Okonomiyaki and a Yellow Tail

Tonight’s dinner was some great tasting Japanese pancakes, or otherwise known as okonomiyaki. With two variations on the plate tonight (one green onions, and one pork), it was a mighty tasting meal that satisfied my hunger. But with all this food, what was I to drink?

I had opened a bottle of red the other day and it was still sitting on my counter tonight. So, not knowing if it would be a great match, I poured myself a glass and took a sip.

It wasn’t until several sips later that I realized I was drinking a lot of this wine along with my meal. It then occurred to me that this 2008 Yellow Tail Shiraz was indeed a great match with the okonomiyaki, regardless of the presence of meat. It was actually so good that I couldn’t stop from pouring myself another glass… and another after that!

NH says it was because of the rich taste of the okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise that we smother the pancakes with. It could very well be.

Nonetheless, I was very happy tonight with this new-found combination. If you ever have some okonomiyaki, be sure to try out some red to see if you like the combination just as much as I did.

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Published:
February 16, 2010 – 8:56 pm
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By Taku Kumabe
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Happy Olympics-Chinese New Year-Valentine’s-Family weekend!

Some people will have noticed that this weekend you had a multitude of reasons to celebrate. With up to four things going on this weekend, there wasn’t a reason not to celebrate.

Most people will know that the Olympics started on Friday February 12. Although some may not really care to celebrate this once-in-four-year event, this is a big deal to some. Next up for the weekend was Chinese New Year’s (eve) on Saturday Feb. 13. While this is obviously not celebrated by all, it can be quite the big celebration in certain areas. Chinese New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day happen to fall on the same day this year, Sunday February 14. Depending on whom you ask, Valentine’s Day can be all that a couple ever dreams of, or on the other hand, it can be regarded as no more than commercialism at its best. Whichever you see it from, its obviously in the air all around you as everything from shopping malls to spas to cafes all celebrate the event with some sort of special promotion.

And last but not least, here in Ontario-and other provinces in the country-Monday February 15 is Family Day. A relatively new holiday for Ontarians, and one which even to this day still brings confusion to some people, is a celebration of being together with your family. Spending it time with your loved one is the key to this day.

With so many things to celebrate about this weekend, some things were unfortunately relegated to the back-burner as some events seemed to be more prominent than another. Of course this all will likely have depended on which area you are talking about, but more or less, the most talked about event for this weekend has to be the Olympics. It’s no surprise, since this only comes once in four years. So, the question arises as to why the next most talked about event would be Valentine’s Day. Sure it’s a day dedicated to couples, but does it really have to be that big of an event? Everywhere you go, you see red hearts and “I love you” cards, and so on and so forth. One has to wonder what makes that more important than Family Day.

Regardless of what you decide to do this weekend, just make sure to follow the cardinal rule of weekends: enjoy yourself!

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Published:
February 14, 2010 – 10:53 am
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By Taku Kumabe
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American Idol’s Hollywood week begins!

So I just finished watching the first two days of Hollywood week on American Idol. I have to say, I wasn’t really blown away with anybody… except for the talent of Lilly Scott.

I missed her audition in her hometown so I’m not sure how she faired on that day, but when she belted out that Ella Fitzgerald song, it was pure gold. She carried her vocals so well throughout the entire song, it was a pleasure to listen to her sing. At one point, I was almost cringing hoping that she wouldn’t make a mistake or not hit a note properly. Her audition was flawless, and I’m happy for her.

Surprisingly, none of the judges had much to say about her—although that could be all thanks to the editing room. For obvious reasons I haven’t heard all 181 contestants sing, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if she made it to the final 24. In fact, I would very much like to see her in the top 5; if she continues to sing like she did during her first round Hollywood audition, I would say she has a very good chance in doing so.

She was fresh with her unique style, she has great command of her vocals, and she is definitely not stage-shy.

Two other girls to note: 29877 (Christal) and Didi were also quite impressive, each in their own ways. Although I felt the former had a typical singing voice that didn’t stand out all that much, she really knew how to control her vocals, switching octaves during her song. Didi reminded me of another artist whom I can’t seem to remember at the moment. But her style was quite unique and I thought stood out from the rest as well.

As to who actually goes through is anybody’s game. The judges are picky during Hollywood week, and although I may not necessarily have agreed with all of their decisions in the past, I have a good feeling that at the very least, Lilly will make it very far in this competition.

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Published:
February 9, 2010 – 9:14 pm
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By Taku Kumabe
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