ButterLESS days & poem of wisdom : The Guesthouse

Can you believe it, butter has been unavailable in Japan for more than 2 weeks; countrywide!

Reason lies in the ever-rising price of petroleum, that has impacted much operations since more than half a year ago. In fact, there has been a price elevation in almost all food merchandize, causing other chain effects, and now butter is hit.

So I'm forced to lay back for a while and give my oven a break. I wonder what can I do to kill this time of doldrums. =(

Anyway, I've been ' blog-hopping ' about and admiring peoples' work. Came across this blogger , and found a meaningful poem that got me reflecting for quite a while...


The Guesthouse


This being human is a guesthouse
Every morning a new arrival
A joy, a depression, a meanness
Some momentary awareness
Comes as an unexpected visitor


Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows
Who violently sweep your house
Empty of its furniture
Still treat each guest honorably
He may be cleaning you out
For some new delight!


The dark thought, the shame, the malice
Meet them at the door laughing
And invite them in
Be grateful for whoever comes
Because each has been sent
As a guide from the beyond

Composed by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a13th century Persian poet.

Translated by Coleman Barks

What a special person the poet was, I truly admire his gentle wisdom much.

I hope that your guesthouse is brimming with laughter today. Have a great weekend. =) God bless...

First award for the blog! And the award goes to...

Blogging is such an incredible experience for me!


It has never crossed my mind to start a blog though I've been reading some friends' and others, taking a peep into peoples lives but hardly noticing mine. It was until when I was inspired by some great bloggers that made me thought, maybe; I could share bits of mine that might inspire people too...

I thought I'd like to make this an avenue to bless others, but I never knew that I'll be more blessed!!! =) I've come to know amazing people with great talents, wise thoughts, beautiful mind and soul. They are always sharing so generously, helpful, sincere and without pretense. What a blessing and joy to know more people from around the world and making friends with wonderful personalities!!

We may be living in a world where people are quick to criticise and slow to praise, but there are always pretty angels around, you know? ;) This humble blog has been awarded an ' E ' by a lovely Blogger, Silvia at her Magnolia Wedding Planner. It's always a delight at her place and have her presence here, I can't thank God enough for this sweet friendship, and I thought that such joy should be spread around too! So I'm passing this award to some of the regulars of this God-Blessed Box!


Silvia : Nope, I'm not returning this to you, but giving one to you too! + a big tight HUG.

Michele : For the friendship and all the lovely pictures you've shared day by day, they've become so much a part of my life. =) Luv ya...

bp : I always feel myself well heard by you, probably because we share commonalities somehow? You've been great, and I'm so glad that we've found each other through the Lord!

Jade : I've always loved your coming and warm encouraging words. It really has an impact on me. =) p/s : You're cute. =)

Piggy : Your lovely pictures of food are a consolation to an always hungry me. Thank you for your helpful advise and sharing, I've learnt a lot from you indeed. Rock on!



There must have been more out there who deserve this, and let's keep on discovering and spread the love!

Flavor of Spring : Bamboo Shoot Rice, Baked Scallop with Fragrant Crumb

There is a Japanese expression to describe an element of their eating culture; ' 旬 ' ( shun ) which means, ' the best time '. For those product you'd see labelled with a sticker and mention the word, it simply means that it is the best time to enjoy whatever packed within. =)


To produce the taste of ' best time ' ( 旬の味 ), simply use ingredients that are at their top form. In Spring, we are fortunate to enjoy good harvest for vegetables and certain seafood. Read on to find out how I tackle the Bamboo Shoot, fresh plump scallop and green beans. =D



This is the bamboo shoot ( 竹の子 ). I wonder if Bamboo Shoot is available in western areas, though these shoots are used in certain oriental dishes. The picture on the right shows how a bamboo shoot looks like when dug up from the ground. It looks like a rugged-skin hat to me... heheheh...

Anyway, this crunchy soft and lightly sweet root is quite a pain to prepare from start! A hard time washing to get rid of dirt, long time of boiling to make it soft, stripping and etc. ( ** ) I always buy those packed and prepared ones that are not too huge for 2 persons to finish.

