unique wine bottle design

Greenwich beer and Jazz festival

The Jazz and beer festival in Greenwich is starting from this Thursday. I've been to this festival in last year and I was really really wanted to go in this year as well, but unfortunately I can not make it...;-(
I had so much fun at this jazz and beer festival in 2009. I was taking a tasting note at the beginning but after few pints of beer, we are all forgot about tasting note.
You can book a ticket at following website or you can buy at the desk.
And you can buy a pint glass to taste many many serious beers. (If you don't want to take a glass with you, you can return the glass and get money back when you leave)


If you simply like beer or if you like live music, or even you just want to do something different, I'd like to recommend this festival. We took a boat to get there and come back to the center.


I'd like to go other beer festival that something like this one, but I couldn't find any... If anybody knows fun beer festival please please let me know!
Otherwise this summer won't be good as last year...

Greenwich Jazz and Beer festival
27-31 May 2010
http://www.greenwichbeerandjazz.com/

今年も、Greenwich beer and Jazz festivalが今週の木曜日から始まります。
昨年、このイベントに参加し、今年も強く、かなり強く参加する事を望んでいたのですが、急遽あきらめざるを得なくなりました。ショック．．．。
昨年は友人、知人、同僚含め大人数で押し掛けました。行きも帰りもボートに乗ってゆらゆらテムズ川を下りました。天気がとってもよかったのでものすごく気持ちよかったのを覚えています。
はじめは、飲んだビール全てのテイスティングノートをつけていましたが、パイントが空になる回数が増えるのと平行して、テイスティングノートを書くのもだんだん減っていきました。ビールは結構真剣な品揃えで、とても面白いです。
チケットは、上記のウェブサイトでも、現地でも購入できます。
その他に、テイスティング用のパイントグラスも販売しています。
もし、持ってかえりたくない場合は、終わって帰る時にでも受付に戻せば、グラス代が返ってきます。

ただ、純粋にビールが好きな人や、音楽が好きな人、もしくはちょっと変わったデートなんかにもおすすめです。ただ、遅い持間になると、かなりテンションがあがってくる人達もいるので、あしからず。

このGreenwich beer and Jazz festivalのようなビールのイベントを探しているのですが、なかなか見つかりません。もし、このブログを読んでくださっている方の中にお薦めのイベントを知っている方がいたら教えてください。このままでは、私に夏は訪れません…。

Brin de paille

I've tasted cheese Brin de Paille cheese.
I bought it from local super market.
It is made with fresh cow's milk. It is originally from the pays d'Auge in Lower Normandy. It was super creamy and soft white cheese. It has a light flavour, no usual stinky cheese that I love. But I like this style of cheese, creamy but not too rich in flavour, so I ate a lot, I think. (sorry, Thom...)

今回は、近所のスーパーでBrin de Pailleを購入しました。
正直、まだ熟していないと思ったので冷蔵庫で3、4日寝ていたのですが、実は食べごろだったので慌てて頂きました。新鮮な牛乳でできたこのチーズは、ノルマンディーの特産です。
味は、とてつもなくクリーミーで、柔らかく、香りもとても控えめで、普段私の好きなクサイチーズとは大違いでした。とは言っても、この手のタイプはとても好きなので、多分、たくさん食べてしまったと思います。（ごめん、トーマス…）

thank you Heather...

Table cloth trick done with....

miso soup

Miso soup 'cuts breast cancer risk'

The soup contains fermented soy paste along with other ingredients including seaweed, bean curd and vegetables. Most people in Japan eat the soup at least once a day.

Previous studies have suggested that soya-rich foods can help cut women's risk of developing breast cancer.

Soybeans contain isoflavones, chemicals found in plants, which mimic the action of the female sex hormone oestrogen.

Although isoflavones are found in other plants, they are most concentrated in soybeans. They are believed to prevent breast tumours developing by blocking the cancer-causing effects of oestrogen.

Salt levels

Researchers at Japan's National Cancer Centre monitored the eating habits of 21,852 women aged between 40 and 59 for 10 years from 1990.

They discovered women who had three or more bowls of miso soup each day reduced their risk of getting breast cancer by about 40% to those who had only one bowl.

Those who had two bowls daily cut their risk by 26%.

Laboratory studies have shown isoflavones inhibit the development of breast cancer, but previous studies looking at the effects of eating soy-based foods have produced inconsistent results.

