Updated: thematic

We've all been getting slack on blogging. Which is really because life is notably less confined, I suspect. But I need the 2022 recipe challenge accountability, so have some mostly-Japanesish-but-some-Chinese updates. Also, it's a bank holiday, rather too close to Easter for anyone to care, and it kicks off eight working weeks in which I'm doing seven site visits including three overnights. Work has suddenly got back to normal and I am both glad and incredibly trepidatious. What if I get the lurgy? What if I can't cope with all this travel after so little travel? I... guess we're about to find out?

Aaaanyway. I made spaghetti carbonara a la giappanese - with miso and mirin in the eggs and mushrooms instead of bacon, and salmon roe and shredded nori on top... Japaneasy says it's okay, so I tried. And it's delicious, if filthy. 

Relentlessly on the asparagus this month and for the foreseeable - I made asperges a la parisienne, from last month's cookbooks, which was excellent when fresh and depressing when Tupperwared for the next day. Work lunches are a Thing now. 

Then some Italian (trofie with beans and spuds and pesto) from A-Z of pasta, for a change.

A turkey mince with miso was so hideous I didn't take a picture, especially when done as leftovers for lunch at work. Tasty though - and I did proudly snap my brand new rice cooker. Which is brilliant, I've used four times already, and makes two portions with no wastage, which is perfect.

It's the season where piles of asparagus happen, in this case with cooked down garlic, sorrel and watercress for fun. 

Yes, it's time for miso-mustard-mayo... So glad. 

I stocked up on Japanese stuff for this month, but it was nice to do something a bit different - gong bao prawns, very delicious. I might have cheated and used a bit of peanut rayu instead of chili oil. Think it worked. 

And, of course, I have to confess to the week where lunch was banana splits more than once. With a miso-caramel sauce, which is definitely Japanese and so that counts. Not bothering with cream, but caramel ice cream, banana, walnut, peanut and sauce. Cor. That was a good week. Though, again, feeelthy. Couldn't do this all that often.

I was getting a little tired of sesame, but never fear. May is going to be Belgian. No miso, plenty of veg and cream. And asparagus, have no fear. None of it travels all that well. So I guess hotel picnics will be back...