Looking ahead to 2020

It’s still mid-2019, summer is about to retire, even though it’s still warm. After performances that occupied me during the first half of the year, the summer months were devoted to my students, teaching, preparing them for their performances, judging competitions, a master class and related business travel. In short, it was a very busy […]

Bratkartoffeln. Roasted potatoes = comfort food

Busy, stressed, fighting the heat and humidity. Summer has kicked in with a vengeance and after two rather stressful business trips in a row, I needed some wholesome comfort food. All it took were a couple of May Queen potatoes (cooks quickly and doesn’t lose its shape,) ground beef, onions and green peppers. Bratkartoffeln is […]

Spicy grilled salmon salad

Leftover grilled salmon? Combine with Mayonnaise Red chili oil (spicy red pepper sesame oil) Vinegar Salt Lemon juice Green onions Great with rice or for making sushi rolls. I had it with a bowl of edamame rice and Korean seaweed. The same ingredients also work well with raw salmon tataki. With smoked salmon I also […]

Quick and easy Summer Pasta

Not much time and don’t feel like cooking for a long time during hot summer days? Here is what I tried for lunch today: a very quick and easy Summer Pasta dish. While boiling the spaghetti, in this case the thin kind, prepare the “sauce” or “marinade” or “dressing.” It’s a bit of all three, […]

Fish & Chips at Bubba Gump Shrimp

There is almost nothing so satisfying than a well-cooked, delicious platter of something greasy after some hard work. In this case, it was a long period of work on a “project” that required not only time but tested my professional and personal skills as well as my patience. Anyhow, after the work’s successful completion, the […]

Sautéed vegetables with pasta

This is a variation of pasta I like to call vegetable stir fry with pasta, the main ingredients being veggies and not the carbs. It’s perfect for eating a variety of vegetables at once and had just the right left over veggies in the fridge. Preparation took about 30 minutes. I used a little bit […]

My website is working at last

My website can now be reached at saoriohno.com It took a while to migrate this domain, but it was worth the wait and I was able to update the site with a new design. From now on, I will update all things professional over there, while this place remains my blog. Enjoy!

Going on a trip-going home-getting away

Soon I will finally be able to get away for a week. I’m not sure whether to call it “going on a trip” or “going home” or something else. I’ll be going to Germany, the country in which I grew up and spent my kindergarten, school, undergraduate and graduate school days. But this time, I […]

To all a happy and peaceful new year

Happy New Year 2018! あけましておめでとうございます！今年も宜しくお願い致します。 Ein gutes neues Jahr 2018! Bonne année! Feliz año nuevo Felice anno nuovo

Ōsōji, or big cleaning before the New Year

Here in Japan, it is customary to do major house cleaning (大掃除 Ōsōji) before the arrival of the new year. I guess it’s the same idea as “spring cleaning,” just at the end of the year. A “out with the old, in with the new” kind of thing. I don’t normally subscribe to traditions or […]