dusk.

at Harajuku, Tokyo.

beef ragu.

grandma's homemade rich beef ragu.
signed, sealed, delivered from hokkaido

made with fresh ground beef, tomatoes, red wine, herbs, etc. 

it's perfect with plenty of parmigiano-reggiano.

traffic jam.

stuck.

canvas.

grandma came to town with a box crayons
and big big sheets of paper bigger than me.

my evenings at home suddenly got busier.

mocha chiffon.

another visit to grandma's restaurant.

found!

grandma's mocha chiffon cake.

scenes from la bergerie.

afternoon tea.

on the day of the snowstorm we stayed indoors.
so grandma made us tea with cheesecakes.

cookies and cream.

plain with cherry sauce.

it was a moment to be thankful for the snow.

new year's party.

Chef invited the restaurant + cafe staff/family
for a new year's party at his cozy log cabin.

nicoise salad with plenty of tuna and anchovies.

skewered wild deer; tender and juicy.

beef stew cooked over a wood stove.

it's going to be another yummy year!

tripe.

daddy and mommy adores Chef's spanish tripe stew.

tender tripe in tomato sauce with chorizo and seasonal veggies.

snow ride.

grandma and grandpa found me an antique wooden sleigh.

(that's my buddy Franz)

it was the perfect ride in winter wonderland.

bento box.

grandma filled lacquered bento boxes for a picnic style lunch at home.

miso glazed mackerel and foie gras,

kimpira gobo (simmered burdock root), sichuan beef,

sweet vegetable omelette, and wild duck soup.

from grandma's cafe.

a visit to grandma's cafe in the new year.

fresh lemon cake; sweet and sour and heavenly.

bouquet garni.

glazed brussel sprouts and pancetta with bouquet garni (notice the string).

grandma chose bay leaf, rosemary, oregano, savory, parsley, thyme,

and fennel to fill a sachet and tie to the pot.

breakfast potage.

i woke up in the morning to find grandma cooking breakfast.

organic pumpkins from a nearby farm turned into a creamy potage.
i soaked my toast and  had bites of warm sausage omlette.

a perfect meal to start my day.

snow chores.

new year feast.

it's a winter wonderland in hokkaido.

celebration of the new year begins 

with a sip of sake (apple juice for me) in a family gold goblet.

roast toro tuna and fresh ark shell.

grilled quail with wasabi salt

hokkaido king crab with melted butter sauce

happy new year.