Regular readers may have noticed that I really enjoy making the odd children’s amusement from scratch. I think even CH didn’t fully comprehend my love of working with my hands until our toddler T came along. After almost a dozen years of marriage, it only recently dawned upon him that I’m a “crafty kind of girl” (I’m not quite sure if the pun was intended). I simply don’t believe that children ought to only discover things through pre-packaged stimuli that come out of a box. Of course, T receives plenty of toys, I don’t shun them, and he loves technology. But I try my best to throw in simple things like squishing play dough (yes, that’s a burger made out of play dough pictured above), touching grass with your bare feet, playing with ice cubes, finger painting, threading pasta, counting soybeans, and learning to tear sheets of paper into the mix.

When I make something for him, it gives T and I the chance to have a discussion. We talk about the colours and textures he likes. I explain what the various components or ingredients are, and warn him about hot pans and sharp knives or scissors. He gets a full view of how things progress, how ingredients transform. And if there are decisions to be made along the way, we have a chat about them. For example, I personally thought black play dough coloured with charcoal powder then dusted with silver glitter, and brown play dough colored with cocoa powder (it smelt awesome) then dusted with gold glitter were terribly cool. T thought they looked like poop and had no interest in touching them. Who would’ve guessed? (It didn’t help that papa was shaping them into poop and leaving them on the floor.) Making things with T gives me the chance to expand his perspective of the world around him just a little. It also helps me to get to know him a whole lot better.

So, I started making T play dough late last year. When he first touched it, he was totally baffled by its texture. He loved the bright, bold colours. And it has become one of his favourite things to play with. We use it in all sorts of ways. The incredible list of play dough recipes and activities over at The Imagination Tree is one of my many online inspirations.

But there are heaps of play dough recipes out there. I hadn’t intend to add mine to the list until I discovered, quite by accident, that that using Hong Kong flour (a highly bleached flour used for making Chinese steamed buns) results in incredibly smooth and pliable dough. This means that when you unmould the play dough, it pops out really easily and the details are very clear. I happened to be clearing out some old Hong Kong flour out of my pantry some months ago and decided that rather than junking it, I’d make T some play dough with it. It’s now our favourite play dough recipe!

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I recently stumbled upon the joys of kinako latte at a miniscule cafe in Arashiyama, Kyoto called kyo no cha no nagomi. We had stopped to taste their fluffy little squares of fat-free green tea and soy milk cakes (incidentally, our toddler, T adored their strawberry version). And since I was slightly obsessed with tasting matcha lattes on this trip (mostly thanks to my culinary goddess of a sister-in-law’s frequent mentions of how she loves having them at Starbucks in Tokyo), I decided to be adventurous and try a kinako latte. Before I knew it, I was hooked!

Kinako (黄粉) is roasted whole soy flour and has a gorgeously nutty flavour. I really enjoy it in warabi mochi (especially from the stall at Nishiki Market in Kyoto which sells it), in ice cream and sprinkled over Japanese parfaits. Simply a combination of kinako, milk and a touch of sugar, kinako latte contains no coffee and is caffeine free (a boon for expectant mothers trying hard to eliminate caffeine from their diets). It tastes almost like a malted drink; just the thing for a cold Spring morning or a rainy day in the tropics.

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Fluffy and tasty even on their own, these are our house pancakes. I’d even pack a whisk into my suitcase just to be able to serve these buttermilk pancakes when we’re travelling.  They’re that easy to make. And they’re that good!

I was initially drawn to this recipe because there’s no sugar in the pancakes (I was obsessed with omitting sugar from my toddler’s diet; if your family prefers something sweeter, check out Dawn’s fab recipes for peanut butter pancakes and cottage cheese pancakes). However, two additional details make this recipe extra special. Buttermilk gives the pancakes an appealing tang and complexity of flavour. And folding in the egg whites gives them a natural fluffy airiness (which is further sustained by baking powder). I always have a stash of these buttermilk pancakes in the freezer because T frequently gets up in the morning asking to have them for breakfast. In a pinch, he gets them with a drizzle of maple syrup. Otherwise, they’re topped with homemade blueberry sauce or bananas sautéed in butter.

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You’ll ditch store-bought options once you realise how little it takes to make a seriously yummy tomato sauce of your own! This is my favourite tomato sauce recipe. It’s easy to make, incredibly tasty and relatively inexpensive. I’m a firm believer of layering flavours. And with a jar of this tomato sauce sitting in the fridge or freezer, part of the work of throwing a meal together is already done.

