Pumpkin Mont Blanc

TRICKED or TREATED??









Halloween is becoming more and more popular
nowadays in Japan.



Especially sweets and snacks!! =P

Worcester sauce meets Croquette

Gra Coro ~ ♪ Gra Coro~♪



When I was still a child,
I always loved to have this when they sale this.





really long long time never had this, taste same???



'Gratine croquette burger'.
I loved this just as same as 'Tsukimi Burger (sunrise egg burger)' =)




not too thick and not so sweet white sauce gratine croquette,
really nice with worcester sauce and shredded cabbage.




Woo Hoo~~~~~!!! =D



Mcdonalds Japan
www.mcdonalds.co.jp

seedless guava

baseball size is just nice for eating.



miss this fruits most...





it's guava.





I was almost everyday eating this for breakfast.




It's seedless, sweet and soft compare to common guava.
Eat this, worked good for me...




Would like to have this....

it's still only October...

It's not winter yet...
it's only middle autumn...





BUT



I've not being stay in Japan for quite some time already.


I feel very cold!!




I already need wool blanket,
light feather blanket and wool in-room socks!!!




Samui yo~~~~!!!!

autumn harvest

this year's harvest!!











The old tree did hard work,
200 + persinmons =)

relaxed weekend lunch

Felt like going for lunch at Japanese Restaurant and we went down to the Hotel opposit Miyajima island.

We wanted to try Sanma (Pacific Saury) bousushi*,
but today they served Aji (Horse Mackerel) bousushi instead.
Not bad...but I just found tt still Saba (Mackerel) is the best fish for it...


Carrot made into Miyajima's red gate shape. cute and nice side dish.


We could view Miyajima Red gate and island itself, oyster farms and ships for taking up oysters on the sea from the restaurant.




few ships are already there to taken up oysters.

Soon it will be Oyster season.


will it be tasty oysters this year???



*bousushi, is a kind of long sushi, looks like stick.
Vinegret Mackerel with thinly sliced kelp are most common ingredients to be used.



Wa Shokudou Itsukushima @ Aki Grand Hotel
1-1-17 Miyajimaguchi-nishi, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima
www.akigh.co.jp/english/index.html

German Bread

There was Pretzel at sweets and bread fair at department store.



bought those...




Simple taste, chew and get more wheat taste.



I've never traveled to German before,
and I don't know the real taste of these breads,
but I prefer to have hard pretzel like this.

I was only able to have soft Pretzels in Singapore.


Anyway the baker worked and trained baking in Munich.
Taste should be more familier to original.

Taste was quite simple, but should be nice to have with soups or beer!
(beer, especially nice w pretzels!!!)



Bakerei Ein
9-29-102 Nakajima-cho, Nakaku, Hiroshima

this call "Nama"...

nowadays getting more and more popular sweets,



[Nama Caramel (Fresh Caramel?)]



I finally got chance to try it.





this from 'Bake de Arle', confectionery in Hokkaido



It's rich in fresh cream, very soft and immediately melting in your mouth.
Different from normal caramel.
Google it and they say it's invented by farmer in Hokkaido in 2006.







Oh~...I see....this is call "Nama Caramel"...






This is trendy taste...







I think I don't really able to follow trend,
just like Macarons....hahaha...

yacchatta!! (did something funny)

Thought of making something healthy,
thought of add TOFU to bake bread.



Tofu is watery food, used less water.






......not,







Totally no need to use water...




supposed to bake tofu bread, turned out to something not like bread.
IT'S OKAY!! just upload as blog's topic!!
nyahaha =P




baked 210deg, too high temp...outside became so hard!!! inside not well done yet..


I will revenge to bake better one!!

long long visiting

Suddenly felt like visiting horses.
Well, why not visit there...



It's been long time I never been to horse riding club,
my favorite place.



It was horse resting day and so, no people were around.
I just spent the time with horses as much as possible with relax feeling.







I'm visiting this riding club for more than 10 years...






