Do you ever miss someone so badly your whole body hurts? My heart aches a bit right now as I remember my grandmother, Nona. She’s resided in Heaven for decades. But this bout of Nona nostalgia came about with November’s Bundt-a-Month assignment...
Finally, our flight from Tokyo would land at San Francisco International Airport. My sister and I would charge through customs; bear-hug Great-Uncle George and make a beeline for the closest store selling American candy. Today, Snickers and M & Ms are rare commodities sold in expensive Tokyo supermarkets specializing in imports. (Aspirin-looking hybrids of M & Ms, however, are more readily available.) In the ‘60s and ‘70s (don’t do the math!), we were lucky if we found Swiss Toblerone...
The Silk Road started with one Chinese Emperor Wudi’s dream. And one General Zhang Qian’s courage to carry out the vision. They committed themselves to build better understanding between the East and the West in 2 BC. Despite a journey fraught with mishaps...
Sword in hand, a little boy sprang from a peach, bringing much joy to a barren grandma and her husband. They named him Momotaro. (Momo is Japanese for peach and Taro is a common boy’s name.) A sort of Robin Hood, this legendary folk hero stole back the gold from the devil’s lair. Justice and rewards for good behavior are strong themes in this story. But, it’s also about smarts and the power of yummy treats.
Matcha is the elite member of the green tea family. Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo (an hour away by train) and Uji on the southern island of Kyushu are two areas famous for choice green tea leaves.
For this month’s swirl-in-a-Bundt theme, I twirled chocolate matcha into a bona fide Southern belle of a pound cake. The recipe is from Kim Nelson of South Carolina's famed Daisy Cakes shop.
Berries were picked for the May #BundtaMonth theme. A strawberry Bundt cake was a
no-brainer choice. The red gems of natural sugar contain many happy memories for this Ninja Baker. Even if you don’t have lovely associations with strawberries, you won’t forget the blissful bites of the Ninja Baker’s Strawberry Sweetheart Bundt Cake.
As March winds blow in Tokyo, many Japanese remind themselves that strong winds of February and March are simply the precursor to Spring. (??????) I like to think of it as a clearing of all that is old so the new can be born.
And being pushed by the wind down the streets of Tokyo made me laugh. But, it was also fun to think about this month's #BundtaMonth topic: The Tropics.
Stumped for a splendid Valentine's Day gift? Why not give your sweetie the best of the East and West with the Ninja Baker's Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers?
