memory

When I was in college, I  kinda had a photographic memory.

Like whenever I took tests I could visualize my notes, and see where on the page I had written the info needed to answer the test question.

These days, I can kinda remember things I've seen, just have a hard time remembering where or when I saw it.

Like this photo.

I thought I had posted about it on the blog, and wracked my brain trying to look for it there, but it turned out that it was only on my Flickr.

Thank goodness that they haven't deleted any of my "excess" photos for their 1000 photo limit.

With City Bakery's chocolate banana pound cake, I tried toasting it and putting crunchy peanut butter on it, but this hardly had any banana flavor...boo!

Still glad I was able to find the photo I had seen in my memory so that I could finally go to sleep...

banana juice

In Osaka, they have a drink called mixed juice (mikkusu ju-sue)

all sorts of fruits are blended with milk, a liquidy smoothie.

You can find this drink at some Osaka train station kiosks, people standing around drinking variations of this.

You can watch them blend it in a blender, drink your order then go catch the train.

I had some really ripe bananas, so I put this together the other morning.

Serves 2

1 really ripe banana

2 teaspoons kinako (my kinako (soy bean powder) also has ground black sesame and ground almond in it)

1 cup your favorite milk

Whizz until everything is blended

NOTES: sweet from the banana, this was delicious

I'll make this again

banapple

It's been two years since I've heard about the banapple. The price has finally come down to something sane, so we finally got to try this.

It is definitely not like an apple banana, the kind we like in Hawaii, but the fragrance and taste is definitely apple.

Satoshi was happy to hear that these can be stored in the refrigerator...ahem!

I'm glad we got to try this.

made it...and a funny story

Made it back. We were actually scheduled to arrive early but had to wait for some kind of clearance so we ended up landing at the original arrival time.

The plane was filled with lots of families with little ones, so it was quite noisy. I was seated in between of two men, one who kept dozing off on my shoulder...geez!

I got to see "Mamma Mia" which was a nice musical and "Inside Out".

Immigration was krazy with all the visiting foreigners, I'm glad they re-vamped the way foreigners living in Japan go through, so we don't have to wait in the krazy lines!

The weather has gotten significantly cooler, and there was a slight drizzle yesterday.

Since I was arriving on a weekday, I asked Satoshi to pick up some things over the weekend, so that we could have breakfast the day after I came back.

Well, this is what happens when you ask your husband who grew up in the city to buy bananas...he sticks them in the fridge.

He then was shocked that they turned black.

After rolling on the floor with laughter...I told him "when have you ever seen bananas in the refridge? they are tropical fruits and need the "warmth" of the outside"

Of course, afterwards, Satoshi says, "Kat, you don't need to blog about this"

Oh, but I must!

Needless to say, most of the bananas were inedible this morning.

On the up side, we tried blog reader, Ryan's mom's ohelo (oh-hello) berry jam. So good! If you are not familiar with ohelo berries they are similar to cranberries.

Thanks again Ryan!

I need to re-train my sleep pattern so as not to wake up at 4:30 when my "niece" used to wake the household to be fed her breakfast.

I hope my bags will be delivered on time today, am interested to see if TSA touched the insides or not.

Have a good week everyone.

it works

With the heat and humidity here, the bananas I buy turn brown so quickly.

Then, I saw this video on FB recently...

So, the next time I bought some bananas I tried it out.

They still turn brown, but not as fast...whoo!

shima no megumi

When I came back to Japan, I saw a small bunch of bananas called "banapple" because the banana was supposed to taste like an apple.

Since I saw this "banapple" at the department store, you can imagine how much they wanted for this.

This got me thinking that apple bananas have got to be out there somewhere in Japan.

You should know that in Hawaii, the apple banana can be found in all of our markets.

In my family, it is the most popular. It is slightly sweet, a little tart, firm and lasts way longer than the "normal" banana.

So, the other day at the supermarket I was checking out the bananas...and came upon this...

　"Shima no megumi" means bounty of the island...since it looked the senorita banana, which we tried previously, I debated about buying the shima no megumi...

I'm glad I did though because this variety is very very close to the apple bananas we get in Hawaii.

Our weather is all funky...sunny one day, rainy the next then super freeze-a the next.

I think we're gonna skip over autumn and go straight into winter, which is kinda sad because I really like autumn...how's the weather where you are?

