MY FIRST and LAST COOKING

Hi!!

When I started this blog, I said

"I like eating but I'm not good at cooking......I'll try it!!!!"

After I said that, I didn't cook anything... but I did it during my vegetable challenge!!

I made "Tofu Hamburg"(=0% meat hamburg)

I'll tell you recipe:)

(4people)

・tofu.......1

・chinese yam.......8cm

・carrot..........1/3

・onion...........1/3

・salt...........some

・pepper.....some

・starch....2~3tablespoons

1.Drain the tofu.

　Cut onion into small pieces, and grate chinese yam and carrot.

2.Put carrot, chinese yam and onion into a bowl, and put tofu(drained)crushing by hands.

3.Mix thoroughly by hand till these have no figure.

4.put starch in the bowl and mix more.

5.Pan-fry both sides.

You are now ready to serve!!

I've eaten tofu hamburg before but it contains meat. Usually I think tofu hamburg is made of meat and tofu...but this time, no-meat!!

So, I'm really worried about the taste...

The taste is........good.

but I don't think that it is a kind of hamburg.
The taste is more similar to Hash Browns or French freis...of course! it is made of almost only potato(chinese yam) and starch is also made of poteto!!

So, it is almost baked poteto!lol

The texture is.....interesting.

It's like a rice cake. Sticky texture.

It because of chinese yam. It is abundanted in dietary fiber.

I do not recommend you to eat this "tofu hamburg" as hambhurg, but if you eat it as new food, it's delicious;)

BTW,

Chinese yam is very good for our health!

・promote digestion

・constipation prophylaxis

・prevention of hypertension

・soothing effect

etc....

I think it is good for summer weariness!!

Chinese yam is better to eat raw than bake or boile.

Be careful of SUMMER WERINESS!!

PUB...HUB...FUN!!

Hello, this is Mariko.

It get hotter and hotter, so I think it is the best season to....

DRINKING!!

We learned that Japanese have a lot of Izakaya and it is very unique.

Izakaya have not only alcohol but also meals. On the other hand, western bar have only alcohol.

However! we can enjoy that kind of place(western bar) in JAPAN!!

I think it is already populer espesially KUIS students...

the name is HUB (british pub)!!!!

HUB is British style pub. It is in Japan, but it is not same as Japanese Izakaya.

Let's compare HUB and Japanese Izakaya!!

HUB Izakaya

purpose drink drink & eat

(drink:food=76:24) (drink:food=40:60)

seat chair&table private room
(not separate room) (separate room)


price cheap cheap but cost just you sit there(charge)


order counter at table
(bring drink by yourself) (staff bring drink&food to your table)

The biggest difference is purpose and how to spend at there.
Japanese go to Izakaya after work →drink&eat → they go home.

But, British(may be western) go to PUB after work →drink → go home→eat diner with family.

I think this idea(british)is very good, because we can drink and communicate with friends and co-worker AND we also can eat dinner and spend with family.When Japanese people go drinking, they eat a lot at izakaya so they do not eat dinner at home.If they are single, it may be ok. but if they have family, I think British style is better.

I often think that I need "space"
the "space" means the space where we(my friends and I) can gather.
HUB satisfy this need and they want to spread "British PUB culture" to Japan.



I went to HUB sometimes.
My recommended drink & food is that...




Fish&Chips American Lemonade(wine&lemonade)



this is British!!! refreshing&easy to drink



AND!!! If you are a hard drinker, I recommend...

this, tarantula!
30% alcohol;)


Which type do you like? PUB style or Izakaya style??

젓가락

Hiya!!


Today was also very very hot day...

I was almost melting!








Yesterday, I ate Samgyepsal with my friend at Korean restaurant near Yu-rakucho.



It was soooooo gooood!!



The name of restaurant is "HAN TEJI YA"
You can find this restaurant not only Yu-rakucho.

Samgyepsal is slice thick pork belly meat.
Wrap it with leaf like lettuce (called sangchu) and EAT:)

I really recommend this restaurant, if you interested in it why don't you try!!

I'm always curious about Korean chopsticks.

Why is it made of metal?and long like that?


so, I did a search!!



The Korean chopsticks is called jeotgarak(젓가락) and it is usually placed together as a set with long spoon called sutgarak(숟가락). This set called Sujeo. Both are made of stainless.

The reason why Korean chopsticks are made of metal is that... there are some reasons.



Reason1:it were made of silver in the past at court because silver cause a chemical reaction and change the color when it touches some poisons, so they use it in order to prevent assassination by poison.