I like that this sauce still manages to retain the fresh flavours of basil after sitting in the back of my fridge for a week. The addition of red wine vinegar perks it up and helps it sustain its pizzazz and, depending on my mood, I add a little more or a little less fire to it with my choice of red chilli. I also really enjoy its rustic texture (I chop it up in the pot using the edge of my wooden spoon). Finally, the generous glug of the best extra virgin olive oil I have on hand that goes into the tomato sauce when it’s done gives it a generous and easy refinement. There’s nothing uptight or overly precise about throwing this tomato sauce together. That’s the whole fun of it. I often have it simmering on the stove while I work on my computer in the kitchen.

And once you’re done, there are so many ways to enjoy this tomato sauce. In our household, it’s primarily used in pizzas. My toddler, T (and CH, actually) likes it tempered with béchamel and buried under cheese. I like enhancing its natural umami by pairing it with lashings of cheese as well as good salami and some mushroom duxelles (preferably an iteration that has been given extra oomph with the addition of dried porcini). It’s just as magical layered into lasagne or tossed into a pasta sauce (especially if you make your own pasta). Both will taste like you’ve slaved over them for hours, rather than mere minutes. I’d use a hint of it to add flavour and colour to fried rice. And it works as a sauce for steak if your taste preferences fly in that direction. Why, it works pretty well in a burger, too!

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Kinpira carrot, stir-fried grated carrot seasoned with soy and sugar, was one of the dishes I learnt to cook at the Haru Cooking Class on our last trip to Kyoto. I know it probably isn’t high on your list of dishes to master, but it’s a delicious, quintessentially Japanese vegetable side dish which has opened my eyes to how home cooked Japanese meals are actually put together. And I simply love it. I never thought that I’d have the time, nor  energy to create the assemblage of tasty little plates to go with a focal protein dish, which are so commonplace in family-style Japanese restaurants. But what I’ve come to realise is that many of these small bites—often designed to pair well with a bowlful of hot rice—can either be made in larger quantities and stored, or actually take very little time to prepare. Kinpira carrot is a classic example.

This incredibly easy to prepare sweet and savoury dish is served at room temperature. It’s a vegetable course that CH doesn’t complain about having to eat. In fact, he quite likes it. Kinpira carrot is lovely served with grilled teriyaki fish, hiyayakko (冷奴 or cold tofu) and some pickles (cucumber sunomono or 酢の物, a recipe I plan to share soon, is great and super quick to make). It’s equally great paired with a Japanese stew and a hot bowl of soup (although I often cheat and just make a cup of plum konbucha, 昆布茶, and call it soup). And it’s the perfect vegetable to go into a packed bento lunch with rice. I now make a double portion of it and store it in the fridge. Apart from serving it as part of a traditional Japanese meal, I love it in cold soba salads and it’s actually pretty awesome stuffed into a sandwich with cold cuts!

I’d tried a number of cookbook recipes for kinpira carrot in the past, but they always turned out a little too wet and soggy. I ended up having to keep it on the fire for too long, resulting in overcooked carrot. Taro’s instructions are clear and simple. And the finished dish is always al dente, with a satisfying swash of umami in it. You can also add burdock or substitute with sliced lotus root or julienned daikon. I’ve also read that parsnips work well.

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I’ve tried a host of vanilla ice cream recipes, but love this one—based on Johnny Iuzzini’s in Dessert Fourplay—best for making the vanilla ice cream that I have in our freezer at all times. It’s the first ice cream my son, T ever tasted. His little eyes lit up and he grinned in excitement when he registered its flavour, texture and temperature all at once for the very first time. That moment was truly priceless.

This vanilla ice cream remains scoop-able (thanks to the addition of invert sugar) without rapidly turning into a puddle and has the luscious, velvety mouthfeel that I adore in crème anglaise-based ice creams. Taking the time to let the vanilla infuse overnight (my tweak) and giving the finished ice-cream base yet another night in the fridge to let the flavours come together (Iuzzini’s generous sharing of a detail most pastry chefs practice) really makes for an ice cream that packs a powerful vanilla punch. The rather drawn out method also happens to work well with my current schedule as it means that I only need to spend a couple of minutes working on the ice cream each day as and when I can steal a little time to do so.

This is unquestionably my vanilla ice cream of choice when I’m serving ice cream sodas or floats, affogatos, ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, tarts or cakes; occasions when I want vanilla to be an equal, a flavour at the forefront rather than the backdrop of a dish. Because of that, I also prefer not to add mix-ins to it. In my book, this is the cashmere of vanilla ice creams. You have to try it!

