Teriyaki Salmon and Gai Lan

I've been so inspired lately by Amy over at Blue Lotus. Her meals always look so beautiful and exotic... considering I have such a soft spot for traditional Japanese style cooking. I've been reading and learning quite a bit lately about the Japanese way of presenting food so that it is asthetically pleasing above all, and is more likely to satiate an appetite in less quantities. I've never seen anyone make a piece of unadorned tofu look so exquisite as Amy does, just by plating it nicely.

So last night I decided to try my hand at preparing a traditional Japanese meal... that usually consists of miso soup, rice, and a couple of side items. For Dave and I last night, our side items were gai lan (Chinese brocolli, bathing in a pool of warm oyster sauce), a small slice of grilled salmon marinated in teriyaki with sesame, and of course, a piece of chilled tofu, topped with scallions, toasted sesame and a touch of soy sauce. In the end... we actually had leftovers, and if you had seen how little food there was there when I had it all together while preparing it... you would swear it wouldnt have been enough.

I highly suggest trying this way of eating... if youre a freak like me... for the fun of it if nothing else! ^_^