You know I really appreciate this thoughtful merchandise, else I wouldn't be able to enjoy this lovely root at home.

Bamboo shoot is a versatile ingredient that provides lots of cooking possibilities! They go with vegetables, seafood, meat, probably anything! To savor its flavor, I had it prepared for this Bamboo Shoot Rice, together with asparagus, fragrant mushroom, topped with the seaweed that we 've bought from the Wasabi farm.

We love the gently flavored rice, infused with the best taste of Spring. It can't be any mistake for those who love a delicate flavor.

Recipe for Bamboo Shoot Rice

Now this is actually a very free and easy thing, just use ingredients that you think work best with Bamboo Shoot. You'd need a rice cooker though.

Ingredients ( Makes 3 bowls but serves 2 hungry people at home )

Rice : 1 standard cup or 155g

Bamboo shoot : 120 g, cut to mouth-sized length and sliced at 2mm at least

Asaparagus : 3 stalks, sliced cross wise. Cooking asparagus with the rice retains the nuitrients within the serving, so no wastage here. To understand what I'm trying to stress, read here.

Carrot : 1/2 stalk, sliced into thin strips

Mushroom : I'm using 2 quality dried ' Shiitake ', sliced at 4mm thickness

Seaweed : Strips of seaweed for topping, cut from bite-size ones if you need to.

Stock : 300ml. I'm using stock of konnbu ( 昆布 ), one may find such stock powder in supermarket. You may like to replace with chicken stock or other stock you prefer. Read instruction below for explanation.

Japanese Rice Wine : 1 tablespoon

Mirin : 1 tablespoon

Soy sauce : 2 tablespoon

1. Prepare stock by boiling slightly more than 300ml or water with 1 teaspoon of stock powder of Konnbu. Put aside when ready.

2. Wash rice, and drain off water. In a fry pan, fry the washed rice to rid of moisture. This helps the rice absorb the flavor readily. Pan fry for about a minute and transfer to rice cooker. Spread out the rice.

3. Pour in stock, rice wine, mirin and soy sauce, stir. Place in bamboo shoot, mushroom, carrot and asparagus, and just let the cooker do its job! Easy isn't it??

4. Slightly before serving, prepare the seaweed strips. For those who have no access to stripped seaweeds, use a sisscors to cut those standard seaweed pieces to strips. =)

Isn't this done so easily? That's why I label dishes like this under ' One Pot HAPPY '. =)

Recipe for Baked Scallop with Fragrant Crumb

While waiting for the rice to be cooked, I prepared some side dishes to go along. Scallops are so fleshy and fresh now! The market selling this was proposing customers to eat it raw! Oh but I decided to bake it the way I prefer.

I apply this to almost anything goes cos it's so easy, no mess and absolutely delicious! The crispy fragrant crumb outside seals the juicy scallop within, perfectly combined! This is definitely a favourite of our home. Try it!

Ingredients ( Prepares 2 large scallops with shell intact )

2 large scallops

Bread crumb : 3 heaping tablespoon. Not too flaky please, crush a little with spoon if you must.

Garlic : Grated, 1 teaspoon

Grated Parmesan Cheeze : 1 tablespoon

Olive oil : 2 tablespoon

Minced herb : Use herb that you prefer, I've run out of herbs so I used dried Parsley.

1. Preheat oven at 180deg.

2.Wash your scallops! The seller claimed that these can be consumed straight away, but I've found hmm... unfriendly particles within. =(

3. In a bowl, place in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, grated garlic, and cheeze, do a quick mix. Add in bread crumb, mix to let the bread crumb absorb the olive oil. Then, add in another tablespoon of olive oil across and perform thorough mixing. The idea is to wet the bread crumb with olive oil.

4. If the bread crumb isn't uniformly moistened, add another 1 teaspoon of olive oil to help.

5. Spread the moistened crumb across the scallops, covering them like a blanket. Sprinkle your favourite herbs on top. Bake at 180 deg for 15 mins, or watch your stuff to see the bread crumbs have turned into delicious looking gold.

