Hanami 2026 花見2026

Since the past winter was brutally cold, it was estimated that the cherry trees in the Washington area would not bloom until early April; much later than usual.  But somebody forgot to inform the cherry trees of the proposed schedule. After just a few warm days the cherry trees in our backyard snapped to attention and before we knew it, they were in spectacular full bloom. And when did this occur? At the end of March; the time they usually put on their performance. With the cherry trees in full bloom it was time for us to snap to attention and seriously celebrate the coming of spring. As we may have mentioned before we have 3 cherry trees in our back yard. They are of different ages and different vintages. They generally bloom in sequence, one after the other, with the one we called the smallest (which is now the tallest) so named because I rescued it as a small twig, going first. Next is the newest member of the “family” which we planted in 2018 to replace the cherry tree we planted soon after we moved into the house but was destroyed by a large branch that flew off the neighbors pine tree during a Nor'Easter in 2018. Last to bloom is the oldest cherry tree (the Grand Dame) which was well established in our backyard when we moved in. (We would like to think it may be around 70 years old). This year all three were blooming in succession but almost simultaneously.  So, celebration was mandatory. We invited our friends over and had our Hanami 花見. One of our guests is a vegetarian. We made a special “sashimi” plate of assorted vegetarian appetizers for them to enjoy while we had a plate of actual sashimi. The vegetarian plate shown in the picture was an assortment of  dishes we have previously posted.

1. Persimmon  and green beans dressed in tofu dressing 柿とインゲンの白和, 2. Japanese omelet with dried “aonori” sea weed 青のり入りのだし巻き, 3. roasted red pepper sauce omelet 赤パプリカソースのだし巻き, 4.  pan-fried oyster mushroom 平茸の洋風ソテー, 5. mock tofu 擬制豆腐, 6. braised crunchy cauliflower モンパルナスのカリフラワー炒め, 7. Braised baby artichokes 8. marinated quail eggs うずらの味玉, 9.eggplant caviar ナスのキャビア. I was very careful to make sure I did not use any classic Japanese “dashi” broth which contains bonito flakes and other fish derived flavors. Instead, I used a broth made from kelp and dried shiitake mushrooms.

After this, we had assorted nigiri-sushi, rolls (vegetarian sushi and rolls for our vegetarian friend). Although it was rainy when we had our friends over, our main cherry tree was in full bloom shown in this picture.

In addition, our Easter amaryllis (and even some tardy Christmas ones) were also in full bloom.

What’s not to like about this after the harsh winter we had? Although this lasts only a short time we should still be able to have several more hanami.

Japanese Fluffy “Soufflé” Pancake (version 2) 日本風フカフカパンケーキ

When we made Japanese fluffy pancakes for the first time they turned out pretty well. But when we tried to make them again, we learned that the success of the first batch was just beginner’s luck. Subsequent attempts were not particularly successful. (They were not very fluffy. They were basically just your run-of-the-mill usual pancakes). So we went on a fact finding; YouTube search for fluffy pancake recipes and came up with this version. The major changes include how the egg white is whipped and how the pancake batter is cooked. Vinegar and corn starch are added to the whipped egg whites to make them more stable. The batter is essentially cooked in two layers with the second layer added after the first layer has cooked a bit and firmed up.  In addition several drops of water are added to the pan so the pancake is steamed a bit while it cooks. 

Ingredients
3 eggs separated. (2 yolks, are used in the batter. 3 egg whites are used in the meringue)
1 tbs. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbs. (30 g) flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

for the meringue
The 3 egg whites from the 3 separated eggs listed above
1 tsp. vinegar or (1 tsp lemon juice or 1/4 +1/8 tsp creme de tartare)
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
2 tsp. corn starch

Directions:

Mix the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Make the meringue by whipping the egg whites in a stand mixer. When they start to expand add the vinegar and continue whipping. Then add the sugar in 3 batches. When fully whipped fold in the corn starch. The meringue should look like #1. Quickly mix some of the meringue into the milk mixture (#2). Once all blended slowly fold in the remaining meringue (#3). 

Preheat a non-stick frying pan with a high rim on low flame. Add the neutral oil and spread thin using a paper towel. Using a medium ice-cream scoop, add the first layer of batter (#4). Add several drops of water between the each pancakes and put on the lid. After 3 minutes, add more batter on the top (#5). Again add drops of water, put on the lid and cook for 6-8 minutes then carefully flip over (#6). Add several more drops of water, put the lid back on and cook another 5 minutes.

