Source: ibrakeforchemists

Based on my Internet research, bamboo with Thai green curry seems to be a popular combination, but green curry paste is not very easy to find outside the import stores here. However, most of the bigger supermarkets in the area carry cans of coconut milk, so I decided to use that as the base, found a recipe as a guide (linked below), and used what we had in the fridge (lotus root, kabocha, soy beans, and bamboo) to make a fusion curry. I knew the Japanese ingredients would go well together, but the sweetness of the tender kabocha and creamy coconut combined with the punchy spices and earthy, crispy lotus root and soft beans make the dish pop.

This curry is vegan and can be gluten-free if gluten-free tomato paste and fresh ingredients are used. Prepare the soy beans* and bamboo shoots ahead of time—both freeze well, too.

Japan notes: Coriander powder and red pepper are available in the spice section of large supermarkets; dried red chilis are in the produce section, often with the garlic. Tomato paste is usually with the canned tomatos.

Bamboo Coconut Curry with Kabocha, Lotus Root, and Soy Beans
Adapted from Sadhana Ginde’s “Bamboo Shoot Curry,” Bella Online

Serves 6.

Time: ~60 minutes (including chopping)

Ingredients

2 TSBP olive oil (orîbu oiru, オリーブオイル)
1 large onion, finely diced (tamanegi, タナネギ)
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced  (ninniku, ニンニク)
2 cm (1 in.) piece of ginger, grated (shôga, ショウガ, 生姜)
1 dried red chili, finely minced (aka togarashi, 赤唐辛子)

250 g (8.8 oz) kabocha (カボチャ, 南瓜)
130 g (4.6) lotus root (renkon, レンコン, 蓮根)

1 tsp turmeric (tâmerikku, ターメリック)
1/2 tsp paprika (papurika, パプリカ)
1 tsp cumin (kumin, クミン)
1 tsp ground coriander (coriandâ, コリアンダー)
1 tsp garam masala (garamu masara, ガラムマサラ)
1/4- 1/2 tsp red pepper (to taste) (reddo peppâ, レッドペッパー)
Salt, to taste (shio, 塩)

100 g (3.5 oz) fresh or preserved bamboo shoots
150 g (5.3 oz) cooked soy beans (daizu, ダイズ)
1 large tomato, finely chopped (katto tomato, カットトマト)
2 TBSP tomato paste (tomato pêsuto, トマトペースト)
400 mL (13.5 fl. oz/1 can) coconut milk (kokonattsu miruku, ココナッツミルク)

Equipment
1 large, deep skillet

Procedure

1. Peel and chop the kabocha, lotus root, and bamboo. The kabocha should be into very small cubes to insure quick cooking. Chop the lotus root into thin rounds and then cut into bite-sized pieces. Julienne the bamboo to show off its shape, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Mix all the spices together in a small dish and set aside.

3. Heat the oil on medium flame. Add the onions; sauté until slightly browned.

4. Add the ginger, garlic, and red chili. Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

5. Add the kabocha, lotus root, and spice mixture. Stir well to incorporate and continue to stir fry until the kabocha is tender (~10 minutes, depending on size of the kabocha pieces).

6. When the kabocha is tender, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, soy beans, and bamboo shoots.

7. Add the coconut milk slowly; reduce the heat to low and let the curry gently simmer for another 4-5 minutes.

8. Serve with rice or naan. This goes well with Japanese brown rice, but if you have your hands on Basmati, that would be excellent, too.

Notes

*In Japan, precooked soy beans (suini daizu, 水煮大豆) are available in most grocery stores and are usually kept near tofu and produce. The dried variety are with the other dried beans.

Nutritional Information (1 serving)

Part of the reason I learned how to make my own bagels was that in Japan, really good bagels are not easy to find, especially outside of major metropolitan areas. Kanazawa has a couple of bakeries that sell decent bagels, but my very favorite is Hug Chai Works, a café specializing in bagels and chai.

Only a 10 minute walk from the station, this small café is located just slightly off the main road facing a small playground. The building appears to be a refurbished atelier, and the cafe’s high wooden ceiling and exposed beams give it a rustic (but never kitschy) feel. The café is on the second floor, and the first floor contains the kitchen, cash register, and bakery shop.