To an average Singaporean, things in Japan are considered expensive. While green beans like these are dirt cheap in Singapore, it is unbelievably expensive here. With the price of getting barely a handful of it in Japan, one can get 9 times the volume in Singapore.

To prepare it simple, just fry some onion slices with sesame oil till fragrant. Add the green beans to fry, season with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, or 1 good pinch of salt. Complete with topping of sesame seeds.

Asparagus Talk

Asparagus is probably the hottest vege star here, during Spring, and there are even talk shows about it! Before I forget, I thought I had better share some information from those shows I've watched.

Do you know?

Asparagus is a highly nuitritional vegetable, and consumption with high-protein food like meat and egg promotes growth and health.

For certain dishes, this vegetable is boiled during cooking, but it is said that boiling causes the nuitrients to escape into the boiling water. Unless the water used for boiling is being consumed, this nuitrient loss is obviously a waste. Gee... I didn't know that.

The best way to cook Asparagus is frying with oil. Oil promotes the function of nuitrients.

Now, about choosing the most delicious asparagus you can find. Look at the picture above, see the triangular portion? The rule is to look for those with equilateral triangles, not elongated or tall triangles. The asparagus in the picture above is a sample of a good one. I hope that the diagram drawn within the picture helps.

Enjoy your asparagus!

At the Wasabi Farm, Plum Blossoms are taking a bow

Here in Nagano, the climate is getting warmer with occasional rain, and gloomy-looking sky. Nevertheless, having fun is all that's on our mind. =) It's Spring! No better time than Spring! ;)

We visited a Wasabi Farm for the first time, though our intention wasn't to gather Wasabi. Ha! We were excited about visiting this place in Azumino , which was a 30 mins drive from home.



Know Wasabi.

It is a kind of spice often used in Japanese dishes like Sushi, or Sashimi. It comes in a form of green grated paste when served. The picture ( lifted from the internet ) on the right shows the root of the Wasabi plant, where the paste is being extracted from. Personally, I do not fancy the strong irritating flavour that bothers my nose much. A little tinge of it works fine though.

Know more about Wasabi here.


Flower of Wasabi. Some restaurants or Japanese inns serve unique cuisine using fresh leaves of Wasabi too.



I noticed something special about this farm. Everything was so clean and fresh here! Wasabi is grown in totally clean mountain stream, with water so clear like glistering glass, oh but I forgot to take a shot. I'm rather convinced that visitors were not here to get Wasabi's stuff, but rather; to enjoy the lovely nature! =) I love the fresh air especially!

Blooming Sakuras along the Wasabi Plantation.






It's been weeks since Plum Blossom started to bloom, and this lovely flower is slowly fading away. We got to catch the last glimpse of some Plum Blossoms, though the trees were balding fast.

Plum Blossoms are simply sweet smelling. =) If only its scent can be conveyed across...

When Plum Blossom retires, Sakura is taking over the limelight.


My husband told me that these are ' Mountain Sakura ' ( 山桜 ). Unlike Sakura trees raised or planted in gardens or at special locations, Mountain Sakuras are naturally grown especially on mountainous areas. In terms of tone, they are less softly colored, a little stark perhaps. Mountain Sakura trees are less voluminous than man-raised ones, somewhat a level lower than real classy Sakuras.

It's not difficult to detect other lovely flowers too. How I love Spring so...

Now, these look like berries bundled up in delicious branches. Yum, yum...

In Japan, it is not difficult to find shrine even in the most unthinkable places.

A Tori Gate ( Japanese Shinto shrine archway gate ) under the Sakura Blossom.

The Wasabi farm may not serve exactly for sightseeing ( well of course! It is for raising Wasabi!! Silly me! ), but I thought I really had a fine share of relaxation here. =) I love the fresh air and young greenery, and watching some pretty birds bathing in the stream. They moved too fast though, and I missed them. Anyway, we didn't leave the farm empty handed cos we bought some seaweed flavoured with Wasabi. Oh yes, I've tried them, and the flavour was just right, not too strong.

