Green Olive Tree Musings of a permanent tourist on food and life. Postings feature eating finds, recipes, and world flavors adorned with original photography. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 1 0 131 3813

Articles from Green Olive Tree

New home for the season 2007-05-21 12:02:00 [City of canals and bicycles]Work and love is bringing me back to the Old Continent for the next five months. It's convincingly probable that I will be wielding my new camera in this quaint little city of canals and bicycles. On top of that, I've got to let you know how excited I am about my new apartment and the equipped kitchen that comes with it. All I'd have to do is get flour and butter cos it is already filled to the brim with all kinds of appliances, dishes, and even spices! My workload (and funload for that matter) will pretty much determine how often I get to update you with my new life here. I will try!Photo credit: "Amsterdam" by Fotourbana ...

Rustic Yakitori 2007-05-11 13:21:00 [Traditional Japanese Barbecue]I've mentioned these magnanimous hosts of mine, the Watanuki family, who so graciously took upon the honor of showing me what Japanese life is all about outside glitzy Tokyo in a previous post.One of the places we stopped to have lunch on the way to historic Uchiko outside Mastuyama was a very original outpost for yakitori (literally: grilled bird). This place is like no other. Housed in a traditional japanese house, the restaurant exudes an atmosphere, as if you've stepped into another era of bygone days. Traditional wooden floors, wooden pits with charcoals, cast irons rods dangling down from the ceilings, and the smokey essence of food cooked on grill.[Fukase yakitori in Ehime Perfecture, Shikoku, Japan]The menu is pretty basic, given the highlight being the bird itself. You grill the meat right in front of you, and they come marinated, and accompanied with these fragrant bunches of a type of vegetable that I can't put a name on it. (They could prob ...

Fishy business 2007-04-28 07:37:00 [ Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market, Tokyo ]I haven't been very disciplined at blogging since I got back from my 10-day trip in Japan. Considering there is so much going on right now in this post-quarterlife of mine, especially in this in-between-jobs-cities-timezones transition period, I think you should be able to bear with me as I try to squeeze in one post before the April becomes May.One of the "must-sees" on my list when I was in Tokyo was the Tsukiji Fish Market. I almost didn't make it since there was already so much to see in the city and the thought of climbing out of bed at 5 a.m. really deterred me. But then I thought it would be a real sin for a food blogger not to come back with some shots of this foodie shrine.As you can judge from my photo stream, this waking up at 5 a.m. business has turned out to be quite worthwhile. It was a photographer's paradise having so much to take in and so many photo ops popping up everywhere. The most magnificent sight for me was this one pas ...

To-die-for sushi in Tokyo 2007-04-06 15:50:00 [Amazing sushi in Shibuya, Tokyo][Check out how they style and present the sashimi][The sushi you order gets placed on the leaf in front of you as soon as it's being crafted][It's a pity I couldn't capture how boisterous the place was with the chefs and servers exclaiming welcomes and goodbyes at the top of their lungs]IN THE KNOW:Must try if you are in Shibuya. Right at the Shibuya crossing on the second level of Mark City. Very easy to locate. This place's called Midori. There's always a line, so be prepared to wait for 15-30 minutes before getting seated. Price is about 5500 yen for two with sake.**More pictures of my trip on my Flickr photostream. ...

Here I come, land of the rising sun 2007-03-30 08:27:00 [Kasai Rinkai Park, Tokyo]You have no idea how surreal it felt standing here among all these people. I just felt like I was in a movie or something. This is a tween dream come true. I guess fulfilling this dream 17 years later is timely since I know several people who live here now and my pocket digs in a little bit further for some retail therapy.Touched down Thursday p.m. in Tokyo and now spending the long weekend in Matsuyama ??, the main city in Shikoku island. This is a small city backed by mountains and lined by the Setonai sea, so it's very beautiful. It reminded me of a smaller version of San Francisco. Open freeways, lotsa space, lotsa green, the mountains and the water. A very kawai girl I knew from my college days in Michigan, Reiko Watanuki, offered to take me to her hometown. We boarded the plane from Haneda-Tokyo airport this p.m.The Japanese are very hospitable people. Extremely polite and considerate (no blabbing obnoxiously on cellphones in the metro). I was treat ...

