Hotel de Suzuki Fruit - Seasonal Fruit Salad

It is raining hard today. Maybe after a long time!

Anyway, I used to love very sweet parfait with chocolate fudge, cheesecake, pudding, etc... but as I get older, I prefer the healthier one! My recent favorite is Seasonal Fruit Salad at Hotel de Suzuki Fruit! The price is about 10 bucks, but you can have well-selected seasonal fruits with rich (but nicely small) ice cream!

I couldn't find their website to show you, but they serve cut fruit, fresh fruit juice, and some other dessert menu at the counter. Also, they have fruit cup desserts, chocolates, baked confectionery, and assorted fruits to go.

They are sumptuous, but better than spending money for sticky fat, you know!

Today I will go to the gym after work! I feel guilty, since I haven't been there for 4 days this week!!!

See ya!
Have a good weekend ;)

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Reunion @ Hard Rock Cafe in Roppongi

Yesterday, I saw my college friends for the first time in a decade. I heard Jonathan, who used to live in Japan for years gonna leave Japan, so few of us gathered to say goodbye... but I found that he is going back to NY only for 2 weeks for his thanksgiving vacation... Now I understand why he didn't prefer Japanese food but Hard Rock Cafe. Ha-ha! We could have met him after he came back! But anyway, that was what led us gather together, so it was a good chance :)

I can't believe I was 18 when I first met them. Time flies... Amazingly, they haven't changed at all. We had a good time! I hope we could hold a reunion again someday soon.

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Midori-zushi

Hi there! Three-day weekend has ended and now we don't have consecutive holidays until the new years...

On Monday, I went shopping at Shibuya 109(a famous fashion shopping centre) because I didn't feel like cooking - usually I keep myself busy on weekends. It was raining and cold, so my boyfriend didn't go anywhere but bored waiting at a coffee shop, reading newspaper... I am really sorry for that! I didn't get that many clothes, but it was a stress-relieving time. Thanks!!!

Anyway, we ate out so many times on the weekend! On Saturday, we had a dinner at Doma-Doma. On Sunday, we had a dinner at Resort Dining Bar TRIP. On Monday, we had a lunch at MOS BURGER.
Then last but not least, we had a dinner at Midori-zushi on Monday!!! This sushi restaurant is very famous for delicious low price sushi and there is always a huge line in front (top right image)! Since we lined up early at 4PM we just waited for 15 minutes, but we once waited for about an hour when we went there at 6PM!!! I had anago (conger eel, bottom-right image), my favorite, again! Also, we had Beaujolais Nouveau for the first time this season!

Oh no... I've allowed myself too many luxuries.
I didn't want to go to work this morning... you know :(

Changing my story, this weekend, I skipped the gym twice... On Saturday, I was too tired, and on Monday, my boyfriend had a slight cold. Then today, tomorrow and day after, I can't go there because I have plans in the evening + the gym is closed tomorrow :( Too bad... Am I concerned too much?! Yes. Take it easy to me!!!

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My Accomplishments

It is chilly again today. My skin is itchy :(
We have three days holiday this weekend. Yay!
Today, I got a sport lymphatic massage. It was pretty expensive but sooooo good! I mean very relaxing and my body relieved tension!

Time to go to bed, so I will briefly list my recent accomplishments.

On 11/17, I won the grand prize at Resala Fish Sausage contest. The sausage contains 850mg DHA per stick. I made takikomigohan (steamed rice dish) using it. The sausage gives out nice dashi flavor and my boyfriend liked it a lot!




On 11/18. my tomato recipe went on to the final review. This contest was held by Toyota. I once wrote about it but Toyota has cute pop cars called PASSO and this contest was to promote their cars. Unfortunately, mine didn't win the prize, but it is posted on their site: Tomato and Spinach Mapo Harusame.



On 11/16, my "Shrimp Salt Stir-Fried Japanese Honewort and Minced Chicken" received the honorable mention at shio-navi.com. shio-navi.com is the site to search & learn & evaluate about many different kinds of salt(mainly in Japan). This time, they asked for recipes that help to beat the summer heat.



On 11/18, I won the second prize at Taisho Karada Kankyo Aojiru recipe contest. Aojiru is a health drink made from squeezed green leafed vegetables. I made Healthy Green Banana Cottage Cheese Cake. It is light but rich and delicious ;)




On 11/20, my fellow blogger Nazarina passed me some awards: the Premio Arte y Pico award, the Great Buddy Award, a Perfect Blend of Friendship Award, the Good Job Award, and the Inspiration Award!!! Thank you so much!!! I want to pass these to jose and merce, too. I know jo already has those ;)









Then last but not least, my bean recipe passed the initial review! I am going to attend the cook-off on 12/19! I am happy to know this because this is the third year I tried for this contest. Finally!!!

But I can be happy momentarily. I need to try the next one. This is my way...

Good night!
Have a good weekend!!!

