April 2018 Favourites List

After March’s wintry, snow clad pictures, it is a delight to see that Spring has sprung! I was fortunate enough to spend this year’s Easter break travelling around Japan. Ever since Mr Hammick, my primary school Humanities teacher, taught us the Sakura song (in both English and Japanese) when I was 10, I’ve always wanted to see the cherry blossom. He had lived in Japan for 10 years, and had learned to speak Japanese. He told us about Japan, and I loved hearing every story. 

The delicately pink, five petaled Sakura is the national flower of Japan. The blooms last 3 to 5 days, depending on the weather. A windy day can spell tragedy, a seriously wet day is catastrophic. The blossom in a single town might last a week or two. The plum blossom lasts a month. So why do the Japanese love the cherry blossom so much? It is the combination of the indescribable beauty and its transience which makes it so irresistible. 

Chasing the Sakura in Kyoto, Kanazawa, Kawaguchiko and Tokyo was an unforgettable experience. I learned that Fujisan is as shy and elusive as he is described to be. If you see him, take your pictures immediately. Visibility rarely lasts the day. Clouds can mask him completely, such that you’d never believe he’s only a couple of kilometres away. Haze caused by mist and bright sunshine can make his full outline hard to discern. In full view, it is a truly awesome sight; a singular mountain, all by itself, with the most perfect sloping, conical outline. What an icon!

Kyoto’s streets are vivid and picturesque with the blossom in place. It is a fascinating city of culture and architecture at any time of year. The beautiful drifts of Sakura make the streets of Gion, the Philopher’s Path and the canals on the approach to Ginkakuji (the Temple of the Golden Pavilion) like a dream come true. The historic streets of Kanazawa are fun to wander around, the city’s gastronomy is among the best in Japan, but the blossom around the Castle and Botanical Gardens are ethereal; like cascades of snow. 

The deer of Nara are always adorable, but the cherry flowers make them even more photogenic and catching the very last Sakura in Tokyo at the tomb of the last Shogun,
Tokugawa Yoshinobu in Yanaka was poignant.

I hope you enjoy my pictures from my trip. The enchanting Sakura flowers made a big impression on me, and the memories are something I will treasure for the rest of my life.  

Recipes:

Italian sausages are deliciously high in meat content, meaning you don't need many for a decent meal. Here's a recipe using Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) I'm looking forward to making! https://www.today.com/recipes/grilled-sausage-broccoli-rabe-pesto-recipe-t121456

Here is the bean soup which forms the base for the Sausage Broccoli Rabe: https://www.today.com/video/make-this-hearty-bean-soup-and-get-3-delicious-dinners-out-of-it-1153914435654?v=a  

Jalebis are a treasured childhood memory... off-the-scale sweetness, best eaten when they're so fresh they're still hot. The idea of making them at home seems a bit daunting to me, but just seeing a recipe for them on a national news website made me smile from ear to ear:  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/17/jalebi-indian-sweet-street-snack-recipe-tamal-ray

 

Comforting, fruity, sweet and warming. Cookwitch Lisa makes a variation of Nigel Slater's Lebanese rice pudding from his series on the Middle East. http://cookwitch.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/nigel-slaters-middle-east-fragrant.html

 

Sort-of-Moussaka. Minced pork and minced lamb cooked in aubergine and tomato sauce, stuffed into half an aubergine, covered in white sauce, topped with cheese and baked. https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/auberginemoussakawit_88436

 

This Couscous stuffed aubergine with Tahini sauce shows how diverse vegetarian and vegan food can be: https://searchingforspice.com/couscous-stuffed-aubergine-tahini-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-10071

 

Black cod with miso, as made famous by Nobu restaurant. (NB: black cod is actually sablefish or butterfish, but you can substitute sea bass or even salmon).  https://www.justonecookbook.com/black-cod-with-miso/

 

Japanese stewed pork, with a touch of sweetness: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/food/recipe/kyou_19176.html

 

An inventive fish taco recipe using pickled ginger and wonton wrappers. Sounds tasty rather than authentic, but isn't it taste that ultimately counts? https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/foodanddrink/tuna-tacos-with-avocado-and-pickled-ginger-recipe-a3807846.html

 

Miso chicken teriyaki made with flavourful chicken thighs: https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1441-miso-chicken-teriyaki

Sesame and yoghurt roast lamb. Serve with salad and flatbread for a weekend cook out with a difference. https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/meat-and-poultry/sesame-and-yogurt-crusted-lamb/

 

A fragrant gingery soup for supper and a tart for lunchtime, Nigel Slater's new butternut squash recipes: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/25/nigel-slater-butternut-squash-recipes

 

Farro is one of the old style wholegrains which is coming back into fashion. Here's a Winter salad which you can whip up: https://food52.com/recipes/74872-deb-perelman-s-winter-slaw-with-farro

Food writing and articles: 

Malaysian and Singaporean food in London: http://londonist.com/2015/09/the-best-malaysian-and-singaporean-food-in-london

 

Achievable and realistic food advice from Dr Hazel Wallace: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/recipes/food-medic-dr-hazel-wallaces-feel-good-food-fuel-week/

London restaurant news to get excited about - Din Tai Fung is coming! (Fantastic dumplings ahoy!) https://london.eater.com/platform/amp/2018/4/13/17233694/din-tai-fung-dumplings-two-london-sites-centre-point-covent-garden

35 cheap eats in London: https://london.eater.com/maps/best-cheap-eats-london-restaurants

How to eat 12 popular Japanese dishes correctly. (From sushi to gyoza!): https://matcha-jp.com/en/2555

 

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen:

An afternoon of French food discovery “La French Food” at Business France: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/la-french-food-afternoon-tea.html

TV:

Damned (Series 2)

Film:

Coco

Buena Vista Social Club

I Can Speak

Paddington 2

Music:

Buena Vista Social Club 

Neil Young - On The Beach

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.