drink and drive = death

FUKUOKA — Three children were killed and their parents injured when their sports utility vehicle plunged from a bridge in Hakata Bay in Fukuoka on Friday night after being rear-ended by a drunk driver, police said Saturday.

What a tragic yet totally avoidable tragedy. So often I heard about complaints regarding the stringent drinking and driving policies here. At the moment Japan has a no-tolerance (0.03%BAC) policy. I sometimes felt it was a bit harsh for an employee to be fired because of a DUI (driving under the influence - of alcohol) ticket. As I grow older, I am in favor of harsher (and harsher!) penalties, especially since with age, I have grown to cherish life more than ever.

HOW THE WORLD DEALS WITH DRUNK DRIVERS:
Japan: 300,000 yen (almost 3000USD), passengers must pay, too
El Salvador: First offence is your last - you are shot by firing squad.
Malaysia: the driver is jailed and if he is married, his wife is jailed too.
Bulgaria: A second conviction results in execution.

Delaware grapes!

Delaware is a white wine grape that was first propagated in Delaware, Ohio in 1849. This is a vitis labruscana grape that is mostly grown in the east coast US, as well as in Japan. It ripens early, which does well in these climates that have short growing seasons.

I do not recall ever having seen these back in Illinois or Canada...hmm, I suppose it is limited to mostly the east coast States and Japan. I love to eat them frozen - it tastes just like grape sorbet. Frozen grapes are such a treat on hot summer days...try freezing big Pione or Kyohou grapes, I hear they are great frozen.

Lotus flower tea shop

This is a lunch set from the new (4/'06) tea house, Suisen, in Takezono. It specializes in Japanese and Chinese tea. I developed a liking for it because it is a healthy lunch at a reasonable price. More places should move back to slow cooking, I'm talking soul food!

- Japanese radish salad
- Flavoured seaweed (konbu)
- Rolled egg omelet (salty, not the sweet kind)
- Soup
- Chirashi sushi (sushi casserole)
- O.inari sushi (meat and veggie-filled fried tofu puffs)
- Mango pudding and almond tofu, for dessert
- Japanese 'hoji' tea

humans: we love being pampered!

This is tomato soup, one of Hiro's specialties. He made it for me because I was not feeling well this weekend. It is a good feeling to be cared for, isn't it?

Humans are a very interesting species. Not only do we require the basics such as: water, food, shelter, clothes...but we also require much love and crave attention, being cared for and so on.

Some animals just need the basics. Dogs, like humans, need companionship and love to live a fulfilling life. Cats, in contrast, seem content in their own world and emotionally independent.

critter for the day: preying mantis!

What a great little creature I found on the step of my old apartment. Tomorrow my contract here ends. It has been a swift 2 years - how time sure does fly!

It was not a bad two years but I must say, 2 years of living in a poorly...terribly...atrociously insulated (or not even insulated at all!) place makes me really appreciate the new condo we have moved into!

Celebratory dinner!

After the tiring move, we went out for dinner to congratulate ourselves (ha, ha) on completing the big move in one day.

Pictured above are dishes from Tatsumi, a great Japanese pub (izakaya) recommend by Jon and Kaz. Thanks for the recommendation - the food and drink really hit the spot! Left: vinegared mozuku (slimy seaweed), Middle: Katsuo tataki (seared bonito fish), Right: Nikomi (simmered fatty meat) All of this was washed down with yummy draft beer!

"Ah, I am in heaven."

one week later...

This are pictures - living and dining, respectively, of our new place! Although black is easier to care for, we chose neutral beige hues to blend in with the light wooden flooring. It is a different feeling from my former 'college-student-like' lifestyle. Real furniture at last.

As for moving - it took a whole day from morning to night. Hiro predicted we might need a rental van and boy was he right. Our two refrigerators were the heaviest items of all. It made me wish I only had a bar fridge. ^_^

Who knew singles could accumulate SO much stuff...and for the most part, all of it junk! We both threw away quite a lot but know that there is much more to toss in months to come. Bottom line: if you don't use it, toss it!

aji (mackerel) is full of aji (taste)

Did you get my lame joke in the title? It is a play on words in Japanese.

