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SIMPLY OISHII BLOG

Autumn Wagashi

8/30/2015

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It's been quite cool in Tokyo for the past couple of days and it seems as though autumn is just around the corner, although I doubt that it will stay this way for long. As soon as September arrives it will be the zansho (残暑)season, meaning "leftover heat- the hot days after summer". 

Today, I made some traditional Japanese Sweets called Suhama with Autumn motif. Suhama is a dough made with kinako (きな粉). Kinako is a roasted soy bean powder that is very commonly used to eat rice cakes. It does not require any baking or cooking like other powders as it is already roasted. So it's kind a like play dough,  making shapes that you like. It may be a fun thing to do with kids, and you don't have to pop it in the oven. Just eat it raw. It was my first time to make it and my kids loved it. As kinako is light brown color, I used cocoa powder to make dark brown, and matcha powder for the leaves and red food coloring for the berries. 

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Practice makes perfect, well almost...

7/31/2015

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The most dreaded summer holiday is here and with the boys around the house fighting all the time, I can't say that it’is the best environment to practice on my wagashi skills. I almost lost myself when after a round of kicking and punching  in the dining room, a dust cloth came flying in the kitchen and landed right next to my freshly made white bean paste.  It was quite a challenge today making my own white bean paste which is the major ingredient for the Nerikiri Dough.

So that's my excuse for a not so perfect wagashi flower I made.  I'll have to practice some more when it's more peaceful.

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Fish bowl made with Kanten Jelly and Nerikiri Goldfish
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Kinton Yellow flower and a rose made with Nerikiri
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Happy New Year!

1/6/2015

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A belated Happy New Year to everyone as I am still behind on so many things since the start of the year. My older son has brought home a cold virus on New Year's Eve, which was passed on to me on New Year's Day, then transferred to my younger son and then to my husband, who is still suffering from mild fever. 

In addition, with the two boys still around the house (I think winter holiday in Japanese public schools are definitely too long!) I really didn't have much time to think about my cooking classes as well as updating my blog.

Despite all the chaos, not to mention my mother-in-law visiting for a week, I managed to make my first New Year's traditional feast "Osechi Ryori" this year. Up to last year, my mother-in-law would order a ready-made osechi from a place in Kyoto, which was very fancy with so many small dishes packed in the 3 tier jyubako (lacquered serving box) , but after several years of eating the same osechi, I grew tired and decided to make my own. Much less variety of dishes but only the ones I would like to have.

Thanks to my friend who gave me a whole red snapper, I was able to make a red snapper sashimi marinated between the konbu seaweed which added glamour to the jyubako.  Although my boys only ate the chicken and the duck breast, the other dishes all turn out great and the end result was very satisfying and not as much work as I had anticipated. I think I can make this every year from now on with some minor changes.
  
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Tofu - What's so good?

9/29/2014

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One of the most popular foods in Japan, Tofu has been with us for some time. Originally from China, it is said to have been brought to Japan in the 8th Century by the Buddhist priests, but it was only in the 18th century during the Edo period that it has become an every day dish.

Today, in your local supermarket, you can find various types of Tofu, two main kinds being Kinugoshi (silken or soft) and Momen (firm or regular).  Kinugoshi Tofu is a soft tofu used in salads by dicing it or as a sauce by blending it with other ingredients. The most popular and simple way of eating a Kinugoshi tofu is a Hiyayakko, made by just cutting it and topping it with whatever you like. You will see a typical Hiyayakko in an Izakaya (Japanese Pubs) topped with a grated ginger, chopped green onions and soy sauce.  

The other kind, Momen tofu, has a firmer texture, usually, pressed to drain excess water then used in stir fries and tofu bakes as it will retain its shape better.

The difference in texture comes from the manufacturing method and this results in the difference in nutritional value. In general, Tofu is known to be an excellent source of protein and calcium containing  zero cholesterol. But the nutritional values differ between the two kinds of Tofu. Momen tofu contains 3 times more calcium, 20 ~30% more protein and iron than Kinugoshi. On the other side, Kinugoshi contains more vitamin B and Potassium than Momen. 

