Yo Obachan

sofrito

2011-09-18T03:03:00.001-07:00

alicante 2011

2011-09-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

2010-08-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

tapas 'bento'

2009-04-29T23:06:00.001-07:00

Bento - Hiryozu burgers

2008-06-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

These are just patties made of a pack of drained and pressed tofu mashed with a fork and mixed with
beni-shoga (pickled red ginger)
chopped spring onions
chopped reconstituted dried mushrooms
1 large egg
1 tablespoon sake
dash of mirin and soy sauce
generous pinch of salt

Spoon out portions and fry in a wide pan for a couple of minutes before turning, then remove from the heat and drain on kitchen paper.

The lunch box is made of a layer of brown rice, and lightly pickled cucumber and radishes.

The other compartment is just a plastic wrapped bottle filled with sudachi flavoured ponzu sauce. (These burgers are also good with Thai sweet chili sauce.)

Bento - Spicy Mackerel Cous Cous

2008-06-17T02:48:00.000-07:00

To one cup of cous cous add:
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon Douban Jiang paste
1 finely chopped dried shiitake mushroom
Half a teaspoon marmite

Cover and leave for 10 minutes

In the meantime cut up into cubes:
2 tomatoes
1/4 cucumber
Half an apple - sprinkle this with 1 tablespoon vinegar/lemon juice
1/4 onion (optional)

Add the tomato to the cous cous and stir (so cous cous can absorb the juices)
Add cucumber and apple (and raw onion) pieces
Add 1 grated garlic clove (I use a wasabi grater for this)
1 tablespoon good quality soy sauce
And half a can of flaked mackerel (dried in a pan and seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, sake and a touch of sesame oil - or just drained)
Stir to combine together.

Line bento box with 2 shredded cabbage leaves.
Spread over cous cous
Over the top layer slices of tomato.

On the tomato slices sprinkle herbs, hot pepper sauce (Cholula), sesame oil, olive oil and sea salt.

2008-06-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

NGO Centrair Departure

2008-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tivoli Express from Okayama to Nagoya

2008-06-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Ferry from Takamatsu to Uno

2008-06-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Okayama and Takamatsu

2008-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Amano Grocery Store - Shiraishi Island

2008-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Shiraishi Island Villa

2008-05-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Cake contest at Himeji

2008-05-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hotel Raizan Kitakan, Osaka

2008-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Osaka Sheraton Miyako award

2008-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Nagoya & 123 bus

2008-05-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

NGO Centrair Chubu Airport

2008-05-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

CDG-NGO with JAL in C

2008-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

This is a photo record of a rehabilitation trip I took. Thanks to an offer with Air France, I was able to use miles I had to get award flights to Nagoya at a phenomenal discount. I knew that staying, eating and travelling in Japan can be very cheap (especially if one forgoes the JR Rail pass) and realised I could afford to spend two weeks in Japan despite my precarious finances. It's also a country where I feel very safe, perfect after a year in bed when your confidence is still rock bottom.
I stayed at the Sheraton Miyako in Osaka for US$30 a night, the Raizan Kitakan cost 2,100yen a night and the Okayama International Villa on Shiraishi Island cost 3,000yen a night for a room of my own (if you share a room it's 2,5000yen a night). My food and drink budget was 2,000yen a day. To avoid foie gras on the JL flight I had to order a 'special' seafood menu, it was the same food you get in Economy class but presented with a little more finesse. It wasn't particularly good - the little onigiri set I bought from a service station on my budget 1,900yen coach trip to Osaka was much better. The actual service on the CDG-NGO flight in Business WAS fantastic, I was made to feel like a rock star. However, the service on the return flight in Economy was every bit as good. I like to sleep on the way to Japan and remain awake on the flight back, so even though there was no Business class availability for the return trip, the arrangement suited me very well. The Economy seat was actually a little more comfortable in the upright position than the other seat was (but my opinion is skewed by fearsome sciatica and a bad back). I had my own noise-reducing headphones which let me sit back and enjoy the films and both flights were amongst the nicest I've ever had. The crew on both legs were really exceptional!

