I’ll Make It Myself!: Mameshiba Cupcakes
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers 
Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: Mameshiba Cupcakes
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer, web administrator, and translator, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
ね、知っている？(Hey, did you know?)
I’ll Make It Myself!: Veg* Out in Kanazawa: Aashirwad
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: Veg* Out in Kanazawa: Aashirwad
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer, web administrator, and translator, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Aashirwad (アシワード)
Location: Kohrinbo, Kanazawa
Type: Indian/Nepalese; lunch, dinner
Veg status: vegetarian friendly
Languages: Japanese and English (menus, staff)
I’ll Make It Myself!: What I Ate in Nagano, Day 3: Matsumoto, Miasa
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: What I Ate in Nagano, Day 3: Matsumoto, Miasa
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer, web administrator, and translator, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
On our last day in Nagano, we went to see Matsumoto Castle and drove through Hakuba and Miasa on the way back to Kanazawa.
I’ll Make It Myself!: New Resource: Guide to Japanese Kitchen Appliances
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: New Resource: Guide to Japanese Kitchen Appliances
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A professional writer, web administrator, and translator, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
On reflecting on four years of cooking in Japan, I wanted to share some of my thoughts about which kitchen appliances were useful and how larger appliances differ from their North American counterparts. If you’ve just moved to Japan and aren’t sure if you’d rather have a food processor or a blender, or if you’re unsure of what is available and where to get it, this is the guide for you.
WIT Life #231: 2020 Olympics in Tokyo?
Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #231: 2020 Olympics in Tokyo?
WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Last night I went to a reception at the Nippon Club hosted by the Honorable Naoki Inose, the Governor of Tokyo. His remarks were proceeded by some from Mr. Shigeyuki Hiroki, Japanese Ambassador and Consul General of Japan in New York, who was also a co-host. Ambassador Hiroki offered his condolences for the recent tragedy in Boston before Read More
WIT Life #230: Spring has sprung! (桜祭り)
Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, Uncategorized, WIT Life Comments Off on WIT Life #230: Spring has sprung! (桜祭り)
WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
After spending the last week in New Orleans on business, I was happy to come home to lovely spring weather here in NY. The sun is shining and the flowers are blooming, not least of all the sakura! Around these parts the 桜祭り (sakura matsuri) at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is famous for celebrating the cherry blossoms and Japanese culture, but over in Queens there is another festival which has grown over the last three years. As you can probably tell from this shot of the 59th Street Bridge shrouded in sakura, I’m referring to Roosevelt Island’s very own 桜祭り.
After getting off the F train or alighting from the tram, a short walk along the East River leads you to the stars of the show, the sakura. Although they weren’t quite at their peak, they were Read More
I’ll Make It Myself!: Sakura Matcha Muffins
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: Sakura Matcha Muffins
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer, web administrator, and translator, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
One hell of a storm blew through Saturday night and Sunday, ruining the weekend for hanami. Luckily, we’d had decent weather all week, including Friday night, when I went to Rojô Park in Komatsu for nighttime cherry-blossom viewing.
Of course, hanami wouldn’t be hanami without food and drink, and what better to bring than two Japanese classics together in a super portable form?
I’ll Make It Myself!: What I Ate in Nagano, Day 2: Yamanouchi
Books, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: What I Ate in Nagano, Day 2: Yamanouchi
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan; curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan; and admins The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Day 1: On the Road to Yudanaka Onsen (長野の名産を食べる旅：第一日)
On our second day in Nagano, we headed to Yamanouchi to see the snow monkeys at the Jigokudani Monkey Park. We kind of took the long way around, but eventually we got on the right path.
I’ll Make It Myself!: What I Ate in Nagano, Day 1: On the Road to Yudanaka Onsen
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: What I Ate in Nagano, Day 1: On the Road to Yudanaka Onsen
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan, and The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Craft beer wasn’t the only delicious thing I had on my trip to Nagano. Let’s recap!
I’ll Make It Myself!: Homemade Sakura “Latte” (Sakura Steamer)
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: Homemade Sakura “Latte” (Sakura Steamer)
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan, and The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
Nothing heralds spring like seasonal menu changes! Starbucks’ sakura latte (henceforth not italicized) is much like the pumpkin spice latte in the US: people go crazy for it and it sells out long before sakura season is over. Or, in Kanazawa and the rest of northern Japan, before it even starts.
