Spinach in sesame sauce

Ginger pork bowl.

Finally managed to get bagels working!

For years I was fascinated by Swedish pastries containing cardamom. When a year-abroad student joined my seminar one year, I finally gave the recipe below a try. While this passed muster as very like the real stuff, it’s quite sweet and not part of my regular rotation.

A simple recipe Mieko used early in our marriage, as rescued from a note wedged in one of her cookbooks. The bran readily available in Japan is rice bran, which is bland and dry in baked goods, so this version is jazzed up a little with with sultanas and brandy.

One of the cooking adventures from my side that met with Mieko’s approval … apart from the number of pots it leaves in its wake.

A thin pancake batter.

A recipe from Mieko’s kitchen (dated 1999), with modifications.

I made waffles for breakfast this morning (well, there’s only one in the house now, so it’s looking like lunch as well). It’s a simple thing, here’s the recipe, transcribed from my late wife’s hand.

If you once “go on your travels,” it’s likely that some habitual comfort foods won’t be available in the place where you land. For me, one of those items is sourdough bread.