Valentine’s Day

Today’s topic is about Valentine’s Day.

The Valentine’s Day here in the US is different than how we celebrate, in Japan.  First off, it is not a couple’s day to celebrate.

In Japan, it is a day for a woman to tell a man how special feeling she has towards him, mostly by giving him chocolate.

Traditionally in Japan, it is not OK for women to express any special feelings to men because it is not a women-like action.  Valentine’s Day is the only exception.  This is the only day of the year that a woman can gives chocolate to a man to expresses her feelings.

If a girl already has a significant other, a girl still gives chocolate and/or a gift to a man, but not from a man to a woman.

Of course, there is another way for man to give a gift in return.  March 14^th, a month after Valentine’s Day, is called White Day, and a man has to return a gift to a woman whom they received chocolate from on Valentine’s Day.

Women often give out chocolate to male colleagues, male relatives, and guy friends as well.  It is not necessary that women have special feeling towards these men.  This type of chocolate is called “Giri choco” meaning “Thank you for your friendship. This is a sign of my appreciation.”

Of course, the gift on White Day is expected from these men, too.

The most important item on Valentine’s Day is chocolate, not flower or teddy bear.

Therefore, I made a chocolate cheesecake for my Valentine, Matto.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

http://recipe.gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/J000980/

Ingredients:

Graham cracker 1 ¼ cup

Sugar 3 tablespoons

Butter 1/3 cup

Cream cheese 12 oz (two 8oz packages) at room temperature

White chocolate 16 oz

Sugar 1.8 oz

Heavy cream 16 oz

Recipe:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 F

2. In a medium bowl, add graham cracker, sugar, and melted butter and mix them.

3. Spread the graham cracker mixture in a baking cake pan and bake it for 8 min

4. Set cooked graham cracker mixture aside and let it cool

5. In a large bowl, add cream cheese and sugar and mix until they get smooth

6. Add melted white chocolate and mix well

7. Pour the mixture over the graham cracker

8. Keep refrigerated overnight before serving

It was a pretty good and easy-to-make cake.  Matto thinks there was a bit too much white chocolate, but we loved it overall.