The Third Needle
"As March begins, the sweet-smelling Japanese plum blossoms called ume no hana have nearly finished blooming. I especially enjoy viewing these blossoms as the year's final snowflakes quietly fall. The vibrant pink flowers covered in pallid snow make for a breathtaking tableau of transient beauty.
I wanted to reflect this fleeting loveliness in my cooking. To recreate such an image on a plate I cover large, tart pink umeboshi, or pickled plums, with a sauce made of shirako, the pristine white milt of sea bream."
So writes celebrated chef Yoshihiro Murata of his March Sakizuke (first course): Kakure Ume (Hidden Ume).
Each and every page of "Kaiseki - the Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto's Kikunoi Restaurant" is a visual feast adorned with sumptuous photographs of elaborate Kaiseki dishes prepared in the Kikunoi kitchen; likewise each and every dish is accompanied by Murata's personal philosophical take on Japan's most artistic and elaborate cuisine.
I totally fell in love with this book after reading the first few pages. It's available at Kinokuniya, and for the cheapskate, also available to browse (or steal) at the lounge in smeowly's clinic
While the topic is still on Japanese things:
Our dear Amanda Lepore never fails to amuse..