Caught this stone carving when we were about to leave the farm. I thought the man and wife within looked so loving. =) We would surely like to be as loving, forever...

Seafood Paella

Love Spring! It's not just the greenery outside that wakes up my senses, star vegetables appearing in the market, but also something's happening under the sea! =D


Asari ( あさり ) is making a loud comeback! See picture on the left ( lifted from the internet ) for its looks for I have no idea what's this shell's name is called in English. Apologies. It is said that the best time to have Asari is Spring and Autumn, when they are the most fleshy and sweet!

There are pretty lots of ways to use these tasty shells but I decided to use them for this Paella one evening. I shall share other recipes one of these days.



The Asari shells play a vital part in providing a good base, just add other favourite seafood to make it complete! We love the tasty rice that blends so well with the seafood. There are various versions of Seafood Paella around the world, but I'm sharing this simple homemade recipe that never fails to please my husband so much!


Recipe for Seafood Paella


Utensil required : 1 large pan, mine is 30 cm diameter. Lid for covering pan.

Ingredients ( Serves 2 )
Rice : 1 standard cup or 155g
Seafood stock : 350ml ( Preparation explained below )
Asari : 300g ( shell intact )
Other seafood : Prawn, squid, scallop, crab, or any seafood you fancy, keeping in mind the volume to serve and cholesterol level to keep at safe
Paprika : 1 big piece ( I used half or a red and yellow one )
Mushroom : 2 large mushroom, thickly sliced
Carrot : 1/2, and cut into wedges
Tomato : Medium size, cut into 6 large wedges
Onion : 1/2, sliced
Garlic : 1 large clove, minced
Curry , Saffron or Turmeric powder : 1 tablespoon
Ketchup : 2 tablespoon
Soy sauce or fish sauce : 1 tablespoon ( without which, replace with a firm pinch of salt )
White wine : 150ml
Olive oil : 2 tablespoon
Salt
Pepper
Preferred herbs like thyme, rosemary and etc is optional.
Garnish : Broccoli stalks and a quarter of lemon


1. Prepare Asari by soaking them in water and 1 large teaspoon of salt for at least 20 mins, placing them in a dim place. This makes the Asari spit out sand or particles, thus making them cleaner to consume. After which, wash Asari by rubbing palm harshly upon them. Drain and wash again until the waste water has appeared much cleaner.

2. Wash and devein prawn without removing the shell. Use knife to cut the prawn's back to do so. Leaving shell intact produces a better flavour. Wash up other seafood and land them in a bowl. Dash salt and pepper 2 times, quick stir, pour 150ml white wine over and put aside.

3. Wash rice, put aside.

4. Prepare seafood stock by boiling seafood cubes or powder concentrate in water. I am using scallop concentrate for mine. Boil 1/3 teaspoon of concentrate in slightly more than 350ml of water. Taste to make sure that it is bland, not too salty.

5. In the large diameter pan, fry the washed rice at medium fire to rid excess moisture. This makes the rice absorb the stock readily. Perform frying for about a minute and remove from pan.

6. In the same pan, heat olive oil at medium fire, fry minced garlic, onion slices till fragrant.

7. Add rice in, stir fry to get a well mix. Add in curry powder, ketchup and fry mixture evenly to get a uniform color.

8. Switch off fire. Add in stock, soy sauce or replacement, extract the white wine soaked within seafood into the pan. Stir well, and spread rice evenly across pan. Spread ingredients across the pan, spaced apart, following the order : Asari, seafood, carrot, paprika, tomato and lastly mushroom.

9. Cover pan with lid, cook at high heat till the mixture is brought to boil, with the Asari shells opened apart. Reduce heat to medium and cook. Check the Paella once every 10 mins, it could be ready by 20 mins later. You'd know that it's ready when the mixture looks moist but the soup is gone. Do not overcook Paella or it will cause an awful burn at the bottom of the mixture. While waiting, prepare garnish by boiling broccoli stalks in another pan with water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, put aside when done.

