Whenever I'm in Japan, I inevitable confuse grated daikon (which I love) with shirako (which I can tolerate, but not my first choice!) at least once during the trip. It makes for a sad, but brave-f...

I had these a few weeks ago. They seem a bit sweeter than orange baby carrots, but otherwise, the difference is pretty small. The color *is* really pretty, however.

Oh, green garlic. I started seeing it this weekend, so I'm super excited to using it again!

I also highly recommend the immersion blender; that thing purees soup in a snap! Didn't think to use it for hot cocoa; will have to try it!