The lunch set (1100) includes a choice of three bagel sandwiches, which change monthly; a green salad; a small piece of quiche; excellent homemade pickled vegetables (carrot, daikon, cucumber); another small side dish; and your choice of chai, coffee, or black tea. For an extra 100 yen, you can get a mini cake with the set. There are other drinks and desserts for the afternoon menu. Interestingly, this is one of the few places I’ve encountered in Japan that has a policy of serving drinks before the meal rather than after.

The bagels are plump and glossy with a good, lighter texture (vs. “hunks of bread shaped like a bagel,” as is so often the case); the chai is delicious; the gateau chocolate cake rich. Some of the bagels are more traditional flavors like plain or poppy seed; some are more Japanese flavors like matcha or azuki. By far my favorite meal has been the smoked salmon with cream cheese, onion, and lettuce sandwich. Unfortunately for vegetarians, the bagel sandwiches for the lunch sets all have meat (a rotating menu that often includes fish, beef, pork, and chicken), but the bagels and cream cheese are vegetarian and can be ordered a la carte. If you are pescetarian, check the current menu as they often have a fish option for the sandwich, but keep in mind that the side dishes, particularly the quiche, often contain meat.

The staff is very friendly, and the service is typically quick. The cafe accommodates children (high chairs), and it also seems to be a popular place for a coffee date for adults. The atmosphere is warm and cozy in the winter, and it’s a lovely place to have brunch on a sunny spring day when the windows are open. For me, bagels and chai are comfort food, and, as cheesy as it sounds, the name ”Hug Chai” (the café) and “Hug Mitten” (the bakery) really fit. Want to enjoy bagels or scones in the comfort of your own home? Purchase some on the first-floor shop. Take-out lunches and drinks also available.

Access
〒920-0024　石川県金沢市西念2-1-31
2-1-31 Sainen, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa prefecture 920-0024

Tel.: 076-207-9096

Map

Hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed Fridays; every 2nd and 4th Thursday
Lunch: 11:00-14:30
Tea Time (tea and sweets): 15:00-19:00

Non-smoking. Take out available.

By car: 3 parking spots available in the adjacent lot to the left of the café.
By bike: parking available in front or in the car lot.
On foot: about a 15 minute walk from Kanazawa Station’s West Exit (西口). Turn right at the Eki-nishi Honmachi 1-chôme (駅西本町一丁目) intersection (before the Komeya drug store) and then left onto the first small street. The café is about a block away, across from the park.
Prices: Lunch sets: ¥1100-1200; drinks: ~¥400; bagels and sweets a la carte: ~¥200-400. Take-out: lunch set: ¥700; bagel sandwiches: ¥500; drinks: ~¥300.

General Menu

Monthly menu updated on the blog

Website: http://hug-works.com/

I haven’t experimented with many other fillings yet, but kabocha is a good way to start as it’s easy to prepare and works well as a filling in similar items like vegetarian gyoza or ravioli. Mashed kabocha is the easiest to work with when it’s somewhat dry, so I recommend either roasting the kabocha or boiling it and letting it drain for several hours before mashing. You could use other squashes, especially if they are similar in dryness to kabocha. Orange sweet potatoes would also work well, I think.

Regarding cooking the oyaki, you’ll need to pan-cook the oyaki before steaming to give them the right texture and the distinctive scorch marks. I’ve outlined two ways to steam the oyaki: either in the frying pan or in a steamer. The frying plan method requires fewer dishes, but you’ll need to wipe out the pan in between batches to prevent sticking. The steamer allows for quicker cooking since you can cook the next batch while steaming the first, and you don’t have to worry about burning as much. (I usually do the frying pan method; my friend who sent me the recipe uses a steamer basket.)

 Kabocha Soba Oyaki

This recipe was given to me by a friend; it’s translated and adapted from “Northern Shinshû Soba Oyaki” (北信濃のそばおやき) from Make and Enjoy Shinshû’s Flour-Based Foods (作って楽しむ信州の粉食).

