When I made the sweet beans (previous post), I knew I wanted to make stuffed buns with them as filling.
I made ones with the sweet black bean smooth paste, and the others with the raspberry bean paste.
Some sake-kasu (sake lees) was added to the buns, which gave the bread subtle yet interesting flavor and also made the buns soft and light.
Sweet black bean bun.
Raspberry bean bun.
They were both so good!
Time to make Shokupan again.
I’ve been tweaking the recipe for a while, but this one turned out really great.
It’s always exciting to tear the bread open like this.
Can you see how soft it is?
I was very happy with how the crust turned out too.
It was still very soft when cooled.
So it took us both to slice it (I hold the bread, and he cuts it).
We work together well when it comes to a food-related task (lol).
I wish I could say it was success.
Well, it was yes in a way and no in another way.
It was supposed to be a different type of bread, but I made an error (liquid was too hot, which prevented the dough from rising).
I almost threw away the dough, but after doing some research on how to rescue dough that did not rise, I decided to try one of the ideas I found: making pita bread.
Let me tell you.
That was a brilliant idea.
This pita bread turned out great.
Actually this was the best pita bread I’ve ever made!
I know I made a Pullman loaf not long ago.
But we go through it quickly, and it was time to make another one.
I really need to get a larger pan.
I’m also experimenting with different types of fat and the baking temperature/time to find out the best combination.
I had wanted to make these cornets for a long time.
My mother gave me these when I was back in Japan a few years ago.
I’m so happy that I finally got around to it.
Aren’t these adorable?!
They are so soft, too.
I filled some with chocolate cream and the others with vegan condensed milk cream.
Both were delicious!!
Here is the truth about my first cornet-baking.
I definitely have to work on the shape-forming process.
But I kind of like this lack of uniformity.
It’s been a while since I baked Shoku-pan, Japanese Pullman bread.
I made a calculation error and ended up with a tall loaf instead of two regular loaves.
But it’s minor.
I kind of liked the look of this loaf.
I hope you can tell how soft and fluffy the inside is from this picture.
Last night I watched a movie called “Toast.”
It’s a 2010 film based on the memoir of Nigel Slater, a British chef/food writer.
It was interesting to learn that his mother was not a good cook at all, yet, he developed strong passion and love for food at an early age.
Whenever dinner failed, she would make toasts, and he said something like you cannot be mad at someone who makes you a toast which is crispy outside and once you bite into it you taste this wonderful softness inside.
I totally agree.
So happy to be able to enjoy a toast with my homemade vegan butter again.
We just got back from a two-month vacation in Japan.
We started in Okinawa, where we stayed for 4 weeks.
And then we moved up North, while stopping in Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kawaguchi Lake, and finally Tokyo.
We did visit a lot of cool sites, but we didn’t have to rush and we were able to simply enjoy some down time as well.
This was our first time being away from home this long, and we didn’t know exactly how we would feel.
But it turned out to be a great vacation, and I feel super re-charged physically and mentally.
Since I got up early this morning (my body is still adjusting to the different time zone) and we didn’t have any food in the house, I baked some bread for breakfast.
I didn’t really miss home during our vacation, but I am happy to start cooking/baking again in my kitchen.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Here is the main dish of this year.
Mushroom stuffed vegan roast.
Isn’t it beautiful?
This homemade roast was so good!! (so much better than store-bought ones.)
Glazed Satsuma sweet potatoes with black sesames.
Sauteed broccolini with crushed red pepper.
Corn bread.
Kale persimmon salad.
Salad is traditionally a part of Thanksgiving dinner, but I still like to have fresh vegetables.
Also on the table were garlic mashed potatoes, mushroom walnut gravy, and mandarin cranberries.
My husband and I are spending the day with the family at his mother’s house.
Looking forward to seeing everyone and hanging out.
We are planning to bring some of these dishes so that we will have something to eat, but I heard my mother-in-law is also modifying some of her recipes to make a few dishes vegan for us, which I very much appreciate.
I always lived with my parents until I left to go to college in the U.S. at age 25.
One of the things we would do together as a family was going to the library every Sunday morning.
Everyone in my family was an avid reader.
When I moved to Minnesota, initially I didn’t have time for leisure reading.
I was a full-time student for a long time.
But when I finally had time to read something other than textbooks, I began going to the library.
My visit to the library has been rather sporadic the last few years, but a few weeks ago I decided to make more time for reading.
Why?
Well, when I do find a good book, I really enjoy reading.
Well, where am I going with this story, you ask?
Last time I was at the local library, I borrowed two fiction books and one cookbook.
The cookbook was called “Entice with spice: easy Indian recipes for busy people.”
And this was the one recipe I got interested in.
The ingredients are a few and basic things I always have in my kitchen.
The process was pretty straight-forward, too.
For my lunch plate to serve with my flaky bread, I roasted brussels sprouts.
Look at this!
I found it Trader Joe’s.
Very cool!
I served homemade vegan cheese to dip the bread.
The flakey bread was definitely flaky.
We liked the texture and also the flavor from wheat flour.
By the way, this bread was called “Sada Paratha” in Indian.
Well, I still had some leftover cooked wild rice.
So I decided to add some to crusty rolls.
I also added dry cranberries, sunflower seeds, and chopped fresh rosemary.
I love how they turned out.
The rustic look is just irresistible.
Just because I wanted to try it right out of the oven, I skipped breakfast (or waited for this late breakfast).
This is how it looks inside.
It was delicious as it was, but I do admit that it was better with my homemade vegan butter.
One of my favorite mugs.
Made by a local potter.
I also baked whole wheat boule, as well.
There is nothing better than starting the day with freshly baked bread.