Seiichiro Yamamoto, head of the research group, said: "Consumption of miso soup and isoflavones ... was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer.

"The tendency for lowered breast cancer risk (associated with other soy products) was observed, but we need to do further studies to confirm it."

He added that eating too much miso soup was not advisable because of its hight salt content, so people should try to balance their soy intake by eating a number of different foods. Dr Yamamoto said: "Very generally speaking there is a perception that the traditional Japanese diet is healthy.

"We will study what part of it had what kind of effect on people. Some were good, some were bad."

Dr Tim Key, of the Cancer Research UK Epidemiology Unit in Oxford, said: "Over the last 10 years, about a dozen studies have examined the possibility that women who eat relatively large amounts of soya may have a lower risk for breast cancer than women who eat little or no soya.

"The results are, overall, inconsistent. This new study from Japan does suggest that women who eat a lot of soya may enjoy some protection against breast cancer, but the study is too small to be definitive and more work is needed in this promising area."

The research is published in the online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Story from BBC NEWS:

hangover cure

Pocari Sweat

Water works, but sports drinks work better. Pocari Sweat and its imitators rehydrate you and replenish your supply of potassium and magnesium, two essential electrolytes that you've been excreting. The liquid will help with your headache; the nutrients will speed up your body's water cycle, flushing the toxins and easing your nausea.

Garlic shots

"Honey," she said, "you're catching a cold; you should take a garlic injection."

"Darling," I said, "I don't think I will."

The next day, a needle was forcing a cocktail of glucose and vitamins C and B1 into my arm. Within hours, the symptoms of my ailment had vanished, but my mouth was radiating a ferocious garlic-like fetor. The name of the shot, it transpired, comes not from an ingredient but from a malodorous side effect of the vitamin B1.

The doctor mentioned in passing that it also worked wonders on a hangover, since his clinic is one of many that supplements the shot with a dose of glycyrrhizin, a compound found in licorice that helps prevent liver damage and may soothe upset stomachs. The doc recommended taking the shot before socializing. I recommend taking it well before socializing.

Persimmons

Asian people are particularly efficient at converting ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is one of the chemical causes of a hangover. Persimmons contain catalase, which helps metabolize the acetaldehyde. They also contain potassium to help flush your toxins and vitamin C to freshen your breath.

Watermelon

The Chinese have been using watermelons medicinally for millenniums, but it took a Japanese scientist named Mitsunori Wada to figure out why. In 1930 he isolated citrulline, an antioxidizing amino acid found in watermelons that appears to boost blood circulation, detox the liver, ease muscle fatigue and do a host of other things that someone with a hangover might appreciate.

In 1994, a company named San Koa Suikato from Japan's watermelon- growing Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu began marketing citrulline extract as a dietary supplement. Says company spokesman Ryoji Ueda: "We began hearing from customers that our product was helping their hangovers, so we took it to Tokyo Ikashika University (Tokyo Medical and Dental University) for tests." The university found that the supplement offered "resistance to acute alcohol intoxication."

The product was reborn as Suika No Chikara (Watermelon Power), a 4-gram square of compressed fermented watermelon with garish packaging and marketing that almost-but-not-quite claims it can prevent or cure a hangover. It's available throughout Kyushu and in selected Family Mart stores nationwide, and yes, it really works.

Clams

It takes a special person to wake up with a hangover and want to eat mollusks, but clams are low calorie, easy to absorb, and contain iron, calcium, glycogen and a perfect balance of eight amino acids required to rebuild your damaged cells. According to hangover researcher Shoji Harada (see box), "We usually eat the clams in miso soup, which is also rich in amino acids and minerals that are effectual for the symptoms of a hangover, such as (rumbling) bowels."

Turmeric

If you believe all the claims made of turmeric, this rhizome can help you lose weight, ward off cancer, disinfect wounds, kill pain, slow multiple sclerosis, ease depression, combat arthritis, prevent melanoma, treat Alzheimer's, guard against heart attacks, heal leprosy and remove unwanted body hair. It has also gained a reputation as a hangover remedy in Japan, aiding digestion, soothing upset stomachs and fortifying the liver, which accounts for the abundance of turmeric pills and potions on the market. In almost a decade as a drinks writer, I've had the opportunity to test a variety of products, and the most effective seems to be Shugo Densetsu ("Heavy Drinker's Legend"), a pair of pills sold in izakayas throughout Okinawa. One pill contains three types of turmeric, the other uses herb and fruit extracts to regulate blood-sugar levels, since overdrinking is usually accompanied by overeating.