Nutritional Information
For 1 oyaki (using 3/4 tsp sesame oil)

Cafe Dumbo, Kanazawa

Anna Brones. “Are You Drinking Sexy Coffee or Good Coffee?“ Foodie Underground. 23 April 2013.

Just like mass food producers have embraced the word artisan in a sort of culinary green washing, coffee makers have done the same thing.

 Coffee Week. NPR. 22-29 April 2013.

NPR’s look at all things coffee, including the following:

Allison Aubrey. “Step Aside, Gents. Witness The Rise Of Women In Coffee.” Morning Edition. 25 April 2013.

This unfortunately titled article is actually about women’s coffee cooperatives as a new attempt at fair trade in areas where women do most of the harvesting. As for the title, the piece has little to do with male workers. Female empowerment empowers everyone. It does not detract from or come at the cost of male agency. (Also: gender is not a binary!) No one is stepping aside.

As for the content, I appreciated that Aubrey explained that the issue was complicated with no single simple solution. However, in the line about how women CEOs tend to give back to their communities, I wish the writers would consider that in many cultures, women are socialized to sacrifice for the good of others and to be compassionate/nurturing (read: qualities associated with parenting, specifically mothering), which might be a social factor in women’s relative willingness to give back and help others. Of course, many people also want to give back to communities that helped them. Complexity is the soul of social studies.

Maria Godoy. “Masterpiece In A Mug: Japanese Latte Art Will Perk You Up.” The Salt. 25 April 2013.

This piece is about two latte artists in Japan and their work. I was with them until they brought up Wabi-Sabi. I think the preponderance of latte art in Japan is that it’s visually pleasing and part of presentation at the cafe or restaurant. Yes, that is cultural, and I don’t exactly disagree with the comparison to cherry blossoms. Japan has a historically different aesthetic sense, but contemporary Japanese people also drink canned coffee from vending machines and really bad office coffee, too. It’s not like we’re all sitting around with design lattes all day contemplating the ephemeral nature of life.

Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson. “Majority of Japanese ignorant of Fairtrade.” What Japan Thinks. 18 April 2013.

A 2013 goo Research survey indicates a lack of knowledge about Fairtrade in Japan. To see how Japan generally compares to other countries, see this survey from Global Scan from 2011. (In the US, only 34% had seen Fairtrade products.) Living in Kanazawa, I see Fairtrade, especially coffee products, at places like Noppo-kun and Café Mojo.

Kristi. “Instagramming Tokyo’s Coffee Scene.“ A Modern Girl. April 30, 2013.

Kristi takes us on a tour of her favorite cafes in Tokyo. Latte art photos included!

What are you drinking or reading? 

These cupcakes may be the simplest of the geeky/nerdy (it varies…) birthday cakes I made this spring.

My husband loves Mameshiba, which is… well, as the song goes, they aren’t quite beans and they aren’t quite dogs; and everyday they bring you a bit of trivia–

From “Mameshiba Characters“

You know what? This is like trying to explain Doctor Who to someone who’s never seen it. Just check out the videos (in Japanese with English subtitles) on the Mameshiba site. Problem solved.*

Preliminary Notes

I made matcha cupcakes, a variation on the Sakura Matcha Cupcake recipe, and vegan buttercream to decorate them to look like Edamame, the “mascot” of the bunch. I wanted the cupcakes to be green, too, but if you don’t like matcha, you could just make green cupcakes with food dye or a different recipe with natural green color. I used about 1/4 of the “buttercream” to make chocolate frosting for decorating the faces, and dyed the other 3/4 bright green with yellow and green food coloring. (I had initially wanted to make the frosting matcha, too, but the cupcakes were very matcha-y already and the color would have been off.)

I’m still working on those decoration techniques! Feeling more confident with the pastry bag after two more decorating sessions but still hoping to take a proper class at some point. I think some of my Mameshiba look like variations on Classic!Watson with his mustache…

Matcha Cupcakes

Adapted from “No. 21: Matcha” muffins from She Knows Muffin オリジナル・レシピ集 ―We Love Muffin!, p. 25.

