Rainy Day

Clouds, mountains and a lake make beautiful foggy layers of gray.

Kyo imo

This potato is my new favorite vegetable. It is called "kyo imo" in Japanese. I think it is type of taro.
I usually steam then bake the potato with olive oil. I like bacon and spinach saute or mushrooms saute on the baked potatoes.
The potato is really good for potage soup too. The potato gives the soup a rich, creamy taste and a thick texture even though no fat is added to the soup.

At home

I basically like to stay at home. I am happy if I don't have any plans on the weekend. I bake, read books with some tea or coffee, organize my recipes, write blog entries and watch movies after dinner. Time goes by so fast.

Stained Glass Quilts

I went to a small craft exhibition the other day. They displayed some calligraphy, knitting and quilts. I saw some interesting quilts called stained glass quilts.
This one remains me of some Canadian Indian artwork that I like.
For me, these stained glass quilts are the most interesting that I have ever seen.

Amazake

Recently I received some sake lees, which is what is left after the sake has been pressed out of the mash. It is called "sake kasu" in Japanese. Sake kasu is used in cooking in many ways.
I tried using it in an easy recipe today. I cooked sake kasu with water and sugar. After, I dropped grated ginger on the top. This sweet drink is called "amazake" in Japanese. At new year's time warm amazake is served when you visit temples and shrines and it warms you up.

Parking Lot Cat

I sometimes see this cat where I park my car at work. She is friendly and doesn't mind people petting her. I like the cat because she is calm and she isn't afraid of people or cars too much. She is a cool cat.

Garage

My car was making a strange sound on Thursday night. Andrew and I went to a garage close by our house the next morning. I explained the problem to a mechanic and he checked my car. He found that the spark plugs had died.
While we were waiting in the lounge, we enjoyed some tea.
There is a big window in the lounge. You can see what is going on in the garage. There were some cars waiting to be fixed.After my car had three spark plugs changed, everything was alright. Andrew commented that he never expected such a clean garage like this one. Even the bathroom is beautiful and has a nice natural wooden smell there. I would like to come back the garage again.