Umeboshi

It's Japan's oldest, best-known and least likely hangover cure. Take a Japanese apricot and pickle it for months, or years, until it's sour enough to turn your mouth inside out. Paradoxically, the organic acids raise the pH level of your stomach, easing nausea and stomach pains. Meanwhile, the fruit delivers much-needed potassium and sodium. Eat the umeboshi before drinking and the sourness stimulates mucus in the stomach that will slow the absorption of the alcohol.

Don't drink too much

"There are remedies for specific symptoms of a hangover," says Shoji Harada. "Aspirin is useful for a headache and sports drinks are effective for listlessness and thirst. But I think the best method to stop a hangover is moderate drinking." mmm, we all have same problems here..

Gazette

I've been living in Battersea for nealy 3 years. I like where I live.

There are many good places in Clapham Junction a good 15mins walk distance from our flat. But I'm desperate to take bus or cab (I think more cab..) after a few pints of beer.

I have two favourite places around my flat.

One is called The Ship. It's a pub which stands just by the river, and The Ship has a big terrace and BBQ grill space, with live bands on sunday.

I can not remember how many times I've been there in last summer.

Batterseaに住んで３年が経ちます。
15分程歩けば かわいいカフェや、レストラン、バー、マーケットのあるClapham Junction駅にたどり着けるし、結構気にいっています。
家の周辺には、正直これと言って何もなく、つまらないと言えば、そうかも知れませんが、私がお気に入りの場所は2件あります。
The Shipといって、川に面したパブで大きなテラスがあり、夏はテラスの一角にある大きなBBQから煙がモクモク立ち上がります。日曜日にはテラスに設置されたステージでバンド演奏などもあります。特に天気の良かった昨年の夏、何度私達はここに来たか数えられないくらいです。

And the other place is a restaurant called Gazette.

This is a great authentic french restaurant close to the river in battersea.

There are two floors in the restaurant.

On the left side there are sofa, bar, table seats, and a good size terrace. And on the right side, which is the first floor... there are some more tables and 2 different private rooms that are decorated with french cooking books and wine bottles. All decorations are very old fashioned glass jar, sauce pan, books, and bits and pieces. Even I feel like a flash-back to my childhood. (even for Japanese girl!)

そしてもう一件は、Gazetteというフレンチレストランです。
店内は2フロアーに分かれていて、入って左側にはテーブル席のほかに、ソファー席、バー、テラスがあります。右側にはテーブル席、それから個室が２つあります。個室は、ワインのボトル、古いワインの本や、料理の本、古いフライパン、水差し、センスのいいがらくた（失礼…）でデコレーションされていて、とってもあったかくて、懐かしい雰囲気です。

The food there is very homely. The great homemade onion soup comes in "le creuset" sauce pan, beef tartar which is hand-cut is always prepared in front of you also comes in a pan.

The butter they serve you at the beginning of the meal is from Bourdier, a small Brittany producer who still hand churn all his butters. There is plain butter which is very creamy, salt crystal butter which they serve in gazette and also seaweed butter. All are heaven on earth.

And the WINE LIST IS BIG and all of them are quite generously priced. We always have wine when we have a meal.

Gazette is changing menu every day and they are always serving seasonal foods.

They are all day dining, breakfast included and they have kids menu too.

Few selections of tea, cider, beer, freshly made smoothie...

It is great to refresh in summer after a walk around the river... or to warm up in winter with hot onion soup and nicely cooked cote de boeuf with spicy and full bodied red wine... We spent many evening and lunch over there.