Reason2:regular people longed for aristocracy and they copyed it. So the metal chopsticks(when regular people use it, it's not silver because silver is expensive) became populer.


Reason3:in Korea, it is banned to use disposable chopsticks because they care about the environment and they don't want to make bald mountain any more. Also, it's good moneywise.


Rason4:the metal chopsticks are very tough, so it were very useful during the war because it's not broken and easy to carry about.



The biggest reason may be the first one, but other 3reasons also connect to why metal?

In Japan, we use wood chopsticks. It because(not sure) Japan are very humid so if we use metal chopsticks, it might get rusted. That is why the metal chopsticks didn't become populer in Japan.




AND!!
I found the reason why Korean chopsticks and spoon are long.

Because... Korean people don't hold up dishes when they are eating like Japanese people.
They have different culture. They eat meals leaving dishes on the table.
So!! if the chopsticks and spoon were short, it's hard to eat it!!!

That is why Korean chopsticks and spoon are longer than Japanese one.




Wow, you became better versed in Korean food culture!!
It was very interesting and now I knew there are right reason.
There were some history and environment&economical reason!







It is very good idea to get through this hot summer with hot Korean food; )

World's best

Hello, everyone!
How are you doing in this humid wweather?
I hate this weather:P

BTH, do you know this?

Almost a year ago, I ate a very strange gummi candy called ''salmiakki''
My OB bought it from Finland as a souvenirs.
He said that it is called "the most taste disgusting gummi candy in the world"
I tried it!!(how brave I am!!)

The taste is...
It's really difficult to explain...but it's absolutely taste disgusting!! It's bitter but at the same time, it's also sweet, hot, salt and sour...
I thought like that. Other people might say different.
I heared that it made of ammonium chloride!!!
He said it is famous in Finland, and there are salmiakki gum, candy,alcohol etc...
If you wanna try this gummi candy, you can get similar one in Japan.


So, have you ever eaten "world's best"??
If NO, why don't you try what I'll introduce you.



1.The sweetest sweets in the world
__Gulab Jamun__

It is a Indian famous desert.
This is a kind of doughtnut which is soaked in very very sweet syrup.
It looks soooooo sweeeeeet!!

If you are interested in it, you ca try it heare..."DARJELING" which is a Indian restaurant in Tokyo. Check it out!!



2.The most bad-smelling food
__Surstromming__

It is one kind of pickles in Sweden.
Pickle herrings with salt, and ferment it in a can.
It has about 20times stronger smell than natto.
It usually eat with potato, red beet or bread.

You can get it on the internet...
BUT! I'll recommend you to open it outside & also eat it outside.




3.The hottest hot pepper in the world
__Bhut Jolokia__


It is made in North India & Bangradish.
It was registred with Guiness as the hottest hot pepper 2007.
Usually, it is used to regulate the functions of the intestines, and promote sweating&get through summer heat in the area of production.

If you wanna try it there are a snak wich is used this hot pepper!!
It named "Maou Jolokia(the archenemy Jolokia)" by To-hato






4.The most expensive chocolate in the world
__Chocopologie__

It is $2,600 per pound!!!!
It is hand made&only you can get by order.

I looooove chocolate but I can't pay such a price fot chocolate XP





5.The hardest alcohol in the world
__Spirytus__

It is Vodka from Poland.
It is 96% alcohol!!!

It doesn't drink only this. Usually, it's used to the base of cocktail.
In Poland, they use it as antiseptic available, and it often used to make fruit wine.




So...
Did you find your best "world's best"?

I hope you did and you'll try it!!

If you have eaten something "world's best", tell me about it;)

It makes me HAPPY!&FATTY!!

Like this↓ lol

She is "Nattsy"(I forgot the spelling)

My host family's cat. ※this is a cat, not ball.

She is soooo cute and friendly, but as you see, she is fatty!!

I don't wanna be like her, but I LOVE HAMBURGER!!

I ate so many hamburgers until now.

not like fast food... it's more full blown!

So, I'll introduce some I've eaten before...

1.Hard Rock Cafe

I ate it a year and a half ago in NYC.

but we can Enjoy in Japan too.

It was really big and too sickly and solty. May be it because it was BBQ sauce taste.

But I don't know Japanese one is the same as American one, if anyone have tried, tell me how was it.

2.FIVE GUYS

mmm~
That is one of the best hamburger I ate in America.

It is...not fast food...it's "Fast casual"! It means... between fast food and family restaurant.

The reason why I love it is not only because it's yummy, but also the price and topping!

