Boiled tofu and condiments

When we were in Japan, I had a bit of a revelation. I really like tofu. It’s not that I disliked it before, it’s that what I had over there was so good I would actually crave tofu.

The tipping point was the first breakfast we had while staying at Yachiyo Ryokan in Kyoto. Boiled tofu has never sounded appetizing to me, in fact, it sounds borderline disgusting. I think it has something to do with a friend of mine talking about boiled chicken once upon a time, and now anything with “boiled” preceding it just sounds tasteless and slimy.

The first morning we get to our table, and we have tofu sitting in a clay pot, just waiting to be boiled. We sit and awaited the towels, and we’re amazed at the spread that is brought out for breakfast. (more…)

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Breakfast, World traveller by Courtney

One of the things on the “must-do” list for our time in Tokyo was visit Tsukiji Market. While I wasn’t so interested in seeing fish auctioned at the crack of dawn, I was certain that if I wanted the freshest of fresh fish, this would be the place to find it. So on the second morning of our trip, my husband and I set off in search of the market.

Luckily, we worked up quite the appetite after getting a little lost coming out of the train station and making a huge loop instead of going direct to the market. By the time we got there, we wondered around, and settled on a sushi bar that had some air conditioning.

Inside, we decided on a sampler of tuna, and our favorite, tako sashimi (octopus), and the requisite Asahi to cool us down. While the fish was amazing, the thing that struck me most was that it was not cold. Unlike in the US, where the fish is cold to nearly freezing, here they served it room temperature, the flavors shining through. I decided to try a bit of uni as well, one of my not-so-favorites here in the US.

And uni is still not my favorite. It seemed better in Japan than what I’ve had here, but it will still never top my list.

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Japanese, Lunch, World traveller by Courtney

A while back, I mentioned I would give you some ideas of what to do with all of that vegetable stock you made from kitchen scraps. One idea that is perfect for this time of year is what I have dubbed Caribbean soup. Actually, the recipe comes from a cookbook I purchased a while back called Morgan Freeman & Friends | Caribbean Cooking for a Cause. The recipe is from Chef Christopher Walker, and it is so amazingly good and hearty that I never would have thought about it being vegan, but it is! And it’s perfect for this time of year, because as football comes on I yearn for heavier fare, but it’s still so warm that I don’t want chili just yet. So a spicy Caribbean soup fills this change of seasons just perfectly. (more…)

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Caribbean, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian, World traveller by Courtney

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Japan, and I’m still reeling from all of the amazing food we had a chance to eat. From fresh sushi to sukiyaki to kaiseki, we were able to try some familiar favorites as well as plenty of items we never had before. One of those “never had before” dishes was, for lack of a better term at the time, deep fried octopus balls. Imagine my surprise this morning when reading the Kitchn that I was finally able to find out what they were. (more…)

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Japanese, Snack time, World traveller by Courtney