real chicken soup

I bought this chicken bones for 20 yen (20 cents) at a butcher, so cheap. I wanted to make a real chicken soup, without any soup stock.

I cooked this chicken bones with vegitables for 3 hours. Turned out greast soup!! how easy to make this.

I quite often use dashi and chicken soup stock, but when I make real soup by myself, it tastes a lot better. I know that. Moreover, when I make my own, I know what's in it, no chemicals or additives.

I should go back to "slow food" No soup stock, no instant food, no frozen food!!

mmh, maybe a little soup stock sometimes..

Debut on "tsuchimono"

I guess I made my debut on Japanese earthenware, "tsuchimono" today. Of course there are many cups and plates in my cupboard, but they were all china.

These are from the ceramic shop "Kusaboshi" along Kawaramachi st. I had known about this shop from one of my friends, who loves the ceramic selection at this place.

The lady owner told me there're about 10 ceramists' works in the shop. I took one cup in my hand. It was very beautiful but looked fragile compared to ones I have in my cupboard, so I asked her "Can I bleach it when it gets tea-stained?" She looked a bit surprised and said "No way!!"

She says I should buy china not those Japanese earthenware (she called them "tsuchimono") if I like strong always clean looking ceramics, and they don't get that dirty looking as long as I take certain care;

1. Before the very first use, put them in a pot with water after washing rice and boil for 10 - 15min then leave them until the water cools down.
2. Everytime before use, soak them in water
3. Dry them completely before putting them away

She also said that they get their own characters as we use. Mmmh, I like that. This happens a lot to other good quality stuff too. They may cause us more care and work, but give us more joy as well.

Let's see how they look after 10 years.

finally

I went to have THE tarte tatin (apple pie) I had dreamed of over 13 years at La Voiture near Heian shrine.

The first time I heard about this was when I was a high school student. It was said that the grandpa and grandma run the cafe and bake only 2 whole cakes of the tarte tatin a day, so if two of you visit this place, you share one piece.

Since it's baked by the old couple, I thought I had to go as soon as possible while they're doing fine genki. However it took me more than 10 years to bring myself there although I ride my bike around the place quite often.

The place was retro and cute, and a couple of young people were working unexpectedly. And they let me and my friend order the tarte tatin each for us! taste? Oh, it was delicious!! very apple, of course.. Why didn't I come a lot earlier!?

I finally made one of my mission completed after so many years. Then on our way out to the door, I saw the old lady sitting near the cashier. That must be her, very small cute old lady!! I assume she retired and young people bake and run the cafe now, but she's still doing fine.

The fish in the picture is a part of my Italian dinner on that day at my FAVORITE Italian restaurant which I don't wanna tell too many people. I need to make a reservation without difficulty like other famous restaurants.

Good food really makes people happy. I had such a wonderful day with my friend again. Thank you!!

summer here!

I went out with my old friend today. It was such a beautiful day!! We rode bikes around Teramachi st, which is one of our favorite areas for window shopping.

There are many tiny hidden shops selling "zakka" (various cute household items), clothes and more in this area. And I always wonder how those shop owners survive. Anyways, I love visiting the small shops with full of great taste, and am amazed by the selection of their goods and how they display the store and the products.

It was a hot day, so we decided to have "kori" dessert as the first time of this year at Hayashiya. Kori is a dish of thin shaved ice with syrup. You have to have kori to cool you down in Kyoto's humid and incredibly uncomfortable hot summer. The kori in the picture is huge amount of ice with condensed milk and green tea syrup, rice-flour dumpling around, sweet red beans inside and green tea ice cream on top!! This is as big as my face. And it was said "mini size" on the menu.. what did it look like if I ordered a regular size?

Riding my bike home, I overheard the music "kon tiki tin". Local people were practicing the music for Gion festival which is held in the middle of July. It is such a summer sound of Kyoto. I am so happy that I came back to this town.

Japanese sweets

The picture is Japanese sweets from Kanazawa. This one is called "monaka", which is sweet red beans inside covered with rice powder skin.

Aren't they so cute!?

Monaka is usually shaped just square, but this has doll figure, and wrapped in a cute paper which also has doll face on it(right side).

Japanese sweets we eat at home are usually very simple. They don't have fancy colors, cream or fruits. But still they can be this cute!!

Now I see why forigners say Japanese are crazy about cutness "kawaii"