2012/05/13 Mansaku-no Kai Kyougen/Birthday Dinner @Sumika

We saw Nomura Mansaku’s Kyougen play for the first time in Mountain View. He is the human  national treasure. They played “The Owl” & “Tied to a stick”. Nomura Mansaku started to play kyougen at 3 years old, he has 77 years career now since he is 80 years old.

Mansaku-no kai

 

After this kyougen play, we had my husband’s birthday dinner @Sumika in Los Altos. His actual birthday is April 7th, but he flew to Japan due to his mother’s serious condition. Now we can celebrate his birthday. Sumika’s specialty is charcoal grilled chicken dishes/Yakitori.

Chicken meat ball

 

Deep Fried Chicken

Deep fried chicken

 

Chicken with plum sauce

Chicken with plum sauce

 

Salad

Salad

 

Spicy Chicken

Spicy chichen

 

Grilled chicken wing

Chicken wing

 

Deep Fried Tofu

Deep fried tofu

 

Simmered fried tofu

 

Age

 

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup

 

All dishes are so tasty and we are so happy.

 

 

2012/05/12 Mother’s Day Dinner @Red Lobster

My son invited me to the Mother’s Day dinner @Red Lobster which I wanted to go in Japan. But the one in United States are much better than in Japan, so I decided to visit in US.

Live Main Lobster steamed

Live Main Lobster

 

King Crab Legs

King Crab Legs

 

We brought a soy sauce with vinegar dressing which we like much better than butter, and all we were dipping lobster and crabs in the dressing. It was so tasty.

2012/04/11-04/23 Japan

I flew to Japan on 4/10, arrived on 4/11.

2012/04/11-04/23 Japan

2012/04/08 Vegetable Garden in New Look

I already posted that I built new bigger plot with raising beds and water system but I needed to give up.

2012/04/01 Giving up new plot, disappointing….

 

Now I broke down new plot, re-built and move all plant to old plot. It took me for one whole week. I already got wood boards for double size plot, and I did not want to waste wood boards, so I raised bed so high.

 

Re built plot

 

Pea

 

Pea

 

Runner Bean

Runner bean

 

Ashitaba

Ashitaba

 

Trefoil

Trefoil

 

JP Cucumber

JP Cucumber

 

JP Pumpkin

JP Pumpkin

 

Green Onion

Green onion

 

Raddish

Raddish

 

Butter Lettuce

 

Butter lettuce

 

Mizuna

Mizuna

 

Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

 

Red Shiso

Red Shiso

 

Komatsuna

 

Komatsuna

 

Salad Burdock

Salad Burdock

 

Daikon

Daikon

 

Black Soy Bean

Black Soy Bean

 

Morocco Bean

Morocco Bean

 

Chives

Chives

 

I need to squeeze into half size plot now, I do not have space for these…

Plants

 

 

2012/04/07 University Alumni Cooking Class

I had university alumni luncheon today and I taught cooking class.


2012/04/07 University Alumni Cooking Class

2012/04/01 Giving up new plot, disappointing….

I was so excited when I got new double size plot, made very nice raised bedding & watering remitting system. I spent 3 weeks to build this plot and energy & money too.

New plot

But I was told from the community garden department manager in City of San Jose that I was too late to turn in paper work for the new plot….

The plot assignment had been done by administration volunteers for the garden before and I was told from them it’s OK to change to bigger plot since it was available.

But now, City of San Jose department assign plot to the gardeners not administration volunteers. We did not know until we received call from city and it’s too late because I already built the plot….

 

But they did not listen to me, I just started to move item back to my old plot today. It was sooo disappointed!

 

 

 

2012/03/20 Plum Tree Flower

Normally plum tree flower blooms December & January every year.

But it blooms in March this year with plum at the same time.

Japanese Plum flower

 

Because it’s too cold for March???

Japanese Plum flower

2012/03/10 Turkish Karasumi/Mullet Roe

I traveled to Turkey last year, got a Turkish Karasumi/Mullet Roe which is a food product made by salting mullet roe drying in the sun light.

Drying Mullet Roe in the sun from Wiki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We joined Bosphorus cruising, landed last stop, took a walk in the seaside little town and saw the process making Mullet Roe on the street.

Mullet Roe/making Karasumi

 

This is Karasumi/Mullet Roe I got in Turkey which is covered by wax.

Karasumi

 

Karasumi cut

Little salty but tasty, good with white wine!

Karasumi cut

2012/03/08 Spcial Miso Class

I had special miso class.

 

2012/03/08 Miso Class

 

2012/03/03 Hina Doll

March 3rd is the Girl’s day in Japan. We display Hina Doll to wish girl’s health and happy life on this day.

This is my Hina Doll and wood puzzle hina doll I made for my son.

Hina Doll

 

Hina Doll 2

This is my mom’s hina doll which has a palace and goods.

Hina Doll 2

 

In the palace, there are hina doll couple and three palace ladies.

Palace ladies doll