Adventuring my way through a cookbook

Have you ever watched the movie Julie and Julia? I watched it last winter and I must say I was inspired.  Not only to start cooking and be more adventurous with my cooking, but also to start a blog. This one as a matter of fact!

So this blog is about living in Japan, learning to cook amazing Asian cuisine, learning how to use my fancy new camera, and also starting out as a newlywed. :) So while Karl goes to work every day I busy myself with studying Japanese, playing with photography, planning what to have for dinner and grocery shopping, to name a few of my activities. I am also hoping to find at least a volunteer position teaching or tutoring English around somewhere. 

But now back to the cooking adventures! Karl and I received the sweetest cookbook as a gift for our wedding.  It is the perfect cookbook to learn how to really cook authentic Asian food. It is called The Essential Asian Cookbook.  It has a picture glossary of ingredients if you aren't sure what something is, big color pictures and very clear step-by-step directions. The other really neat thing about this cookbook is that is has a special section on each Asian country. So Karl and I can cook our ways through Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and so on! How fun!　たのし！(tanoshi-fun!)

The other cookbook in the picture we got from Karl's mom.  It is also a fabulous cookbook! As the cover says, it is a cooking class cookbook.  This means that each recipe has step-by-step instructions with pictures! SO nice. We really enjoy cooking from both of them. 

Here are some pictures from this past Monday's dinner.  California すし rolls and teriyaki chicken drumsticks.  I made the California rolls up myself. The teriyaki chicken was out of the Essential Asian cookbook.  Both turned out great! The teriyaki did call for sugar; however, I ended up using some of the maple syrup which I has mailed to Karl before coming to Japan.  The reason is that we had thought we had purchased sugar...but (you guessed it!) bought salt instead. Oopsies! The syrup worked just fine though.  照り焼きは　おいしい　です！The teriyaki was delicious!

In other news: On Monday three of Karl's supervisors came to meet me! They took us out for coffee and also asked Karl and me to join a choir. How exciting! So we have our first rehearsal next Monday at 7:30 pm.  I will report back on what it is like being in a Japanese choir.  I am looking forward to it!

Till next time! さようなら！