Yields 12 muffins
Time: 40 minutes
Active: 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

Ingredients
100 g (3.5 oz/ 7 TBSP) unsalted butter, softened (muen batâ, 無塩バター)
160 g (2/3 US cup + 2 tsp) unpacked brown sugar (sanontô, 三温糖), or brown beet sugar (tensaitô, てんさい糖, 甜菜糖)
2 eggs (tamago, 卵)
295 g (3-1/4 cups) cake flour (hakurikiko, 薄力粉)
10 g (2 tsp) matcha powder for cooking (seikayo maccha, 製菓用抹茶)
12 g (3-1/3 tsp) baking powder (bêkingu paudâ, ベーキングパウダー)
140 mL (1/2 cup + 1.5 TBSP) milk (milk: gyûnyû, 牛乳; low-fat milk: teishibônyû, 低脂肪乳; soy milk:tônyû, 豆乳)

Equipment
Silicon muffin cups (mafin kappu, マフィンカップ)
OR muffin tins (mafin kata, マフィン型)

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 180º C (350º F).
2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well.
3. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, matcha powder, baking powder). Alternating milk mixture and dry ingredients into the batter in three parts, gently stir the batter to incorporate. Do not overbeat.
4. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Decorations

Vegan Buttercream

Divide the frosting–1/4 will be for the chocolate (use 1-2 TBSP cocoa powder); dye the other 3/4 bright green-yellow with green food coloring (shokuyô midori, 食用緑) and yellow food coloring (shokuyô kîro, 食用黄色). Frost cupcakes with the green icing with a knife; use a pastry bag (pastry bag: shibori bukuro, 絞り袋 with a round tip for the eyes and mouth.

Use sliced almonds (âmondo suraisu, アーモンドスライス) for the ears.

Note

*This jellybean speaks Japanese just fine, thanks!

Indian cuisine’s wide variety of meatless dishes makes Indian food perfect for vegetarians, and especially so in Japan, as they tend to have vegetarian sections (entire sections!) of the menus. Kanazawa is home to at least five Indian restaurants, and one of my favorites is Aashirwad, an Indian/Nepalese restaurant tucked into the Seseragi shopping area in Kohrinbo (not that far from Dumbo!)

One of the restaurant’s strong points is the variety in the menu. Aashirwad’s vegetarian curry dinner menu is as comprehensive as their chicken, mutton, and fish curry menus. I’m particularly fond of the aloo baigan (potato and eggplant curry), mix vegetable (seasonal vegetable curry), and rajma (red kidney bean curry). Other varieties include chana masala (chickpea curry); daal tadka (lentil and mung bean curry); bhindi masala (okra curry); aloo gobi (cauliflower and potato curry); daal makhani (red kidney beans and mung beans); and saag paneer (spinach and paneer). The restaurant also has a great variety of naan, including some whole-wheat varieties like puri and chapati, and has basmati rice.

The lunch set menu is a pared-down version of the menu, but the six choices for the curry include two vegetarian options.

As for the spiciness, I tend to like a 3 (on a scale of 0-5) (karakuchi, 辛口); my friends often get a 2 (yaya karakuchi, やや辛口). For the record, I like foods that are spicy but that I can still taste.

The staff is very friendly–I know I say that a lot, but I always feel welcomed there, and it’s one of the main reasons why I go there so often. The menu is bilingual with descriptions in Japanese; the staff members are also bilingual. Furthermore, the restaurant is completely non-smoking(!).

Happy first anniversary, Aashirwad! おめでとうございます！

Access
920-0961
石川県金沢市香林坊2-12-15
魚半ビル１階

Gyohan Building, 1F
2-12-15 Kohrinbo
Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0961

076-262-2170

Map

Open 11:00-22:00
Closed Mondays

Non-smoking

By car: No parking available. There are paid lots down the street.

By bus: take any bus from JR Kanazawa Station (JR金沢駅) bound for Kohrinbo (香林坊) and get off at Minamicho (南町) or Kohrinbo. Walk around the mall Kohrinbo 109 to the Seseragi Shopping Street (せせらぎ通) and follow the road for ~2 minutes.