My Tofu Class will be using various kinds of Tofu as well as soy bean products to familiarize you with handling tofu. Tofu eaten by itself is quite dull, but if you combine it with other ingredients it will make a satisfying meal full of nutrition yet  with low calories.  

Hope to see you in my kitchen!

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October Tofu Class : Oct. 10th (Fri.) 2014
  • Tofu Hamburg Steak
  • Tamagoyaki (Egg Omelet) with Tofu
  • Agedashi Tofu (Deep Fried Tofu)
  • Mizuna Salad with Aburaage Croutons
  • Tofu and Wakame Easy Miso Soup
  • Tofu Dessert
Class fee : 5000 yen 
*Bring a friend discount  applicable (500 yen off for you and your friend)

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Vegetarian Sushi Roll

9/9/2014

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The great thing about sushi is that it is so versatile. It is like a sandwich, you can put any filling you like and it still taste fabulous. In the traditional Sushi Roll, we put ingredients such as kanpyo(dried gourd), dried shitake mushrooms, koyadofu(freeze dried tofu), and sakura denbu (seasoned and dried fish). As I am not a great fan of those traditional fillings which also take time to dehydrate and cook, I must confess I have never used them for my sushi rolls.

Instead, my sushi rolls usually have salmon, avocado, tuna, cucumber, crab sticks and egg omelet in it . If I would make them for my children the filling might be tuna and mayonnaise or ham and cheese. You can also put barbecued beef or strips of roast beef in it as well.  

Today, I've made a sushi roll with vegetarian filling (well almost as I don't think the crab sticks are vegetarian) They contain red bell peppers, shiso leaves, cucumber, carrots, and egg omelet.  They taste just as good!

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Stewed Eggplants (Nasu no agebitashi)

9/4/2014

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The autumn nasu (eggplant or aubergine) with tender skin and firm flesh is considered to be a delicacy in Japan. A famous Japanese saying "Akinasu wa yome ni kuwasuna" meaning "Don't let the bride eat the autumn eggplant" is  said to mean that the autumn eggplant is too good for the bride whose status is the lowest in the family. Of course this is in the past where the young couple had to live with the husband's parents and the bride often had to withstand the ill-treatments from the mother-in-law.  

But there is another theory about this saying meaning the eggplant is said to have a cooling effect on the body which means that eating too much eggplants would have a negative effect on a child-bearing age of a young woman. Which ever the case is, eggplants are the most common vegetable in this season.

The purple color of the skin comes from a type of polyphyenol called anthocyanin. It's an potent antioxidant known to prevent cancer and high blood pressure.

I love nasu and stewed nasu is one of my favorite dishes. You can make it by deep frying the nasu and then marinating it in the sauce. This can be served hot or cold. 
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Ginger Pork

9/3/2014

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School has finally started after a very long summer holiday. I'm enjoying a peaceful morning at home where I can finally add some dishes to my Gallery Page.  Today I made Ginger Pork.

Ginger Pork is a very popular Japanese dish made by grilling slices of pork marinated in ginger sauce. If you go into any Japanese restaurant during lunch hours, chances of finding this dish on a daily special would be quite high. 

The combination of pork and ginger makes perfect sense as ginger, high in potassuim helps lower high blood pressure, while the protein in pork softens the blood vessels which makes it effective in preventing arteriosclerosis. 

I've also added shishito pepper, a very popular sweet green pepper during the summer and fall season. This vegetable is called shishito green pepper as the tip of the pepper resembles the head of a lion (shishi). It is also full of nutrition such as vitamin C and potassuim to help you recover from the tiredness of the summer heat and carotene which is known to be effective for younger looking skin and anti-aging of cells. 

You can grill it or fry it and sprinkle salt or soy sauce over it. Be sure to poke some holes with a tooth pick before you grill it to prevent it from popping! 
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    I'm Miyuki and I teach Japanese Home cooking at my home in Tokyo.

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