Growing up in Florida’s endless summers, I’ll admit that my current all-encompassing love for the changing seasons was hard won. I moved from Florida to California, living blocks from the beach, and did not own a pair of closed-toed shoes until I made the unfortunately timed decision to move to Virginia at the tail end…
Tag: japanese food
Kobe Beef in Kobe & Takoyaki in Osaka
I’m a pescatarian, and when we first had children it was important to me that they be raised vegetarian and they could choose for themselves whether to have meat or not, once they understood what it was. My Better Half, however, is emphatically not a vegetarian. Whenever I’m out of town, he’ll go on ‘meat…
Picking Fruit & Vegetables in Japan!
One of the most surprising things to me about living in Japan is how much seasonal foods & flowers impact daily life here. We’ve attended countless festivals celebrating the turn of the seasons, and one of my favorite apps is one called 72 Seasons, which outlines the changing of Japan’s seasons based on the ancient…
Making Umeshu
In mid-June, we took part in one of my favorite Japanese traditions: making something to eat and drink. Japan is hugely focused on seasonal foods and treats, and umeshu (plum wine) is one of them. By June, all the ingredients to make your own plum wine at home were front and center in Japanese groceries. I…
Hattori Farm in Kanagawa
Just a short drive from Tokyo, we entered into what felt like another world with Hattori Farm. I’d been enticed by the rumor of pony rides, but when my friend and I arrived with our sons, we learned that they didn’t start until later in the season. Luckily, I hadn’t mentioned pony rides to my…
Summer Treats in Japan!
Enjoying all the delicious treats we can find in Japan!
Tsukiji Fish Market & Ginza
Bright and early on a rainy Saturday, our son booked into a once-a-month Saturday daycare that we always take advantage of, my better half & I took off for Tokyo to visit one of his Japan bucket list items, the Tsukiji Fish Market – the largest in the world. The market has existed in this location…
Cooking with the Japanese!
One of the activities I’ve enjoyed the most in Japan has been the monthly cooking club – which, if you know how much I love cooking, ought to be an enormous surprise. Each month, the American and Japanese spouses get together to cook a traditional meal from one culture or the other. My first cooking…
Yakiniku in Shinjuku
Before we hit up Robot Restaurant, our Valentine’s Day quadruple-date gang headed through Shinjuku in search of dinner. We’d heard the food at Robot Restaurant was nothing to write home about, so instead, we settled down the street at one of the many Yakiniku restaurants lining the road. Yakiniku essentially means grilled meat, and mainly…
Kate Has Thoughts 