I don't know what it is about salads that is so repelling. People hear salad and instantly think of 3 other things that sound much better (I thought of lasagna, sushi, and burgers btw). I mean, I don't blame them. The only time I really wanted a salad was when I discovered that goat cheese, cranberry, walnut salad at Whole Foods and let's face it, 9 times outta 10, Whole Foods got it right.

So imagine my surprise when I was just craving salad the other day. And my being famously bad at making salads (it's a fact, I'm not even going to deny it), I decided to start with the dressing first. A good salad needs a good dressing, am I right?



"Miso Nutty" Salad
Serves 2-4

Dressing:
1/4 cup white miso
1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp black strap molasses
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp flax oil
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

Mix together the miso, peanut butter, ginger, and molasses. Add the oils and vinegar and mix with a fork until well combined.

Salad:
Mixed Greens
Smoked Tofu; cubed (or use regular firm tofu and season it)
Spring Onions, cut thin
Mushrooms, chopped (I used Chanterelle but Shiitake, Enoki, Maitake, or Brown Button Mushrooms would work)
Gluten Free Pasta (optional)
Plums (optional)
Peanuts for garnish

Toss all ingredients in a big bowl. Only mix with dressing before consumption (otherwise it will get soggy and unpleasant). Enjoy!

"Miso Nutty" Salad

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• by Aya S
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We all know I'm a lean mean baking machine. If there's any occasion to bake, I'll seize it. And naturally, all my friends are my guinea pigs (whether they like it or not, which most of the time I guess they don't mind). Cooking on the other hand, seems less exciting to me. I'm usually a one trick pony when it comes to cooking. Not to mention how impatient I already am, if I have to cook something that requires waiting along with those cookies I'm already waiting on in the oven, I might explode (a virtue I sorely have to work on).

Luckily, the only waiting required in this dish is for the tofu to marinate in really good lemony pesto. And I guess I made an exception since my toe nails needed painting in the mean while. Oh, and did I mention I am really slow at julienning? How quickly time flies when you're sitting there making match sticks out of vegetables . . .

Pesto Tofu and Stir Fry Vegetables

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Okonomiyaki is a popular Japanese street food and it literally means "grill as you like it". Very suitable because depending on the region you're in, the fillings can vary immensely. The base of it though is a cabbage-filled savory pancake made on a hot pan.


This is my first attempt and I suppose it doesn't look much like the ones you would actually get in Japan. But hey, I had to improvise with what they had at the Asian store (and the amount of cash in my wallet).


It is fairly straightforward. In fact, it's pretty hard to mess up. Just cut the greens, mix in the wet, put it on a pan, and you're good to go.


If you're like me and flipping okonomiyaki is not in your genes, don't worry, you can just push in the broken edges and try again.


Shredded cheese is a totally acceptable topping!


Katsuobushi and Aonori is found on many Okonomiyakis but since neither were available, I cut up Nori and just left the Katsuobushi out!



If anyone is curious, the recipe I used can be found HERE. Give it a go if you're ever in the mood for an unconventional savory pancake that is different from the Western traditions!

My Attempt at Okonomiyaki

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Hello everybody! I've been on a little break from work over the past few days and I feel incredible! It's so nice to just chill out sometimes with absolutely no agenda.

Speaking of chilling out, I hung out with a new friend today and talking about travel and meeting people on the train really inspired me to watch this movie tonight:



I've never watched it before. I know it's a favorite of many but somehow it slipped through the cracks and now to make up for it, I've paused all human contact for the next 100 minutes because I want to be sucked into what seems to be a charming love story (yes, I'm in that mood).
I also cleaned out the fridge. Well no, there is still a ton of stuff crammed in there, but I had to make a huge dent and what better way than just putting everything in a pan with a spoonful of Go Chu Jang?



I also ordered Stevia and put in a few drops for added sweetness.


Ta-da! A very unappetizing picture but I swear it was just the opposite.

Back to movies (there is no cohesion in my brain today), I just watched this a few days ago:



I tend to gravitate towards American/European movies for no particular reason other than they're just easier to watch with friends, but once in a while I remember there's a Japanese movie I really wanted to see. Hyakuman-en to Nigamushi Onna is a great example of one of those movies since I've been wanting to see it since it came out and just kept putting it off/forgetting about it. There is a girl who is charged of a petty crime and due to the gossip and strong push from her brother to stand on her own two feet, she saves up a million yen (about $10,000) and moves to another city. There she saves up the same million yen, and keeps repeating it, going from city to city.
I admit I chose to watch this because I LOVE Moriyama Mirai and Aoi Yuu is someone I find aesthetically flawless, but it was better than expected. I found myself pretty invested in the characters' lives. So if you're curious, I would give it a go!
That's all for today in terms of updates. I have some restaurant reviews and random city pictures coming up, so keep your eyes peeled for those. Ciao ciao~

Fridge food, Before Sunrise, and a Japanese Movie

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As you guys read in my last update, I've been working and working out a lot. I decided to reward myself and go out to a highly rated Chinese food restaurant with Oli last Wednesday. I don't know if it was the heightened expectation I had from the glowing reviews on Yelp, but in short, it was quite an average experience.


Green White Pool

Toca Rouge is a trendy Asian fusion restaurant on Torstrasse in Mitte. We happened upon it on a weekday evening and boy, was it packed. We're talking elbow to elbow, I-know-every-detail-of-your-date-last-night-neighbor packed. We grabbed a seat right under a suspended bicycle and commenced ordering.


Yasming Dynasty
Service is aight. As a waitress in a centrally located restaurant, I get it. Busy days mean busting your ass and not a lot of time for anything else. There was slight confusion at one point where the beer Oli ordered went to the table next to us, but I wouldn't consider that a biggie. I do wish they smiled just a bit more but now I'm just nitpicking.


Mao's Darling


Sticky Orange Love Pudding

Let's get down to what really matters: the food. This is where the whole experience just lay flat on the ground. The menu itself sounded amazing. The name of every dish was like the title of an Asian parody movie and the descriptions made my mouth water. However, the food itself did not deliver.

Appetizer/Soup: Bland and salty.
Entrees: My pork was too chewy and unnecessarily fatty. The goji berries didn't really enhance the flavor either. The best part of it was the mango salsa. Oli's dish was also average. His fish almost had no flavor while the sauce was too salty. It could've been more balanced.
Dessert: It tasted really good but was gone in seconds due to the fact that they put two small rice cakes in a little puddle of sauce. The upside is that I know where to get these dumplings to recreate at home.



I'm not saying this is a bad place. It's just not the place of my dreams. I also take into consideration that maybe the dishes we chose were not their better ones. If I do go back someday, I'll definitely try something else.

And use the bathroom again because this:



Disco lights and a hip hop playlist should become a mandatory thing while taking care of business.

Toca Rouge
Torstraße 195, 10115 Berlin

Toca Rouge Restaurant Review

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