New Blog Name

In case you haven't noticed, my blog title changed. Why?

I was talking about my blog to my boyfriend's parents over the Christmas holidays. His Dad asked for my blog link. I said "littlemiko..." As I were saying, he typed "littlemiko.com." My real old blog name ends with "blogspot.com." And suddenly a bunch of naked Asian teens showed up on the monitor. "Is this your blog?" Of course not.

So no more "littlemiko." Anyways, nobody knew the meaning of "Little Miko Needs to Blog." It was named after a documentary called "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" by Werner Herzog. If you have any good idea for my blog title, please let me know. For your curiosity, it was www.littlemiko.com.

For A Good Sleep

Sacha, my creative, sweet, smart friend from the pottery studio we go to, is a holistic health counselor. During the holiday season she sends me a helpful newsletter on living healthy, living well. This time about sleeping well. According to her knowledge, foot bath in cold water (ideally switch to warm water back and forth) is one of the solutions. And I tried. Water was pretty painfully cold at first (as she instructs), but once you get used to it, it was pretty comfortable. It's supposed to be good for constipation, which I for one struggle with.

For more articles and tips, please check out www.stiggly.com. She also offers workshops regularly, which is open to anyone by registration.

Healthy Pork

I felt like grated radish. It warms the body and fight against bacteria. Or it's simply tasty! Browsing for economical grocery at JAS Mart on the 23rd, I picked burdock root and sliced pork belly. Haven't decided exactly what to cook. Noodle with pork? Oh I have a leftover bowl of rice. So forget noodle.

"Sliced Pork Belly and Burdock Root Scrambled with Egg - Grated Radish Topping"
It's a long title but really easy.

- Thin sliced pork belly
- Sasagaki Burdock Root (shredded or super thin slice, soak in vinegar water for couple minutes)
- Fresh ginger (chopped or sliced fine)
- Hot chilli flake (not required)
- 2 eggs
- Grated Daikon Radish (squeeze out excess water)
- Umeboshi (pickled plum - not required)
- Sauce: Sake, Mirin, Shoyu, Sugar (or soba dipping sauce to replace all)

1. Heat the sauce (should taste a bit sweet and not salty too much, very light amber brown color) in a skillet or pot. Put pork, burdock (discard water), ginger and cook till the pork is completely cooked.
2. Beat eggs and pour over the pork in the pot evenly and quickly. Cover with lit for 30 seconds.
3. Serve pork on a plate or bowl and top with grated radish and umeboshi on top.

Scallop with Corn Cream Sauce

I posted another scallop dish by my dear boyfriend earlier. Tonight, he made another version with sweet corn cream. It was like the one we had at our favorite restaurant Marlow and Sons in W'burg. Lots of sweet corn is lightly flavored with half&half and prosciutto. Although prosciutto was a tad gamy to my taste, this was another very happy meal.

Why Am I Blogging?

My boyfriend checks many websites and blogs and he rarely checks out my blog. My parents, for whom I write almost all blogs also in Japanese, don't seem to be reading it much. Last time I heard was a year ago from my mom commenting on typos. This isn't encouraging... I guess it's because I don't update it often enough. True. I am not close to be a blogger. Some people update every day or several times a day! My friends have started posting comments lately. Thanks you so much. I will try be a more serious blogger...

December: Party Month in Japan

With a poor immune system against digesting alcohol, Japanese still love drinking—for occasions to gather with close friends or grumble about their work. Eventually, many get wasted, puking on the platform or passing out on the train. (Thank god our city cleaning system is impeccable.) Such scenes become more ubiquitous in December when many companies and college clubs host bo-nen-kai. The spirit is: Let’s forget what happened this year and charge up for the coming year.

While Western countries warmly celebrate the holiday season, usually surrounding a table with families, Japanese toast to the end of year at bon-nen-kai. It is more of a social engagement than a party. You have to attend. You have to drink. Bosses encourage the staff to forget about the hierarchy, which you shouldn’t. Yet alcohol makes people speak honestly, act inappropriately. Some go through embarrassing situation next morning in the office, often with a heavy hangover.

