired to cook. So we went to Red Pepper instead. We had Ceasar salad, dry tomatoes, olives in herbs and olive oil, tuna carspacio, lasanga, and grilled pork. We finished with pear sorbet, chestnut ice cream, and a chocolate cake. Yummy!

Gym and pasta

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Had lunch with Chie at the same Japanese style restaurant in Kamiyacho again. Today I had grilled sanma with rice and miso soup. Chie had grilled salmon with rice and miso soup. Yummy.

In the afternoon I went to check the new Addidas shop in Ginza but they did not have any nice shoes so I went to Bic Camera instead. There I bought a Canon D40 Lens Kit 17-85mm to a friend in Sweden and a Nikon SB-800 flash to the same friend.

Then I continued with the JR Yamanote line to Akihabara the electric town. But I was just going there because it was the fastest way to get to Awajicho from Bic Camera in Hibiya. From Akihabara it takes just 10 minutes to walk to Awajicho where they have a lot of sports stores. I checked a few for shoes but could not find any until I was leaving. Then I stopped at an ABC Mart and found the pair I was looking for Addidas Limited Edition.

When I had my new shoes in a bag it was time to try them out. I went to Konami Sports (gym) in Naka-Meguro, arriving around 5 pm. I started with some weight lifting and when Chie joined me around 6 pm we did some running together for 30 minutes. Then Chie had an aerobics class and I did some more weight lifting before taking a shower.

At home Chie cooked pasta putanesca while I took care of the laundry. The rest of the evening we had dinner and talked and took care of more laundry. By the way, the pasta was yummy.

Gym and udon

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Did not do much today. But I had lunch with Chie again. This time we went to a Japanese style restaurant and had grilled fish (buri – one of my favorite fishes), rice, and miso soup. Chie had a soup and sashimi with rice. Then we had a coffee and tea at Starbucks to rest after eating too much.

After the lunch Chie went back to her office and I went to Ginza to check the Addidas shop. But I had closed down. At least that was what I thought when I was in Ginza but at home at night I checked the Addidas home page and found out that they moved it. Almost just across the street. I wanted to buy a new pair of shoes to use at the gym but I guess that has to wait for tomorrow.

So that is why I ended up at the gym with my old shoes. Anyway, it was great to be back at the gym again. One hour weight lifting and then 30 minutes running before taking a shower and returning home.

But before I returned home I stopped at the Naka-Meguro station to meet Chie as she was coming home from work. We went to Tokyu store to buy groceries for tonight and tomorrow.

Udon

At home Chie prepared dinner – udon with chicken and mitsuba – while I updated yesterday’s blog. As usual Chie’s food was great or you could say… Yummy.