November 27th - An evening out in Sannenzaka, to visit Koudaiji Temple to view the momiji (maples) in all of their fall attire and an amazing bamboo grove, followed by dinner at Mame-cha.
The temple grounds...
An incredible meal...
December 12th - We attended a small mochi tsuki taikai ("A gathering to pound rice cakes") festival not 10 minutes from our new home. This is a prelude to the mochi-making that happens over the New Year`s holiday.
First, huge quantities of rice are boiled in this impromptu cooker.
Next, the rice is poured into a giant wooden mortar so it can be pounded into the sticky flour-like mochi to be made into cakes.
There were several colorful characters who participated in the festivities.
Even yours truly took a few swings, my technique refined with the help of the local pros.
Eri enjoys my hard work - mochi covered in kinako, a yummy soy powder.
December 23rd - Italian dinner night! Using my Mom`s recipe for marinara sauce and homemade meatballs, Eri & I crafted a meal to delight the senses. WARNING: The following photos may induce the need to head out to the nearest Italian restaurant you can find.
The sauce had been made the previous day, to set overnight, per Mom`s instructions. The chef begins with an eggplant parmesan, the first time he has ever attempted it.
The main course in the developmental stage...
...and the finished product.
Mom`s homemade meatballs in the skillet. Between these and the parmesan, the whole house was redolent with yummy smells that reminded me of my childhood.
Eri, making what became the best pesto I have ever had.
Our Italian restaurant, set up in our bedroom.
We began the meal with the eggplant parmesan, accompanied by some warm baguette and Italian bread from Le Petit Mec, Eri`s favorite bakery. Then it was on to the second course: Eri`s pasta & pesto, and the heavenly meatballs with cresson, a French herb. (Yes, I, the non-meat eater indulged in these too, and I relished every bite!)
Eri grates some fresh parmesan over her delicious creation.
Our third course was another fantastically yummy Eri creation: butter lettuce, walnuts, and orange slices in a yuzu, shouyu, apple vinegar, pepper, and fleur de sel dressing.
Dezaato was a scrumptious chocolate cake from our favorite patisserie, Au Grenier, with a side of Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream.
The chef comes out smelling like a rose...
...as Eri sweetly sinks into a food coma.
December 25th - I don`t usually get excited about Christmas. However, being with Eri in our house has been such a joyous experience that it was nice we both happened to have off on Christmas Day. In Japan, the 25th is like any other day. It is usually a day for dates and shopping, but almost all of the businesses remain open, as people shop in preparation for the New Year`s festivities, which begin on the 28th. In a way, Eri and I had our own version of the traditional "date". We left the bed in the late morning, and put together a lovely brunch. I cooked up a dish of onions, potatoes sliced thin, and green and red peppers, seasoned with a bit of pepper and salt. The rest of the main meal consisted of smoked salmon with lemon and cresson, pan du compagne from our favorite downtown bakery, Walder, and brie. This was followed by a fruit salad of aoi ringo ("blue apple"), ra furansu (pear), orenji (orange), and mikan (little juicy oranges) marinated in a lemon, sparkling strawberry wine (left over from the Italian dinner) and mikan juice combination. Our brunch ended with two pieces of Papa John`s cheesecake; blueberry for me and French vanilla for Eri.
The following morning, we awoke to something I haven`t seen since moving to SF in 2002 - snow! My first Kyoto snowfall, and what a wonderful way to experience it.
Happy Holidays!
yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai! (Please have a Happy New Year!)
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