10. When Paella's done, switch off the fire, chuck broccoli stalks in and leave lid on for 5 mins, let the thing infuse. Serve with lemon squishes.


I have lovely memories of delicious Seafood Paella tried in Australia, Italy and especially Belgium. They were really heavenly with the fresh, plump and extravagant seafood, that often make me reminisce much. We've tried many others around Japan, but sadly; none has managed to satisfy us.

My husband loves this homemade-possible Seafood Paella absolutely, thus I'm pleased that this has become a surprisingly good substitute, and also, one recipe that settles dinner rather easily. ;)

Scent of Plum Blossoms

In order wise, the Plum trees bloom before Sakura trees do, which means, Sakura requires a warmer climate to get the signal of Spring. And yes, we are appreciating the Plum blossoms at the moment...

I was reluctant to share these pictures that I took last week, cos I felt that they were not well taken. Had plans to take better ones another blue-sky day, but an angry rain that's heading our way is forecasted to last for 3 days! I reckon that the blossoms may be badly affected, so allow me to share now...



Upon first look, one may have difficulty telling Plum flowers and Sakura flowers apart, especially when some of the Sakura species look so alike to those of Plum's. Let me share a few facts as we walk on...


The Plum blossom is over when Sakura blooms, so there's little chance of getting confused between the two. Plum blossoms
are sparsely spaced apart, while Sakura's are usually condensed so Sakura trees do look a lot larger in volume indeed.

Plum blossoms are white or dark pink, Sakura's are mildly toned in variations of pink but never too shocking. While Plum blossoms are nicely scented, I hardly smell anything from Sakura.


Plum trees produce the plum fruit which is edible, the Sakura do not. The flowers of Plum last longer for slightly more than 2 weeks, fading away starting from first blooms. Sakura bursts into bloom, and fade away all at once, within a week!


I think the Plum blossoms are just as loveable too, though they are not considered classy flowers like Sakura. It's amazing how sweetly scented is the breeze by the Plum blossoms, so I really love standing beside the trees and wait for the wind.

I hope you'd like what I've shared today. =)

Introducing Rowndy

I've started appreciating flowers and plants after I've moved to Japan. The bustling city life that I used to spend in Singapore before I was married, gave me no time indeed, to watch a flower and give a sniff.

The cold experience of winter is one reason that makes me come to love flowers more. During the freezing season, one hardly sees any colors of plants besides bouquets. Spring on the other hand, flaunts her charm so effortlessly with colors of any bloom, and thaws the heart of any enchanted admirers.

Still, my first love is Orchids. Some readers may have already known my Phal Kun and Ran Ran ( picture on the left ). As reported in my previous post, Phal Kun and Ran Ran have suffered damages during the recent winter. While Phal Kun is stablizing well, Ran Ran is showing so sign of recovery. If this continues, I may lose Ran Ran one of these days... I shall keep on watching them and post on their progress towards end of April.

Having no blooms during Spring makes our home blue. My husband noticed the emptiness in me and has been bringing me places to look for a new Orchid plant. And here comes our new gem!

Introducing Rowndy, another Phalaenopsis species like Phal Kun and Ran Ran, known again being the ' difficult flower to grow in Japan '. I know that it's going to be another challenge, but I'm not going to be daunted by the setback of last winter! Wish me all the best! =D

I've given the name ' Rowndy ' purely by ' first feel '. Since ' Rowndy ' doesn't sound feminine, it's a boy. =) I know well most flowers are called a ' she ', but I beg to differ for the case of Orchids. For your information, the word ' Orchid ' is derived from the word ' Orchis ', which means ' testicles '. Hee hee hee...


Good Rowndy has two grown stems, heavy with bursting buds. He blends in very well with the room, with custard-like yellow and pink blushing center. He's truly a delight to look at. I shall share more on Rowndy when he's come to a full bloom!