Shiro-ae

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

Back at home

IMGP0552
Originally uploaded by js_hale.

I made Niku-jaga (肉じゃが) shiro-ae (白あえ) for dinner last night. It's part of my new resolution to cook more at home & try to re-create the absolutely phenomenal home-cooked food that my good friend Hiroko makes.Fortunately, I have a willing guinea pig (Peter) who thinks I'm an excllent cook - lucky me! I also had shin-mai Japanese rice on hand, which was fantastic. AND we cracked open the KAGATOBI sake that I brought home from Japan - it DOES have the most amazing aftertaste that suggests the flavor of uni (sea urchin)! It's delicious, but it absolutely must be served chilled.

I got back from Japan on Wednesday, and I'm looking for tasty Japanese recipes to try and replicate
at home. I'm tempted to just give it up & just go to Tanuki, but I like the challenge. As Hiroko says,
it's only when you cook something over & over again that you really start to learn. Anyway, I found this
bit of Japanese-English and had to post it.

Last Day in Tokyo

For me, there is no shame in being coddled, especially if it's by my Japanese family. After a few days with them, I have unwound, calmed down, slept a lot and been fed even better. The sake tour was a fabulous success, thanks to a great working relationship with John Gauntner and a fantastic group of aspiring sake experts. They were a lot of fun, and for the most part, extremely accommodating and cooperative. Now I'm back in Tokyo, getting ready to spend 1 more day in my favorite area, Ningyo-cho, to buy every weird and wonderful specialty food I can find!

Kilkenny!

Stopped off last night at Dubliner's for a wee pint of yumminess that you can't get in the US - "Kilkenny" is an Irish brew that has a reddish color, fairly bitter, with a rich foam like Guinness. Total nostalgia from when I used to live here. Happy girl!!

Uni and yuba - delicious!

I'm putting this picture up especially for my wonderful boyfriend, Peter, who despite having never been to Asia, LOVES uni (sea urchin). I added a little soy sauce to my portion - DELICIOUS. Like anything else, if you taste GOOD uni the first time, you might really like it, otherwise the texture and flavor is more "challenging." This uni is prepared sashimi-style, and mixed with a thin, skinlike tofu called yuba. It's usually not as soupy as what's pictured here, and it's more often used to wrap rolled sushi, or as a noodle-like addition to soup. I've even seen it used to replicate poultry skins on products like "Tofurky." Again, I recommend trying yuba in Japan - totally different than what you find in the US. MUCH better.

First Day of the Saké Tour

Ok, everyone say it together....."SAH-KAY!"

Today is my first real day of work with John Gauntner, the "Saké Guy." Peter is jealous, as are a couple of my other friends - I met nearly everyone on the tour last night at dinner. Truth be told, I was thinking that I got a darn good deal too - here I am sampling some incredible saké, eating extremely well and working with some pretty cool people. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to establish a rapport with my clients, and they can be challenging, but it looks like this is going to be pretty fun.

The place we went to last night for dinner was Takara. Takara specializes in all types of saké. One really good one was Urakasumi ("oo-rah-kah-soo-mi;" pronunciation is just like Spanish!). John said he's never had a bad bottle from this one. We tasted the "shin-shu" (new batch), similar to the "Beaujolais Nouveau" concept. Clean, crisp and delicious!

Tonchan's squid hat!

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Originally uploaded by renfield.

Ren's mom knitted a SQUID HAT for Chikage.

OISHI!

OISHI!
Originally uploaded by piroko_kuroda.

This is Ted, a Japanese antiques dealer and expert sword polisher.
The man knows so much about swords, you wonder how he keeps it
all in his head. He does, however, find time to enjoy the finer things in life, like sake. This is a variety of sake that he absolutely had to have, after I told him about its distinct aftertaste. It tastes just like "uni," or sea urchin. If you've ever gone to a sushi restaurant and wondered what that orange, gelatin-looking thing was, it's uni. And it's delicious. So here it is - uni-flavored sake, expertly showcased by Ted!

Angel pie

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Originally uploaded by js_hale.

This is Chikage - Ren and Hiroko's perfect little angel. She was born December 11th, 2006, just under 3kg, 49cm. I am an auntie again!

My Match.com pic

FOLLOW UP: I met Peter on November 5th - our first date went REALLY well, ending with a kiss
that left me floating on a cloud. We have spent as much time together as possible and it still hasn't
been enough. This picture was taken on Christmas Day - the first Christmas he spent away from home -
because he wanted to spend it with me & my family! I'm in Japan at the moment, and missing him like crazy. For the first time, I actually shortened my trip in Japan to come home early because I couldn't bear being apart from him any longer. Ladies, I'm telling you, it WORKS! :)


Ok, so a lot has happened. I met Peter, and I am really...how shall I put it?
Enamored, flabbergasted, all gooey inside, and pretty much falling for the guy,
fast! The worst thing I can say about him so far is that he's never been to Japan, which as my friend Ren (www.giveyourmeat.com) says, is easily fix-able.

