More Greens!

Spring has arrived in farmer's market in new york, too!
more and more green veggies each week : )
i bought some broccoli rabes and ramps this weekend!

even miso soup

even miso soup can be lighter (more yin) for a warm day like today : )
use lighter colored miso (sweet brown rice miso etc)
and add fresh watercress at the end of cooking.
great spring/summer soup without being a cold soup!

another dish for a summer-like day

fresh salad with dadelion,dried daikon and yuba : )

soak yuba, dry and cut
dried daikon, dandelion leaf, pressed cabbage, and yuba(tofu skin)
cook dried daikon till tender, squeeze liquid
cut dandelion leaf

for dressing
1 tbs of
ume vinegar, brown rice vinegar, soy sauce, fresh lemon juice
and add dashi stock until taste mild
toss all ingredients and add some toasted seeds

very refreshing, and good for liver, too : )

dishes for a warm, spring day...

it's been like summer!
except dry and nice : )
a day like this, have some refreshing spring dishes : )

pressed cabbage with crumble tofu/miso dressing
shred cabbage and press with seasalt, squeeze out excess liquid, set aside
drain organic tofu, pat dry, and crumble in a bowl
add dashi stock, miso, soy sauce to mildly taste, mix
toss pressed cabbage, add lemon zest, toasted seeds

my travel companion : )

unless i can cook while traveling, i know i indulge myself with fatty food, delicious wine and dessert : )
also i know that those "pleasure foods" will make me sick after "fun" ....
to minimize the negative effect of the indulgence, i always bring "super food" with me.
umeboshi! ---guess i have mentioned it before?

this "king of alkaline" balances out after consuming good amount of wine, seafood and gellato: ) --i was in miami, could not help!!
and regulates digestive functions.
** umeboshi is great for hangover, digestive problems etc etc

well, if you have overconsumed "pleasure foods", i cannot guarantee, though...

this time, i made and brought brown rice balls for breakfast, too.
on my next trip, im going to bring daikon radish and grater ---assuming that ill eat fatty food since grated daikon helps digestion and eliminate fat.

Cherry Blossom

Cherry Blossom

as you all know, cherry trees are blossoming in the city : )
seems a bit earlier than usual, though.

In Japan, cherry trees are considered to nurture your spirituality.
so, traditionally this time of the year, we all have fun eating, drinking, singing and dancing under the beautiful trees, to cerebrate the new season, and connect to the spirits.