SQ A380 at LHR

2008-05-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Web@ward trip. LHR-CDG-NGO with AF/JL

2008-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Bento - Tuna & Courgette Ribbons with Douban Jiang

2008-05-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

Economical Bento filler to eat with rice.
Time required: 1 hour
Total cooking/preparation time: 5-10 minutes

Cut 2 or 3 slim courgettes/zuchini into ribbons using a potato peeler (or Dutch style cheese slicer).
Put the ribbons in a colander and coat them in a few teaspoons of salt. Leave them to drain for 30 minutes to an hour.
Boil a pot of water and add the drained courgette ribbons. Boil for 1 minute (careful not to boil for longer as the courgettes will get mushy).
Empty the courgettes into a colander and rinse/refresh with cold water, leave to drain thoroughly.

Alternatively: Cut and salt cucumber in the same way and leave to leach for an hour. Rinse and drain thoroughly. No need to boil.

Drain a can of tuna.

In a bowl, mix together 1 or 2 teaspoons of douban jiang, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 of hondashi (optional), 1 of sesame oil. If you have some, add a teaspoon of powdered/flaked bonito (katsuo boshi).

Combine together the drained courgette ribbons, the tuna and the douban jiang sauce.

Add to Bento box with generous portion of cooked rice.

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Notes on Douban Jiang

This is a classic condiment used in Sichuan cooking made of fermented broad beans and chilli. Alhough it's well known in Japan (being an important ingredient in Mabo Doufu/Mapo Dofu) where premium versions of this condiment are available, it's not so easy to find in the UK. The Cantonese name for this condiment is Toban Djang. An acceptable version of this sauce is made by Lee Kum Kee under the label Chilli Bean Paste (on my jar, Toban Djang is barely visible in the label's small print). This seems to be the simplest to find.

If you do get your hands on authentic douban jiang, consider frying it for 30 seconds or so before using it. And if you get the really good stuff, you may need to chop it into a paste yourself.
Do be wary of douban jiang that does not include broad beans/fava beans in the list of ingredients.

Best I've found in London has been at Seewoo, Lisle Street
You can see it on this web page
Under the name TAI WONG PI-XAIN FERMENTED BROAD BEAN PASTE
The wicker basket contains two soft plastic packs of the sauce and costs GBP2.25. This is superior in every way to the Lee Kum Kee version and considerably less salty. Highly recommended.

Okonomiyaki with konnyaku

2008-05-05T06:13:00.001-07:00

Sweets I've enjoyed

2008-04-13T03:40:00.000-07:00

Jujube Bread

2008-02-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Samhwa Hanyan's Yuzu/Yuja tea (Honey Citron) and Ume Honey tea (Honey Plum) so I was keen to try their version of Korea's celebrated Jujube tea.

It was good, but I guess I like my hot sweet drinks to have more of a sour taste. I also don't much like the texture of jujube as part of a beverage, they're a little too fibrous for me. This meant that I've had a jar of this in my fridge for weeks.

I decided to make a bread recipe from an Anna Thomas book and see if it could be adapted for the bread machine. The oat bread with maple syrup recipe looked good, but the stumbling block was realising that I didn't have enough maple syrup. I decided to use the jujube tea jam instead.

For a small to medium sized loaf in a basic bread machine, here's the adapted recipe:

Oat and Jujube Bread

500 ml (8 fl oz) water
125 ml (4 fl oz) milk
70 g (2&1/4 oz) rolled oats
1/2 packet dried yeast
40 ml (2 oz) Jujube 'jam'
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
215 g (15 oz) white bread flour
215 g (15 oz) wholemeal bread flour

Heat the water and milk together until hot enough to scald you (70C - 180F?) then pour over the rolled oats in the bread bin. Leave for about an hour (at least until tepid).
Start the bread machine so that it starts stirring and add the yeast, jujube jam, salt, butter and finally the white flour (only). Once the mixture looks like a thick batter turn off the bread machine completely and leave the mixture to rise for an hour (hopefully the machine will have reset itself).

