Cocktail Friday: St. Paddy's Vietnamese Coffee

This week has been a tough one. I've been sick since Sunday and it just won't quit. I wake up in the morning feeling like maybe today is the day I'll be back to normal but it just hasn't happened. It's been a good reminder that I need to take better care of myself overall. More time for exercise, paying attention to what goes in my body, and making sure there is enough 'me' time scheduled each and every day for some mental relaxation.

Luckily, it's been a beautiful week. The sun has been shining and the sky is a bright blue. Thanks to the warm and soothing sunshine, I've been able to spend time with my little guy outside where I can sit in a comfortable chair and watch him as he plays. It's been a bubble-blowing week over here. Right at this very moment, Riley is taking sips of water from his cup and spitting it on the grass saying, "I want ta grow deez!" I do too, buddy. I do too.

I may not be feeling well but that certainly doesn't mean I'm going to deprive you of a cocktail post the weekend of St. Paddy's Day. That would be wrong for so many reasons. I decided to take Vietnamese coffee- one of my very favorite things- and give it a little Irish twist with a shot of whiskey. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Is it spring where you are? You trying to "grow deez"? If you haven't taken a few minutes to sit in the warm rays of the springtime sun, I encourage you to do that right now. Get your face all up in that warm glow and soak in some vitamin D. It works wonders.

Have a fun and safe weekend, friends!

St. Paddy's Day Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dark roast coffee, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• 2 oz Irish whiskey

Instructions

1. Begin by spooning the coffee into the top of a Vietnamese metal coffee filter.
2. In the bottom of a heat proof glass, pour the 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk.
3. Set the filter on top of the glass and pour boiling water over the coffee grounds until the water almost reaches the top.
4. Let the coffee drip through the filter on top of the sweetened condensed milk.
5. Set the filter aside carefully- it will be hot!
6. Stir the coffee until it is blended with the milk.
7. Fill a glass with ice (some of it will melt so fill it extra full). Pour the whiskey over the ice followed by the coffee. Stir to combine.

Set the Table's 1st Birthday!

There was a time when I wasn't sure I would return to blogging. Post-earthquake Japan left me feeling a little off-balance when it came to sharing anything on  (which is 5 years old, by the way). When we packed up and moved to Denver I was feeling even further removed from my dear blog. I couldn't come up with words that seemed appropriate for that space. After all, it was a blog devoted to stories and recipes of American living in Tokyo. Now that I was going back to being...well...and American living in America...I wasn't sure how to translate our new experiences into content that would be right on Tokyo Terrace.

It took me a while to realize that the key at this stage of major transition was to allow myself to take a break. I needed to figure out, amidst the new mom/new country/new city/new house madness, what I really wanted and needed. I left it all to sit on the back-burner so I could attempt to reorganize my thoughts and settle in.

Less than a year later I knew, without a doubt, that I needed to get back to blogging. But not at Tokyo Terrace. I needed a new, clean space that had the flexibility to travel with me no matter where life decided to steer us next. I needed a place to continue sharing my thoughts, food photos, and recipes. With the help of my husband, my sister (she designed my logo, which I adore) and my readers who stuck with me even when Tokyo Terrace was taking a little nap, I was able to launch Set the Table. After all, no matter where we live there is always a table that needs setting. Isn't there?

Was it scary? Yes. I wasn't sure anyone would be interested in what I had to say. Why would they? I don't have a super exciting Tokyo life to follow. My grocery store finds are not as unique and exciting as they once were. Then I remembered something very important about food and life: they are each as interesting as you want them to be. You have the power to share food's beauty just as you have the power to look at your life in a positive light.

Still, I was nervous about re-launching my blogging self into the great void.

Even as I type this post, I feel butterflies in my stomach. The kind that start at your very core and flitter-fly into your throat. But they are not the nervous butterflies I felt in the beginning. A year later they are grateful butterflies. Grateful that you all come back time after time to read my scatter-brained ramblings that are likely interrupted by a very busy toddler, making them slightly confusing. Grateful that, even after a period of absence, you embraced my new space, my new life, and my new experiences.

