I love Okonomiyaki!

And now I have a place to go to that has it on the menu. Kushibar. We went back for more. That makes 2 Saturdays in a row. But we were in the neighborhood. And it was happy hour. And I had to try their okonomiyaki. Mmmm....it was good. They even serve their popcorn with a curry salt. Very tasty. Now I have to try the champon ramen before I can give Kushibar a little break. It is so hard to find ramen in this town. Don't know why. Go figure. I hope it's good! They do always have the okonomiyaki...

Grill Pan

I got a grill pan for my birthday and I honestly don't know how I've lived this long without it! You can grill anytime quickly and easily -- and very tastily. Grilled vegetables are my favorite, so I've been doing plenty of those. Perfect to toss into salads the next day for a treat.

I highly recommend this method of cooking. It's a little more managable than using the ol' george foreman.

Late Winter Cooking

I've been trying to make an effort to cook more and eat better. Both have been working out pretty well. It's the snacking thing that gets me. I've had lots of opportunities to try new recipes. All of them which I have enjoyed. This one is going in the repetoire. It's easy and tasty. Who knew I liked soba noodles so much? I'm sure I did not like them as a kid....

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms (stems removed), caps thinly sliced
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Coarse salt
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 package (4.4 ounces) soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, torn
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add mushrooms, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, 6 minutes.
Add broth and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add soba; reduce to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook just until tender, about 1 minute. Add lime juice and soy sauce. Serve topped with scallion greens.

Thank you Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

My Birthday...

....was last week. But I took the day off and was treated to many, many wonderful treats.

Lunch at Unicorn Crepes in the International District. I love this place. It has the right amount of kitsche, Japanese and French. With crepes like "Okonomiyaki", you know you're not in Paris! But other varieties like Banana choco cream are very much like a stroll down the Champs Elysee.

A couple of Chinese buns to take home. Then a stop at Paseo's for some awesome Cuban pork sandwiches. Beautiful. It snowed a little bit all day, which was kind of weird for February, but it was a great day.

Just Saturday

I had the best anti-Valentine's Day ever! Not to say that I would not celebrate this corporate generated holiday, but it's more fun not to plan too much. Here were our Saturday adventures!

Kushibar: Based on the Japanese street food bar concept, I loved this place for the fact that they have this fantastic happy hour! Well drinks for $3.50. We got a whole bunch of delicious food -- grilled meat, fish and veg on a stick. Udon. Croquettes. All my favorite things. Plus they have Champon ramen and Okonomiyaki, so you know that I'm going back! Unlike in Japan, this place is pretty big -- and they have indoor as well as outdoor seating.

Then off to a gallery/studio opening for our photographer -- Kathryn Barnard. Fun people watching. Tasty treats. Fun drinks. Photobooth. Valentine candy. What more could you ask? And because we were in Georgetown, a final drink at Smarty Pants to top off the night.