Category Archive for Cute Yummy Time
HOW TO BAKE CUTE BIRD BREAD. SCOTTISH FOLD & FOREVER FRIENDS TEDDY BEAR: DO YOU STILL BUY/SLEEP WITH STUFFED TOYS?
Twitter has been leading to intriguing developments in my life as of late (you’re welcome to add me to stay in the loop)… but more on that later. The other day, I asked the Twitterverse for advice on what to serve with my brie cheese. I then found this Russian video about how to make cute bird-shaped bread rolls! It’s easy: hand-roll the dough into a 6 inch long strip and twist it into a knot. Pinch a beak, flatten and cut a tail, and add peppercorn eyes.
The baby birds baked beautifully and were delicious with melted brie. For the dough, I used my Pig Bread recipe from Cute Yummy Time, with oregano and pepper for a spicy kick. (You can see how I made healthy piggy-faced bread rolls in this video.)
If you are on my Twitter, you also know that I stumbled upon a Forever Friends plush bear in a Hallmark store. It looked so much like my Scottish Fold cat that I had to buy it. To my surprise, Basil Farrow loves this teddy bear (perhaps because it reminds him of his kind). He usually hates stuffed toys, especially Hello Kitty! (Video of Basil and his bear coming soon, along with Moi dix Mois, a cute cooking demo, and more.)
On Twitter, I asked if you still buy/sleep with stuffed animals, and the resounding answer was YES. How about you?
Song of the Day #161: The Names – Calcutta (one of the many terrific tracks I found on the Dark80s Twitter)
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TOKYO COOKING LESSONS: JAPANESE HOME COOKING CLASSES FROM TV SHOW COOK, MIYOKO ISOMURA.
Is La Carmina in Tokyo solely to attend Gackt concerts and Goth parties and make avantgarde bondage videos (you’ll see…)? Nope. Here’s the surprise – I’ve been going to a Japanese cooking school!
About every other day, I’ve been taking cooking lessons in Japanese from Miyoko Isomura, a cookbook author and TV show host. Her classes are geared towards home cooks, but we make all sorts of dishes: traditional Japanese, Chinese, Italian, French, you name it. Miyoko is a kind and encouraging sensei, especially when you’re facing complicated tasks such as peeling a daikon or filleting mackerel!
Each class costs about 5500 yen ($55); you must bring an apron, pen/paper, and a box to carry food home. Miyoko sets out the ingredients for you (left), and you make six to eight dishes per class (such as this yummy range of fish and tofu on the right). There are usually two to four students cooking alongside you. Classes usually begin at 11am or 6:30pm; you cook for about two hours, then sit down and share the meal with Miyoko and the students. You leave with plenty of leftovers, full-color print-outs of the recipes, and a giant smile on your face.
In this “party cooking” class, we made delicious and healthy Chinese food. The fresh mango pudding beat anything I’ve had at a dim sum restaurant. And the egg rolls had a Japanese twist; half of them contained harusame (spring noodles), soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms; the other half had prawn, shiso leaves and cheese.
Two cute guests often popped in their heads: Miyoko’s shy granddaughter and her cat, Tomo-kun. (This outdoor kitty is like a bodybuilder next to my soft teddy bear, Basil Farrow!)
If you are in Tokyo, even for a brief visit, I highly recommend taking cooking classes with Miyoko Isomura. You’ll learn new skills while working with ingredients not found outside Japan – and she’ll make newbies feel right at home!
You should have at least a basic grasp of Japanese, although Miyoko knows some English. Take a look at her website and send her an email (English is ok).
Tokyo home cooking lessons taught by Miyoko Isomura
Joy Cook and Culture Studio
3-25-19 Meguro (Station: Gakugei-Daigaku on the Tokyo Toyoko line. It’s 15 minutes from Shibuya plus short walk.)
Phone: 3712 7750
Email: miyo-cook@nifty.com
URL: http://www.miyo-cook.com
Curious? Got questions? Leave me a comment; I’m happy to tell you more about my experiences!
Song of the Day #155: Neophyte – Skullfuck (DJ Chihiro played this last night at Alamode Night in Shibuya and the floor went gabber-gabber! Video and photos coming…)
LA CARMINA
