Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame, spinach and fried tofu [Recipe]
– Japanese rice with Yukari (purple basil) [w/Pot] [w/Rice Cooker]
– Tofu hamburg
– Miso salmon
– Eggplant steak with miso sauce [Recipe]
– Natto *fermented soybeans
– Pickled daikon radish, cucumber and Shiso [Recipe]
– Pickled plum
Have you ever heard the word “Asa Ra”(朝ラー)？
This means “Easting Ramen from the morning”.
It has been a hot topic just before Corona and was popular with tourists as well, especially Ramen Lovers !
A Japanese famous ramen company Ippudo 一風堂 recently started offering Soy sauce ramen & Special rice porridge at their limited shop in Asakusabashi. So, my family and I visited weekday morning from 8:00!
The price is reasonable at 500 yen, and those who wish can drink coffee for free. *This service is weekday only!
Though Ippudo is famous for Tonkotsu ramen but the soy sauce ramen and their homemade egg noodles were really fresh, chewy and went well with light flavor soy based soup.
And our surprise was that their special rice porridge is made of Tonkotsu soup! Umeboshi, Zha cai, and paprika, which are thought to have been added to change the texture, were also interesting and delicious.
Both dishes warmed my body on a cold morning.
If you are interested in making Shoyu ramen (soy sauce based ramen), please check this recipe!
Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame, spinach and fried tofu [Recipe]
– Okaka (bonito flakes) onigiri [Recipe]
– Fried salmon topped with sweet sour sauce
– Tofu salad (Shiraae) [Recipe]
– Japanese omelette [Original] [W/ Mayonnaise]
– Rape blossoms with mustard
– Pickled daikon radish [Recipe]
– Yogurt with strawberry jam
When I was taking a walk in the neighborhood, I found UME (梅) plum blossoms starting to bloom.
The early plum blossoms are called Kanbai/kambai (寒梅). It means Cold (寒) and Plum (梅) because they bloom at the coldest time of the year. Spring is just around the corner in Tokyo!
Since I created various Fruit Sandwich, I have so many leftover bread crusts in my kitchen. So, I would like to introduce some ideas of how to cook with bread crusts.
IDEA 1, Homemade croutons and snack
It’s really easy and simple. You can just cut the bread crusts into small pieces and toast them on the frying pan. I don’t add oil. Just stir occasionally until it gets brown color. Done! How about adding to the soup or salad ? (I made a potato soup for my children and they liked it!) It might be fun to add seasonings to eat like a snack. For example, I would experiment with butter, soy sauce, aonori (seaweed), curry powder for savory flavors. And for sweet flavors, I might choose Honey, cinnamon, Sugar, maple syrup, cacao powder etc.
IDEA 2: Toppings for ice cream
After making the homemade croutons, how about using them as a topping for ice cream? I made homemade matcha ice cream and sprinkled one for chocolate syrup, choco chip and croutons, and the other for kinako (dried soy bean powder), Kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) and croutons. The crunchy and crispy texture of croutons is really unique and also go well with matcha ice cream.
IDEA 3: Homemade rusk
This time, you can enjoy bread crusts as a rusk. Place bread crusts separately on a parchment paper and microwave 1 min. Then, coat with melted butter and microwave again until it gets crispy. At last, sprinkle sugar over it. Done!
IDEA 4: Daigaku Pan(?)
This is Daigaku Imo inspired sweets. Daigaku means “university” and Imo means “potato” in general. But I used bread (pan) crusts for this recipe. To make this, you can bust toast the bread crusts with using frying pan until brown color and caramelize with honey, soy sauce and black sesame same as making Daigaku Imo.
Japanese sweet and sour fruit sandwich are called fruit sando (フルーツサンド). Put your favorite fruit and a little hard whipped cream between the breads and you’re done! This time, I will make a fruit sandwich using strawberry, banana and kiwi. This recipe is recommended not only for breakfast, but also for picnics and snacks. Why don’t you start your day with this sandwich?
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Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame, wheat gluten and komatsuna [Recipe]
– Osekihan (Festive rice) ball [Recipe]
– Salt onigiri [Recipe]
– Stir-fry Hijiki with carrot, burdock and konnnyaku
– Grilled sausage
– Japanese omelette [Original] [W/ Mayonnaise]
– Sesame salad with komatsuna [Recipe]
– Simmered pumpkin with sweetened red beans [Recipe]
– Yogurt with strawberry jam
Happy Valentine’s Day! Did you know that Japan celebrates Valentine’s Day with the opposite approach from overseas? I remember when I was young, my friends, including myself, were throbbing and squirming as Valentine’s Day approached.
In modern times, there is something called “giri choco” (義理チョコ) that gives chocolate to bosses and friends. Others seem to buy themselves high quality chocolates as a reward. My case…I made tofu donuts with my son Kengo and tasted together with my hubby and Sui-chan.
Menu:
– Miso soup with wakame seaweed, fried tofu and cabbage [Recipe]
– Yaki Onigiri [Recipe]
– Tuna Mayo Onigiri [Recipe]
– Kimpira gobo [Recipe]
– Stir-fry bean sprouts and green pepper
– Japanese omelette [Original] [W/ Mayonnaise]
– Yogurt with blueberry jam and marmalade jam
* Would you like to cook Japanese cuisine anytime?
☞ Download my recipe app “Recipe by YJC” (iOS, iPad OS and Android) FREE!
It’s still cold here in Tokyo. We don’t have snows but my hometown (northern part of Japan) snows a lot every winter. February 3rd is normally the day of Setsubun. Setsubun refers to the day before the beginning of each season. (the first days of spring, summer, fall and winter). The literal meaning of the word Setsubun is “seasonal division”. Out of all the 4 Setsubun days, Risshun (the first day of spring) is the most special day.
ここ東京はまだ寒いです。雪はありませんが、私の故郷（日本の北部）は毎年冬に雪がたくさん降ります。 2月3日は通常節分です。節分とは、各季節の始まりの前日を指します。 （春、夏、秋、冬の最初の日）。節分という言葉の文字通りの意味は「季節の分裂」です。節分4日間の中で、立春（春の初日）が最も特別な日です。
To celebrate this special day, my family and I visited the Japanese restaurant and had the huge Ebi-Furai (fried shrimps) that we have never seen this in life! The shrimp itself was big and also it’s coated with lots of panko (bread crumbs). So, super crispy outside and fluffy inside. I use small to medium size shrimps in my recipe video but if you are interested in how to make the Ebi Furai (Japanese fried shrimp) & Japanese version Tartar sauce, please check here!
この特別な日を祝うために、家族で日本食レストランへ行き、これまでに見たことのない巨大なエビフライを食べてきました。 エビ自体もとても大きくて、パン粉がさらにたっぷりついています。外はサクサク、中はふわふわ。私のレシピ動画では中サイズの海老を使用していますが、海老フライと日本版タルタルソースの作り方に興味のある方は是非、こちらのレシピをご覧ください！