After an hour, select the basic bread setting with light crust and turn the machine on again. With the paddle turning, add about 60 g (2 oz) of the wholemeal flour at a time. Keep adding flour but ensure the dough remains a little sticky. If you are unsure, check your bread maker manual to see the recommended consistency for bread dough - you don't want to veer too far from that. (I needed to add a touch more flour to mine and sprinkled a few extra tablespoons of the white flour).

That's it.

A few hours later and the most gorgeous aroma filled the house. The result was delicious and the Jujube flavour shone through (sort of like a cross between maple syrup and dates).

Jujube jam is obviously sweeter than maple syrup, so the result has been a rather sweet loaf. If you don't have a sweet tooth, you might like to reduce the amount of jujube jam by about a third.

Aoyama Kimono Gakuin DVDs

2008-01-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

I was given a small kimono collection just before my wedding and was dressed professionally for the big day (by Mie at Moga)

That was enough to get hooked. I just don't have it in me to let these garments sit and rot, unused, in a drawer. Figuring out how to wear them is neither intuitive nor straightforward so I quickly realised I had a challenge on my hands.

I bought "The Book of Kimono" by Norio Yamanaka - which, whilst it did answer some questions, just left me more confused than ever. On too many occasions, following his directions with an obi belt in hand resulted in a joyless exercise in frustration.

Knowing there had to be a better way, I found the website for the Aoyama Kimono School in Tokyo. They teach kitsuke - how to dress - techniques.

Aoyama Kimono offer three DVDs

The main one
www.aoyamakimono.com/info/dvd1.html
Is a comprehensive guide which shows you all the basics - which underwear you need, padding options, how to sew on collars, how to put on both an all-in-one 'undergown' juban and the two-part kind. It shows you how to put on, adjust, and create a fold in a kimono, how to make a drum bow with a Nagoya obi as well as a full obi and instructions for two half-obi (hanhaba obi) bows/ties are also included. The hanhaba ties are also suitable to wear with yukata (cotton kimono for the summer months).

The instructions are very clear and can be easily followed by someone with no knowledge of Japanese.

The link shows a preview video. This DVD runs for 90 minutes and costs ¥3,800 - a very reasonable price taken into context (Japanese DVDs are generally more expensive than elsewhere)

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For those who expect to only wear a yukata I would recommend this DVD
www.aoyamakimono.com/info/dvd3.html
There is a preview in the Aoyama Kimono web page, but someone has uploaded two segments onto youtube
putting on a yukata
and
tying a bow
Seeing these youtube clips is what convinced me to buy the entire set.

Two of the bows featured in the Yukata DVD are also in the main kimono DVD, but there are eight bows in all and three additional techniques for customising your obi, so it's still worth getting.

DVD runs for 64 minutes and costs ¥2,940. Again, this is suitable for those with no Japanese language ability.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Link to alternative free online yukata instructions
Underwear advice & more yukata tips
How to tie, neaten & arrange a fashionable 'soft' obi
More soft obi bows and folding kimono for storage
--------------------------------------------------------------

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The last DVD is for serious enthusiasts only.
www.aoyamakimono.com/info/dvd-ginnza.html

It shows you how to make three difficult bows - one of these would be unadvisable to tie by yourself. The rest of the DVD gives advice about belts and patterns and requires translation.

Nevertheless, the bow instructions are invaluable and can be followed by a non-Japanese speaker. I'm personally very glad to have this DVD.

It runs for 55 minutes and costs ¥2,940.

---
These DVDs are sold on a cash on delivery basis within Japan.
I bought mine through www.crescent-shop.com . This involved a ¥2,000 fee plus postage. The comission wasn't too bad for me as I bought all three DVDs. There are other online companies offering a similar service, some will be cheaper.

Each time I put on a kimono or yukata I seem to get a bit better at it, so there's no substitute for practice. But I believe that these DVDs will teach you all the basics and make an excellent foundation for anyone who wants to learn, easing you to a degree of competency in no time.