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Before I had even experienced modern wagashiya (Japanese confectionary shop), Higashiya for myself, I was already enamoured of the discreet yet clearly orchestrated style of the brand; by the time I had my first Higashiya encounter, I was well and truly hooked. I think the first time I read about Higashiya was in Wallpaper*. I remember being quite mesmerised. When we were creating a shortlist of places to visit on our 2007 Tokyo trip, I confess that I spent way too much time just gazing at the images of the gorgeous handmade tableware collections and tea accessories (some rustic-elegant in an exceptional, artisanal manner; others simply exquisitely refined) retailed at the boutiques.

Naturally, when given the opportunity to interview my favourite personalities in Tokyo, I asked for the chance to speak with design guru, Shinichiro Ogata, the creative director and founder of design company Simplicity, and the visionary behind Higashiya, as well as Baishinka, two restaurants (Higashi-yama Tokyo and Yakumo Saryo) and lifestyle brand, SSS (Simplicity Super Studio). Ogata is one of those rare individuals whose aesthetic lens is able to imbue every minute detail of life with beauty. While he first began his career as an interior designer (a craft he continues to practice), today he sees himself as a “lifestyle designer”. Step into any Higashiya and you’ll see why. No two are identical, yet every one is borne of a singular vision. And everything—from the beautifully unembellished, hand-formed, signature hitokuchi-gashi (bite-sized confectionery) and the wooden boxes they are packaged in; to the bronze individual tea warmers and even the stunning restrooms—bear his touch. According to Ogata, his mission is “to stimulate the evolution of traditional Japanese things so that they continue to be relevant to contemporary life”. And to do this, he says, food and eating play important roles because they express the very heart of Japanese culture.

It’s hard to imagine that Ogata’s Higashiya is already a decade old. It feels utterly contemporary, yet timeless at the same time. When he launched his first Higashiya in Nakameguro (which has since closed as the location is no longer available for rent), Ogata confesses that it was challenging to change the centuries old Japanese traditions of wagashi making. In order to innovate and create a new oeuvre, he felt that he also needed to create a new environment. And when he did, he left no detail to chance.

To me, the appeal of Higashiya lies in the fact that Ogata has captured the essence of wagashi and pared it down to its purest form. It’s as if he has taken away the distracting colour and patterns on a sheet of paper so that you’re able to just focus on the beauty of the finely made material itself. Then, he invites you to appreciate its simple yet miraculous transformation when it is carefully folded. You see this in his interiors. They are so painstakingly curated but tempered with such remarkable restraint, that the effect feels perfectly effortless—a true way of life. The same can be said of the products he has created in collaboration with craftsmen across Japan. They are simultaneously raw and refined. They make their presences felt without drawing attention to themselves. It’s as if they have been created to only come into being when you adopt them to your way of living because Ogata’s intention has always been to offer something that needs no explanation, but that customers will select for themselves because what he has created cleaves naturally to their daily lives. So, you’ll find beauty in silhouettes, textures and tonalities, rather than colours. They are qualities that are infinitely adaptable. You’ll also find beauty in the functionality of design. After all, Ogata’s designs always start with what he wants to use and what can be used practically in the context of a Higashiya establishment. “If it cannot be used in this shop,” he points out, “it cannot be used in a home and it is of no use to anyone.” This is a commitment that I truly admire.

The selection of wagashi at Higashiya is, by Ogata’s own description, “everyday sweets”. There are so many delicious items, and there’s always something new to discover each time I visit. But I have a couple of favourites. According to Ogata, they are all inspired by regional Japanese specialties, but re-presented to appeal to contemporary palates.  His hitokuchi-gashi are organically shaped; a far cry from elaborate traditional creations. Because they are filled with such unexpected ingredients and don’t travel well, every time I go to the Higashiya in Ginza, I have to have the natsume-butter, a dried date stuffed with walnut and rich, fermented butter. The koi-murasaki is another delicious pairing of purple sweet potato paste with a cashew centre. And the kohji, pumpkin with cream cheese, is also an addictive option. These, I like to savour along with the ritual of tea service. CH loves the natto-flavoured puffed rice candy and the wafer-thin black sesame candy, which make great gifts. Because I know we return to Tokyo regularly, I am quite restrained about what I choose to enjoy each time I visit. But if I were limited to one stop at Higashiya Ginza, I’d definitely make the time for afternoon tea (they also serve ascetic lunch sets that appeal far more to me than to CH) and then get tempted by the retail section. When we visit the Issey Miyake and Pleats Please Issey Miyake boutiques in Minami Aoyama, I religiously make a stop at Higashiya man for a freshly steamed sweet manju. I am also dying to visit Baishinka (for “special occasion wagashi”), Higashi-yama Tokyo (Ogata’s vision of a new style of Japanese dining) and Yakumo Saryo (for “modern kaiseki” in a private dining club) when we’re next in Tokyo!

