Ginger Leek Chicken

Even before my days in Japan, I’ve had a long affinity to ginger root: cookies, sugar cured candy, tea, in green curry and of course as a soft drink (natural, not the Canada Dry stuff). Recently, I set out to try to make an original recipe using a lot of ginger.

Ginger Leek Chicken

1 piece about palm size ginger, minced or sliced
2 cloves or garlic minced
1 leek, sliced
3 table spoons of olive oil
200-300grams (8-10 ounces) of boneless chicken thighs
1/4 cup of white wine
2 tablespoons of nanpura
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
salt and pepper

In a medium pan, heat up the ginger, garlic and sliced leek with the olive oil until the leek starts to get a slight golden color. Cut the chicken into bite size chunks and season with salt and pepper. When the leek is ready(slight gold color), add the chicken, white wine, nanpura and oyster sauce, cover and lower the heat to a low flame. Let simmer for 10-12 minutes(internal temperature of at least 74/165 degrees C/F, stirring occasionally. Serve over salad, rice noodles, risotto or rice.

Burning Down the House!

Friday was a blowout. The place was packed. New friends, old friends, non-friends (they became my friends eventually) and a birthday cake.

Happy Birthday again to Mikito. Thank you all for coming. And thanks to Atsuko and her pics on Facebook. If anyone else has pics, please post them.

For now this will be the last Hanibal Live night at Common Cafe until the fall. Thank you all for making it a great night.

Taste of the Caribbean

Back at it next Friday the 15th at Common Cafe. Ayumi-san and her Caribbean cooking talents after a trip to, yep, the Caribbean. Come on down!

And now...

...US beer and cola.

Sliding Doors

I stepped on the train and doors closed behind me. As the train shook, I clung to one of the hand rings over head like Mitch Gaylord and shuffled my feet. A man, perhaps in his fifties, threw me smile. I smiled and nodded. He then leaned forward and with great clarity said, "Do you speak English?" and I again nodded.

He continued, "30 years ago I moved from Osaka to Tokyo for my job. The people from Osaka thought I strange too. People from Osaka speak very different. We use different expressions, different pronunciation and many local words. Don't worry, you will be okay soon".

Don't know what prompted him to say this but I smiled for the rest of the day. The sky was gleaming at 6pm, the start of the evening shade. Do I say "evening" or "afternoon"? I don't know.

And now...

...$12 Grape fruits.

Today was their Birthday

Friday was a blast. With a Japanese, French, American, and Spanish crowd, the UN feel was a buzz. Unfortunately my chef extradonaire Ms. Ayumi couldn't make to her jaunt through the Caribbean Sea for the next couple of weeks, but Dominoes filled in adequately to kill the hunger.

With Nishikubo-San on the skins and Eisaku "Isaac" Takami driving guitar lead and myself riding shot gun, we threw down "Happy Birthday", "Pagan", "13th Hour" and others for the crowds enjoyment.