"banana" vs banana

As soon as I put this coffee cake from Starbucks (on the left) in my mouth, I knew there was no actual banana in there.

The flavor was fake, and the cake was really dry.

I think I've said before that the items at Starbucks are hit or miss, this one was definitely a miss.

click on the photo and you can see up close for yourself.

The cake on the right was made by my BFF, topped with a delicious chantilly frosting (an added bonus).

You know her cake had banana in it because you can actually see the flecks of banana and it was really moist.

I guess the moral is that homemade will almost always be better than mass-made.

UPDATE: W was kind enough to share her recipe (Thanks W!), and I'm posting it here. There's an easy frosting and the chantilly one.

Banana Cake
1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 ea large eggs
1.5 cups mashed bananas
3/4 cup canola oil

Combine all ingredients and beat until well combined. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan, bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until done. Let cool.

Frosting (optional)
1 small box instant banana pudding
1.5 cup milk (or less for thicker frosting)
1-8 ounce tub of cool whip
Whisk milk and pudding until thick, whisk in cool whip. Spread over cake and refrigerate.
**************************************************************************
Chantilly Frosting
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Can Evaporated Milk (12 oz. can)
6 Ea Large Egg Yolks
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts (optional), toasted

Place all ingredients (except the vanilla) in a non-stick pot and cook over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes (or until thickened). Stir often to avoid scorching. **See below for an alternate method of preparation.

Remove from heat then stir in vanilla and nuts (if using). Cool in the refrigerator until frosting is of spreading consistency. Can be made 1-2 days ahead.

Makes enough to top a 9x13 cake. The key is using a non-stick pot.

**Alternate method: heat sugar, milk and butter over medium heat (stirring constantly). In a separate bowl, combine yolks, vanilla and an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar (whisk until smooth). When butter is melted and sugar dissolved in the pot, temper the yolks with some of the hot mixture (whisk while adding some of the hot mixture to yolks). While stirring the remaining milk mixture, drizzle in the yolk mixture and stir until thickened (7-10 minutes – may take longer). Pour into a stainless steel bowl (add nuts if using) and refrigerate until cold. Do not let the frosting boil while cooking.

whiz...brr

We had a mini snow storm the other afternoon. Nothing that stayed on the ground for too long, but it was fun to see (from my seat on the sofa).

It is still a bit too cold for smoothies, but since Satoshi was off on business, I made this one for my breakfast the other morning.

I've been seeing blueberries from Chile in the markets lately, and the local strawberries are in the markets too.

Here's what I put in it...10 blueberries, 5 strawberries, 1 small banana, 1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed, 4 tablespoons plain yogurt and 1/4 cup skim milk...whizzed together, even though it looks like only a cup worth, it was a little over, a very simple and delicious breakfast.

muffin style

Made a half batch of Ellie Krieger's Banana Pecan Bread with a little twist to it.

I made it in muffin papers and adapted the recipe a bit. The original recipe asks you to spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. I don't think we have cooking spray here in Japan.

Plus, I don't think I have a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. I also used olive oil instead of canola.

Anyway, instead of 4 servings (half of the original 8), I got 6.

Banana Pecan Bread Muffins adapted from Ellie Krieger's "Comfort Food Fix"
makes 6 muffins

1 handful of pecans, measured then chopped
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 small ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk
Add in the pecans and whisk
Put all the wet ingredients in with the mashed bananas and mix well.
Add the wet to the dry.
Bake in a 350F (180C) oven for about 25 minutes or until the top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

NOTES: I liked this, moist and sweet from the bananas, not much to clean up too...I'd definitely make this again...muffin style.

whiz it

If I remember correctly, my first attempt at smoothies was pre-immersion blender, and I think the texture was a bit more "chunky" then because I was using a food processor.

Fast forward to yesterday...Satoshi was on a business trip, so it was just me, myself and I for breakfast.

4 strawberries (about a handful), 1 small banana (12 centimeters, about 4 inches), 1/4 teaspoon ground flax seed and 1/2 a cup of milk.

Whiz it...this one was definitely smoother.

I think my favorite combo for smoothies is strawberry and banana.

Actually I've never really tried any other combo...I should be brave and experiment more.