This is あじ, Japanese horse mackerel and the first dish I cooked in our new place! It is perfect for grilling with salt or sashimi if it's fresh. I used the automatic fish grilling button to cook it up after generously lathering it with sea salt. Simple as 1, 2, 3!

We have an IH heating stove which somewhat concerns me. I was told that IH stoves emit some kind of EMG similar to that of microwaves. For the time being, I will use it without concern but if and when I become pregnant...I might consider some alternatives.

taking a week off

Hello dear blog readers,

I am taking a week off from my blog, please check in then. In the meantime we are busy moving into the new place and settling down.

Until then!

Cheers,
Vivian

Nationalism, not always a good thing

Since I have been in Japan, I have noticed a very disturbing trend over the years...the rise in ultra-nationalism (in both Japan and China). Before you get the wrong idea, I think nationalism is for the most part, a good thing...that is, until it becomes ultra-nationalism.

Both Chinese and Japanese are at fault here. At this rate things will only get worse and future friction can be expected. PM Koizumi has no idea what economic, historical, and diplomatic repercussions lie ahead of Japan because of his 'innocent' visit to the shrine.

Last year in China, major riots broke out and Chinese rightwingers attacked innocent Japanese businessmen, travellers, and even businesses. It was not a pretty sight and some of my students had to cancel tours to China because of it.

On the other hand, most recently in Japan a crazy 60-something-year old man torched politician Kato's mother's home because Kato voiced opposition to Prime Minister Koizumi's latest (August 15th) visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. Kato made mention of his growing concern over rising 'unhealthy' nationalism in Japan.

To be fair, recently I checked out some literature challenging the existence of the Nanjing Massacre. I must say, there is not much merit to their right-wing propoganda argument(s). I am not saying that China does not kill hundreds of thousand of its own people, as you should know, uncountable Chinese citizens were slaughtered by China during the Cultural Revolution years.

Interesting thing - I checked on Amazon for books related to the Nanjing topic and found a particularly curious reviewer, Hiromi, who seemed to give very biased reviews of books. (makes you even wonder if she even read them) See it here for yourself - have a good laugh. Like I said before - my stance on the Nanjing subject is that it indeed happened but as for what capacity, I have no idea...whether 300,000 or 100,000 were slaughtered is beyond me. I am no historian (nor was I a witness to the event) in no position to assert what 'really' happened.

less impulsive?

Are you an impulsive person? I would generally consider myself such...but these days my rational side is taking over. I think with time, an impulsive person learns that 9 times out of 10, impulsive acts usually land them in all kinds of trouble.

Instead of risking it and getting a digital permanent on my hair, I opted for a simple hair shine restoration and damage repair treatment. Perhaps after our wedding I will go for a digital perm.

For those of you not in the know, a digital perm is a perm done 4-5 inches from the scalp, and curlers are set through an electric current. After you shower, your hair will not be super curly as it would be in a normal ceramic permanent. It is said to give one soft and manageable (note: not frizzy) curls that look freshly done with a hot iron curler.

Taking my mom's advice, I will not dye my hair again until I have at least half a head of white hairs. Dying left my hair dry and straw-like. Deep inside I wonder if there is a correlation between frequent hair dying and hair loss. ~_~

how often have you been late?

I recall once asking all my students how often they have been late for an appointment or meeting with a friend. Most students could recall a few instances where they were slow in reaching the meeting point but I had real standout: a woman who said she had never (in her 30-some-odd year life) been late for or missed a scheduled plan. I swear you could hear my jaw hitting the floor with great impact!

This student told me, "Do you know how long it feels for the person to be waiting for you when you are late? Being late is a sure sign of disrespect for others. To the person who is late, that five minutes feels more like five seconds. On the other hand, to the person who is waiting that same five minutes feels more like fifty." Ever since she told me that, I have tried my best to either arrive early (or at least on time) when I meet people.

