Sweets

My entire life, I have struggled because I have a sweet tooth. I try to be healthy, and somehow the sweet tooth always wins out. The sweet tooth won today.

A few days ago, I started making these beans. They're from Kusatsu, and they're slightly sweet but because they're cooked with a bit of soy they're also a little salty. They're similar to, but not the same as amanatto or the sweet black beans eaten at New Year's. I loved them, and was given a large bag of the beans right before I left Japan. I was so thrilled, and finally made them for myself here.



These actually are partway done; after I took this photo I returned them to the pot for a bit more simmering.
But I still wanted something sweet and not horribly unhealthy. What could I make? I thought about tai-yaki, and then I realized: waffles! Quick, easy, sweet, and delicious. And maybe, not too horribly unhealthy?



This was the first time I'd tried my new waffle iron--one that you use on the stove top. As my husband and I don't know where we'll end up in the next few years, I've started buying appliances that can be easily moved and used everywhere. Hence the stove top waffle iron, and the stove top tai-yaki maker.



As it was the first time I'd used it, getting the temperature just right to get the golden brown you want in a waffle was a bit challenging, but this wasn't too bad. I'm sure I'll have more opportunities to practice in the future.