I am not a member, and always go there to just see horse,
however, the owner always welcomes me with smile.
She really loves horses, running a riding club is quite tough and
have to manage well, but she is not going for business first,
more like she wants people to enjoy with horses.



This riding club is my very special and precious place.





princess's sexy leg =P

Bread of the week

Last week's baking practice.


Yes, I've been baking for table bread...ONLY!!!



cuoca's original brend Jap flour, 'Kitano kaori'


Yeagle


wholemeal 40% + Kitano kaori


wholemeal 40% + Yeagle


Wholemeal 20%, Yeagle 40% + Kitano kaori 40%


Realised that really Jap wheat flour makes the bread chewy.

Lazy Lazy Okayama trip 2

Today, we went down to Kurashiki City.


Lucilky we happened to been there on Shrine's autumn festival.
Saw beautiful Omikoshi* and some Oni (Jap devil) around the street.
I think now is peak period for Autumn festival in whole Japan.
(*portable shrine. people carry Omikoshi and walk around the sorrounding area,
to thank and to play for nature god. lastly go to shrine and present it to nature god.
Have several variety depends on region, my region only children carry this kind of Omikoshi,
guys will carry straw rice bag Omikoshi)



nice Omikoshi...my hometown's were not so nice...hahaha

We walked around Bikan old building street,
just eat and walk, took tea break, shop for souvenirs...



Bikan streed buildings are all look old...


relaxing river side


fish castella...soft and tasty!! many people q at this shop



Enjoyed sightseeing =)




Kurashiki website (English)
world.kankou-kurashiki.jp/eng/top.html

Lazy Lazy Okayama trip

Traveled with friends.

Although I have relative in Okayama pref but
have not been to Okayama Castle before.



Okayama castle is jus across of Kourakuen Jap park only.


The Okayama castle is as known as Crow Castle.
Well, it's understandable...castle looks very black.



This travel theme was just to beein lazy and relax.
After the castle visiting, we jus straight down to the Ryokan.

We stayed at Hakuunkaku onsen ryokan,
they offer 11 types of bath and karaoke dancing show...
sounds very typical onsen...hahaha =P


ryokan decore not bad too...

Room was not too small, but not too big.
Dinner course was quite reasonable quantity and tasty too.


'mamakari' fish. mamakari means, tasty till need to borrow mama (cooked rice) to eat...


Before dinner, we enjoyed 4 onsen, and after dinner we enjoyed another 5 onsen (incl sauna & water bath).



The show, free for guests was dancing show...
It was my first time to see those show, I only seen on TV before...
Quite interesting!!!



Okayama castle
2-3-1 Marunouchi, Kita-ku, Okayama

Kankou Ryokan Hakuunkaku
644 Yuba, Okayama
www.hakuunkaku.net

MAX!!!

People's leg in the city, LRT's latest tram,
'GREEN MOVER MAX'.

It had been 4 years since Max welcomed to Hiroshima...
It's the first non-step (super low floor) tram manifactured in Japan.
(His senior, Green Mover (non-step) is imported from Germany)





It look very much like butterfly's caterpillar....only I think so??? cute anyway



Do not forget to take this when you visit to Hiroshima!! =)




our LRT runs jus like cars in the city and
it runs jus like train when out side of the city.



Hiroden
www.hiroden.co.jp

40 years old +

Seems like, it will be good this year...




another week should be able to start harvesting.


Quite number of fruits already dropped but,
still riping many persimmons.






My grandma planted this tree, co-memoration for building her house.
now this tree is around 40 years old.




Surprised that seedless breed was already invented that time...=)

Kinmokusei : Guihua

Open the window in the morning,
it comes the smell of flower.




it's time for 'Kinmokusei (Sweet Osmanthus)' to bloom.





it's quite common to plant this tree around my area...



One of my favorite flower.




