Warding off the Winter Chill

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These little yukidaruma looked warmer in those hats and scarves then I felt!

Snow has finally come to Ishikawa! For a place that has some of the most snow in Japan, it sure starts late. Sadly with the snow comes the real winter cold, so I’ve spent the last few weeks huddled under my kotatsu, which is a table covered with a blanket with a heater underneath. It’s one of the best parts of being in Japan – scooting under your kotatsu with a cup of something warm. I’ve been experimenting with some scrumptious new hot chocolate recipes I found over at ChowMag.

Kenrokuen.

ChowMag is a great magazine. It was the perfect combination of snazzy new ideas, preppy foods and food hacks without straying into the realm of “snooty.” Sadly about 2 years ago they dropped their print version and are strictly internet now, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t rock with video demonstrations (I found the pomegranate seeding tutorial to be really helpful), forums and regular articles. One of my roommates’ favorites was the Sesame-encrusted Shrimp with Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce recipe. Succulent shrimp with the delicate crunch of sesame and a knock-your-socks-off sauce that just makes the dish.

But anyway, back to winter! I’ve been drooling over Chow’s recent post of Hot Chocolate Indulgence – 10 variations on the classic hot drink. Almond butter hot chocolate, five-spice hot chocolate, coconut hot chocolate… although none of them hold up to Aztec hot chocolate (with an infusion of chili pepper) for pure warm-you-upness! Check here for history of chocolate in the Americas as well as a good Aztec hot choco recipe.

~CAB

PS: What are your favorite winter warm-up foods? I’d love to hear your family recipes!

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Filed under Food, Food art, Ice Sculpture, Japan, Recipes

Tags: Food, hot chocolate, Japan, Recipes, snow, winter