By bicycle: There is also plenty of bike parking up the street behind Kohrinbo 109.

Tabelog
Facebook
Website (menu has not be updated to 2013 menu)

Entries: 850-1200 yen
Drinks: 350-600 yen
Naan/Rice: 300-500

More Veg* Out in Kanazawa

What I Ate in Nagano, Day 2: Yamanouchi (長野の名産を食べる旅の第二日：山の上)

On our last day in Nagano, we went to see Matsumoto Castle and drove through Hakuba and Miasa on the way back to Kanazawa.

長野の旅の最後の日には、松本城に見に行くために松本市へ行って、白馬・美麻経由に金沢の方に戻りました。

Oyaki (おやき)

While onigiri (rice balls) may be Japan’s general answer to portable food, the Shinshu region’s signature food-to-go is the oyaki, savory steamed soba-flour buns typically filled with savory vegetables. Oyaki are also great because there are vegetarian options. (I’ve written about oyaki before on my prior travels to Nagano and Takayama). Oyaki stands in Nagano are everywhere, and the locals apparently have their favorite shops and brands, but we just stopped at one outside of Matsumoto Castle.

日本の代用的な携帯用の食はおにぎりと考えられますけど、信州地域におやきです。おやきというのはソバ粉が入っている生地があって野菜が詰まれた饅頭の仲間です。又、おやきの代表的な材料の中で野菜だけの種類が多いので、ベジタリアンに対して優しい料理です。(先に長野のと高山のおやきについて書きました。) 長野県ではおやきの屋台があちこちあって、おやきに凝る市民たちは好きな屋台やブランドについて意見があるのに、昼ご飯を食べたかったから松本城の出口のちかくの屋台で買いに行きました。

Most stands offer a meat bun (local black pork or Hida beef), eggplant, savory kabocha, tsubu-an (sweet red bean paste) and nozawana (pickled greens); depending on the location and season, sometimes you can also get (sweet) apple or sakura. I had two: nozawana-wasabi and apple, and we split a sakura-an as dessert.

おやきの種類の中には、お肉が入っているやつ（だいたい黒豚肉か飛騨牛）、なす、南瓜、粒あんや野沢菜が人気がありそうです。地方と季節によると甘いリンゴか桜あんが買えます。わさび野沢菜とリンゴを一つずつ食べて、皆は桜あんのもシェアーしました。

Taiyaki (たいやき)

As you  know, I love “strange” taiyaki, i.e. flavors other than an and custard. Not too far from Matsumoto Castle is the Nawate Dori shopping area, where Yazawa Taiyaki is located. This taiyaki shop has a wide range of flavors: the standard custard and anko, yes, but also chocolate, matcha cream, sakura (seasonal), tofu cream, cream cheese, curry, and more.

あんとカスタード以外の面白い味のたいやきが好きですから、縄手通にある矢澤鯛焼店で食べてみようと思いました。あんことカスタードはもちろん、チョコ、抹茶クリーム、桜（季節期限）、豆腐クリーム、クリームチーズ、カレー等の味もありました。

My husband tried the okonomiyaki taiyaki, which has cabbage and egg in the center and is covered in okonomi sauce, mayo, and bonito flakes. He said it tasted just like okonomiyaki.

お好み焼きが大好きな夫はキャベッツと卵を挟んでお好みソース・マヨネーズ・かつおぶしをかけた「お好み焼きたいやき」というやつを食べてみて、本物の味があると言いました。

I tried the tofu cream, which was rich like cream cheese. Tofu cream is one of my favorite taiyaki fillings and I love it on scones, too.

私は豆腐クリームを食べてみて、こってりしたクリームチーズ みたいでした。豆腐クリームはちょっとマイブームになって、スコーンでも食べるのを楽しめる〜

Ikeda Herb Center (池田ハーブセンター)

We hit the road toward Hakuba, stopping to check out the Ikeda Herb Center, where we got apple juice (the closest thing to American apple cider here), wasabi chocolate, and herb ice cream: mulberry-vanilla and lavender-mint.

