fish

Missions Conference II, Philippines

The end of the first day, with a full afternoon session, dinner at the pastor’s quarters, and night session as the rain died down.

January is Here

[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/4/1/2813831/Ill%20Wind.mp3]

It is January. Christmas is over, and next week the Fraser Fir tree that my parents and I picked out at the tree farm down the road will be stripped of its decor, loaded back into the car and brought to a recycling center where it will be broken down. The lights will come down and be kept in their boxes until the season returns to us at the end of the new year. The poinsettia will run its course, and the dried flowers and branches will find their place in the garage. In a week, I will return to Toronto, and live not atop a mountain overlooking the lake and valley, but in a flat, looking out into a concrete courtyard with a tree, dormant now I’m sure. At home, the deer will continue to visit, snacking on the shrubs that run along the edge of the cliff and frolicking in the grass. Sometimes the coyote follow, not far behind. The osprey will continue to perch on its usual gnarled tree, staring out toward the lake. The quail, absent for weeks, will soon return to once again scour the land for food.

And the sun will rise and set, and rise and set, over the mountains to the east and beyond the lake to the west.

Along the creek, near my parents’ house, Christmas ornaments hang off branches, bare during the cold winter months until the blossoming of spring.

Plastic ornaments mimic icicles, while fallen trunks and branches stretch across the frozen creek.

The last leaves, browned and dried, cling onto thin branches.

Fiery shrubs bring bursts of color amidst pale grasses along the partially frozen creek.

Black-and-white loons and their young take dips in the water.

For dinner, I pan-fry two fresh rainbow trout.

And so it is a new year. February waits next in line, the seasons continue their cycle, the sun and moon come and go, and I take it day by day.

Go, ill wind go away, skies are oh so gray, around my neighbourhood, and that’s no good.

Music: Ella Fitzgerald – Ill Wind

Respite

From Powell Street, we walk through Chinatown, into the Sun Yat-Sen Gardens.

Joe Hisaishi – Sunflower House in the Storm

Ogi’s Farm

Ogi’s is a local farm that my parents have been patronizing for years. Owned and operated solely by an elderly Japanese couple, Ogi’s is an all-organic enterprise with no heavy machinery on site and only the freshest produce, including fragrant dill and crunchy Japanese cucumbers.

The store front is a narrow space, with whatever fresh produce available displayed neatly on black trays.

Packing boxes are stacked up high, and flower pots are hung near the entrance.

Behind, a thriving cactus garden boasts some impressive specimens.

Only the friendliest.

And hardest working.

Adjacent to the storefront is Ogi’s Nursery. I will miss this place when I move.

That same day, we take a trip to the park, next to the tennis courts where we used to play each year, even in the waning winter months when frost would cover the ground. We fry the popiah from yesterday and pack them with some fresh vegetables and sauce, along with a flask of cold lemonade.

The park is host to these old willows that provide ample shade.

While there, a family plays with their young golden retriever in the lake. Several people swim, while others suntan.

Back home, I use the basil bought at Ogi’s. The moment I take it out from the bag, the sweet, earthy smell of the basil fills the room. I decide to make seafood pasta with pesto sauce. A simple recipe for the pesto includes pulsing lots of fresh basil with garlic and walnuts while drizzling in olive oil. I don’t have any Parmesan cheese to add. To mix with the pasta, I simmer cream with the pesto sauce, adding sauteed portobello mushrooms, prawns and codfish. Served with baked kale and red peppers.

Thank you Ogi’s…

Vusi Mahlasela – Silang Mabele

Cooking with Kurihara-san

Some food I craved while away: ramen, sashimi, mos burger, tofu, Costco fries, fresh seafood. I had forgotten how much of a staple salmon was in my west coast diet. Shopping in Costco, I had the opportunity to eat some delicious fries and buy a beautiful wild sockeye salmon. I decided to cook dinner for my parents that night, with the help of the delightful Harumi Kurihara.

Harumi Kurihara is one of Japan’s most popular cooks, particularly after her English-language debut, Harumi’s Japanese Cooking, won the title of Best Cookbook in the World from the Gourmand Cookbook Award. I used her Home Cooking for inspiration, adapting some basic recipes to what was available in the pantry.

Preparations begin with cutting the filet of salmon into individual pieces, and then marinating them in a mixture of sake, mirin, ponzu, and soy sauce.

My parents recently bought some fragrant Calamansi limes from Surrey. One of my favorite things.

The salmon is sauteed for just a few minutes.

Potatoes and carrots are steamed, skins unpeeled. This makes the vegetables taste fresh and gives them a good texture.

Shallots and cucumbers are added. I like her idea of placing sliced pieces of boiled eggs atop individually-shaped portions.

The roasted tones of the seaweed are beautiful. I use the broth to boil the cabbage.

The mix is drained.

Vegetables are cut for a salad and tempura.

I ask my mother to make the tempura batter. I especially like okra/ladyfingers this way. So crunchy and soft at the same time!

Hot oil! The metal strainer is from the handy Daiso.

Thanks mom!

I enjoy cabbage in my salads. This is a warm cabbage salad made simply from parboiling and draining bite-size pieces of cabbage – not too soft, not too raw, with a nice bite. The sauce is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, and some lemon or lime (or sudachi if you have any). This is garnished with katsuo bushi (dried fish flakes).