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Ratatouille Ideas

Hello! Today, the temperature is 5C (10F) lower and colder than yesterday, due to cold winds blowing down from the north! I didn't want to get up this morning, you know...

Anyway, last time, I posted my Ratatouille recipe. My recipe serves only 2, but some recipes serve a great amount that you might not be able to finish up at once. Here I will show you that it can be used in many different ways.

Ratatouille Cheese Bowl: Sprinkle cheese over the ratatouille rice bowl.









Ratatouille Hand Roll: Wrap ratatouille with nori and sushi rice.









Fish Saute, Ratatouille Sauce: Pour ratatouille over the saute of fish.






Butterfly Fruit Nut Rye Bread with Ratatouille: Stand 2 slices of fruit nut rye bread on cream cheese, garnish ratatouille.







I hope you find them helpful ;)

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Beaujolais Nouveau

Do you drink Beaujolais Nouveau on the release day?

Drinking Beaujolais Nouveau has become a popular event in Japan. Every third Thursday of November, various events are held around the country! Interestingly, Beaujolais Nouveau goes on sale in Japan earlier than in Europe, because there is a time difference.

Anyway, I once went to the Neo Village of Tokyo International Forum. Neo Village is a group of food stalls and they open stalls at Tokyo International Forum every year on the Beaujolais day. We can enjoy dishes from many countries with Beaujolais Nouveau! The year I went there was so cold that I haven't been there since then. Ha-ha!

Well... Enjoy yourselves!!!
Happy Beaujolais day ;)

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Ratatouille Pizza

It is warm again today! The high is 68F (20C)! I hope this weather lasts...

Have you seen “Ratatouille"? It is a movie released in June, 2007. Last summer, there was a contest related to this movie and my "Ratatouille Pizza" won the Second Prize! I will translate the recipe since it is fun for your party ;)


---------------------------------
Ratatouille Pizza

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30min
Number of servings: 25cm (10inch) pizza

Ingredients:
100g (3.5oz.) eggplant
100g (3.5oz.) zucchini
100g (3.5oz.) diced tomato can
50g (1.8oz.) green bell pepper
50g (1.8oz.) red bell pepper
50g (1.8oz.) onion
0.5 clove garlic
1 dried bay leaf
0.5 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
25cm (10inch) pizza dough
sliced cheese
red bell pepper rings
black olive slices
thin strips of green bell pepper

Directions:
1. Dice eggplant, zucchini, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and onion. Soak the diced eggplant in water to remove the oxalic acid and drain.


2. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil, add the diced onion and dried bay leaf, stir until onion softens. Add diced eggplant, zucchini, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper, cook over medium heat.

3. Add another tbsp. olive oil, stir well. Add diced tomato can, crushed garlic, and salt, stir to combine. Then cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates, season with salt if needed.




5. Spread 4. on the pizza dough.





6. Cover 5. with sliced cheese. Place in the oven at 400F (200C) and cook until cheese softens and crust is golden on bottom.



7. Draw Remy's face with black olive slices, red bell pepper rings, and thin strips of green bell pepper.




My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Enjoy!!!

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Kiyose Carrot Recipe Contest

Hi! The high today is 68F (20C)! It was nice and warm this weekend, too. But the forecast said we will experience a drop in temperature later in the week.

On Saturday, I attended the cook-off final of the Carrot Recipe Contest in Kiyose-city, Tokyo. Kiyose-city is No.1 carrot producer in Tokyo. Kiyose Chamber of Commerce asked for carrot recipes and there were 26 finalists on this day!!! The contest was something like a block association event and most finalists were Kiyose residents! Ha-ha. I am glad that the lady I met last week (at ANDERSEN Bread Contest) came on this day!
My boyfriend came with me, but unfortunately he couldn't enter the kitchen (so he couldn't take pictures of me). He had to wait for an hour at the waiting room, which was too bad.
The lady from Gifu prefecture who made "Carrot Bomb Clear Soup" won the grand prize! Unfortunately, mine (Stir-Fried Pork with Salty Sweet Grated Carrot) didn't win any prize, but I enjoyed a lot. We tasted all 26 dishes after the awarding ceremony (bottom-right image). While tasting, I found some kids saying "yummy" eating mine, which was more than the prize ;)

After the contest, my boyfriend was bored stiff, so we decided to stop off at Ikebukuro station and have an early dinner. At the food mall of TOBU department store, there was a Challenge Menu Fair. Each restaurants and the students of 8 Universities have collaborated and created amazing "rice" dishes! We had Kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) at Ooedo. There I found Italian sushi (bottom-left image), which was the Challenge Menu of that restaurant! Also, I had anago (conger eel, bottom-right image), which is my favorite ;) We had a good time.

My boyfriend finally got back into a good mood, so we shopped around the department store. But I guess he was still tired... While I was shopping at Sanrio store I found him sitting and watching Elmo toy... Oh no... Of course, we went home right away!

Changing my story. Today, I won a grand prize at a contest but I lost the others which prizes were more attractive!!! It's just my luck!

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