Several years ago, I came across this tempting Japanese confectionery in one of my books about Tea Ceremony. Ever since, I longed to try it. So, here I am in Japan, indulging myself with the wide variety of Nerikiri.

But what more, is that I became curious to see how it is made, but never got the chance to.

A few days ago, I was walking in a shopping centre, when I passed by a place called ABC Cooking Studio, where you learn how to cook several local and international dishes yourself. On their menu, I saw the Nerikiri displayed, and didn't think twice:

To be continued...

More photos can be found from the image source. Client is "Mode Gakuen" Fashion Academy.

Take a look

- Cyclamen, سيكلامين, シクラメン
- Bakhoor Mariam (Mary's Incense), بخور مريم
- Qarn il-Ghazal (Gazelle's Horn), قرن الغزال
- Asa Arraii (Shepherd's Cane), عصى الراعي
- Persian Violet
- Sowbread
And my favorite would be...
- Zaamatoot (don't ask for translation), زعمطوط

There are more names for sure, but what most people don't know about this delicate plant, is that it is a Palestinian "delicacy"! Yes, its leaves are picked and cooked like vine leaves (waraq enab) ورق عنب أو دوالي, rolled to contain some rice and be served as a vegetarian seasonal delicacy..

It is also worth mentioning that beneath this beauty, lies the roots -or more precisely rhizomes- which are very poisonous, but used medicinally.

Good night Mr. Typhoon (-_-).... Good morning Sunshine! \(^O^)/

"Oh no, I am not going to be a loser gazing for countless hours at my 17" window to the world and miss this beautiful sky and refreshing breeze!" I said to myself.

I wanted to climb mount Takao, but many warnings to avoid it in weekends, so I went for plan B and head off to Ueno Park.

First thing I encountered  -after the tempting choco bananas- was the Cultural Hall, which features a zillion performances per season

Next was the Western Art Museum. Since I have been to Paris, I decided to skip this one and look for the much anticipated BIG "Tokugawa" Exhibition.

After buying the ticket at the National Museum I looked at the blue sky and decided to spend more time in the sun and check Ueno's famous Zoo, where the giant -sleeping- Panda greets its fans.

I don't like the concept of capturing animals for display, I am totally against it, but I was very tempted to go in and cheer the poor miserable animals and tell them I will come again for their rescue.

After more than two hours, it was time for a hot  meal to charge my energy for the Tokugawa exhibition.



From the display and arrangement, to the splendors of every single article, I traveled back in time to a very controversial period when the War Lord unified the country with all means of power. This era known as the Edo Period, influenced the future of the country dramatically. On a visual level, I personally look at it as the maturity of Japanese Aesthetics. I must admit, there were several items I thought would look much better in my room.

On the way out, there were some public performances in the park by some skilled performers and artists. All in all, it was a very refreshing day for all five senses.

I will leave you with some photos of my visit to Ueno Park..

"Manjushage" (Spider Lily), a native flower to China and Japan. The flowers blossom first without any notice declaring the arrival of Autumn, a week after they wither, the leaves appear.

Scientific name: Lycoris Radiata
Japanese name: Manjushage 慢樹沙華
Common names: Hurricane Lily, Red Spider Lily

YATTTTAAAAAAAA!!!!!  \(^O^)/  (I DID IT!)

After more than 4 months of having breakfast without the unique delicious taste of Jerashi Labneh, I finally managed to make my own home made Labneh!

In the first tasting session, two kinds of Extra Virgin Olive Oil were used, one from Spain, and the other from Palestine, with a message of "Save The Olives". The latter was a precious gift from a Japanese friend.

The bread is one of the finest in town. It is natural healthy gourmet brown bread which is very hard to find in Tokyo.

You can see the sac that was used to drain the yoghurt into Labneh. Special thanks to my mother for providing me with it.

After the great success of the 1st batch, a 2nd one followed a few days after licking the last bit of the 1st one.

To prepare it, I had to get some help from my neighbour as he provided the hanger that was used to hang the yoghurt sac by.

The third batch is currently undergoing as I write this. The formula is very easy; you need 5 packs of yoghurt to make one pack of Labneh. You add some salt -according to taste- and just drain it for 3 days for a moderate sour taste. If you need it to be stronger, wait for another day.

For all those of you who are coming to Japan, don't forget to bring this simple yet very important piece of cloth with you.