My friends visited to N.Y from Japan

I am so busy with my business and doing entertainment for my friend and their family who are visiting to N.Y. from Japan.
I have so many close friends in Japan and L.A.
Now, all my friends want to come to N.Y because I keep telling them "I love N.Y"
They know I loved L.A for 30years,then I changed my mind to N.Y.
They would like to know why I love N.Y so much.

In August, my friend and his family came to see me and we had wonderful time together.
I could show them Manhattan, N.J. Little Neck, Port Washington and Garden City.
We had delicious dishes in these cities. The best one was a Japanese restaurant in Port Washington. That sashime dish was great!

In these 4 months, I went to so many restaurants for checking the level of their dishes.

The web site of "Yelp" help me a lot when I go out for different country's restaurants. I can find out any kind of restaurants by 30 min driving in N.Y.

I really think about N.Y as " Melting pot with races"
People respect each cultures and enjoy it.
We can find the best one for every things in N.Y.

So, I don't forget my blog, but I am too busy to do so many exciting things.

In next month, another friends are coming to N.Y. from Tokyo.
I will report to you about restaurants which we go.
Sorry, I can't write about my recipes for a while.

Always Love

Keiko

Stuffed Bell pepper & Fluffy Tofu egg

You know, I moved to NY in the end of April.
My new life, new challenge for myself with my middle age.
I think strongly " I made a right decision".

I lived in the same city of CAL for 25 years.
I loved the city and appreciated with my restaurant business for over 20 years in this community.
Beautiful surrounding and people, nice and safe neighborhood.
Most restaurants and shops are closed by 9~10 Pm.
After the time, whole city is keeping darkness and silence.

As a single Mother, the city was perfect to me for raising my son.
They had wonderful school district system.

I wanted to have some kind of romantic love experiences for these years.
But, never never happen to me in this conservative town.

Any way, I am in New York now!
I hope I can create a romantic love story in this exciting city.

Today, I would like to show two microwave dishes.
They are so delicious, quick and easy.
Because I am so busy with new circumstance, I am cooking my dishes with microwave.


* Stuffed bell pepper

Ingredient : 1 Red bell pepper ( large one)

A { 8oz ground beef, 1/3 cop minced onion, 2 Tbsp panko, 2 Tbsp milk,
SQ (small quantity) salt and pepper }----- Mix well

2 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 Tbsp olive oil, SQ flour, SQ grated cheese,
SQ parsley flakes

Sauce : Ketchup and worcester sauce


Direction : Cut the bell pepper into half lengthwise and clean up inside.
Dust inside the bell pepper with flour and stuff with well mixed A.
Coat all over the surface of meat and bell pepper with olive oil ~ softly wrap and
cook for 3~4 min in microwave. Take it out once and put the mozzarella cheese
on the beef ~ cook for 20 seconds and place it to your favorite plate.
Sprinkle the grated cheese and parsley~pour the sauce. Delicious !


* Fluffy Tofu egg

Ingredient : 1/2 silken tofu, 1 egg, 3 shiitake mushroom (thin slice), 2oz imitation crab,
1 leaf green onion (edge cut), 1 tsp water, 1tsp chicken bouillon powder,
1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar.


Direction : Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well ~ cover with wrap and cook in
microwave for 2 min and take it out ~mix again.
place on a plate~ Smile !

New York ! part 2

I have to talk about New York again.
I lived in L.A for 30 years and I thought L.A is the best city in America.
No, No, No !
New York is more fun and exciting city.
This blog should talk about delicious Japanese dishes,
but I am too busy for finding food markets and good restaurants in my city.
I found beautiful "Manhasset Bay" in Port Washington.
They have a good sea food restaurant with this gorgeous view.

Since I moved to NY, I can't concentrate for my cooking,
so I am cooking easy easy noodle dishes.
I made "cold noodle salad" and Korean noodle "Chapuche" for my son.
I need more time for learning about New York.
I keep telling to my friends about how New york is wonderful.
My sister came here from Japan already.
We had wonderful time for shopping and eating delicious dishes at good restaurants.
My sister loved New York and she will come back again in a couple months.

So, my friends!
Please come to New York and enjoy these beautiful views.
Manhattan is not only one sightseeing place, we have many beautiful spots in NY.

See you soon.

Love

keiko

New York, New York, New York

I moved to New York and enjoying so much with this new world.
I live in the town of 25 min driving from Manhattan and 5min from the beautiful Little Neck Bay.
Everything are different from L.A, Cal.
Best thing, I love the nature of N.Y.
Looks so strong with many many years of four seasons experiences.
I lived in L.A for 30 years with warm weather which I loved it.
Now, I have changed my mind, I am enjoying with every days different weather.
You never know how change the weather in next one hour.
Rain, lightning, wind and sunshine. Busy, busy busy for changing.
In winter time, I will see the snow which I never see for 30 years in L.A.

I think the people of N.Y are interesting to me.
When they are driving, they looks more roughly and passionate.
I heard so many horns from the back and side of my car which I don't know what wrong about it.
Now, I make a horn whenever I want to do, even with no reason.

I went to my son's best friends wedding party in Manhattan.
My son has many bankers and lawyers friends.
That was beautiful party with great dishes, dance and perfect illumination.
The people who came to the wedding party,
they looks so fashionable and keeping good body shapes.
In L.A, I saw so many overweight people who looks like a elephant.
In this wedding party, I never see these kind of persons.
They looks so intelligent and sophisticated people.
So anyway, I can't talk about delicious food today.
My kitchen and rooms are not in order yet.
I just want to talk about my new world of New York.
I never want to go back to C.A, I am so happy in N.Y.