Marmalada de piña casera 2007-03-20 04:45:00 [Homemade pineapple marmalade]What do you do with fresh pineapples if you've some time to kill, some patience to spare, some really fresh fruit at hand, and some craving for good homemade marmalade that's not overly sweetened?Well, one fine afternoon I had all elements of this combination and set off to work. It required cutting up the flesh of the fruit, and lotsa simmering and stirring on the stove. I don't remember how long it took but it was in the ballpark of an hour and a half to two hours, until the fruit mash is nice and soft and the juice is all reduced.The fun part is adding just that tiny bit of sugar to taste and some lemon juice. I think I added that two tablespoon left of store-bought pineapple jam that I had, to add that little bit of gelatine consistancy. Don't know if it made any difference... but I added anyways. The end result of all that hard work was so worth it. Pure fruit that goes great on toast and Wasa crisps. If you get creative, it could garnish your di ...

Cancion de la piña 2007-03-09 02:45:00 I'm in-rightout-rightup-rightdown-right~ happy in my heart ~ ...

A Sweet Beginning 2007-02-23 16:15:00 [Antique ceramic candy dish]I had the good fortune of taking an insider tour of the historic area of Malacca this Chinese New Year. My dear friend Joanne came visiting from Hong Kong and we decided to make a day-trip to this ancient city.We didn't know it. But we were led to a long lost friend from college days who lives with his three-generation family in an 200-year-old brick townhouse. Situated on a raod parrallel to Jonker Street, the house has a middle courtyard with ample natural day light and a depth four times of a normal house. His 88-year-old grandmother amazed us with her perfect english, and entertaining us with facts like the colorful ceramic candy dish that was given to her by her mother as part of her dowry in 1920. (Women from that generation normally were not entitled to education, let alone instruction of the foreigner's tongue.)Deprived of the Chinese New Year festivities for the last nine years, I likened the experience to a child losing Christmas. Receiving good ...

Hot Artichoke Dip 2007-02-12 16:55:00 [Farm-fresh artichokes - market in South of France]Here I am on a tropical island deprived of hearty baked foods of the cold season, and dreaming of warm pitta bread dipped in oven-baked artichoke dip. If it makes you salivate, try out this simple recipe passed on to me a handful of years ago. You should have everything at hand to surprise your beloved this Valentine's Day.(Rita, this entry is dedicated to you. Lotsa love from me to you in Baltimore.)Hot Artichoke DipRecipe by Annie Stoyanoff, CBS, Portage, Michigan.What you need:1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped2 cups mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese2 teaspoon lemon juice1 10 oz. chopped spinach, drainedGarlic to tastePaprika to garnishHow you do it:Mix all ingredients, place in shallow dish, and sprinkle with Paprika.Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and brown.Serve with chips, pita bread wedges or Wasa rye crisp. ...

July became November 2006-11-12 14:35:00 [L'Oursin Corse - Corsican Sea Urchin]Four months and not missing anymore. I'm back guys. I did fell off the face of the earth, went around the globe and landed on a not-your-so-typical-tropical-island. You see, I was dealing with all the relocating and couldn't have my iMac hooked up until now. Not kidding. I don't know how I survived without the comfort of connecting to the internet via my own gear but it was a good four months of internet fasting. Boy that was tough.Well, thanks to friends and readers like you who have faithfully nudged me to resume my food-blogging. I have to tell you, it is indeed timely to write about food at this moment as it's the first week you can see smoke coming out of my chimney. I was finally able to have all my kitchen essentials "unearthed", which included my table cloths, my colorful round serving tray from Zara Home, my faithful skillet lid with vents, and my silicon potholders. Yeah!Being able to whip up some food means that this blog will have ...

