MOCHI? MOCHI!

My little cats! 

It's back to work! For those of you who follow us on Instagram, you may have noticed that we've been a little overwhelmed with sewing patterns Wear Lemonade ! We had no idea that you'd be so enthusiastic about them, so THANK YOU for your crazy feedback and your love! We're getting the Bianca blouse ready for you very soon. And the big news is that we've moved into our offices! Aaaah victory, we'll be receiving our furniture on Friday and it'll be raining DIY decorating organization articles! Alala ma petite entreprise d'amour, I really must write this article since I've been talking about it for so long! I'm so happy, it's like a consecration for me to have this office all to ourselves. I think it's fair to say that we feel good. A real new start! 

I'm back today to tell you about a dessert recipe that will drive you crazy. For the record, I discovered mochi a few years ago in New York, far from their native Japan. At first, the texture of this little ball made me vacillate between adoration and repulsion. Mochi is a preparation made from glutinous rice flour, widely available in Japan, but originally from China. In fact, if you still don't know what I'm talking about, it looks a lot like a coconut pearl, without the coconut powder.

I scoured the Internet for a long time looking for the recipe, without success. Then my friend Ludovic E. one day organized an event to launch his Japanese friend's cookbook Makiko Sano. Her book has become a little bible.Sushi Slim, or how to stay slim the Japanese way"published by Marabout. A real killer. Makiko is incredibly available and kind. On the evening of her launch, we got chatting and she offered to give me a cooking class, so I told her about my quest for the mochi recipe. She offered to give me a class the very next day. I've known her for 15 minutes and she offers to give me the keys to my culinary grail (I'm putting this in context). And then a few missed emails, bad timing, the appointment didn't happen. But still, a few months later, it's my birthday and Makiko sends me a package full of matcha tea kat kits, panda-shaped bicuits, her new book and unknown ingredients... With a little note telling me that she's coming to Paris soon and that we need to do this cooking class together. I'm so touched. Life's encounters...

A few weeks ago, I met up with Makiko and her sister in Paris, and took my Justine B. for a kimono knotting class, a tea ceremony and a cooking class... What a welcome, what availability! I'm preparing another article on the subject. 

So, without further ado, here's the mochi recipe! 

You'll need 9 mochis:

• - 200g rice flour, but not powdered rice flour with little granules inside,
• - 160g sugar,
• - 500g chunky red bean paste,
• - 350 ml water,
• - 9 strawberries,
• - and cornstarch.

Place the rice flour and sugar in a saucepan, stir, then add the water. Mix with a wooden spatula over medium heat, and continue stirring for around 7 to 8 minutes. You'll see your liquid dough gradually become stickier, even sticky. Continue to "dry" it until it comes away from the sides of the pan. In another saucepan, place the red bean paste on a low heat. Stir from time to time, let dry for about 5 minutes, then set aside. Place a large handful of cornstarch in a bowl, along with all your rice/sugar/water dough. The potato starch will help you work the dough to make it less sticky. Take a small ball of red bean dough, flatten it out and place a strawberry in the middle, close the dough around the fruit, and roll the dough between your palms, repeating the operation until you have no more red bean dough. Now take a small ball of rice dough with a little Maïzena, work it up and flatten it, placing your ball of red bean dough in the middle. Close the rice dough over the ball of red bean dough and roll the dough between your palms. Repeat for all the other red bean balls and enjoy! 

See you soon for the Iced Mochi variant! Thanks to Makiko for her knowledge, patience and generosity.