This is a blog for people to discuss what they are eating. There is a theory that by journaling eating habits, people will eat healthier. I am trying to cook more at home and feed my family a wider variety of foods. People can just read or join as co-authors. Topics don't have to be recipes with nice photos. You can write about eating habits, special diets, culinary cultural differences, etc.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Pot Luck Party -- With International Flair

Chinese cabbage and pork hot pot by a French/British mom who is very into authetic Japanese culture. Simple, easy and HER whole family likes it. (But I know her kids and they are not picky eaters. My husband doesn't eat even Chinese cabbage...sigh)

Is this not the most awesome food photo???? Captured the steam rising, didn't even have to use dry ice or fake stuff like the food photography book recommended!!! Yes, food photography, well photography in general, is one of my stated goals for the year. And it starts HERE!!

I love Tim's (the principal) idea of using plain colored paper as background!! And will incorporate it at home as well. Light reflects well and I can do macro shots without flash.

These are photos for a cookbook put out by the moms at my kids' old school. Lots of Japanese and international recipes. I was very valuable, not for my cooking, but my language skills and was "invited" back to help. As you all may have already figured out, I ADORE working on fun group projects with a bunch of cool people. And this definitely qualifies.


This uber cute bread is made by PA. When your kids start first grade in Denmark, moms celebrate the occasion by baking a boy or girl shaped bread like this one. Isn't that great?

These are Japanese dango, small version of mochi. Very easy to make if you get dango flour.... If you like mochi, you'll love this stuff, if not, no. The drinks are cherry blossom tea which is an actually cherry blossom soaked in salt water.... It's an ... acquired taste... a cultural experience. Made by MY who did not pluck the flowers herself, but bought a jar of them. It is probably in the spring, for Girl's Day.

This is Spanish yellow rice made by SL. It is like a vegetarian paella. Lots of pepper and garlic chunks.


Got a bit too avant garde with this photo maybe... This is Japanese chirashi sushi, no fish, just veggies and egg. Very pretty to look at, it is a sample for Girl's Day in late March, which I will blog about. CI is a fabulous cook!

This is an American adapted chocolate cake by KP. She managed to do it on the stove top rather than the oven, but ovens in Japan are .... weird. Hard to follow American baking instructions. She also put the icing on the side because Japanese people don't like their sweets too sweet.


This is for hard core Japanese food fans. A salad with raw scallops, boiled octopus, hijiki seaweed, raw onions and cherry tomatoes. I pigged out on it!! (Okay the chocolate cake too...) Made by the multi-talented NT.
There are other dishes I didn't bother taking photos for and some I didn't include. A Russian salad that had eggs, oranges, ham and apples.... One interesting fact was that a French woman made a scrumptious blueberry/apple crumble. When I asked whether it was French, JH replied that she thinks it's an English dessert and in northern France, their food is very English-influenced. I thought it was American?? Oh well, like who REALLY invented chocolate cake right?
CS made a French apple crepe dessert that deserves a mention. Scottish principal tried to make shortbread but didn't bake properly in the middle. (Happens to me all the time.) I made Hong Kong style pork chops. Will blog about that another time maybe...

All in all, it was a wonderfully delicious afternoon!!!



6 Comments:

Blogger Arsenette said...

Wow... very .. very.. nice.. oh.. I like that salad thing with the scallops.. I have eaten raw scallops before (in sushi believe it or not..) but in a salad with other things it should taste great! The veggie paella sounds good though I am in love with the real one.. but.. still.. it's a wonderful variety of flavor! Great job on the pics! Oh I'm drooling!!

February 6, 2009 at 3:36 AM

 
Blogger Khalil Alsalman said...

Oh dear, I like the Spanish yellow rice dish with pepper and garlic, looks delicious.

February 7, 2009 at 1:01 AM

 
Blogger pamwax said...

As you know I don't do fish but you all make everything look so beautiful and good I might just have to try everything. I know I could polish off the pork and cabbage.

February 7, 2009 at 10:35 AM

 
Blogger Chaki said...

It was fun and I'm trying to bump up my photo skills a notch. At home, I am always starved when I'm trying to take photos and don't take that extra moment to set up a nice shot. I am starting to really get good mileage on my camera.

February 7, 2009 at 10:12 PM

 
Blogger Monique M said...

Nice job on the pictures! Loved the one with the steam rising...and the way your shots are set up really emphasize the dishes really well without other distracting items, just nice clear shots...of course it all made me very hungry :) The cherry blossom tea would be interesting to try, the cobbler sounds wonderful and I'd love to try the cabbage and pork...what a wonderful group of people who make wonderful food!

February 9, 2009 at 5:52 PM

 
Blogger Some Kinda Wonderful said...

Carol. I'm calling you out on not providing napkins with this post! :) My mouth is watering. I'd love to try all of it, but I have to admit, the paella thing looks delish, I love it. Would also like to try the pork cabbage dish. I make that a lot, but with regular cabbage. (What do they call that in China, I wonder? American cabbage?)

I will see if I can find a recipe for you. In one of my Mom's old Pillsbury Bake-Off books there is a recipe for stove-top chocolate cake. It is topped off with pieces of chocolate bar, I think, instead of frosting. I, myself, have never tried it, but I remember looking at it before. After hearing you talk about your oven, I wonder why I never thought to send it to you before. Just blond, I guess. :)

February 10, 2009 at 1:46 PM

 

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