Back in our university days, being around 20 minutes late to meet a friend was no big deal. For a house party it was standard to arrive an hour or two late. (often referred ot as: 'fashionably late') In Japan people tend to arrive early for any dinner parties or drinking parties. Well, too bad no one told me this because for my first big party, to the dismay of everyone, I arrived more than one hour late. Oops.

So the good thing about living in Japan- becoming more punctual; bad thing about living in Japan - becoming less tolerable of people who are not great time managers.

Japanese cabbage rolls!

These Japanese cabbage rolls taste strikingly like the ones I made back home! The American ones I am accustomed to have rice inside; the Japanese kinds have bread crumbs and in this recipe, even tofu!

My miso soup is very inconsistent - it always tastes different...this time it was different because I forgot to add bonito fish flakes. The taste is still nice but lacks the richness seafood imparts. Though I forgot bonito flakes, the konbu seaweed gave the soup plenty of backbone.

Saltiness can depend on the brand, type of miso, and so on. I learnt this the hard way. I often used 1.5 tbsp for every 2 bowls...with my new brand, only 1tbsp is required...however my first time using it, I used 1.5 tbsp! *winces*

hmm...what a way to make a statement

Delegates view a display of garments made from condoms by Adriana Bertini of Brazil at the 16th World Aids Conference in Toronto, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006. (AP)

From what I have been told by Japanese people here, most men are not very cooperative when it comes to wearing condoms. As for women, they usually do not insist on it either. This is one of the reasons cited for the increase in AIDS cases in Japan. At this rate, it could become an epidemic of sorts.

TOKYO — A total of at least 248 men and women in Japan were infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the April-June period, the largest number of reported new infections since 1984 when a surveillance mechanism was introduced, the government's AIDS Surveillance Committee said Tuesday.

butterfly

I took this picture at our new condo where we'll move into soon. The butterfly was trapped in the enclosed entrance area, resting on the glass. I lightly pinched it and released it outside. I hope it made it!

Preparing for the move has been hard. A friend just told a great tip: if you have something you have not used for three months, put it in a box and seal it (without labeling it!). After 6 months or one year, you can probably throw it away without missing out on anything.

Just be careful not to toss out seasonal stuff like dive gear, ski gear or something...ha ha. Don't blame me if you've mistakenly thrown out something...ooOooooOooo.

chiffon cake...the healthiest cake can get

It is all about presentation in Japan. Take this, for example. Simple chiffon cake - garnished with thinly sliced bananas, Japanese maple leaf, whipped cream (freshly whipped), drizzled chocolate, and tiny bits of mikan - Japanese tangerine.

This comes from NON cafe, a place famous for its complex parfaits and whopping American-sized food entrees. If you are a parfait lover, this is a must-go for you! A full copy of their menu can be found here.

The owner is a friendly man but at times some the waitresses have a very indifferent and annoying demeanor. That is one reason why I do not frequent more often than I would. Nevertheless, just enjoy the food and drink!

furniture shopping

This is a straw mat bed...I cannot understand why on Earth someone would buy it if they already had a tatami mat room - isn't that a bit redundant?! Anyway at around 70-90,000 yen (800USD) it is not so cheap either! I like a hard bed surface but I don't think I could get adjust to sleeping on this kind of bed.

Two weekends ago we headed to Odaiba to tour the biggest home furniture shop, Otsuka Kagu. We were told we can at the right time because during OBON (holiday in Japan...From August 11-15ish this year) it is packed with couples from every centimeter of Japan!

The thing that was nice but all-the-while irritating was the man who was our personal attendant. He stayed with us the whole time - maybe he was afraid we would jump up on and down on the furniture, though he was kind enough to permit us to take photos. Anyhoo, the whole 2-3 hours escorted by him made the selection process much easier.

The final result? We left having purchased a sofa, dining room table plus four chairs, living room coffee table, rug, and...I think that is it. We will purchase a bed or barstools for the counter later...for now our wallets have to recover. Ha ha. I was told it is one of the pricier places to buy furniture but at the same time known for its good quality and service.