Not too strong but naturally soothing this smell,
it's just like aroma therapy,

When I had something sad or bad,
wake up in the morning, feel cold fresh air and smell of this flower,
enough to make fresh feeling...




what am I writing...=P

Ryouka - cooling sweets

Warabi mochi is kind of refreshing summer sweets.
but sometimes even during winter, I feel like having it.




warabi is kind of fern, warabi mochi is made from its starch.
now is not so easy to find purely made from warabi starch.



Like its gentle sweetness.




Eat it with soy bean flour and sugar mix also nice,
eat only Warabi mochi also nice.





reminds me of demonstrating it at SP...
feel so nostalgic...

Breads of the week

Last week, was also do baking almost everyday.



Practice practice.



I am very biginer for baking then.



bake, bake and bake!!





200g flour, 'Haru yo koi'. I should bake it longer.



'Yeagle' (Canda, U.S), this flour quite nice to knead. top of bread still a little bit charred...



First time to use lid to bake. did 1st proofing twice. 'Camellia' (Canada, U.S).



English bread (contains skimmed milk), 'Camellia'.



Lazy weekend bread. too much water...haha. soft and plain taste. 'Camellia'.




need to practice more and more....!!!

Natural yeast breads

While I was away from Hiroshima,
it seems some nice bakeris opened.



Bagel from [Yamadayama Shokudou]


small but very chewy!!


Just recently opened its branch in the City area,
[deRien]'s Pavot (poppy seed bread)


nice sour taste of natural yeast and maybe rye flour.

deRien is well known shop but becouse of the bakery's location,
I had no chance to try their bread.
At last I can try!!

those bakeries uses natural yeast, (they make by themselves)
and deRien uses stone oven.



Yamadayama Shokudou
http://yamcook.com

Boulangerie deRien
http://www.dorian.jp

Memo : before I forget...

It's already in Autumn,



use blog for note before I forget...lol




When I go for fishing to Setouchi sea during summer,
Sometimes fish, 'Gizami'.
('Bela' is more common name)



colourful fish like tropical fish. male and female is different colour.

This fish, popular cooking method is marinate with vinegar.
Usually deep fry and marinate for a few days.
My family style is grilled and marinate.


Vinegar sauce is 180cc vinegar, 120cc sugar and 2 tbsp soya sauce.
(should be like that...)



1 week marinate, bone also can be eaten.

Refreshing food for tiring summer!!

+

After coming back to Japan,
Having quite some mental stress...




About future, about relationship,
about work, about...




I will keep eating anyhow alot untill feel vomit...




gained weight and feel guilty, regret...




+ 4Kg,





How...




Over eat when feel stress, more easier to develop fats.




How...=s

invest for myself : excuse

So long, thinking to buy one stretch board (or pestry board)...


Think think think...





Finally I bought it!!



bought from CUOCA, set come with stretch board, roller and skepper =)


Also bought kitchen scale which can be measured from 0.1g,
Thermometer (to check dough temperature) and Baking text books.



Study about baking and bread more seriously, maybe???



Anyway all these will be bringing back to Singapore for self study =P






Take my pace to slowly study lor~~~~lol

test & research

Kneading is really important for bread.
Knead less not good, knead too much also not good.
Of course, temperature also important.


I just would like to bake and eat tasty bread,
I have no much knowledge about baking yet.
(I should study about it more, of course)



Well, I just test by myself to know the kneading difference.
It's better than desktop / text book study.


I will do test and research on my pace then.



for kneading test, I refer to 'Pain De Mie' recipe,
used 'Camellia' bread flour (from U.S or Canada, about 12% protein)
took same Proofing time and baking time, used pound cake mould.



long kneading weight lighter = lost more water


Bread top in photo is knead for more than 30 mins,
bottom is knead for 10 - 15 mins.

for the long kneading bread, when I stop kneading, it felt pretty heavy kind of feeling. Quite bouncy but it's something like Bagel kind of dough I felt.





For the 'oven spring', normal kneading is slightly better.
(really only a small difference)
But the long kneading one is more like 'bread' looks.





Sliced, inside look like this.
Inside is seems like I am not good in kneading or so...=( ???