 

These pancakes were certainly better than the previous less-than-successful batches we made. The addition of the vinegar and cornstarch made the meringue much thicker. The cooking method using two layers and several drops of water increased the thickness of the pancake. 

Sweet potato gnocchi さつまいものニョキ

Recently, we cooked a large pork roast and some Japanese sweet potatoes on the Weber grill. My wife made her version of mashed sweet potatoes with butter, soy sauce and any juice accumulated on the plate in which the roast was resting. We enjoyed the slices of roasted pork and mashed sweet potatoes for dinner. Then my wife made gnocchi from the leftover mashed sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
16 oz. of mashed potatoes (3 cups)
4 oz. of AP flour (3/4 cup)
1 egg
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
Press the mashed potatoes through a sieve to remove any residual lumps (#1). Add the flour and gently mix with a fork. Add the egg and salt and again gently mix with a fork until everything comes together into a dough (#2). Gently roll into 1/2 inch diameter logs (#3). Cut the rolled logs into individual pieces of the desired size (#4). The pieces can be rolled on the back of a fork to make ridges to better hold the sauce but that doesn’t work out so well for us so our gnocchi pieces generally don't have any ridges.

Fill the dutch oven with water. Add 1 Tbs. Salt and several bay leaves. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and add the gnocchi to the water. Gently heat them just below the boil for a few minutes until the gnocchi float to the surface (#5). Remove them from the water and put into whatever sauce you are using. Or for later use put them in a bowl and coat with olive oil to prevent them from sticking together (#6).

This was a good gnocchi. You can really taste the sweet potato. My wife fried up all of them and we froze what was left over from the dinner we ate the day she made them. In this state they are very easy to toaster oven as a side dish for dinner. Toaster-ovened they were as good as when they were just fried.

Shrimp and Grits with Poached Egg 温玉のせ海老とグリィツ

Dishes made with grits used to be a breakfast staple for us. These included such things as shrimp and grits and grits with poached egg. One day recently, my wife mentioned, “we have not had grits for a long time.” So, we got a package of “instant” grits. We used them for a sort-of-combination lunch dish of shrimp and grits with home pasteurized poached eggs. When I got ready to take a “serving” picture, however, I noticed everything was sort of white (except maybe for some light pink from the shrimp). To brighten things up I snarfed some baby arugula and tomato from the salad I had made as a side dish. This was a really gentle but satisfying lunch.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1/2 cups grits
2 cups liquid (either milk or water, we used the liquid the shrimp were poached in.)
2-3 pats of unsalted butter
6 large shrimp (we used shell-on frozen shrimp)
2 pasteurized eggs

Directions:
Thaw the shrimp in cold 2% salted water for 30 minutes. Drain out the shrimp but keep the salted water. Add the salted water to a pan. When it boils, turn down the heat and add the shrimp. Let them gently poach for 2-3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and peel off the shell. Add the shell back into the poaching liquid and gently boil for a few minutes. Strain out the shells and set aside the poaching liquid. Slice the shrimp in half length wise.

Cook the grits for 5 minutes using the poaching liquid, stirring occasionally. When the grits have thickened turn off the flame and add the butter. Taste and if needed add more salt.

Top the cooked grits with the shrimp and the poached egg in the center.

Honey Oatmeal Roll 蜂蜜とオートミールのロールパン

Once we rediscovered the English muffin bread my wife used to make she remembered there was another favorite recipe in the same Kitchenaid cookbook. So “for old times sake” she decided to make that too. According to the original recipe the bread was made into loaves but instead my wife made it into rolls. It’s a seemingly small variation but we think the rolls were much better than the loaves. Other changes included toasting the oatmeal and walnuts which increased the nutty flavor of the buns. She also substituted buttermilk for the plain water called for in the recipe and used buckwheat honey which has a very strong but pleasant honey flavor which really came through in the final baked rolls. In any case, we are posting this so that we have an easy access to the recipe.