It's been one whole year since I hit the 'publish' button that sent my first post from Set the Table out into the blogosphere. This blog is here because you are too. Whether you're a reader who stuck with me from Tokyo to Denver or only discovered my little piece of the food blogging universe by accident, I am endlessly thankful for each and every one of you.

I must also acknowledge the guy who eats whatever I place in front of him. This blog is here because my husband puts up with never eating the same thing twice and constantly hearing me say, "Hold on! Don't touch that! I have to take a picture with my phone first!" Without his patience there is no way I could have continued doing what I love for so long.

Remembering Japan | 3 Years Later

Three years ago today was the most terrifying day of my life. The shaking during the 9.0 earthquake in Japan was awful. I was in my second grade classroom with all of my students, their sweet faces peaking out at me from beneath their desks, not able to fully process what was happening. A few items fell off the wall. My arms bent at the elbows along with the movement of the tile floor. I had an inflatable globe hanging on the wall that bounced around like a ping pong ball. Once the earthquake stopped, there was complete silence (a rare thing to experience inside a school). The inflatable globe continued to sway, slowing down ever so slightly. The silence didn't last long though. We quickly evacuated the school and made our way outside to the soccer fields where we experienced several after-shocks.

I watched the old, tall trees around us sway but it was not the same swaying trees do in the wind. The clouds above us were swirling in a very strange way as well. Everything seemed out of balance. Brad (we taught at the same school) and I looked out at the students sitting on the field and realized that the ground was literally rolling beneath them. We didn't know how long this would last. We didn't know if our dog was OK inside our first floor apartment.

We didn't know that as we sat there a tsunami was forcing itself into the shore line.

We didn't know the water would move so far inland that it would bring the sea floor along with it, burying buildings and people.

We didn't know that as terrifying as the earthquake was for us, it didn't end there for many others.

We didn't know that 3 years later the struggle would not be over.

The fear we felt could not compare to what hundreds of thousands of others experienced that day. For many, the fear continues.

Brad traveled to Ishinomaki, one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami, with a group of teachers and friends to help with clean-up a few weeks after the earthquake and tsunami. He met people who, despite having less than nothing to offer, showed hospitality to their group. In the midst of the loss and the fear and the continual after-shocks and the ocean sludge all around, they were able to show appreciation and composure in a way I believe is unique to the Japanese people.

After living in Japan for 4 years, I learned so much. I'm learning even more as I watch them rebuild and recover with grace after such devastation.

3.11 | Remembering Japan | 3 Years Later

Salmon Sashimi Rice Bowl

This is a bit of a throwback recipe. I posted it for the first time over at Tokyo Terrace when we lived in Japan. At the time, this bowl-of-beautiful made an appearance at least once a week. With a glass of crisp white wine this was an ideal way to end a long, busy day when I just didn't want to cook anything at all. And really, how could you not enjoy salmon sashimi, a perfectly poached egg and creamy avocado over rice?

Exactly.

We enjoyed this dish last week when my mom was visiting from Minnesota. For 10 days she helped me out by playing with Riley while I got some work done. She read endlessly, tossed a basketball countless times, braved the world of toddler crafts, and sang sweet lullabies. It was wonderful. When she stayed with us in Japan we made this rice bowl for her and she immediately fell in love. Since then, every time we are in the same kitchen, my mom requests this meal.

Sadly, salmon sashimi is not as easy to come by (or as affordable) as it was in Tokyo. Still, when we see a beautiful piece of fish this is usually how we enjoy it. Sometimes I'll make this exact recipe with broiled or pan seared salmon, which is delicious as well. Sprinkle the finished bowl with some nutty, salty furikake (want to make your own furikake? click here) and a drizzle of light soy sauce mixed with wasabi and there it is: perfection in a bowl.

I should ask: do you have a rice cooker yet? If you don't, you need one. Trust me. They are indispensable in my opinion. I'm not one to want frivolous appliances so I was wary of adding a rice cooker to our collection. In Japan, I realized very quickly that they get daily use in most homes. We may not use ours every day, but on average we break it out once a week. With the push of a button you can have perfectly cooked rice (white or brown) without having to do much of anything. And rice makes the perfect base for using leftovers. Got roasted veggies to use up? Toss them on top of some rice! Grilled chicken? Yep. Perfect. Not enough leftover chili for a full bowl? RICE.