Demonstrators protest against Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on August 15, 2006. Koizumi paid his respects at the controversial shrine for the war dead on Tuesday, the anniversary of his country's World War II surrender, a parting shot sure to enrage neighbours China and South Korea. (Reuters)

Chronology of Yasukuni Shrine

A chronology of Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's 2.5 million war dead, including executed war criminals:

* June 1869: Tokyo Shokonsha shrine established to commemorate Japanese civil war dead.
* June 1879: Name changed to Yasukuni. Shrine now to commemorate all Japanese war dead.
* Aug. 15, 1945: Japan agrees to surrender unconditionally to Allied forces, ending World War II.
* Aug. 15, 1975: Prime Minister Takeo Miki becomes first premier to visit Yasukuni on anniversary of the end of World War II.
* Oct. 17, 1978: Yasukuni begins honoring wartime Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo and 13 other Class-A war criminals.
* Aug. 15, 1985: Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone makes official visit to Yasukuni.
* July 29, 1996: Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto visits Yasukuni, first premier to do so in 11 years.
* April 18, 2001: Junichiro Koizumi, running for the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, pledges he will visit Yasukuni on Aug. 15 as premier.
* Aug. 13, 2001: Prime Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni, becoming the first premier to visit in five years. Koizumi will visit the shrine annually five more times.
* April 15, 2006: Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, first in line to replace Koizumi, reportedly visits Yasukuni.
* Aug. 15, 2006: Koizumi pays his sixth visit to Yasukuni, his first on Aug. 15. (AP)

the other Holocaust

BEIJING — China is considering producing a film about the Rape of Nanking, Japan's massacre of Chinese civilians in 1937, state media said on the eve of the 61st anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender.

The project, a Sino-U.S.-British co-production, will deal with Japanese troops' orgy of murder and destruction in December 1937 after they captured the city of Nanjing, then known as Nanking and the capital of the Chinese republic, Xinhua said in a report carried by AFP-Jiji.

The movie will be an adaptation of "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II," a non-fiction account by late American author Iris Chang, Xinhua said.
________________________________________________________________
I had my doubts posting this controversial blog entry, but decided in the end, to post it. I read this book and even though I doubt its accuracy, if even only 10% of it is true, it is still the most disturbing read in my life. (and the pictures are really graphic - not recommended for those with a weak stomach)

In many parts of Europe it is illegal to deny the Holocaust. I wonder why this is not true in Japan. Nations outside Japan generally agree that the non-combatant death toll was 300,000 in the Nanjing/Nanking massacre (南京大虐殺, Nankin daigyakusatsu) however, most Japanese officials have denied that figure.

I wonder if people here are taught about this in school at present or in the past. Here, it is said to be neutrally referred to as, "The Nanjing Incident" (南京事件, Nankin jiken) and I have never heard talk about it or other taboo topics like WWII and the burakumin (shunned minority of Japan) - all topics that stir up controversy but light my interest.

This and WWII are the big reasons why some members of my family, even to this day, are not fond of Japan. Not the people per se, but the country itself, for it's history and failure to properly acknowledge its faults from the past (as Germany properly did).

My grandma often talked about escaping from Nanjing at that time, taking refuge in southern China, being forced to live on rice full of rocks and sand. Equally scary were her tales about escaping communist China, taking refuge in Hong Kong and eventually making their way to Taiwan, the only safe haven at that time.

Sometimes I wonder if it is shameful to my family, me living in Japan and all...but then again, I think the past should be recognized but we should focus on the future full of hope and a new beginning. The only way to do that is to break down stereotypes and other such barriers.

post # 500 on this blog

I guess the idiot is going out of office with a bang. Koizumi headed to the Yasukuni Shrine around 7:45am this morning. South Korea must be livid, especially considering they and various other Asian countries had warned him not to visit today, the anniversary marking the end of World War II..

