So, we’re safely home and finally feeling caught up on sleep; the fourteen-hour time difference made for a rough day of jet lag! As I mentioned last post, we had the amazing opportunity to go on a culinary tour of Japan, primarily in the Tokyo and Kyoto areas. The trip was unbelievable. If you haven’t been to Japan, you must put it on your vacation wish list; the closer it is to the top, the better. (Deacon, congrats on your engagement. You are going to LOVE Japan!)
I’m part Japanese, so going into this trip I thought I had a pretty good handle on Japanese food. My grandmother (in Japanese, obachan) would cook us all kinds of dishes like okonomiyaki, sushi, soba, sukiyaki, and curry. I grew up with those foods and felt comfortable with the things other kids looked upon as “strange” like wet, black seaweed on sticky rice or red bean paste for dessert. Eating in Japan, I wasn’t expecting too many surprises. After all, this is part of my heritage…right?
After my first real dinner in Japan, I realized how wrong I was. In the world of Japanese fine dining, there is so much that is unknown. Almost every night (and even for some lunches) we were served the most elaborate multiple-course meals. Each tray would arrive with little dishes, usually holding just one or two bites of food (Japanese amuse-bouche, if you will). And then one after the other, the procession would continue: little soup pots, little trays, slices of sashimi, and squares of marinated tofu. Some dishes were definitely more identifiable than others; I ate the freshest sushi, steamed lobster, rice speckled with whole sardines, wheat-gluten balls(?), and whole baby squids. Plus some of them I’m still not even sure of. We’re talking not even remotely identifiable. Some of it was really delicious. Some of it was more about a “cultural experience” than an enjoyable taste. Either way, it was amazing.
The meal above features different variations of yuba, the skin that is skimmed from boiling soy milk. It’s commonly referred to as tofu skin and it tastes kinda like tofu, but rubberier. To be sincere, I didn’t really love it. The taste was ok, but the presentation was much better. Accompanying dishes included pickled veggies, sashimi, freshly cooked tofu, and thinly sliced raw beef.
There’s so much more to say about Japan and the food we had, so consider this part one with more to come 
Thanks for your patience so far and the kind comments while we were gone! It’s good to be home.
Everyone in the world has been asking a very important question lately: What on earth has happened to the little dish??? Well, from the lack of updates you could conclude that…
a). we died
b.) we stopped eating food as part of a hunger strike
c.) we were invited on a culinary tour of Japan
If you guessed c, you’re right! (The picture above probably gave it away, but you still win.) Some friends of ours invited us on a cooking tour through Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hakone, Japan. The trip has been an unbelievable experience. We’ve been meaning to update throughout the trip about the meals that we’ve been having, but it’s been such a whirlwind that each night we’ve come back to the hotel exhausted and ready for bed
We’ll be back in the States shortly and promise to update with lots of pics and info about the culinary adventures we’ve been on. It’s the little dish abroad!
Until then, sayonara!
Umm… what’s a popover? I thought I knew, but after making these and doing some in-depth research, I realized I’m not so sure anymore. Originally, I thought popovers were fluffy, brioche-ish bread rolls. However, this recipe yielded some very delicious bread-looking things that were more like hollow, fluffy quiche than anything else. Whaaat? Well apparently, this isn’t far off from what popovers are supposed to be (see link above), but I’m still not sure if this recipe can be rated as a great or not. They were incredibly tasty with lots of parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and herbs de Provence (one of my favorite seasonings). They had a nice texture, albeit a pretty eggy one. If that’s the way popovers are supposed to be, then good job on this recipe, Giada! If not, should we just call these something else next time we make them?
What I would really love is for some popover-loving connoisseur to shed some light on the situation. Do these appear to be good popovers? Is there a recipe you can recommend to really show me what a perfect popover is like? If you got anything on this, let me know!
I’d like to end on this note: this recipe is prepared in a blender, which is awesome for mixing, filling up the muffin tins, and clean up. That is definitely working in its favor–popover or not.
Parmesan Popovers from Giada de Laurentiis
3 eggs
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. herbs de Provence
4 tbs. chopped parsley leaves
1 c.s whole milk
3/4 c. grated Parmesan (about 5 ounces)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a blender, combine eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and herbs, milk, and cheese. Blend on medium speed.
Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove popovers from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack. Save in a storage container to take to the picnic.*
*Editor’s Note: Picnic???
The hardest part about reviewing The Counter is that on any given day, people are bound to be extremely pleased by their burger or dissatisfied, and this all depends on the choices they make. You see, The Counter’s gimmick is choices. You are handed a check-box menu, similar to a sushi joint, and then it’s up to you to build your burger. Sure they have a few standard classics to pick from if you don’t want to be creative, but why come to The Counter if you don’t like to DIY?
First you choose your meat (beef/turkey/veggie) and size of the patty. Then you get to pile on your choice of cheese, selected from a nice variety ranging from horseradish cheddar, to jalapeno jack. Next comes the toppings, then sauce, and finally your bun. You can definitely see where things can get messy and go horribly wrong depending on your choices, but at the same time there is a burger here for everyone. Take a glance at the menu so you can get an idea of the process I’m talking about.
Tons of options, right? On my trip I opted for the 1/3 lb. beef burger with blue cheese, mixed greens, jalapenos, pickles, red onions, topped with a peppercorn steak sauce and piled high on a classic white bun. The burger did not disappoint. It’s very similar to the Twisted Root style burger: fresh ingredients, a delicious patty, and a perfect size and price. They use freshly ground angus beef, that’s never frozen, and are hormone and antibiotic free.
I’d also like to recommend their sweet fries; they arrived perfectly crispy, lightly salted, and overflowing the basket they were dropped off in. They were a delight and definitely enough to share. You can even mix and match with regular fries or onion strings if your dining partner doesn’t fancy the sweet potato.
So as you can see, The Counter is definitely a great spot to get your burger fill on. You just need to make the right decisions and build a beautiful burger. Their only problem is that they are in Plano.
Price: $7.95 (burger only)
Shops at Legacy | 5700 Legacy Drive Suite A5 | Plano TX 75024
972 801 2772
Dear Starbucks,
My family and friends think that I love you a lot because I visit you often and am a member your fan club (which was actually a really good idea). What they might not know is that I really only love you because you’re convenient :/
If there were a cuter, hometown version of you closer by my house or on my way to work, we’d probably need some space. I want something more, like what I get at Drip Coffee Co. on Lovers. They’re a beautifully designed, local coffee shop that roasts their own coffee beans in small batches on site. Can I say that much about you? I’m afraid not.
Their coffee is really delicious and I love their Brazilian Blend that’s nutty and a little bit sweet. It’s classified as “medium” blend, but I think it’d also be enjoyable to those who like light blends since it’s a Latin American coffee and they tend to be lighter, brighter, and more crisp (acidic).
So Starbucks, we’re still together for now, but I feel like you should know I’m kinda thinking of someone else… Sorry 
xo,
mp
(P.S. Also, I’m almost entirely sure that this someone else wouldn’t do this to me.)
UPDATE: I just wanted to add one more thing that’s really nice about Drip Coffee Co.: FREE Wi-Fi. So, get your coffee for-here
4343 Lovers Ln. | Dallas, TX 75225
214.599.7800