I also had 1/2 a slice of toast with chocolate peanut butter spread and some black tea.

What did you have for breakfast?

coconut milk banana muffins

With the last of the coconut milk, I made some muffins.

I used my favorite muffin recipe (minus Earl Grey), and subbed coconut milk for regular milk.

Since the coconut milk was sweetened, I also left out the sugar for the muffins.

The recipe also called for a banana and lemon juice, but I left the lemon juice out.

For a nice twist, I also added a handful of 60% chocolate chips. (gotta have chocolate)

When these muffins came out of the oven there was a nice coconut fragrance. After it cooled though, you couldn't tell that there was coconut in there.

These muffins are quite moist due to the olive oil and banana that was used.

Also they aren't overly sweet...perfect for breakfasts or snacks.

We had rain and humidity over the past couple of days, hope yours was better.

che chuoi

Another wonderful adventure with my "jotting"...

The said jotted recipe was for Che Chuoi, a Vietnamese treat with tapioca and banana.

Here is what I wrote down..."Che Chuoi...coconut pearls with banana....add banana + unsalted roasted peanuts"...That was it.

I didn't write down the magazine I got it from, though I have a feeling it may be from "Saveur".

And I sort of remembered that in the article they served this warm.

Anyway, after making these treats I had some leftover sweetened coconut milk and tapioca, so I added some sliced banana.

I didn't have any unsalted peanuts so I just chopped up some unsalted cashews.

Instead of having this warm, I ate this cold. Though this version probably wasn't authentic, it was a great snack and nice way to beat the awful humidity we're having.

Then on a rainy day, I made some vietnamese coffee and ate some che chuoi topped with chopped unsalted almonds.

While I loved the cashew topping, I think I like the chopped almonds on top of this dish a little more.

I think it was because the almonds added a roasted flavor.

I am definitely making this again...ooh and by the way, I am amazed that this is my 1500th post...I can't believe I have kept up with blogging for as long as I have.

Thanks for reading my ramblings!

yano market, kumangai bakery & hanpa mart

Sharing more food finds....there was a major sale on beer...US$.85 a can for Asahi (regular price US$1.15 a can).

We found a tiny shop called Yano Market that had musubi...Satoshi bought these with ume (pickled apricot) US$1.25 for two and I got a l-o-n-g one with hot dog in the center US$1.50.

Red Rooster Beer...this is the local beer made by the Palau Brewing Company...it comes in light, amber and dark.

Made with 100% Palau rain water and other natural ingredients, they use no artifical preservatives or flavorings.

While we were there, Satoshi bought a six pack for US$9 (which he drank in 2 days, before lunchtime!!) and I bought 2 bottles (one of Amber and one of Dark) each for US$1.95 (I brought bubble wrap and brought these 2 bottles home and will post about it when we try them).

A tray of sashimi at Hanpa Mart, a Korean market, for US$6.95. Most sashimi in Palau is maguro (tuna/ahi), you will rarely see oilier/fattier grades of fish.

A local bakery, Kumangai Bakery had a display at a market. I picked up this banana bread for US$1.95 and it came in handy for breakfast with some fruits from a fruit platter we received from a hotel. (Thank you!)

During one of our tours, we had bento (boxed meal) by Island Yakiniku...the bento had karaage chicken, kinpira, lumpia, spam, salad and rice....yum!

At DFS (Duty Free Shoppers), there weren't many items "made in Palau", in fact most things were made in China or Hawaii. Luckily we found some locally made tapioca chips and coconut candies as omiyage for Satoshi's staff.

Also during one of our tours, our guide stopped at several roadside stands...there were many with fresh fruits, and also many with foods---like turron (a fried Filipino treat), this one had peanut butter and banana in it...US$.25.

We also found a stand selling homemade banana chips...US$1.50 a package.

One thing I noticed was that whenever they used cabbage or won bok, they served every part of it, including the hard ribbed areas. There weren't many opportunities for fresh leafy salads, only a lot of cooked veggies and not necessarily dark green veggies.

Everything we tried was delicious and portions were very generous. You definitely won't go hungry here.