Now I sincerely doubt his true intentions and think he does it just to provoke other nations and do it as an act of defiance (and not, as he claims, an act for the fallen). Oh and just a side note: his hair looks whiter and more out-of-control frizzy than ever...age is definitely taking a toll on him.

Handheld candles spell out "Yasukuni No" at Meiji Park in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, where an estimated 1,000 people gathered Monday night to protest Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's expected visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Tuesday. SATOKO KAWASAKI PHOTO

Backyard Cafe (and Antiques shop)

二の宮2-14-15
◆営業時間　11：00～21：00（ランチタイム14：00まで）

洞峰公園に隣接して位置するカフェレストランには、テラス（ペット可）があり、週末の晴れた日には公園で散歩ついでに寄られるお客さんも多い。40種類を越えるドリンクメニューとデザートの中にはアイスあずきラテ、手作りジンジャーエールなどここでしか味わえないものもある。ランチも充実しており、それぞれ３種類ずつ用意された、パスタランチ、日替わりランチ、おまかせランチ（各850円）は好評。

Right now it is summer time at Backyard Cafe. The place is ornately accented with hibiscus vines and more to give it an Okinawan feel. They have special drinks - Sequasa (a tart barely sweetened Okinawan citrus drink...with a taste that is in between lemon and orange) and mango soy drink, along with real ginger ale (cinnamon, lemon, real ginger juice, honey, soda water).

Also for a limited time (until 8/31, I think) they are serving up Okinawan dishes like Taco rice, Gapa rice, Gapa burgers, Blue Seal ice cream in flavours like purple potato・bitter melon ごや・mango マンゴ,　Okinawan soba noodles, and more. An additional summer campaign promotion is the cafe is open daily until 23:00 up to 8/31.

Vivian's fusion food

This was dinner the other night.

• miso soup with flounder (crab stock)
• various seaweed salad (comes in an instant package...just reconstitute, dress, and eat)
• Japanese beef stew, nikujaga-tasting stir-fry
• squash lightly browned then simmered in chicken bouillon
• stuffed tomato (avocado, scallops, onion, tomato...)
• raw scallops served on a bed of shredded daikon radish and shiso leaf
  
  
  
  
  

Rich curry!

This is curry made by Hirotsugu. It is S&B brand's RICH curry - flavored with coffee extract and more to give it a deeper lingering taste. The color of this curry is significantly more caramelesque (is that even a word?!) in hue.

Curry here comes on a scale from 1 to 5...one being the sweetest and mildest curry, five being the spiciest. This one was more than 5.

If you come to Japan, I recommend picking up some packs of curry roux, hashed beef roux, and cream stew roux. You can have dinner on the table in less than 25 minutes!

so many considerations!

What busy days! We finally finished and mailed off all our wedding invitations. Unlike American wedding invitations, Japanese ones are not double-enveloped. The majority of invitations open up like a book. We were lucky enough to have an address calligrapher, Yuri, who has been doing Japanese calligraphy since she was a wee tot!

One must mail invitations with great consideration. The invitation postmark should be from a 大安 - TAIan or auspicious day, to bring good luck to the event. Generally speaking it is not a good idea to mail invitations during the Obon or any other holiday, nevertheless we mailed then out. We figure the earlier the better.

Of course the reply card is a SASS (self-addressed, self-stamped) postcard. We could do this for our Japanese guests, though I was sorry that I did not have any American, Canadian, Korean, Honduran, Taiwanese, German, or British (yes, our family is like the United Nations) stamps on hand.

It is considered polite to send a reply card as soon as it is received. As for me, I am a terrible and forgetful guest...oooh, poor on me! I think the only task harder than making the invitations was deciding who to send them to. Unfortunately I wanted to send them to a jillion people but only ended up sending about 25, due to space and financial limitations.

Greetings of...summer!

In Japan there is a typical greeting in summer, saying "It is still too hot although the day of risshu has passed."