白馬へ向かって 、池田ハーブセンターでちょっととまりました。アメリカのアップルサイダー（※英語ではリンゴを原料とした濾されていない飲み物です。日本のソーダのようなサイダーに関係なし）、わさびチョコ、や桑・バニラとラーベンダー・ミントのアイスを買っちゃいました。

Miasa Coffee (美麻コーヒー)

In the little town of Miasa, near Omachi, we stopped for a coffee break at Miasa Coffee.

大町と近くの美麻という小さな町（村？）では美麻コーヒーで「コーヒータイム」を楽しめました。

We nearly got the car stuck in the mud on the driveway thanks to the snow, but it was worth it. I love the cozy atmosphere of the place and the giant stove (not pictured).

喫茶店の前の道路には泥で車がはまり込みそうで、やっと移動できました。ぎりぎりセーフ。。。喫茶店の雰囲気とまきストーブが大好きです。

The staff brought us some chocolate-covered coffee beans, too. (Map)

チョコのコーヒー豆をおまけにもらいました。

Goat Cheese (ヤギ乳チーズ)

I had heard that cheese-making was becoming more popular in Nagano, so we stopped in Michi no Eki Hakuba to get some Kaze no Tani no Farm cheese.

長野でチーズ工房があることについて聞きましたから、白馬で風の谷のファームのヤギ乳チーズを買ってきました。（工房の名前は『風の谷のナウシカ』の影響？♪風の谷のヤギチーズ～♪）

The cheese is preserved in olive oil and is good for about a month. We had it for dinner with nice whole-grain bread, strawberries, carrots, radishes, grapes, and a Sauvignon Blanc.

チーズはオーリブオイルとハーブで漬けにして賞味期限が一カ月ぐらいです。チーズと全粒分のパン、苺、ニンジン、ラディッシュ、ブドウ、やソービニョン・ブランブドウと一緒食べました。

And that concludes the Nagano recap! What are your favorite Shinshû regional foods?

これは長野の旅の食の紹介が最後です。読者様、好きな信州地域の名産は何ですか？

I plan to update the guide periodically, so if you have comments on your experiences with Japanese appliances, recommendations, or if I missed anything, please leave me a comment! (For example, I use a French press and Chemex instead of an electric coffee maker, so I don’t have experience with that.) Also, what would you like to see with the style–Photos? Links?  Which brands I (and others) liked?

The page is here: http://www.illmakeitmyself.net/resources/guide-to-japanese-kitchen-appliances/

Of course, hanami wouldn’t be hanami without food and drink, and what better to bring than two Japanese classics together in a super portable form?

I especially like that this recipe uses the leftover sakura flowers from the Sakura “Latte.” No waste and more sakura flavor.

These muffins are not especially sweet, but I think they balance sweetness with the bitterness of matcha and the saltiness of the sakura. I recommend using 80 g of sugar, but you can use as little as 60 g or as much as 160 g.* Also, use matcha meant for cooking and flavoring sweets, not the really nice stuff you would serve to guests for tea. As for the sakura, if a whole flower is too much sakura for you or you run out, using a petal or two is just fine.

Sakura Matcha Muffins
Adapted from “No. 21: Matcha” muffins from She Knows Muffin オリジナル・レシピ集 ―We Love Muffin!, p. 25.**

Yields 12 muffins
Time: 40 minutes (if the chopped sakura is prepared)
Active: 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

Ingredients
~12 preserved sakura flowers and stems (sakura hana zuke, 桜花漬)
6-8 preserved sakura flowers and stems from the Sakura Latte recipe [soaked twice and chopped]
Boiling water

100 g (3.5 oz/ 7 TBSP) unsalted butter, softened (muen batâ, 無塩バター)
80 g (1/3 US cup + 1/3 TBSP) unpacked brown sugar (sanontô, 三温糖), or brown beet sugar (tensaitô, てんさい糖, 甜菜糖)
2 eggs (tamago, 卵)
295 g (3-1/4 cups) cake flour (hakurikiko, 薄力粉)
5 g (1 tsp) matcha powder for cooking (seikayo maccha, 製菓用抹茶)
12 g (3-1/3 tsp) baking powder (bêkingu paudâ, ベーキングパウダー)
140 mL (1/2 cup + 1.5 TBSP) milk (milk: gyûnyû, 牛乳; low-fat milk: teishibônyû, 低脂肪乳; soy milk:tônyû, 豆乳)