Yano Market
next door to WCTC Shopping Center
Phone: 680.488.2331

Kumangai Bakery
located in back of WCTC Shopping Center, but sold in most markets
Phone: 680.488.2256

Hanpa Mart
located across from the Palau Hotel
didn't take down the phone number

Island Yakiniku
located across the street from Etpison Museum
Phone: 680.488.4690

odds & ends

It is the end of the month, so let's clean out the photos that weren't posted about.

Baked some scones using a new recipe. These definitely have to be eaten with jam--not sweet at all, still delicious though.

New version of stuffed bell peppers, added some renkon (lotus root) to the beef and onions and left out the egg.

Made some 3-bean salad (only with 2 beans--canned garbanzo & cooked daizu(soy bean)). Added corn, bell pepper and onion.

Curry fried chicken. Added some curry powder, salt and pepper to panko (bread crumbs). Dipped the chicken pieces in egg then dredged it in the panko mixture. Ate it with some tonkatsu (pork cutlet) sauce--delicious.

New version of Meiji's almond--this one has salted caramel wrapped around the nut. Japan's latest fad is salty sweets. Delicious, but gets quite salty after awhile.

Used one pod of the Lifou vanilla to make strawberry jam.

Have been enjoying the jam on yogurt in the mornings.

Cut some basil tops so that it wouldn't flower, put them in water---hydroponics?? (maybe) Planted them in the soil, hopefully they will grow.

Found these cute bananas, called "monkey bananas" in Japan and are also called Senorita. Thought they would taste like apple bananas, these were really sweet, not tart like the bananas we get in Hawaii.

Tried the Green & Black's Organic Cocoa. Followed the instructions on the can. Not much flavor. Kind of disappointing.

Got this Japanese confection from one of the memorial services. It is called Hakata no hito (lady from Hakata). A tiny baum kuchen with a sweet bean paste filling--delicious.

Our neighborhood 7-eleven closed on Friday. Satoshi and I are particularly sad to see it go because it came into the neighborhood the same year we moved into the neighborhood.

Another store which closed on Friday is the bakery in our shopping arcade a.k.a. my almost everyday lunch pick-up place. Since I have to find somewhere new, looked into buying bento (boxed lunch) from a sozaiya (pre-made foods store)--420 yen (about US$4.20)--rice with crunchy ume (pickled plum), hijiki (edible brown seaweed), tsukemono (pickled veggies), iwashi hamburger (sardine patty), tamagoyaki (omlette), pumpkin & kusamochi (rice cake mixed with yomogi (mugwort)).

odds & ends

In Japan, they have different types of strawberries. This one is called Amaou.

Not sure if this is what is called an acrostic, but the name comes from A: Akai (red)
Ma: Marui (round)
O: Ookii (big)
U: Umai (delicious)

These guys were definitely big, round and delicious! Perfect for dipping in dark chocolate. (Mom says that this is an acronym not an acrostic...thanks Mom!)

So, without butter, I used only olive oil for these banana nib muffins. As I baked the muffins, I realized I didn't put in any eggs or vanilla extract either! They came out a bit dense, but they were really moist, probably because of the bananas.

Some "old-fashioned" bacon that I found. Only 6 slices in a package...won't tell you the price. Of all the brands I've found, this one cooks up the crispiest! With a brand name like, Butz, I wonder if there is some kind of hidden message? (Maybe?)

A new brand of candied yuzu (citron). Saw a segment on television where they were making these. It takes about 6 months to make a batch. They soak the citron peels in sugar water for several days then, air dry them r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y, then add more sugar.

These peels are so delicious! Makes your mouth pucker because they are so sour. They are brownish, because they don't add any coloring.

Well, they have finally started building. It looks like it will be 3 (or probably 4) new houses on the lot next door. All I know is that the scaffolding is as high as our building (3 stories)! If you notice the 2 cement slabs, each is for a house.

The newest macaron flavor at Starbucks is lemon. A bright yellow outside with a tart lemony gel filling. Delicious!

I had lunch with my host-mom the other day. I like having lunch with her, it gives us time to bond and she always tells me about the newest food trends. I wanted to share what she told me...egoma oil. Egoma is in the same family as shiso (perilla/beefsteak plant) and the leaves are found in Korean cuisine, maybe the oil too? She said that if you have high cholesterol, this oil will help bring it down and is better than olive oil. The only thing with this oil is that it is expensive and has a very short shelf life.

Hope you have a nice weekend, next week is Golden Week here.