Happy Amazingly Fantastic New Year 2011 ;D

This winter holiday I was in Japan!! :D Happy super-belated first new year post here!! :P
The beautiful New Year's decoration "Okazari" my mother put on our door says "Welcoming spring" ;D

For 2011...

人のためになることを見つける、人に与えること

Find something helpful to people, giving back to people

感謝と敬いの気持ちを忘れない

Remember to appreciate & respect

期待の気持ちを持たないこと

No expectations

何事もやってみる！

Try everything!

物事を延期ばかりしない

Do not postpone things-to-do

何でもポジティブな面を探してみる

Find positive sides of everything

空を見上げてみる

Look up the sky

鳥たちが楽しそうに飛んでいる

Birds are flying joyfully

微笑む

Smile

心でも微笑んでみる

Smile in your heart

深い深呼吸...　息をすって...はいて...

Breathe in... breathe out.....

愛情いっぱい！

Full of LOVE!

My mother's "Ozouni" is the best!! :D I can have this everyday!!! 

The magical ingredients are mochi (Japanese rice cake), carrots, shiitake mushroom, daikon (Japanese radish), shungiku (garden chrysanthemum), satoimo (Japanese taro), yuzu skin on top which has super refreshing aroma, and of course my mother's amazing "LOVE" to make every dish deliciosoooo....!

Thai cooking class with Emilie Hardman!

I Love Green Papaya Salad. Whenever I go to a Thai restaurant, I order Green Papaya Salad and Pad Thai. That's my regular order ;D When I saw a posting about Boston Vegetarian Society inviting Emilie Hardman from Conscious Kitchen for Thai cooking class and one of the dishes was Green Papaya Salad, I was sold!!
Here is Emilie, who has such a warm personality and positive energy, holding a perfect "Green" Papaya! :D

Here is her recipe for "Som Tam" (Green Papaya Salad)!
It is essential to use a mortar and pestle to mash and grind the vegetables until papaya softened and its color turns more transparent. That is the key to make yummy Som Tam! Now I know many restaurants omit this part because most of the Green Papaya Salad I see doesn't have transparent color like this.

Me and my new friends: mortar and pestle ;D This requires a lots of energy and time! Now I have a new respect to Green Papaya Salad ;)))