Just trust me on this one. It's worth it.

More recipes you might enjoy:

• Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs at High Altitude

• Spicy Sesame Napa Cabbage with a Soft Boiled Egg

• Brown Sugar Miso Ice Cream

• 15 Minute Salmon Rice Bowls

Salmon Sashimi Rice Bowl

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Japanese white rice

• 6 oz salmon sashimi, cut against the grain into 6 slices

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons furikake

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste

Instructions

Begin by poaching the eggs:

1. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle, not rolling, boil.

2. Add a splash of white vinegar (about 2 teaspoons) to the water.

3. Gently crack one of the eggs into a small bowl.

4. Using a stirring motions with a wooden spoon, create a gentle whirlpool in the water.

5. Carefully drop the cracked egg into the center of the whirlpool.

6. After 30-45 seconds, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set aside until the egg white is cooked through by the yolk is still soft.

7. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and place it in a bowl and set aside.

8. Repeat with the second egg.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Japanese white rice

• 6 oz salmon sashimi, cut against the grain into 6 slices

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons furikake

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste

Instructions

1. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle, not rolling, boil.

2. Add a splash of white vinegar (about 2 teaspoons) to the water.

3. Gently crack one of the eggs into a small bowl.

4. Using a stirring motions with a wooden spoon, create a gentle whirlpool in the water.

5. Carefully drop the cracked egg into the center of the whirlpool.

6. After 30-45 seconds, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set aside until the egg white is cooked through by the yolk is still soft.

7. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and place it in a bowl and set aside.

8. Repeat with the second egg.

9. Combine the soy sauce and wasabi in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

10. Scoop the rice into two serving bowls.

11. Top with the sliced avocado, sashimi, and poached egg.

12. Sprinkle with the furikake and drizzle with the soy-wasabi mixture.

13. Serve immediately.

14. Combine the soy sauce and wasabi in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

15. Scoop the rice into two serving bowls.

16. Top with the sliced avocado, sashimi, and poached egg.

17. Sprinkle with the furikake and drizzle with the soy-wasabi mixture.

18. Serve immediately.

Cocktail Friday: Negroni + Meyer Lemon Twist

Brad and I went skiing with some good friends last weekend. We spent all day Saturday with snow flakes falling on our faces and, at least in my case, saying prayers of thanks that I didn't break a leg as a result of my very limited experience on skis. When the day was over, all I wanted to do was sip on a cocktail while cooking a warm, soothing soup in my cozy kitchen. There is something about ending an active day cooking something delicious that can't be beat.

One of the things I love about cooking is that you can make seemingly small changes that make a recipe new and fresh. Adding coconut milk to what would otherwise be a classic butternut squash soup, for example. That's the fun part- taking something classic and making it your own.

Classic cocktails are another perfect place to add little touches that reflect the seasons or showcase your favorite garnishes and ingredients. Another perk of going with the classics is that you can learn a lot about mixing good drinks. The Negroni, for example, demonstrates how delicious Campari can be when the bitter flavor is balanced properly. Gin and vermouth are used to both highlight the bitterness and mellow it out. The finishing touch, typically a twist of orange, completes the cocktail with a bright citrus scent that you catch just as your mouth touches the rim of the glass but before the liquid passes through your lips. Perfection.

The only change I made here is the garnish. Rather than going with the traditional orange twist I opted for Meyer lemon. Consider this my trademark when it comes to the classic Negroni. At some point this weekend I will be sipping on one of these and hopefully cooking up something delicious. Cheers, friends!

Negroni + Meyer Lemon Twist

Ingredients

• 2 oz Campari
• 2 oz Gin
• 2 oz Dry Vermouth
• 2 strips Meyer lemon zest (or orange zest)

Instructions

1. Combine the campari, gin and vermouth in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Cover and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the strip of zest.