After baking, both are look so different.
Long kneading bread look like bigger more but seems like dough never well expanded.
Once I eat, there is no taste at all. quite chewy but it's not like tasty, just not nicely chewy.
I can easily feel sick of eating if the bread is like this...haha
Still normal kneading tasted better. have the taste.




Now I understood what people say knead too much is no taste,
dough never be 'α'.


Cannot anyhow knead and knead...

in the bread maze...

Today I learned steamed bun.


Nowadays I feel so confused about baking bread.
(Although I am a very new for baking world)



Learn and learn, study and study,
do and do, [BREAD] is really deep food...



It's really super difficult!!!




mix Yomogi (harb), contains sweetened dry bean. it's tasty matching...=)


I am not good in look the point of baking.





I have to bake, bake and bake and slowly getting to know and understand the all points for baking...







I am just bread lover, I will trying to bake the bread I like...


I am not a professional, but wish to have my dream bakery...

Summer memories...

It was super hot summer this year.

I never stayed in Japan for 2 years,
still feel Japan's summer is much hotter than Singapore.



Summer, the season is really makes people feel having cold thing.


This is sometimes I buy since I was a child,
[Suika Bar], Suika is Water melon in Japanese.


no diff frm last time till now...hahaha

Looks like sliced water melon, it even hav chocolate seeds in it!
This is kind of ice bar for children but I still buy it...quite refreshing taste too =)


Another cold thing, [Golden Spoon].
US originated this shop is just open recently in the city.


Choco and Raspberry flavour. smooth!


They sales frozen yogurt, taste rich and smooth, doesn't feel like having frozen yogurt...I quite like it =)



Temperature is getting lower, season is changing to Autumn,
I will not be having cold thing till next summer soon...

rabbit or wife

It's Mid-autumn festival day today.
In Japan, it's known as '十五夜(Juu go ya)'.


In Singapore, peoples are guying and eating Moon cakes during festive period while Japanese may eat 'Tsukimi Dango (kind of rice dumpling, not mochi rice cake)'.

Tsukimi dango has old old people's believe that rabbits living in the moon.
Moon cake has a story of Chang Er, a little bit sad story...
Although both following lunar calender but takes very different way to celebrate this festival...
Which you like?




Tsukimi dango, bite size. old time people sit out side, look up moon and eat this.


Luckily today it's quite clear sky and I am able to look up full moon.



By the way I think Moon cakes are getting more varieties every year...

Mochi Mochi Bagels!

I got infor from baking school student,
there is a nice bagel shop somewhere in city,
I should check it out!!! =D



It was rainy day but same as what I heard, some peoples are Q up and was waiting for bagel shop to open.


The shop is open at 12noon, but soon after opening, most of bagel are sold out.
This shop established in 2007, no wonder I didn't know about this shop as I was already started my life in Singapore...



Their bagel flavours are around 10, quite heavy and super mochi mochi (chewy)!!



about 130g/bagel. bought green tea white choc and wheat germ.


Surprisingly, bagel dough is knead by hand, and only able to make about 250 bagels per day.
I was so impressed!!!


Shop space is very small, yet cute interior and feel so cozy.





Wish I can own bakery like this someday...=)




CHELsEA BAGEL
1-19-2F Naka-ku, Nakamachi, Hiroshima
http://chelsea-b.com

Bagels @ Baking Studio

Today I baked bagels at baking school.


Their way of bake bagels are different from common process.
Make shape after 1st proofing, then do 2nd proofing (common way doesn't do this), boil and bake. Also add oil when making dough.


However, the taste was quite chewy and not bad =)
Tasted like bakery's bagel...hahaha.



many blueberry in it =)



Maybe I still follow common way as I am lazy to do 2nd proofing at home for bagels...=P



After lesson I felt very hungry, finished all bagels I baked (abt 1,300Kcal total), and also had some chocolates...ends up consumed more than 3,000Kcal...+4kg...woah...I need to do more exercise...=X =X