What can I say about Kyoto the city? Well, I have not seen enough of it to give a real impression except of a few firsts. The memory that really stood out was the regret of not staying long enough to take in the sights. We arrived in Kyoto late in the afternoon via Shinkasnen from Tokyo, and we went directly to Tofukuji Station in hopes of checking in our Airbnb so that by 3pm we could start exploring the city. That was the tricky part─finding the exact place in a location that's not that easily locatable with a GPS. For almost an hour we were going in circles. We were got close to the pinned location, but then we were either standing on the opposite street that we cannot cross because of a wall or we kept walking to a direction that looked completely different on the map; it was so frustrating that at some point we told the rest of our family to wait in one spot and we'd come fetch them the moment we find the house. Because really, it was sad to watch us haul our huge bags on the streets back and forth. This led us to ask a few locals and experience what a lot of tourists had been claiming─how willing people are, to go out of their way and help lost-clueless tourists like ourselves. A girl walked us all the way to the police station and talk to the officer when she didn't know where it was. Surprisingly the police also didn't know where that street was because he was using this old area map...and so the girl assisted us to asking around and never left us until we stood at the door of our Airbnb. The whole thing must've took more than thirty minutes...precious time and effort that I'm sure not everyone is willing to do for strangers. I truly appreciated us getting lost even if that incident caused my mother to complain about how scared she got the whole time we stayed in Kyoto, because that gave me a first-hand experience of how well-meaning and valued courtesy is to the Japanese.
Taken last October 29, 2017...just a few weeks ago during a friend's birthday celebration. This was the most decent shot of the three taken by my brother to be posted on his IG stories. We barely got to take any photos of the food because were rushing to fetch our aunt that day. It's a funny story actually...we were buying groceries the night before the party when our matriarch called, telling us that she wanted my brother and I to accompany her to visit a wake. She's one of the people I we can't say no to...so what happened on my friend's birthday, we left them on their own at our place to accommodate our aunt. Long story short, we were the last to arrive for the party that we supposedly were hosting. The guests were left to entertain and feed themselves while we were away.
So anyway, my brother and I had been planning to bake this almond and poppy seeds muffin for quite some time now, but we always found ourselves cancelling the bake last minute. Our constant dilemma about baking something that's fit for a dozen has always been, "how will we consume the whole thing?" Weeks passed and the mix just kept still in the pantry. Slowly I found myself finding the ingredients I wanted to add that'll make the muffin extra special. I had the vision in my head, until finally, the perfect opportunity arrived just when I have gathered all that I needed. Fate has declared, and it shall be done.
This is actually the first time, in a very long time...years really...that I found myself baking again. The last time I baked something that's well thought of was when I actually made the Mixed Whatevers Bread Pudding for a recipe blog entry in 2014. This time it was a little special; I was baking it as a birthday cake for a friend. Actually, it's a muffin that was baked in a cake pan so it's shaped as a cake. And well...unfortunately it came out of the oven burnt because I was distracted with making other dishes that day, still in the end I'm glad the birthday boy liked it. I liked it as well. The taste is refreshing and hearty, a combination of good flavors. I'm sharing the recipe because it's something that's a little more interesting in terms of the blending of flavors. I'm actually a fan of poppy seeds, but it took me years of search before I finally found one...in an imported muffin mix box. One of the muffins I enjoyed eating years back was the lemon and poppy seed one, but was eventually phased-out...and that was the last of my favorite muffin.
Don't judge me, the base muffin came from a pre-mixed box...but the twist comes in the frosting and the added ingredients that accumulated in my head after weeks of delay.
Frosting Recipe:
8 oz. Cream cheese block
200g Cream cheese spread
1 stick Salted Butter
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 drops Lemon Essence
Lemon Zest
Just mix them all together until smooth and creamy, adjusting the sugar according to preference. The turn out will actually be a little flat because of the cream cheese spread that easily melts...so if you don't want it soft, you can use another cream cheese block for a firmer frosting.
Muffin Recipe:
1 box of Betty Crocker's Almond Poppy Seeds Muffin Mix
...I think they require an egg and oil to be added to the mix
1 tsp. Lavender Extract
3 drops Lemon Essence
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
Fresh Strawberries
Mix according to the box's direction plus the added ingredients and bake...making sure not to burn it like I did. Assemble the cake by cutting it in half crosswise and filling it in between with the frosting and slices of strawberries, topping it off as creatively as you can and dust it with powdered sugar if the strawberries are sour.
A month ago I came into a realization in a form of a dream...a voice called out to me and said that I should go into a food business. That it's about time I pursue something that I love and share what I can beyond my own circle. I've been stopping myself from going into a food business because of so many doubts even if people had been telling me for as long as I could remember that I should go give it a try...but I guess deep down I had always been waiting for a sign to tell me if and when I should start. I felt that gut inkling churning in my stomach after I woke up from that dream...I think I got my go signal. It's all a matter of time and preparation. The vision is in my head, I'm gathering the ingredients now...it's all about meeting the perfect opportunity by the time I have gathered all that I need. My heart is set.