Ingredients:
5-6½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats, (toasted)
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1½ cups water (or buttermilk) 
½ cup honey (buckwheat)
⅓ cup butter or margarine (cubed)
2 eggs

for the topping (which we didn’t use)
1 tablespoon water
1 egg white
Oatmeal

Directions:
Place 5 cups of the flour, the 1 cup oats, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach dough hook and on speed 2  mix for 30 seconds to combine. Continuing on speed 2, slowly add the buttermilk and eggs. Then add the butter cubes. Add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead on Speed 2 for 7 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover, let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. To make a loaf divide dough in half. Place each loaf in a greased 8½ × 4½ x 2½-inch bread pan. To make buns weigh the dough and divide into individual pieces based on desired size of the buns. (I usually make them about 85 grams each). Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

If making the topping, combine water and egg white. Brush tops of loaves or rolls with the mixture. Sprinkle with oatmeal. Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

These are indeed an “all time” favorite. The texture is very soft and it has a distinctive pleasant honey taste. The walnuts add an additional bit of texture. We can see the oatmeal on the cut surface (picture #1) and it adds an additional nutty flavor. Glad we found these old recipes. They deserve to be blogged.

English Muffin Loaves イングリシュマフィンローフパン

Recently my wife mentioned that she was thinking of making homemade English muffins. I remembered that we used to make English muffins which we posted as several versions of English muffin. We initially started making them using muffin rings in a frying pan  (which apparently we did not post). The dough was very sticky and putting it in the English muffin rings was very cumbersome. We also cooked them without the rings in the cast iron skillet.  Looking at these past posts, I remembered how sticky the dough was, and how hard it was to form into the round muffins and how long it took to cook those muffins. I also remembered that my wife used to make something called English muffin bread. It had the flavor and texture of an English muffin but was much easier to make. We really liked it. When I mentioned this to my wife she said, “Great! Let’s look up the recipe in the Blog”. After some searching and although we saw it mentioned in this and other posts several times, (we even posted “Eggs Benedict” using slices of English muffin bread) we never posted how the actual bread was made.  Apparently, my wife baked this bread so many times in the past and it was such a ubiquitous part of our everyday meals we didn’t think it was anything special and it never occurred to us to post it. 

Since the recipe was not posted in the blog, the next question was “Where did it come from?” Then, my wife remembered it was from a spiral bound instruction and recipe book that came with the very first Kitchenaid stand mixer we bought years ago. Bingo! Between the two of us we found the recipe and here is the bread! (Picture #1).

Like the other English muffin recipes we previously mentioned, this dough is also extremely sticky and hard to work with. But the good news is that it goes into only two loaf pans instead of multiple individual rings which is extremely difficult to do. But it is basically impossible to divide the dough even into just two loaf pans by hand. Having made this bread so many times my wife developed a “work-around” method of tipping the dough directly from the mixer bowl into the loaf pans, dividing it up by cutting it into two pieces using scissors as shown in picture #2. (No clumps of sticky dough stuck to hands.)

Ingredients: (yield two loaves) 
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
¼ (generous) teaspoon baking soda 
2 1/2 cups milk (my wife used buttermilk)
Cornmeal

Directions:
Place 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a dough hook turn the mixer to speed 2 and mix for 1 minute.

On speed 2 gradually add milk/buttermilk to flour mixture. Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time. Knead on Speed 2 for 7 to 10 minutes. Dough will be very sticky.

Spread dough into two bread loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover; let rise in warm place, free from draft, for 45 minutes. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool.

This is definitely THE WAY to make English Muffin-like bread! It toasts up beautifully and is great for breakfast slathered with butter.  

Pan-fried Oyster Mushroom 平茸の洋風ソテー

We like mushrooms. Since we start using Weee, we regularly get several varieties of fresh mushrooms. Shiitake is our favorite followed by “hen of the woods”. Others that we like are oyster, woodear, shimeji, and enoki mushrooms. This time I decided to cook the oyster mushrooms Western style based on a recipe I saw on-line. Spices and flour coating make it crispy with lots of flavor (#1). This is very different from the more traditional Japanese ways of preparation I have been using and we really like it.

Ingredients
10 oz oyster mushrooms, (300 grams whole or torn into pieces).
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free, (you can also use low-sodium soy sauce if the light kind isn’t available).
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅔ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour
Olive oil for cooking

For Balsamic Parmesan Oyster Mushrooms:1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
If mushrooms are large, tear them into 2-3 pieces. Toss mushrooms in a bowl with olive oil, soy sauce, spices, and flour until evenly coated. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges and flaky salt, or drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.