料理は全体的に、家庭的、です。
手作りオニオンスープは"le creuset"のお鍋で出て来たり、テーブルの前で用意してくれる、牛のタルタルも、平たいお鍋がお皿代わりです。
食事の前に、パンと一緒に出てくるバターは格別で、Bourdierという、フランスのブリタニーにある小さなプロデューサーで、今でも撹乳は手作業だそうです。丹誠込めて作られたバターは、とってもクリーミーで、小さな塩の結晶がいい具合に旨味を引き立てます。

ワインリストもとても良心的な値段で、種類もとても豊富です。
私達は、いつも食事をする時にはワインを飲みます。

ここは、オールデイダイニングで、朝食、子供用のメニューもあります。
メニューは日替わりで、季節の食材をふんだんに使ってくれるのも気に入っている理由の一つです。
サイダー、ビール、フルーツいっぱいのスムージー、お茶のセレクションもあり、暑い夏、川沿いを歩いたあと、冷たいスムージーや、ビールででリフレッシュしたり、または、寒い冬、熱いオニオンスープであったまった後、フルボディーの赤ワインとジューシーなcote de boeufをお腹いっぱい食べたり、ここで過ごした夜や、午後は数知れず、なのです。

I like this place. I'd like to recommend it to anybody who loves french home cooking...

ここは私のお気に入りのレストランです。
フランスの、アットホームな雰囲気がお好きな方に、おすすめでーす。

men and women are living in different planet

this is an one of my favourite advert.

Terroirs

This is one of my favourite wine bar in london.

The atmosphere is so cozy and warm. Waiters are always kind and friendly. The wide range of wine selections is also great and mainly organic.

There are counter seats and tables in restaurant. Better to make reservation if you need table. And lunch time is always packed with locals.

Terroirsは私のお気に入りのワインバーの一つです。

あったかくて、何ともしっくりくる店内の雰囲気もまた、食欲をそそります。

ウェイターはいつも親切で、フレンドリーです。
ワインのセレクションも、オーガニックなどを中心に揃えられ、
値段も良心的です。カウンター席と、テーブル席がありますが、特にテーブルを
希望する方には、予約をお勧めします。
ランチタイムはいつも地元や、近くのオフィスなどで働く人でいつも満員状
態です。お試しあれ。

Terroirs

5 William IV street

WC2N 4DW

tel: 020 7036 0660

http://www.terroirswinebar.com/index.htm

Ilana Yahav

Ilana Yahav is a sand animation artist.

She use only her fingers and hands to draw with sand on glass tables.

Some of the peoples could recognised her work in Twinings tea adverts.
This is one of her amazing art work.

They are so beautiful.

Ilana Yahavは、通称サンドアニメーションアーティストと呼ばれる、指と手だけを使って、ガラスのテーブルに砂で絵を描く、アーティストです。

紅茶で有名なTwiningsのCMなどで見た事がある方も多いと思います。

こちらは、彼女の作品の一部です。

The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards

S. Pellegrino sponsored The world's 50 best restaurants awards 2010 was held on monday 26th April. The awards are now in their 9th year.

The panel is made up of food critics, writers, chefs and gastronomes, each of whom has 5 votes. Members vote for five restaurants, at least two of which must be used to recognise restaurants outside of their region.

The results are published in the Restaurant magazine, and website.

http://www.theworlds50best.com/

サンペレグリノが主催する、The world's 50 best restaurants awards 2010が、4月26日に開催されました。

この授賞式は今年で９年目になります。

レストランを審査するのは、ジャーナリスト、シェフ、料理評論家などから構成され、それぞれ、５票の投票権が与えられます。

審査結果は上記のウェブサイトか、雑誌Restaurantでも紹介されます。

sometimes it's good to look at the sky even if it's not sunny...

you can find lots of love...

HOME MADE SNACKS

Friend of mine gave me a big packet of plain seeds mix.

Both Thomas and I like "Food Doctor seeds mix", very much. (Sometimes we like being squirrel...:-P

So I've tried to make similar things.

I've roasted seeds until pumpkin seeds start to make sounds, and added into sauce which is mixture of soy sauce, paprika powder, grounded pepper and olive oil. And just mix them well.

This is good!

I think I should make this more often... It is healthy, and easy.

先日友人が、いろいろな種（ごま、カボチャ、ひまわり、松　等）がミックスになった大きなパックをくれました。正直使い道に困ってしまったのですが、トーマスと私のお気に入りの、"Food Doctor seeds mix"　をまねて、これに近いおつまみを作ってみました。

はじめに、種をフライパンで炒りますが、カボチャの種が、パチパチ音を立てるぐらいローストします。それから、熱々のうちに醤油少々、オリーブオイル、パプリカパウダー、胡椒、をよく混ぜたソースに絡めます。

以上。

とても簡単で、とても美味しく出来上がりました。

ポリポリとスナック感覚でも食べられるし、サラダなどの上に振りかけたり、使い道は考えようで、いろいろです。

nothing special, but I just feel like....

