star lighting island trip

Went a small island for short trip with shiu-chan.

It was his second time to travel to Japan,
and it was first time to visit this small island.


The island located southern setouchi-sea,
Just an hour plus from my place but the sea was so beautiful.


nice fine beach and cute fishes swiming near beach

there were small surprises for shiu-chan,

one is to do fishing.
we rent fishing rod from the hotel and did 'Sabiki' style fishing.
'Sabiki' style is to hang bait basket either bottom or top of hooks to attract fishes.



looks pro?? =P u know how to do fishing or not??

It was my first time for me to do 'Sabiki' fishing as usually I do rock fishing or beach fishing.


both us blur blur prepare and anyhow did.

Surprisingly we fished quite number of fishes.
Small sardines, small horse mackerels, seabreams and some other small fishes.


stucked sea bream, wild and so nice body colour.

Got interesting thing, a greedy fish, stuck into bait basket,
little sea bream, stucked fishing line between basket and hooks...
WHAT KIND OF FISHING IS IT??!! =P


After enjoy fishing, there were another surpise for shiu-chan, all squid dinner.
It was also my first time to have whole squid sashimi.


this squide known as queen of squid. mild taste.

both us enjoyed the meal, include following dinner courses.


In the night, enjoyed salty hot spring and looking up beautiful stars in the sky =)



Hotel & Resort Sunshine Sazanseto
Katazoegahama, Suo-ooshima-cho, Yamaguchi
http://www.sunshine-jp.com

more like normal Japanese Restaurant

had lunch with the couple who hold wedding ceremony in Singapore last year.


We went to Ryoutei (kind of formal Japanese Restaurant) near by our place,
as this restaurant offers reasonable lunch course.


The course includes 9 small seasonal appetizers,
Chawan mushi, Dobin mushi pot, a few Sushi and dessert.


Appetizers got new potato, poached oyster, simmered Anago (sea eel),
simmered Ayu fish...etc.
All these are small, just like one or two bite sized but enjoyable looks and taste.

many Japanese restaurant offers this kind of set lunch course.

Dobin mushi, it's clear soup with Matsutake, Hamo (Pike conger),
It was my first time to have Dobin mushi pot actually, it should be poring soup from pot and drink it first and then, eat the ingredients.

Dobin mushi is served in something like tea pot.

Sushi was just 5 pieces, simple and quite tasty.
It was also my first time to have Sanma (pacific saury) sushi, and it was surprisingly tasty =)

just nice quantity of sushi =) not too big or not too small size too.


We had nice lunch time and chit chatting!
After that they brought us to their love nest to be.
they must be happy planning their new house...=D


Hina no ryoutei Jigozen
5-19-14 Jigozen, Hatsukaichi-city,
Hiroshima 738-0042
http://www.hinanoryotei-jigozen.com

hint of lemon essense

Today baked 'Melon Pan', Japanese original bread.


I am not sure is it easy to find in Singapore.
make biscuit dough while proofing the bread dough.


Shiu-chan, finally tried just maccha baked bread! =P



don't forget to make cross border.


The bread is consider rich dough, but because of that,
Quite chewy and rich taste.



nice with english tea....

not easy to eat but,

This is Amaebi (Sweet prawn) I like most.








With EGGs!!! =D


eggs are jade colour and a little bit of sweet taste.
have to suck it before taking of shells as I am not good in eating this kind,
but enjoyable like that.


These are from Norway and it's very reasonable price.
(200g for 300 yen = about S$4.50)



Maccha finally introduced this to Shiu-chan as
this one not everytime can be found at supermarket.




yup, my dear shiu-chan came to see me!! =D =D

Get drunk by bread?!

Felt like baking bread although I got baking lesson today.


Tried to bake 'mochi mochi' bread,
using milk instead of soya milk.

I added green tea powder, and because of that,
I should add slightly more water.
Dough was quite dry, knead quite some time but
seemed too dry or something.


Bread was quite 'mochi mochi' but not like what I baked at the baking lesson.



I think need to add more green tea powder to get more taste of it.

Still need to practice more to defferentiate dough condition,
Whether is it well knead or so.




In the afternoon, attended a baking lesson.
I was quite interested about the bread since I saw the bread.


The bread is called 'Beer bread'.

I thought just use some beer with water, but come to make,
the bread only use beer. furthermore the beer was stout.

Teacher said stout can get more aroma and tick taste for bread.


whole process of making this bread was very beer smell...



cute look but truly adult taste... hahaha


After tried this bread, I was surprised that the bread has very strong beer smell.



Inside of this bread got Camambert cheese and hint of black pepper.
It's something like 'tasting beer with comlements'...



quite matching anyway =)



Really!!! you don't trust?
you should try this bread if you like to drink beer =P



Ends up somehow I feel like get drunk...
(I dun like beer, sake, shochu or wine...hahaha)

it's interesting taste

my mum bought figs.




this kind is not so big. about 5cm round. some peoples cannot take the taste.


It's season for late summer to early autumn fruits.
getting lesser and lesser summer fruits like melon and water melon,
while getting more and more autumn fruits like chestnut and pear.


Fig tree has a kind of juice that makes feel itchy.
somehow I never felt itchy or got rush by touching it.



Soon my neighbour's fig tree will also have many riped figs...=)

first experience

Attended trial baking lesson at different baking school.


This course learn all breads with natural yeast.
I know what natural yeast is, and how difficult and sensitive it is.


It was my very first time of touching for natural yeast.


the bread at least need to proof for 2 hours for 1st proofing,
due to that, we only did bench time, deviding and 2nd proofing.

While waiting for 2nd proofing to be done,
we did mixing of ingredients and kneeding as a group work.



Too sad to say, the lesson style was not what I was expected.
and too bad, this course needs to take at least 3 months to complete
just 1 course (part 1 - 4 + master course)...

If I have the time, I will like to go for this course...
(but if I really have time, I rather go for culinary poly for 1 year....hahaha)



apricot fig noix bread. smells more like sourdough. tasty! =)

Natural yeast bread taste was really what I expected. very different from dry yeast.
Further more, this school is using 100% Japanese wheat flour, which they said super low or null post harvest and more tasty.

Common bread flour in Japan is mostly imported from U.S, I think I should try to use Japanese flour.
Wheat makes big difference for bread taste then =)


After the school, jalan jalan dept store and found bakery from Ishikawa prefecture at the food fair there.
I bought a Green tea *Dainagon red bean bread.
Green tea + Dainagon red bean...it's popular combination for alot of thing.
I like both and just feel like trying that.



quite light texture bread. outer is quite crispy.

A little bit of regret,
green tea taste was not very nice...but red bean was just nice.



*Dainagon red bean is bigger size than Azuki red bean. it's good for long hour cooking.


Trial lesson @ Homemade Association
http://www.homemade.co.jp

bread from Bread & cake & coffee Biron
27-1 jounan, komatsu-shi, Ishikawa
http://www.biron.jp