brown squid.

fresh squid from the morning market.

slice into thin strips and have it with soysauce and plenty of ginger.

grandma lives in Hakodate/Hokkaido, known for their squid culture.
did you know fresh squid is brown?

prosciutto.

Chef is grandma's friend and his house is full of yummy treats.

his homemade prosciutto is a well known delicacy

apparently the trickiest part is the amount of salt.

obviously daddy and mommy enjoy their wine tonight.

fresh farm eggs.

first thing in the morning daddy and mommy left for the nearby farm.

apparently you can get fresh laid eggs from a vending machine there.

so grandma makes breakfast

and we like these bright and early mornings.

red snapper.

a well seasoned red snapper grilled with garlic, fresh basil and tomatoes.

grandma tells us "every part of this fish is exquisite"

the next morning she made fish stock from its bones

adding onion/tomatoes/saffron/rice for the perfect risotto brunch.

paella.

daddy and mommy's favorite - grandma's paella with chicken.

mussels/clams/prawns/squid with onions/tomatoes/red pepper/saffron.

squeeze some lemon for a heavenly bite.

one pot meal.

quail, white asparagus, kidney beans with rosemary cooked and thrown into a cocotte to steam - grandma's famous one pot meals.

i've seen daddy use this pot to cook his famous stew.

richard scarry...now and then.

everyone in our family loves richard scarry.

mommy had bought me a brand new word book

before grandma found an old copy of daddy's, circa 1975.

notice the political word evolution...

grandpa's favorite.

a very simple pork chop with white wine, pineapples and nutmeg.

daddy and mommy polished it off in a snap...which is why we don't have the cooked shot.

picnic playdate.

an afternoon with Amy at Tokyo Teien Art Museum.

burgers from Franklin Avenue and playing ball.

our daddies and mommies were impressed with the current exhibition, Stitch by Stitch.

grandma's philosophy.

grandma's philosophy is strikingly similar with Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse restaurant and cafe in Berkeley, CA. this is a book she wrote for children, through the eyes of her daughter Fanny.

roast lamb.

mommy's favorite.

grandma's classic roast lamb with garlic, rosemary, onions and potatoes.

Chiya beef.

my favorite uncle T brought us Chiya beef.

grilled and seasoned simply with salt.

apparently it's a great combo with wasabi and soysauce.

daddy.

me too... (note: can is unopened)

steak tartare.

grandma's homemade steak tartare.

chopped beef filet with raw egg yolk

chopped pickles, anchovies, capers, onions, etc on the side.

salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, tabasco, etc as you like.

several of these appear on the dinner table

and the group turns serious as they each make their own creation.

the tasting around the table is the best part.

Sota.

this is my friend Sota (left).

apparently we've been hanging out back when we were both in our mommy's tummies.

toys.

one day mommy came home with a bunch of toys.

apparently they were looking for a new home. lucky me.

(daddy seemed the most excited though)

wedding anniversary.

daddy and mommy's wedding anniversary.

daddy brought home mommy's favorite flowers...then celebrated with her favorites - a simple turkey sandwich and white wine.

birthday party.

my very first birthday party. daddy and mommy's friends came to celebrate with grandma's famous Magnolia cupcakes.

mother and son.

daddy and grandma.