So we met on Match.com, and I'm here to tell you, ladies - IT WORKS! The thing is, there are certain guidelines which I believe allow you to make it work much, much better. The first step is to have a kick-ass profile:

a. 4-5 flattering, CLASSY pictures - no bikinis - sexy evening dresses are great - in which you're smiling.
b. Be really clear about what you're looking for. I talked mostly about what I want in a relationship, and I think it was a good screener. The guys that I went on dates with were all sincere, intelligent, and ready to settle down.
c. You can talk a bit about yourself, but I think it's good to leave some mystery, too.
d. For the question, "What was the last thing you read?" I suggest putting something besides Cosmo or People magazine. Food for thought.
e. I put down that I wanted a guy with at least a college degree. Nothing for race, and I think I put a certain amt. for income, I can't remember. Let's face it - if you have any inkling to stay at home and raise kids someday, you'll want a guy who's willing and able to take care of his family, right? And as far as race goes, I know people will disagree with me, but I don't believe in such a thing. I think the concept is seriously flawed, at best. I'm going off on a tangent, I know, but 'race' implies a difference that extends to our intellect - which is a load of malarkey - when all it boils down to is how we adapted over time to the geography around us. We look different because our ancestors were exposed to certain temperatures, differing amounts of sunlight, etc. over time, and lo and behold, we adapted to our respective environments. End of story. Compatibility has nothing to do with the color of someone's skin, and I know from experience (ha) that love can be found the world over, among any population in the world. EDUCATION, i.e., formal training + life experience, plays a crucial part in the equation of compatibility!

Ok where was I...yes -

2. Do NOT look for guys. No searching, no winking, no emailing. Let them come to you. Pursue a guy, and it's like a mouse running towards a cat...the cat has no idea what to do, and might be tempted to run in the other direction! Men are built for hunting - it's been in their blood for thousands of years. So let them pursue YOU.

I'm curious to see what kind of a response I get, so I'll stop there, for now!

Rumsfeld is GONE.......

Poor W...oh, this is gratifying. Hearing press people take the piss out of Bush.
It's like a good shot of espresso - makes you feel all warm and tingly inside.
Brilliant. Bush cannot be humble - it's absolutely impossible for him to admit
defeat. "Risk-adverse" - I like that term. It still doesn't beat 'misunderestimated.'

The road to ....

I haven't blogged in a while because I was busy leading a tour in Japan, which went quite well. My guests were a sweet couple from Chicago who were extremely intelligent, curious people - my favorite kinds of clients! This photo was taken at a subtemple of Daitokuji complex in Kyoto - the complex is vast and austere, and this little subtemple is an oasis of serenity. Besides temples, I arranged a private tea ceremony with an apprentice geisha, a washi paper-making workshop, a private visit to a potter's kiln in Shigaraki, then of course meals, hotel accommodations, and various cultural activities. On this last trip, I realized that I really do love my job - this is my passion and it's something that I feel that I'm really good at. I just need more clients and trips to make it sustainable!

The real deal

My friend Elaine took me to a hole in the wall sushi place
in the Richmond - it doesn't have a sign - it's just called "Tekka." Nigiri was obscenely big - food was OK - average for Japan, amazing for the US. I might go back, but the attitude from the wait staff was a little hard to take. To her credit, she softened a bit towards the end.

Birthday

Happy Jen...August 9th was a day of indulgence. I had a plan
to get a car and drive it north - I decided to check out Orr Hot Springs, a clothing-optional complex of indoor/outdoor baths, pools and saunas, filled with real spring water. It was really great, but I can't help but pine for the Japanese baths...here in California, it seems like the emphasis is more on being naked than anything else. People assert their individuality so strongly here (at Orr, in California, in America) that it literally invades your space. Bathers might learn a thing or 2 from the Japanese - a culture in which nudity was never really taboo. There, people are mindful of people around them so as to not disturb other people, thereby cultivating a sense of peace and tranquility. So yeah, I didn't get THAT at Orr, but I did get beautiful, lush surroundings, the sound of babbling water pouring into the pools, and enough peace & quiet to really melt into my own thoughts. I want to go back for sure.

So on my way back to SF, I drove through Mendocino and re-discovered Brutocao winery.
Way back in 2000, I had visited the winery with Krishnan, a guy I was seeing, and we together discovered Schoolhouse Red - a surprisingly delicious red table wine which at the time was less than $10. It's gone up to $17.99, but that didn't stop me from buying 2 bottles for old time's sake. It's not even as tasty as I remember it being before, but it didn't matter. When I saw the sign, I literally sat up and yelled "Schoolhouse Red! Omigod!" to myself in the car. So much fun to re-discover a piece of my past. It was another great birthday present to myself.

hot in the city

believe me when I tell you that it was HOT in the subway! We actually departed New York before the serious heat wave hit, but I would take that weather any day of the week over the winters. I have to admit that I have a masochistic side that really likes the changing of the seasons - it makes you really appreciate what you have at the moment - sweltering heat makes you relish the first cool autumn breezes - you stop and appreciate the passing of one season to the next. If only I could fast-forward through the winters, not SKIP them but just make them pass more quickly, I'd consider moving back to the east coast for a while. I miss the grittiness of it, and the in-your-face energy of the place. Things are much more straightforward there, too - look like you know where you're going, and don't look at anyone else. Although I have to say that I believe that 9/11 did change New York. People DO look at each other more - they have softened a bit, become more human. Thank god, too - I really believe that something good can come out of tragedy. It has to.

living proof

This is the label from a t-shirt that I bought!

ESPRIT!!!!!!

I am in New York, and today I made a joyous discovery - ESPRIT is alive and well
and is once again part of my wardrobe. www.esprit.com

I must be thinking about the WTC also because I'm heading to New York tomorrow - since I am newly single, my mind drifts to various ways in which I meet the next Mr. Dreamboat. Just now, I thought about how it would be nice to sit near one on the airplane - not next to one - I would like to feel free to drool in my sleep or let my gut hang out if I feel the need. Although, maybe it would be a good exercise to just let go and do that in front of someone. First impressions be damned - along with silly games and childish thinking. And dishonesty - that goes down there too. AM I RIGHT? Lemme hear ya!