Equipment
Silicon muffin cups (mafin kappu, マフィンカップ)
OR muffin tins (mafin kata, マフィン型)
Small heatproof bowl(s) for soaking the sakura

Procedure
1. Prepare the chopped preserved sakura from the Sakura Latte recipe (6-8 flowers) and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180º C (350º F).
3. In a small heatproof bowl, soak the 12 other flowers and stems in enough boiling water to cover them for 1-3 minutes. Discard water. Gently rinse again. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, matcha powder, baking powder). Combine the milk and chopped sakura. Alternating milk mixture and dry ingredients into the batter in three parts, gently stir the batter to incorporate. Do not overbeat.
5. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Smooth the tops a little. Press a whole sakura (or a few petals) into the top.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Nutritional Information

For 1 muffin using 2% milk and 80 g (total) sugar.

Notes

*She Knows Muffin has two styles of muffins: sweet and non-sweet; the only difference is the amount of sugar and salt. I tend to use the non-sweet recipe as the base for everything, but since this recipe has matcha and sakura on it, a little extra sweetness is nice. If you want them to be more like a cupcake than a muffin, use up to 160 g sugar. I omitted the salt because the sakura is salty.

**This is my favorite Japanese-language cookbook. I bought it because the title was funny, but the recipes are easy and always turn out well. This book is one of my prized possessions, and if you’ve had muffins at my place, you’ve probably had a variety from this book.

On our second day in Nagano, we headed to Yamanouchi to see the snow monkeys at the Jigokudani Monkey Park. We kind of took the long way around, but eventually we got on the right path.

長野の旅行の第２日には山の上の地獄谷野猿公苑へニホンザルを見に行きました。ちょっと道を迷ってしまいましたけど、やっと見つけて進みました。

The roads from Yudanaka Onsen to the park are lined with ryokan and sweets shops. This one had a window cat!

湯田中温泉から野猿公苑向かって道が和菓子屋や旅館に並んでいます。この店の窓辺に猫がいました〜

Mystery Drinks? ミステリードリンクって。。。

We kept finding vending machines with “mystery drinks” (bottom center) in them. I wonder why?

あちこちミステリー・ドリンクが入っている自動販売機を見つけてびっくりするほど多かった。なぜかな。。。

Onsen Eggs 温泉卵

Onsen eggs (onsen tamago) are soft-boiled eggs cooked in the natural hot spring water. We paid 50 yen for each egg and stood around literally sucking eggs. Really good, just hard to eat without a spoon.

温泉卵を買って食べました。アメリカのロッキー山脈には温泉がありますが、温泉の湯でゆでる卵がなさそうで楽しみです。一個は￥５０で、立ちながら卵を吸いました。めっちゃ美味しかったが、スプーンなしにはちょっと食べにくいと思います。（笑）

Local Soba 名産のそば

Stopped by Rausu-an for some soba before heading to the right road to the park.

地獄谷野猿公苑に行ける道路経由に羅臼庵というそば屋さんでそばを食べました。

After the meal, you combine the liquid in which the soba noodles were cooked with the tsuyu (dipping sauce) and drink it. It’s called sobayu.

そば湯を作るためのもの。

At the Monkey Park 野猿公苑で

This monkey really wanted an apple!

この猿は本当にリンゴが欲しかったです。

Onsen Manjû 温泉饅頭

Had some onsen manjû before the beer festival. According to Wikipedia, what makes an onsen manjû different from a regular manjû is that onsen water is used in the batter and the manjû are steamed in steam from the onsen.

ビアライブの前に温泉饅頭を楽しめました。ウィキペディアによると普段の饅頭と温泉饅頭の違いは２つ：生地で温泉水を使うことと温泉の蒸気で蒸すこと。なるほど！

Next time: herbal ice cream, exciting taiyaki, and local coffee.