Cooking, food, people and memories

     I have to say, that sometimes I miss the European foods. So I decided to prepare some dishes while I wait for Mitsuyo for dinner. I must say, here in this flat, we don't have a normal European style oven. Just little machines of much smaller size, that are called "oven". So it was a bit of experiment.
     And I also discovered how food is connected with our memories and people. Amazing. I never thought or realized about that.
    
     I tried my first scones... that was disaster.. cause I put too much baking powder, and it was just too bitter. But then next day I tried again, and those were lovely scones. It reminded me of one family in Dumfries and Kenny. We used to work for them with Kenny, and the lady of the house, always prepared some freshly baked scones for us with lots of cups of tea. We loved it. And I am sure that Kenny enjoys it even now, cause he has few jobs to do for them. Please say hallo to them from me. Thank you.

     After baking scones, I was thinking about something else, so I remembered Rosa's pizza. Yummy yummy..... Then I remembered Pombo family, and Maria's pizza too.... hmmmmmm.... impossible to resist the calling of my taste buds and stomach..... It had to be pizza, first time as well....
     I tried to do the thin pizza, like Rosita (as I call Rosa) makes, but as I mentioned before, the oven here is very small, so it would be too complicated and too long process. I had to go for normal thicker pizza. But before baking, I had to do shopping... which is a challenge on its own. So of course I came back home without half of the stuff needed for making my pizza...
     Luckily the Internet is a magical place and I found a recipe without yeast for the pizza dough and also I managed to improvise with the sauce and topping.
     So at the end the pizza was finished just on time for dinner.
     Mitsuyo happy, Stano happy. Life is good....

     Yesterday, I decided to make Okonomiyaki, a Japanese classic and one of my favorite dishes. This is not European food, but I was introduced to it at Allanton, in Scotland. It reminded me of many people I prepared this food for, or people who prepared it for me, people from all around the world. Nice memories..... happy stomachs, happy faces, happy people, happy world...
     I was very surprised, because Mitsuyo said, that it was her favorite Okonomiyaki ever, and she is Japanese. Mitsuyo happy, Stano happy. Life is good....

     Another one we made together with Mitsuyo is called gyoza, it was first time I made it. Originally Chinese dish, but very popular in Japan. It reminded me of Uma san, he loves it with some sake. We talked with Mitsuyo a lot about you Uma san while eating it. Yummy yummy....    And I must say, I love the Japanese plum wine, which is on the table instead of sake. Hmmmmmm
Mitsuyo happy, Stano happy. Life is good.....

    Of course we made more foods here. As I mentioned before, lot of fish and rice and soups and salads and tofu etc.... But this ones are those, that made me realize about the connection between food and people and our memories. Magical life.
     I wish you all well...
     May Peace Prevail on Earth