In December, cities at night are full of students and salary-men (Japanese office workers) struggling to make it home. If they are not too wasted, they are unusually friendly and funny.

Little Miko on Publication!

With my boss's last-minute cancellation, I spoke at the workshop we had in Tokyo a few weeks ago. Today, copies of a Japanese trade publication on my desk. OH MY MIKO! The photo of me speaking is published on the entire back page. Worse, it reported my presentation throughly. More than 5 times of "Ms. MIKO says..." If I knew, I would have spent more time firming up the preso and spoke more responsibly. Let's hope I didn't say anything inaccurate...

When Dad Goes Wild

We went to Karaoke. My dad, me, brother, his wife and my boyfriend. This night, my dad was having fun more than anyone. I don't know how to react when my dad starts singing Carpenters and dancing to my songs. Everytime we go to karaoke, he sings English songs. He likes speaking English. But it's not that good.

Japan 2007 - Monkeys

Japanese monkeys have red butt. Until I moved to the States, I didn't know they were indeginous to Japan. First ones are monkeys in Tokyo Ueno Zoo. Below is wild monkeys enjoying the sun in Nikko, northern Kanto. My boyfriend calls me Monkey. Don't know why. I don't think I look like monkey. But he loves monkeys so I probably should be happy about it.

Japan 2007 - Sea Food

Tsukiji market is one of the most popular sightseeing distinations. The bet happens 3am - 5am. But the shops and restaurants around the market is open till noon and you can see all the fresh fish sold in the market till late morning.

All chefs including my favorite sushi chef goes to this market and makes such a beautiful assortment of sashimi.

This stripe shrimp is rare to find at restaurants. Our local sushi chef got them just for our visit. It may sound cruel but the shrimp still moves if you put it in your mouth. Rich, creamy and cruncy as well. Means it's super fresh. While we deplete the ocean, give us some credit for eating almost any part of fish. Even this shrimp head returns on the table later as a miso soup. We eat fish bones as well.

Another yummy from winter Japan is fresh oysters. They are much bigger and rich, more flavorful than wester oysters. Left is grilles with soy sause and left is fresh oyster in vinegrette.

I guess it's called alfonsino in English. This red fish in Japanese is called Kin-me-dai (Golden eye). Usually we stew this fish but if fresh enough, it taste so good as sashimi or sushi. Heaven!

Japan 2007 - Food

After taking hundreds of pictures from our trip to my sweet-home Japan, I was a bit shocked that 80% is pics of food. Hope you can enjoy the taste through this blog... Vegetarians, please bare with my country.

How many times did we eat Ramen? My boyfriend loves ramen and he actually wanted to have ramen once a day. This picture is a place in Shibuya called Ichiran. It was good and you can customize the level of richness, spices, noodle texture and etc. In here, you sit on the count with each seat devided with a sparation and a bamboo curtain between customers and kitchen. Completely privacy. Perfect Ramen spot for salary men and ladies who don't like people to see her slurp.

Monja-yaki is a typical Tokyo food, particularly popular in Shitamachi area (old downtown Tokyo). You eat and cook yourself - that's the fun of it. On the iron pan, scoop all ingredients except the soup and cook a little. Then make a small bank in the middle of ingredients. Slowly pour soup from the bowl. Without letting the soup run over the bank, mix from inside slowly. When the soup starts to get thicken and browned, you scoop directly from the cooking pan with a little spatula. It's not visually appealing but the taste is GoooooD!

We had tons of yakitori at different places and this join in Kichijoji was arguably the best. Although, it's not really yaki-tori but yaki-buta. They serve pork organs. They are so fresh and liver sashimi is superb. It's not fancy but always get packed early in the evening. No server. You just tell the guy behind the counter what you want. I'd love to go back there. In new york, decent yaki-tori restaurants are way too expensive. This dish is supposed to be reasonable, casulal snack or quick bite.

Squid ichiya-boshi is a good snack with sake, beer and shochu. Usually, we broil the semi-dried squid lightly and have it with mayo. Though it's not raw, overnight drying process keeps the squid tender inside. My boyfriend finished thie whole squid by himself.