Horchata/Orxata - traditional beverage

2008-01-23T05:47:00.000-08:00

Horchata has been popular in Spain for centuries (introduced by the Moors and now a summer speciality of the Valencia region). The process is similar to making soy milk but requires no cooking.

It's made with chufas - tiger nuts - which are tiny tubers, gluten and cholesterol free, and sold in health food shops (fishing enthusiasts use them to catch carp and some hunters attract wild turkey with them). They are extremely nutritious.

The drawback is that - as with lots of traditional Spanish food - horchata is generally served with plenty of sugar

250gms tiger nuts
1.25 litres water
200gms sugar
stick cinnamon, strip of unwaxed lemon peel

Wash the tiger nuts as thoroughly as possible. Leave to soak in cold water for 12-15 hours (change the water periodically if you can)
Wash the tiger nuts again and make sure that no traces of dirt remain (water should rinse clear)

Put the tiger nuts and a portion of the 1.25 litres of water in a blender/liquidiser/food processer and whizz until the tiger nuts become a pulp (without water, this can be done with a pestle and mortar if you have the patience).
Combine the wet pulp with the rest of the water and the lemon rind and cinammon and leave the mixture somewhere cool for 2 hours (a fridge is fine).

Sieve the mixture (ideally through muslin), add and dissolve sugar to taste (200/250gms sugar is a guide - experiment to find your own preference) and leave it to cool. Should have the same consistency of soy milk.

If you can’t drink it the same day, freeze what you have left, just don’t keep it in the fridge for too long.

Can be drunk as is or frozen and drunk as slush/granita. It's often mixed in Spain with strong iced coffee.

I've been advised by one of Alicante's best horchaterias (Heladeria Gori) not to use a straw to drink liquid horchata as this will prevent you from appreciating many of the complex flavours.

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The main problem with tiger nuts is getting them fresh enough, they aren't so good after a year of storage. They should also be kept well ventilated somewhere cool and dark - they can harbour mold and bacteria if kept in a plastic bag.

It's worth searching out properly made horchata in Spain - many cafes will sell commercially produced liquid which is quite vile. And even the quality from horchaterias can vary - if you can detect a chemical taste it could be because the chufas were cleaned with some kind of bleach. I understand Gori's chufa's go through a special pasteurisation process.

A reputable wholefood store shouldn't sell you chemically washed tigernuts - if you clean them properly I would expect no problems. However, my advice would be not to give horchata to the very young or those with weakened immune systems without medical approval.

Splashproofing Kimono

2008-01-23T04:10:00.001-08:00

With the kimono collection growing I needed something to keep them dry.

I was really happy to find and win these on Yahoo Japan Auctions.

Rain clogs and a matching bag (not sure if they qualify as zōri or geta)

Silk rainproof michiyuki (has a gorgeous luster)

The michiyuki comes down to my ankles and the sleeves are big enough to encase those of most of my garments.
So that no rain splashes up and soils my kimono I intend to draw it up with the under-layer juban hems and pinch them onto my obi belt with a couple of clips so only the susoyoke petticoat covers my lower legs under the michiyuke raincoat.
A perfect example of what I mean is demonstrated in Kimonojin's blog

Transformers. Wheelchair transporters in disguise.

2007-10-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was taken at Komagome station, but we encountered them at Shimbashi also.

Zats Cafe - Sasebo burger (Yoyogi Station East Exit)

2007-10-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

My husband ate it.

On the way to Obaasan's

2007-10-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Starting at Minami-Shinjuku station

Stalking in Sunshine City, Ikebukuro

2007-10-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

On the way to getting miracle fruit

2007-10-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

I wish I had Hard Pooh (or should that be Razor Pooh?)

Winnie the pooh dressed as popular culture icon, Hard Gay.

3-5-7

2006-07-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

My husband on his big day

view from Grand Takanawa Prince

2005-10-08T00:52:00.000-07:00