End of Summer

Today was the first time I've woken up needing a blanket. I am loving the cool breeze, though it makes me feel guilty knowing that it's because a typhoon is rolling through Japan, threatening to displace millions of people in Nagoya. Sigh. Mother nature, why won't you just leave Japan alone!

On a lighter note, here are some pictures from the end of summer.

Chillin' by the pool. 

Mori Art Museum Sky Aquarium. I have no idea what this thing is but they were for sale in the gift shop. And alive. 

Vietnamese dancers performing at the Harajuku Yosakoi Festival. 

My favorite: kakigori

A little traditional...a little country. 

Yakisoba heaven. 

Tsukune (chicken meatballs) at Urawa's famous izakaya Riki. 

Deep fried fish cakes and cheese. I know that sounds awful but they are awesome. 

Birthday Food

Happy Birthday 6 Foot Eater! 

Major League Curry plate from Go Go Curry. We always joked that he would order this before the dirty 30 and well...time was a ticking. Going counter clockwise from the top: chicken katsu, shredded cabbage, fried shrimp, pork katsu, boiled egg, wieners and more boiled eggs. All on top of rice covered in that thick, sweet Go Go Curry roux.

OOOF. 

Earlier in the week, I tried to cook as many of Squidward's favorite meals. Spaghetti and Meatballs, Kimchi Yakiudon and Japanese ginger pork and veggies shown here. I have to say, cooking all this food was really exhausting! I can't believe there are women that do this every single day without batting an eyelash. 

Special birthday dinner at Kyushokutoban. This is a small Japanese school lunch themed izakaya in Taito-ku that Squidward and I heard about long long ago. He was always really jealous of my 1,600 calorie school lunches back when I was teaching. Above, you'll see a package of soft noodles, curry and a tomato meat sauce. According to my friend, the tin trays used at this izakaya are very nostalgic for those growing up in the 80's. 

This little beauty is age pan - fried bread. It's really just soft bread covered in sugar and tastes like a donut, but it's delicious!

I swear, I did made a birthday cake...but I also had a lot of leftover cake scraps and frosting so we made cake soup. Watch out! It's gonna be a thing...just you wait. 

Broccoli Rob

Croissants in the Summertime

August was flaky pastry month at ABC. The actual process of making croissants is hard enough to begin with, but the added pressure of the warm summer heat threatening to melt your butter is not ideal. Croissant 101: Butter is gradually added and rolled throughout the dough to make lots of delicate dough-butter-dough-butter layers. When you bake the dough, the the water from the butter turns into steam and puffs the dough up, creating all those flaky layers you know and love.

I made these croissants on a warm August evening and though it was a lot of work (mix, chill, roll, pound, flip, chill, roll, pound, fold, chill x 4) it was totally worth the sweat and stress. Warm croissants, (even on a warm night) there's just nothing like it.