This year, the latte was replaced by a sakura white hot chocolate, which I really liked, but unfortunately it’s been gone for a month and the sakura only started blooming this week. Luckily, a sakura “latte” (technically it’s a steamer since there’s no coffee) is really easy to make at home. All you need is preserved edible sakura, boiling water, and milk.
JET Bloggers’ Food Posts Roundup (3.26.2013)
Food & Drink, Writers Comments Off on JET Bloggers’ Food Posts Roundup (3.26.2013)
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan, and The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
These posts by JET bloggers were featured on the JET Alum Culinary Group on LinkedIn:
“How to Earn a Black Belt…In Front of the Conveyor Belt” by Alexandra Brueckner (ALT, Aomori, 2011-) at The Globe-Trotting Geek.
This piece about kaitenzushi was Freshly Pressed on WordPress on March 12, 2013. おめでとうございます！
“Weekend: 3月17日: Osaka meals” by Sarah (ALT, Takaoka, 2012-) at Daily Nibbles.
Sarah takes gorgeous photos of Osaka’s famous foods. Takoyaki has never looked this good!
“A quick break at Kiharu” by Brittany (CIR, Matsue, 2012-) at San’in Monogatari.
Brittany drops by a cafe in Matsue for some wagashi and matcha.
Join us on LinkedIn and share your own food stories, blog posts, or articles of interest: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4803196&trk=hb_side_g
I’ll Make It Myself!: Snow Monkey Beer Live 2013 (スノーモンキービアライブ)
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: Snow Monkey Beer Live 2013 (スノーモンキービアライブ)
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan, and The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
I finally got to attend the 2013 Snow Monkey Beer Live, an annual craft beer and live music festival in Shiga Kogen, Nagano, which took place from March 16-17.
I’ll Make It Myself!: A Bento is Not As Big As the World
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: A Bento is Not As Big As the World
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan, and The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
This is a companion piece to “‘Deeply Ingrained Advantages’: American Media Discovers Kyûshoku.”
At the same time as Japan’s school lunch programs got picked up by the media, there was a burst of articles about Japan’s other distinctive lunch: the bento.
Bento and the Cult of Cute
In the lead-in to Carlsen’s and Turner’s “In Japan, Food Can Be Almost Too Cute To Eat,” there is a slideshow showcasing the cuter side of Japanese food: tofu character goods, a kyaraben (character bento), and images of Anpanman in cartoon and pancake form.
WIT Life #228: Japan Week!
Events, Food & Drink, Translating/Interpreting, WIT Life, Writers Comments Off on WIT Life #228: Japan Week!
WIT Life is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
Yesterday began the second annual Japan Week here in NYC, a bit of a misnomer as it only goes for the three days of March 19-21. The venue is Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, where you can find 18 booths featuring Japanese food, drink and culture. Last night I was lucky enough to attend a kick-off event at the Japanese ambassador’s residence that highlighted Japan’s unique food culture and traditional arts.
One of the gue
st speakers was Michael Romano, director of culinary development for Union Square Hospitality Group, whose restaurants include Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern. Romano was also instrumental in the creation of Union Square Tokyo in 2007. He spoke of his love affair with Japan which began later in life, but has become a full-fledged passion. Romano espoused his devotion to Japanese knives, and shared how a craftsman in Sakai, a city once known for samurai swords but now famous for its kitchen knives, made him a Read More
I’ll Make It Myself!: The Blanton’s Cake (Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake)
Blogs, Food & Drink, I'll Make It Myself, Writers Comments Off on I’ll Make It Myself!: The Blanton’s Cake (Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake)
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and web administrator for The Art of Travel, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan, and curates The Rice Cooker Chronicles, a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan, and The JET Alumni Culinary Group in LinkedIn.
New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
The set-up for this cake: Blanton’s Bourbon, of Kentucky, is actually sold in Japan but some varieties are only sold in international markets: Black, Silver, Gold, Special Reserve, Straight from the Barrel; Original Single Barrel are sold in the US and abroad.
