It's nearly been a month since I posted. I had been away on holiday (at my parents') in Tokyo. Sunshine and blue sky everyday with crisp winter air! You know what I'm gonna say next. Yes, I'm back to grey, dark, and rainy London... Actually, today isn't so bad, and I'm fond of London - come rain or shine - because I've lived here for a very long time.
I like Tokyo in a very different way. It is unique in a way that it's a big city, like New York or London, but it's a very homogeneous city. The population of central Tokyo is about 13 million (London has about 7 million, I think) and it's 'foreign elements' are less than half a million. It's got a lot of foreign influence and it's vibrant and lively, but it's not cosmopolitan. People's way of living is a unique mixture of cutting edge technology and cultural tradition. They have the biggest purchasing power in the world, and it's range of merchandising is amazing.
Anyway, that's where I was last month and I had a good time. I enjoyed my mum's home cooking and here is one of my favourite recipes of hers. Actually, it's not so much of a recipe. The Shiitake mushrooms are nothing like the ones sold here in the UK. They are a lot fatter and meatier, as I hope you can see in the pic.
My mum melts a generous amount of butter in the frying pan, add a clove or two of sliced garlic, and slowly fry them on a low heat. She takes them out, and then slices the mushrooms in halves diagonally and fry them in the garlic flavoured butter until deeply brown. Then she sprinkles a tablespoon or so of soy sauce with a bit of salt and pepper on the mushrooms and turn off the heat. You eat them topped with crunchy slices of garlic.