uses of yuzu: marmalade and more, back to winter 2011

Another year came and another winter is about to go. So is the season of yuzu, the wonderful citrus fruit we are so fortunate to have in abundance in Japan. I've had my fair share of yuzu over the winter, but before I try to write about it here, I wanted to share something else with you.


Last winter, I cooked and baked my way through using yuzu just as much as I did this year, starting with multiple batches of yuzu marmalade. And about a year ago from now I was working on a follow-up entry here, when it happened - and everything changed. I never got around to finishing the post, which had been so close to it, and the yuzu season ended before we knew it.


So today I set myself to do the unfinished job and post the entry, a year overdue. All the pictures shown, foods prepared, and words written you'll see below were done last winter, save for a few words here and there that I've just added. I'm hoping to do another post for things I've done with yuzu this winter, but here's a flashback to (a happy part of) last winter... cx




xxx xxx xxx




So, yuzu. I've made jars after jars of marmalade with this beloved citrus fruit of Japan for the past month or so. In fact, I had more marmalade than I knew what to do with - so I decided to turn them into cakes. And ice-creams. And puddings. And so it goes...

brand new year, same old standbys (and a few new things)

Happy New Year!


...well, this being the last day of January, I suspect it might be kind of wrong for one to say her New Year's greetings. That said, it would be just not right if I didn't say it in my very first entry of the year here, so that's that. I hope you all have made a good start to 2012.

New Year's holidays were a very quiet, family affair for us, as we started off with a small feast for late breakfast on the 1st of January.

We spent the first few days kicking back, watching DVDs, sipping wines, and taking a walk around the place in the snow.

another year goes..

It's New Year's eve and we have less than half an hour to go before ringing in 2012 here in Japan. I have waited to write this one post for almost half a year; by July I was so ready for 2011 to be over.


It hasn't been an easy year for me. As the Japanese, we suffered a shocking, life-changing event early in the year that has had, and is still having, major impacts on many aspects on our lives. Closer to home, a lot of things have happened around me - myself and my families.  And to top everything off, I managed to land myself on a hospital stint a couple of months ago, which I really hoped to be the last bad thing to happen to me this year.  (It was, so it seems.)  I can't remember last time I spent a year shedding so many tears - happy stories or sad stories, I couldn't help but become very emotional.


But there have been a lot of joyful, all-smiles moments throughout the year, and above all, I still think myself very fortunate to be able to spend celebrate another new year with my family. It is my humble wish that the new year will be a more peaceful and happier (and hopefully, delicious!) one for all of us.



Thank you very much for all of your support, thoughts and friendship. Here's to a truly happy new year for you and me, everyone. See you on the other side!

chika xx