It was not a special day today. But I just wanted to have a different day off with Thomas.

So I put all of my energy for the cooking dinner tonight.

I made few different topping canapes.

I couldn't find small pancakes for canapes that I can find in shop usually, so I've used toast instead. I realised after put them into oven for 4/5 minutes, I should put them into "grill" instead of "oven"... So the colour doesn't change at all....

The first picture is olive oil, mozzarella cheese, tomato, and broccoli that simmered in chicken stock.

特別な日ではなかったのですが、ただ、トーマスと一緒の休日に、何かいつもと違った物を、と思っただけです。

そうと決まったら、即実行のタチなので、全身のエネルギーを費やした、そんな夕食になりました。まず、カナッペを何種類か作りました。

いつも、近所のスーパーにあるカナッペ用のパンケーキが見つからなかったので、本日はトーストを切って使いました。

オーブンにいれて4,5分たって、”オーブン”じゃなくて、”グリル”にしなければいけなかった事に気がつきましたが、時既に遅し。トーストの色がコンガリしたイメージを想像していただけに、真っ白のトーストにちょっとがっくし…:−(。

はじめのカナッペは、オリーブオイルと、モッツァレラチーズ、トマトに、コンソメで炊いたブロッコリーです。

This is pork liver and caramelised onion pate topped with my favourite apple compote, and chives.

こちらはポークとタマネギのパテ、トッピングは、私の大好物のリンゴのコンポートと、目ネギです。

This canape reminds me taste of my mother's sandwich....

I've cooked one egg then mashed roughly with a fork and mix with grounded pepper and Cupi which is Japanese Mayonnaise. (doesn't need to to be Japanese but I really like Japanese mayonnaise) and topped with cubes of goat cheese and tomato.

こちらのは子供の時、母が作ってくれた玉子サンドイッッチを思わせる優しい味でした。

卵を一個茹で、フォークで荒くつぶした後は、おなじみのキューピーマヨネーズ、胡椒を混ぜます。トッピングは角切りのゴーツチーズと、トマトです。

I thought I have cured ham such as pancetta ham, or prosciutto in fridge, but guess what, there were ham but not I was expected.... So I used normal ham.

I've sliced camembert cheese and put them on the toast then back in to oven, just wait for few minutes until cheese starting to melt like picture. Then topped with ham and chopped white grapes. It was good but could be better.

買い物の途中に、冷蔵庫にプロシュートか、パンチェッタのハムがあるはずと思って買わなかったのですが、期待は見事に外れ、普通のハムしかありませんでした。と、言う事で今回は”普通のハム”を使いました。カマンベールチーズを薄くスライスした後、トーストの上にのせ、まだ余熱の残るオーブンに入れチーズが写真のようにとろけるのを待ちます。その上に、ハム、ぶどうの粗みじん切りをのせます。

多分プロシュートだったらもっと美味しかったかもしれません…。

And last one is smoked salmon with homemade avocado cream.

最後に、アボカドとトマトのピューレとスモークサーモンです。

And I made a massive potato gratin.

Now I know how to make bechamel sauce, so I made it from start. It taste so much better than tinned bechamel sauce. But I can cook this only when I have time.

We've shared one rib eye staek that has been marinated in olive oil, crashed garlic, pepper, grape seeds oil and thyme for over night.

The steak was really tender. Actually I was shocked with the quality... of course good way.

It was very long process, but dinner was very good, champagne was also good, we were happy, so I made it feels like a very special night!!

それから、メインに、超特大ポテトグラタンを作りました。

ベシャメルソースから作りました。手前味噌ですが、缶や瓶入りのソースとは比べ物にならないくらい美味しくできました。（ああいいうのは、添加物が多いので使用した事ありませんが）ただ、時間がある時にしか作れません。

一夜、オリーブオイル、つぶしたニンニク、タイム、黒こしょうに漬けたリブアイのステーキを半分ずつ頂きました。お肉の柔らかい事。正直ショックでした。あ、もちろん良い意味で。

時間がかかりましたが、料理はおいしく頂けたし、シャンペンも美味しかったし、私達はハッピーだったし、夕食は大成功に終わりました。