As the kids have grown bigger, so has the mountain of karaage (から揚げ) that Mariko prepares. 😆
Category: Food
New Coffee at Our House
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Mariko and I are both coffee drinkers (and Bay is turning into one as well) which means we need a steady supply of coffee beans for our morning drinks. The photo above is the latest coffee we are trying, and I have to say, it’s pretty good! I always drink my coffee black, so I can easily tell if it’s too bitter, and this one is very smooth – almost too smooth, but what’s nice is that Mariko buys lots of different coffees, so before long, we’re onto something new.
One thing that makes a big difference in the taste of the coffee is grinding whole beans rather than buying the coffee pre-ground. Even before drinking, that smell of the freshly ground beans is awesome! Another bonus is that if the coffee happens to be too bitter, you can create a coarser ground next time for a milder taste. Conversely, I’ve also used the grinder to “freshen up” pre-ground beans (which tend to be less flavorful) and give them a stronger flavor.
I’ve read that the Burr-type grinders are the best, but we’ve had our Braun electric blade-type grinder for over 15 years and it’s still going strong, so we’ll probably keep going with it until it dies (which might be never).
I hope you had a nicely-caffeinated day! ☕
またね~
Snapshots from Tonight’s Dinner
Fondue Dinner at Home
こんばんは。How’s it going?
Tonight we had a wonderful fondue dinner at home. We have a family Valentine’s tradition to eat fondue, but because of Mariko’s schedule yesterday, we had to delay it for a night. But we definitely can’t miss our annual fondue dinner!
As always, we have two pots of cheese, one with wine for Mariko and I, and the other with no alcohol for the kiddos. Every year they try the “adult” fondue, and scrunch up their faces at the taste. “Horrible” was heard this time around. But eventually, I think they will prefer the wine and cheese fondue. Until that day, it’s all for Mariko and me!
The ingredients for dipping were simple this year, with a yummy chicken/spinach sausage, potato, broccoli, carrots, and homemade baguette cubes. It was a yummy dinner!
I hope you had a nice Friday!
またね~
Snapshots from Our Lunar New Year Celebration
We visited my cousin’s house for their annual Lunar New Years celebration. Here are a few snapshots from the celebration. Gung Hay Fat Choy! 新年快乐!