cookbook addict

This week, I received my first Japanese sewing book. When I realized many people sewed from such books and talked about it on their blogs, I thought that was a bit mad but kinda cool. Like they belonged to a special club . I also thought many of the clothes they made looked like oversized bags with sleeves, he he. That was until I saw Melissa's dress on tiny happy . I thought it was so pretty and stylish, in a simple way. The beautiful fabric certainly helped.  Stylish Dress Book -vol. 1 I wanted that dress, it's the one on the cover, dress E. I wasn't sure I'd actually manage to finish it because a) except for a few words of English, everything was in Japanese, and b) not being an expert seamstress, I didn't know if I could follow all the steps without botching anything. Turns out it wasn't that difficult, which also explains why so many people sew with these Japanese books. The patterns are simple, most have no zippers. I haven't tried sewing a zipper yet....

En français ici . I had a hard time thinking how to start this new post. Should I mention Japan? Libya? Other major things happening in the world? Should I tell you to donate money? Who am I to tell you what to do? You know what to do, what's right for you. You know what's happening as much as I do (I don't even watch the news on TV). So instead I'm going to tell you about this pie I've made, from a book I have bought, you know, just what I usually do, perhaps what I do best on this blog.                                                                                    ...

Golden temple, Kyoto Kyoto Pickles at Kyoto market Mini octopi Kyoto Philoophers' way, Kyoto Kyoto Big sake bottles Night lights Shinjuku Takeshita Street, Harajuku Harajuku person Harajuku fashion Extra large lenses for that manga look Architecture, Harajuku/Omotesando Golden temple, Kyoto Stone divinities, Kyoto Pocari sweat is a drink, yum Buddha in Kyoto Takoyaki Cleansing fountain Kyoto breakfast

Pulla bread installation I don't know about you, but this year I find it hard to believe it's almost Christmas already. Today is the first Sunday of Advent and I haven't done any Christmas baking, unless you count the ruined batched of macarons that fills some of my tins right now. Shopping wise I did get a head start on my usual schedule of last-minute present search. So there's that. This weekend is the annual International bazar in Luxembourg, an international marketplace for crafts, foods and folk dance exhibitions all for a good cause. I have found a few interesting items. Sake directly imported from Japan! Chipotles in adobo sauce! And as always an armful of used books, among which a Moosewood. I don't know why but every year among the discarded old copies of Weight Watchers and Sainsbury's books, there are some Mollie Katzen's (although this Moosewood Sundays one has nothing to do with her). Perhaps it's the lack of photographs that d...

It's been a long while since my last post in English so it's only fair to try and break that bad habit :) One thing I particularly like about my new job -beside the fact that I speak English every day, have great workmates and enjoy the work itself- is that I can bring my lunch in and most people enjoy seeing my sometimes eccentric foodstuff. Last time I brought onigiri in they were really popular, probably because of my cute box and the fake grass they were sitting on. Onigiri are Japanese rice balls plain or stuffed with savoury things like tuna, ham, umeboshi (pickled apricots, pictured above), etc: They are Japan's answer to sandwiches when it comes to food on the go. I have shown how to make them here , but basically you need cooked and still warm Japanese rice -for which you need a rice cooker to save you the trouble of badly cooked rice that becomes mushy or stays too dry and hard- possibly some special molds or just your hands to shape them, and plenty of water...

Many people associate Paris with world-renowned pâtissiers like Pierre Hermé or Ladurée for their macarons and other creations, and while the Japanese go gaga over French creations, the French have developed a love for all things Japanese - I know I have over the past year. Sadaharu Aoki has now been firmly established on the Parisian scene, from the moment he whipped out his black sesame éclairs and his matcha layered slices. He now owns a few places in Paris as well as Japan, and I think he has cleverly and subtly managed to fuse French techniques with Japanese flavours. So on the Sunday, after the marathon had been run and the champion showered, we were both starving but it was already mid-afternoon and there couldn't be anything too heavy involved. I suggested we board the bus that conveniently left from behind our hotel to take us directly to one of Aoki's teahouses on the Boulevard de Port Royal. It's a tiny shop with a few tables in a minimalistic environm...

I have a friend who swears by Bill Granger's recipes when trying to lose weight. Not all of them are waistline-friendly, particularly not his cakes, but only my naivety would have me believe that anyway. I recently caught Bill on my food channel, and I had a good browse in the three books by him that I own, and boy, do I wish I could live like he does : in the sun, near the beach, in his not-too-beige, not-too-bright décor without the crazy lady upstairs (and by that I really mean my neighbour). The kids never seem to make a fuss and there's time for friends... what friends anyway? Ahhh, but then I'd have to live in Sydney... I'd so miss the rain and the never-ending autumn that begins in August and ends in June......................................................................not! Ha ha! But back to the topic, yes he has a light hand when it comes to butter and oil, and he is into fresh flavours - lime, coriander, mint, chilli... his portions seem human-sized (as o...