でも，夏なんか，「立秋をすぎてもまだまだ暑いですね．」という挨拶が毎年繰り返されますね．In romaji: Demo natsu nanka, "Risshuu wo sugitemo mada mada atsuidesune" toiuaisatsu ga maitoshi kurikaesaremasune.

Risshu is apparently the first day of autumn, that is, according to the lunar calendar! Thanks to Yumiko for telling me about that. ^_^

keep sharp, brain and heart!

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exercise keeps the body, and mind, in tiptop shape, according to a review of published studies on the topic. Taken together, the data suggest that exercise and physical activity may slow age-related declines in cognitive function, the reviewers conclude. Moreover, fitness training may improve some mental processes even more than moderate activity.

I could not agree more with this. Ever since I started doing aerobics, my mind has been more alert. As for my memory...it is still a bit shoddy, ha ha. Why don't you start some new exercise program and feel the difference?!

amazing customer service from China?!

Dear Vivian,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply & kindness! We appreciated it very much!

Since it might take 1 business day for us to finish the final touch and inspection before we ship your gown. The Express Mail will take 5 days to reach Japan. We believe you should have no problem to receive both gowns with the scarf by Mid-August as we planned.

A shipping notification with a tracking # will be sent to you shortly. It has been a great pleasure to work with you. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns after you receive the gowns.

Thanks again for your business!
Wendy@ BlueCatalog.com

ps: the picture not my dress but it similar and is a Maggie Sottero design like my dress.

lots of unidentifiable kinds of squash!

This has got to be one of my favorite restaurants in Tsukuba, located in Takezono. I know it is healthy and it is one of the few restaurants where I can eat so many veggies in just one sitting! The name of the place is, Ailes D'ange.

This is the "A" menu set for the day. It includes a mushroom gratin, Thai-flavoured white duck meat with cucumber, stir-fried spicy eggplant, some unidentified simmered squash, some more unidentifiable squash, cucumber with dressing, cherry tomatoes, salsa chicken salad, vinegared broccoli, soup, red and white rice. All for under 10 dollars (this is considered very reasonable in Japan).

It is not easy at all to find healthful restaurants, not here in Japan and not back home either. I used to like luxury fine dining...until many kilos later when I saw what it did to my waist. And what's more, the healthier food I eat, the better I feel about myself. I think somewhere along the way, between Big Macs and Yoshinoyas and various convenience stores, people forgot how to eat.

Food on the run? People from some countries would think it barbarious, to not even have time to sit down and have a proper meal. I agree - when you start skipping meals and lowering it on your priority list...or forgetting it altogether, you have to rethink either a) your job b) time management and c) health!

You may wonder why I am such a health nut...I have not always been this way. I think it has to do with being hypnotized years ago by a professioinal hypnotist. She told me various key phrases like, "you will have the confidence to make the right choices in food" and "you will feel vitalized by fresh vegetables and fruits." (oh, I am healthful in all aspects except for when it comes to sweets...that is my Achilles' heel)

If you live in Toronto and you live around the Kensington market area, you might become a health geek. I was a regular at some of the various health food stores there. They have TVP (textured vegetable protein often used as a meat substitute), veggy patties, whole wheat pasta, nuts, granola, spices galore... 3 years later the kind Korean shopkeeper still remembers me, I was happy not to be forgotten! I miss shopping there. *wistful sigh*

are you going to walk down the virgin road?

Many times I heard people here talk about some virgin road and I thought it was some red-light district where virgins sold themselves for absurd prices. Ha ha, what a stretch that was...read more on it below.

VIRGIN ROAD: This also appears to be a Japanese invention. It looks and sounds like an English term but is, in fact, not! The long passage between the seats in a church is called the aisle. When the bride walks towards the altar, we call it walking down the aisle. Walk down the aisle is an informal way of saying to get married.

on growing to dislike dining at Italian restaurants

Recently I am trying to make more lunch for myself. If I don't, I end up eating way too much bread, munching on snacks/sweets all day, or go out to eat. This made using vinegared rice (leftover from sushi), tomatoes, some onions, seafood mix, and curry powder. Hmm...interesting.

