Dessert

Bitter Lemon Elixir and Berry Almond Tea Cakes

On my first visit to England years ago I stumbled across a drink that instantly grabbed at my taste buds and left me wanting more, Schweppes Bitter Lemon. Mouth puckering lemon and bitter quinine work together to create a symphony of flavor that is altogether addictive. I have since found Schweppes Bitter Lemon on occasion […]

Veggie Chili, Crash Hot Potatoes, & Chocolate Coconut Cookies

I'm always on the lookout for new yummy healthy recipes to add to my arsenal. This is especially important as Squirrel gets older and with me being pregnant. No matter how much I would rather have a chocolate truffle tarte for dinner some nights, I want to make sure that I instill healthy eating habits […]

Open Sesame! Black Sesame Shortbread

I love sesame seeds. The first time we lived in Japan I was introduced to black sesame seeds, and they quickly became a favorite. In Japan, sesame seeds are found in many salads and baked snacks. Sesame paste is also used in a variety of dishes. Many soft cream stands even offer black sesame as […]

Cheater, Cheater, Whoopie Pie Eater!

I needed a batch of goodies for a group of teenagers this weekend, but I was low on time. What to do? As I was pondering this problem I decided to make whoopie pies. I pulled out an idea that had been sitting unused in my head for a while, and voila! Out came my […]

Park adventures and skipping dinner.

Yesterday was a national holiday and so Mr. Fuji had the day off. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and drove out to a large park called Inokashira Park. This particular park is a wonderful place to be on the weekends or on a holiday, because there are always many street performers and […]

Let them eat cake!

Whether or not Marie Antoinette said it, "Let them eat cake!" is the perfect title for this post. This month's Daring Bakers challenge was Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake recipe from her book, Baking from My Home to Yours (page 250). This cake is essentially a white cake with a buttercream frosting, though there […]

"C’est facile comme bonjour."

We live in an area of Tokyo that has a lot of French influences. For starters, the Tokyo tower, which is a reddish orange version of the Eiffel Tower, is visible from our living room window. Our neighborhood is filled with French inspired cafés, bakeries, and restaurants. In fact, these places are all within 5-minute […]

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