What to do with shiitake mushrooms...

I didn't work out the past two days so it was imperative that I get a little bit of exercise. By the time I worked out and took a shower, it was around 9pm. I was feeling lazy and uninspired. I did make daikon radish and carrot salad soaked overnight in amazu or sweetened rice vinegar on Tuesday. This is one of my favorite dishes that my grandma made for me. She would sprinkle crushed sesame seeds over the top. It's so crunchy that I can't stop eating it.

Here's the simple recipe for amazu found on e-recipe (in Japanese).

(makes about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 cup rice vinegar
8 tbs sugar
2 tbs salt

Add all ingredients into a pan and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let it rest until it comes back to room temperature. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.

I was trying to find recipes online that used shiitake mushrooms. It had to be fast and easy. I came across this recipe for spicy shiitake mushrooms on the Food Network website. This caught my eye because it called for some Japanese ingredients like soy sauce, sesame seed oil and scallions. I also loved the fact that this recipe provided an alternative method of cooking where you throw everything into a bowl and broil the mushrooms caps for 3 minutes. The only thing I did differently was that I didn't use jalapeno peppers.

This was really tasty and Zack seemed to really like it too. I also ended up making a quick and easy miso soup with daikon slices and tofu. This is my idea of comfort food. My mom made miso soup almost every night when I was little.

For dessert, I had one of my all-time favorite childhood treats that my dad would bring home from Japan. It's shaped like a little chick and the inside is filled with bean paste. It's a famous treat from Tokyo and can be found almost everywhere in Tokyo. Here's the company website (in Japanese).

Wrapped and...

... unwrapped. So good. I had a pretty comforting and nostalgic meal. It's just what I needed.