Welcome to the Land of Fine Cheese and Wine 2006-06-09 16:20:00 [Slightly-Aged Camembert - Au Lait Cru]Yippee, I'm officially done with my Graduate program! Time to celebrate.So off I go to a 20-day vacation in London, Paris, and Corsica, departing mañana.Ten days urban, and 10 days country. How perfect can it be? I can't wait to get my hands on some aged Beaufort and a glass of good French wine, and not to mention, practice my conversational French. By the way, I graduated from French Level 2 of 5 at the Escuela Oficial de Idioma in Barcelona. Done with studies and my lifestyle sabbatical at the moment. You say, à la tienne, cheers! But it means back to corporate life again soon. Well, for now, art and history in London/Paris; sun and beach + excellent food in Corsica. The food part is cos we're going with Le Cordon Bleu to his family's village on the island. Back with photo stories in early July. ...

Tortilla de Patatas 2006-06-03 11:44:00 [Spanish Omelette or Tortilla Española]You can't have a Spain-based blog and not have an entry on Tortilla de Patatas. So here's my ode to this versatile dish that could be a spanish mid-day pick-me-up (el almuerzo), or made into a lunchtime bocadillo (submarine sandwich made with crusty bread), or served cut into tiny diagonal squares as a pica-pica (appetizer) at a casual cocktail party. In fact, la Tortilla de Patatas (also known as Tortilla Española) is the classic party dish here in Barcelona. You'll sometimes get two people bringing a plate of tortilla at a potluck. Nevertheless, it is never a problem because a tortilla is never the same--a good chef always adds his or her own touch.I'm one of those blessed ones that got one-on-one instruction from my Catalan friend's mum, Flavi. Actually, this was one of the first Spanish dish I learned to make. (The other one was gaspacho, which I shall make a nice shot the next time I make it.) After the cooking demonstration, Flavi eve ...

La Cuajada de Oveja 2006-05-23 16:03:00 [Specialité au lait de Brebis Caillé]What's this? Looks like a sort of yoghurt in a pretty pot, but it's not. It's la cuajada, a traditional milk-based dessert. The real ones are those made from ewe's milk and left to curdle with rennet from the ewe itself. I have come across it in the dessert section of traditional spanish restaurants' menu. Most popular in the North-eastern region of Spain where it originated, like Navarre and País Basco (Basque Country), cuajada is sometimes served with honey and fruit for breakfast, in place of yoghurt.The creamy but light milk curd is sold commercially today with cow's milk. What a shame! The ones that come in packages, which you can make at home has starch and plant-extracted rennet instead. Hmmm....Thankfully I found this pretty original version in an earthen pot in a typical small carniceria that also sells some cheese and other traditional food products. Also spotted this particular brand on the shelves of a fromagerie at Rue Mouffeta ...

Fine Teas Finds 2006-05-11 17:49:00 [Sans y Sans Fine Tea]If you stroll down Carrer de L’Argenteria towards the Cathedral de Santa Maria del Mar, look out for a classy little tea shop on the left side just across from the popular tapas bar Sagradi. Once you step in, your senses will be captivated by the fragrances coming from the varieties of teas, tucked in giant-sized tins on the floor-to-ceiling dark wood shelves. Let the simplicity and stylish displays draw you in as you flick down the pages of their tea catalogue to find a tea that suits your mood.My first encounter with this Catalan fine tea outpost -- Sans & Sans Fine Tea Merchants, was a bag of rooibos and black tea blend called Samurai given to Lionel by one of his friends on his birthday last year. The red rooibos was infused with a certain fragrant and a type of blue flowers. Unfortunately I found out that they do not stock this particular flavor anymore.The closest I got to was Flor Del Desierto, a rooibos with bits of dried papaya, traces of chocolate and ...

More antioxidant-rich greens my way 2006-05-07 14:09:00 [Easy Brocolli Salad]Can't get enough of life-enhancing and age-rejuvenating greens? No problem. There's an easy way to make sure your fridge is stocked with a delicious tiny meal or snack packed with vitamins and antioxidants.This brocolli-themed salad has all the health benefits associated to this produce. Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat eye diseases, western medicine have also proven that frequently adding this green into your diet will help fight against anemia and cancer. If you're like me, just barely grazing meat, than this important iron-source of the vege world needs to be a regular on the dining table.[A good dose of beta-carotene and potassium]A recipe given to me by an ex-colleague in the States. She told me that this was the only way she was successful in getting her kids chow down a bowlful of brocolli without them wincing the whole time. I love the fact that it could be a healthy snack alternative because of the raisins and sunflower seeds added.Having ...