I will talk about delicious foods soon.

Love Love

Keiko

My another 39 years old Birthday party

I have to talk about my another 39 years old Birthday party on 03/12/2010.

I am going to move to New york for my new challenging exploration in this month.
So, I was so so busy for my moving preparation.

30 years ago, I came to L.A all by myself.
No friends, No family, No credit, No job, nothing, except my passion for my dream in America.

30 years later, I have too many things for myself.
As my treasure, my son, beautiful friends and my family's healthy body and minds, I appreciate so much and would love to keep them for long times.

But, my furniture, dresses, shoes, jewelry, art pictures and my favorite car "Jaguar",
I had to clean out most of them. I did it so hard for these 3 weeks ( except my car).I feel happy that I did it now, otherwise my son have to do these things after I die 45 years later.

I was so busy, but I made 3~4 parties with my family friends.
Big one was my another 39 years old Birthday party.
In last week, my favorite young friend's 37 years old Birthday party.
They are MBA students from Japan and another countries.

I cooked "Chanko Nabe"
"Chanko" mean "Japanese Sumo wrestler's meal"
They cooked chicken as main meat for "Chanko Nabe" because chicken stand up with two legs like our human.
They try to avoid beef and pork because they use four legs for standing and looks" bad luck" for Sumo wrestlers as "Lose figure"
I think, this is an old story.
Now they eat any kind of meats for "Chanko".

We had wonderful time together.
My young friends will create their great and successful life which I believe that.

If you don't run away from "yourself "when you have tough time in your life.( I am so sure, you will have tough time because that is our life)

Most scary thing is "yourself" in this world.
If you give up for "yourself", nobody can help you.

This is my strong principle for these 30 years as "A Single Mother" in America.

Next time, I will post my blog from New York.
I am so exciting with my new exploration!

Love Love

Keiko

Ome LACE (omelet ) with fried rice

My appetite is getting better now.
Since I lost my Mom in last year, I could not eat too much food.
( I was drinking my favorite wine, so don't worry about my health)
Recently, I feel hungry so often.
I open my refrigerator and see what kind of ingredients I have for the day.
Then I decide which dish I will cook for my lunch and dinner.

I made Japanese favorite pasta "Neapolitan pasta"yesterday.
Japanese people named this dish from city of "Naples" at our discretion.
So even Italian people don't know about this pasta dish in Italy.
We don't use tomato ketchup for our Japanese dishes like American people.
Only for this dish, "tomato ketchup" play the lead to make "delicious pasta".

Today, I cooked an omelet with fried rice, Japanese people call "Omu rice".
When I cook the egg, I made it like " Lace" with my fingers.
This way looks so gorgeous and fun.
I think, I can use for sushi hand roll, rice ball and bento box as decoration.

When I am eating delicious dish, I always think about my son in New York.
I feel "guilty" for him because only I am eating great and delicious dishes every days.

I admire for my dish and my skill for cooking. " Oh my God, so Yummy~ !!"
This is "the truth" from my heart.
I am a so lucky person.

I will add another my favorite Korean dish " Chapuche"
Even my Korean friend who came from Korea admired " great taste! this is a Japanese style chapuche"

Enjoying delicious foods is the best in our life.

By the way, why I am still a single lady ?
Where is my boyfriend or husband ?
Something missing in my life.

Love

Keiko

Party and Quick beef and beansprouts

Ishikari Nabe

I made three times home party in this month already.
I love to make home party and invite my great friends.
When I am cooking for them before they come,
I am thinking about their each characters.
Sometime, I remember our funny memories which we did together in our past.
I start to smile and laugh all by myself inside my kitchen.
I try to put lots of love (seasoning) inside my dishes for them.


Now party time!
We always have great time together.
I can enjoy my favorite wine with our wonderful conversation.
This is the best part of my home party, I don't have to drive back my car.

After the party is over, I just clean up lightly for the night.

Next morning, I love to see the mess on my table and kitchen.
I start to singing and try to remember anything amusing happening in last night.
When I am washing my dishes, I start to smile and laugh again.
Almost one hour of cleaning for my kitchen, I can enjoy with funny memories of the party.

I have special talent to find out some enjoyable things from anythings happen to my life.
When I own my Japanese restaurant, I had to clean up my customer's tables even I am the owner.
Because my customer were waiting for the table and my waiters were so busy with another customers. I smiled and start to clean the table with singing the word " Free exercise, free exercise, I am so lucky, I can lose my weight !"

I know how to enjoy and appreciate for my life.
Don't you think that we are so lucky because we can still keep enjoying our life until a phone call from our God "come back home"

Today, I will show my favorite beansprout dish.

"Quick beef with beansprout"

*7oz beef fillet or rump (thin slices), 7 oz beansprouts, 1 leaf green onion (diagonal thin cut),

2 pc red pepper (edge cut), 1 Tbsp olive oil

*Soak sauce---2 Tbsp sake, 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp olive oil

*Soak the beef in the sauce for 5 min.

Heat(high) with a frying pan and olive oil ~ add the beef with soaked sauce, red pepper and stir fry until the beef get good color ~ add the beansprout and green onion and stir fry briefly ~ OK, ready to eat.

Point: Stir fry for all the ingredients with high heat and quickly and never over cook for beansprouts.

Thank you.

Love

Keiko