These days I have lost my appetite restaurant Italian food. For the most part they give you too much pasta and too little meat, veggies...you know, the good stuff. Heavy on the carbs but light on the healthy stuff. Good pasta is usually doused with gallons of olive oil, making something healthy (olive oil) not so healthy after all!

The other day I made soupy tomato pasta with wheat spaghetti noodles. It is regular tomato sauce but not cooked down until paste-like. It remains soupy while you eat it. It is easy to do - throw in some basil, tomatoes, onion, frozen seafood mix, crazy salt (has spices in it), and of course - GARLIC!

Glamorous Sky

Song I like recently

milky and creamy tofu soup!

The creamy tofu soup (see pic @far right) is a recipe from my sister (in-law), Jinny. She is greatttt at cooking and always gives me great tips on how to make dishes.

Here is her easy delicious cream soup (minus real cream but tastes heavenly!) recipe:

1. Chop one onion, fry in butter until golden
2. Put in some milk and one bay leaf and bring to a boil
3. Put in some tofu (crushed with a spoon until resembles ground beef)
4. Season with salt (and sugar and/or pepper, if you want)

You can adjust it by adding more vegetables. I added finely diced carrots, spinach and a little bit of cabbage. YUMMY! Thanks, Jinny.

The other pictures: baked potato croquette, oatmeal-coated okra...hmm, disappointing one.

souvenirs from Tokyo

In Japan every region has some specialty food or sweets. Therefore it is common for people to go on a trip and bring back some kind of regional souvenir. I never imagined Tokyo had such a thing, but apparently it is known for Tokyo Bananas.

To see what all the fuss was about, I bought some to share with my friends and students. Though, I must say, at almost 10 dollars for a box of 8... geez, that is something like 900% the price of Twinkies back home. Then again they are not packed with preservatives - the expiry date is 5 days after purchase! Paying for freshness, safety, and quality, a very Japanese concept.

Unlike Twinkies, the cake part was soft and moist, not to mention delightfully light like spongecake. Inside, instead of whipped hydrogenated vegetable shortening with sugar, I found a smooth banana custard. Woohoo, I am going bananas for Tokyo-nanas. The best part: because it costs so much, I didn't reach for a second helping, like I might have otherwise. ^_^

Anmitsu in Ueno!!!

This is Mihashi Japanese sweets shop, a long ago established place known for its excellent anmitsu. Anmitsu dessert is composed of boiled rice balls, some fruit (usually tangerine bits), ice cream, salty seed balls (hmm, help...I dunno the name!), finely strained and sweetened red bean paste, and squares of kanten, also known as agar, the stuff in Petri plates scientists use.

Thanks to Tomoko Hirohashi for the recommendation to go!

Chinese food...

Looking for dinner ideas? The one on the left is Chinese MaPo tofu along with yellow pepper and eggplant. The one on the right is Nagasaki champon, various veggies stir-fried with shrimp and placed on a bed of crispy chow mein noodles.

They are both easy and take around 20 minutes or less to make.

• 400 g cotton tofu
• 300 g ground beef or pork1 clove garlic, crushed or diced
• Half a green onion, diced
• 10 - 15 ml Tobanjan (red spicy Chinese sauce)
• 30 ml Tenmenjan (brown gooey Chinese sauce)
• 250 ml Torigarasu soup (kind of a chicken broth...or bouillon cube)
• 15 ml starch mixed with 30 ml water
• Olive oil
• 15 ml soy sauce
• 15 ml cooking sake
• 5 - 10 ml sesame oil
• Vivian-style: frozen mixed veggies, eggplant, extra leeks, bell peppers
  

too pretty to eat!

This is wagashi, a Japanese sweet made from red and white beans.

It is supposed to be a pink morning glory...very pretty indeed! Japanese sweets are best eaten with a small toothpick-like wooden stick, to savor and appreciate each bite. Eating it with one's hand or a big spoon or fork would take all the joy out of the experience! Try it today.