In the brief time we spent together, one statement that Ogata-san made has really stayed with me. He said that he aspires to make wagashi that will move customers. To that end, I believe he has achieved great success.

P.S. If you’re in Singapore, do note that Atomi has recently started to carry a selection of SSS (Simplicity Super Studio) accessories.

Higashiya Ginza
POLA Ginza Bldg. 2F 1-7-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Higashiya man
3-17-14 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Higashi-yama Tokyo
1-21-25 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Yakumo Saryo / Baishinka
3-4-7 Yakumo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

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These whole wheat chocolate cookies are my toddler’s favourite baked goods of the moment. I serve them to him plain. But CH likes them with Amedei’s chocolate-hazelnut cream, Nutella, or a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. I like that these cookies are crisp and burst with the full flavour of cocoa. I’ve kept them mildly sweet and added a generous pinch of salt for contrast on the palate so that they work well with an attention-grabbing filling. But I do genuinely enjoy these whole wheat chocolate cookies unadorned. Especially when they’re washed down with a glass of cold milk.

I must confess that I just adore the clean lines and uniformity of rolled cookies. They’re also perfect for making cookies in fun shapes for my little one. The dough may be a little fiddly to work with, but the results are well worth the effort. I often bake only half a batch and keep the second portion of dough frozen until we need another batch of freshly baked whole wheat chocolate cookies. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

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With a toddler in the house, the ability to whip up a bubble solution on the fly with ingredients from your pantry is a boon. It means mom can mix up a quick batch of bubble solution while said toddler naps without ever having to leave home (although the solution works best after it has been aged overnight). Anyone who has had to hang on to a curious toddler with a mind of his own and the uncanny ability to squirm out of your grip will understand how shopping with a toddler in tow can sometimes be a physical challenge. Even if you don’t have kids, having a stash of bubble solution on hand for when your nephew, niece or godchild comes to visit will transform you into a total rock star in their eyes. Fashion bubble wands out of cookie cutters, twisted wire hangers or pipe cleaners (I must report that with pipe cleaners, you need to really soak them completely with solution for them to work), straws and other things you may already have at home! I’ve found that this solution works well in a bubble blowing machine. When you’re using a bubble wand or cookie cutter, it does takes a little practice and experimenting (take a longer breath before you blow) to get really impressively large bubbles. Basically, you can’t apply the same bubble-blowing techniques you use with store-bought solutions. Larger wands are also likely to give you one large, strong bubble. Smaller wands will result in a series of smaller bubbles. I would say that homemade and store-bought solutions offer different bubble blowing experiences and I am not suggesting that you should only confine yourself to one or the other.

Bubble solution recipes are broadly divided between bubble solutions that utilise light corn syrup and solutions that utilise glycerine. Both ingredients are supposed to make stronger bubbles with greater staying power. I’m sharing an adaptation of the recipe I like best. The bubbles are remarkably resilient. We blanketed our terrace with bubbles with our first batch and the bubbles kept my son, T (who rates the Sesame Street video about blowing and counting bubbles among his current top two) giggly and happily amused. He has greater success with generating bubbles with a homemade solution than a store-bought one. When the weather is bad or T is feeling under the weather, we take our bubble wands into the shower (remembering to line the floor with non-slip bathmats because the bubble solution makes it slippery) and fill it with bubbles just before T takes his evening bath.

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I make this Thai basil laksa leaf pesto in large batches when we have to prune our Thai basil and laksa leaf (Vietnamese mint) plants. It doesn’t contain any cheese, but the fish sauce (I like Red Boat) provides the umami kick that you’d otherwise get from the parmesan in a traditional pesto. I store some in the fridge and freeze the rest so that there’s always some close at hand.

For very little effort, this simple Thai basil laksa leaf pesto adds an instant party of flavours to pastas and noodles, stir-fries (prawns, squid, fish or beef), and sandwiches. It’s great slathered over barbecued meat or seafood. And I wouldn’t be averse to the idea of having it with a nice hunk of steak served Japanese-style, in bite-sized pieces, either. Even though the recipe calls for significantly less laksa leaf than Thai basil, the distinct flavour of laksa leaf is quite prominent. When the occasion calls for it, I add some chilli and ginger sambal or sriracha to give it a more assertive heat.

If you’re looking for a more classic pesto recipe, check out Dawn’s cashew nut pesto here.

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