Hello friends, what's cooking?

We returned from Japan last Friday and have been far more jetlagged than - personally - I thought I would be. Thankfully though there was Cooking Club last weekend and I had to show up (being the organizer and all...). So, between my oven risotto, cauliflower-and-bean stroganoff, and cream of broccoli (see menu in the p.s. below), practically all of the week's meals were taken care of. (We did have pizza one night because it was my husband's birthday dinner, on a night when I had a meeting away from home until very late in the afternoon.) (Attention Vancouverites: Ignite Pizzeria on Main Street has a few really delicious vegan pizzas.)

I spent the week planning for the new course I will be recording in the coming three months (tentative course titles include From Batching Basics to Everyday Eats and Plan, Prep, and Relax) but didn't get around to filming anything new. Stay tuned!

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Souvenirs and tips from Japan
​What does a healthy vegan educator bring back from Japan?

A shamoji (rice paddle) from Miyajima, of course! The area has almost two millennia (!!) of practice making rice paddles. However, mine is bamboo, not cherry wood, so I don't think it was actually made on the island, though the package claims it was made in Japan. I also bought its bigger companion because... who can resist that smile? (Straight-edge bamboo utensil -> perfect for deglazing.)

Of course, cutting boards. My favorite cutting board was purchased at MUJI in California over a decade ago. It's made of hinoki wood, super light, and just the right size. Though it's perfectly fine to use, I feel self-conscious about its stains and knife marks when cooking in public. I bought a replacement at MUJI in Vancouver about five years ago, just in case, but now they are no longer for sale here. This tool is so integral to my cooking practice that I dared not open the replacement lest something happen to it. (Completely irrational.) I knew they were still for sale in Japan, so I picked up two on my last day in Tokyo. Now I feel secure, and I can say "thank you and goodbye" to the old one. (Though I haven't done so yet... I might become a cutting board hoarder.)

I kind of wish I had bought a knife, too... but I felt it would have been a rushed purchase, so I left it for another trip.

In Hiroshima, at this little shop and restaurant called fun & natural yotte-ne, our amazing (and vegan!) guide Joy Jarman Walsh recommended this locally-produced salt, which will be useful when I make my next batch of miso.

And, finally, here is the okara miso my daughter and I made in Kyoto with Naomi of Maiyuur Culture Retreat. It will be at least four months before we can taste the fruit of our labor. (Note the labelled bags, so if one of them has mold, we'll know who to blame!) (Naomi also offers online cooking classes so check her out!)

What's the favorite cooking-related souvenir you've ever brought back from a trip?

That's it for today! Now go and complete my 1-question survey please and thank-you! 1-question survey​

Keep on cooking,

Brigitte

p.s. Here's the menu from the current Mini Vegan Meal Plan. That's the one I used to decide what to make during my prep session. Every subscription includes both the family and the mini versions of the plans. Go ahead and steal some ideas here for next week's dinners! If you'd also like the shopping list, simple instructions, prep steps, and direct access to me when you have questions (seriously! I almost always respond pretty quickly), consider subscribing. Use coupon code READY for 25% off the lifetime or quarterly subscriptions.