If you wanna eat a hamburger at normal restaurant, it'll cost about $10~$20;however, here is only about$5!!

Moreover, you can get all topping (onions, lettuce,tomatos,pickles,ketchup,mayo,BBQ sauce etc...)free!!

It means you can order your own original hamburger!!

I loooove it. I hope it will come to Japan.

3.The Spotted Pig

It is in Greenwich village, NYC.

The hamburger was very good, but I want to take notice the french fries!!

Look at this!! It's really long and thin!!!

I have no idea how to make it.

This is the best french fries I've ever eaten.

Unlike the looking, it makes me full stomach.

and... the interior decorating of this restaurant is very interesting.

There are a lot of pig items!!

Pig picture, pig doll, pig coin bank, pig coaster etc...

If you like pig, you must go there:)

4.KUA 'AINA

I think Yuka wrote about KUA 'AINA before on her blog.

It is a Hawaian hamburger restaurant.
It's very juicy!! but hard to bite coz it's huge!!!!

and... I also like onion fries and guava juice.

I love guava juice! and I promise that it will take you to the southern island!!

5.Muu Muu Diner

This is my most recent hamburger!! I ate it in Koshigaya Laketown OUTLET(picture is not).

That was sooo good!! It is similar to KUA 'AINA, because Muu Muu Diner is also Hawaian restaurant. There are some surfboads in the restaurant so you can feel Hawaii at there:)

The charactaristic of this restaurant is KONA COFFEE.

Kona Coffee is coffee which is cultivated in North and South Kona Districts of Hawaii.

It has sour taste than other coffee and it's sold high price.

Muu Muu Diner is also specialized store of KonaCoffee, so I really recommend you if you are interested in this coffee. Of course, hamburger is very very good too!!



6.SHAKE SHACK

The last hamburger I introduce is "Shake Shack", it is in Madison Square Park, NYC.

Look at this Loooong Line! Everyone lined up for buying the hamburger!!
It opened 2004, and it was selected as "Best of NY"(NY Times)2005.

This shop was opened by Danny Meyer who is produced many famous restaurants which are selected as No1.restaurant by ZAGAT.

The size of hamburger is small comparing normal American hamburger, but the taste is awesome!!!

Only famous chef could make this! I think.

I was very surprised when I saw the line. I thought American hate to line up for sth:P

I forgot how long it took to buy it, but it's definitely Non-FastFood!! lol

How was my Hamburger collection??

Do you like it?

Do you wanna eat it?

Do you wanna be fatty? lol

If you have any recommended hamburger restaurants, tell me;)

McDonald's...what surprised me

Hello, everyone!!

Rainy season...:(

I hate it!!

I hope everyone "enjoy" this season:P

BTW...

Have you ever heard the word "Dietary Education"?

I went to McDonald's to take a break last week.

While I was eating a humberger, I found an ad on the tray.

It said "Dietary Education Support"

"McDonald's hold the Dietary Education for children??"

I couldn't believe it because as we learned in the class, fast food is bad for our health...

But it's true, they do.

McDonald's supports the Cildren's Dietary Education with School and NPO.

They made Web and DVD study materials , and encourage children to study about food.

If you want to try the study material, you can go to this site→ http://www.chantotaberu.jp/
In this Website, you'll learn "How much important to have a breakfast", "Why we can't eat only what we like", "What a humberger is made of?"etc...

Don't you think it is interesting?

and do you know this movie?

In this movie, this man trid to eat only McDonald's foods(3meals a day, 30days )

After 30days, he gained 11.1kg and he became sick both physically and mentally.

I thought Dietary Education are inconpatible with McDonald's ...

I tought if children knew what is good and bad for our health, they wouldn't ate McDonald's...if they have choices...

What do you think?

Emergency Food

Where were you at 14:46, 3.11?

I was in Shinjyuku for job-hunting, and I couldn't go back to home because all of the trains stopped. I stayed the night at Shinjyuku high school with Yuna in this class.

Fourtunely, we could buy and eat gyu-don for dinner and also, we ate gyu-don...again for breakfast.

However, most foods were sold out in many stores at that time.

I think that everyone rethought the disaster planning, and I think one of important point is "Food".

So... today's topic is "Emergency Food"

I searched about it and found some interesting emergency foods.

1.Dried bread(Kan pan)

When I heard the word "Emergency food", I came up this fast.
It is one kind of cracker. There are rock sugers in what I've eaten before.
We don't need anything when we eat it.
But...It is diffcult to feel a feeling of fullness and it's very dried out.
And... it's not so delicious. If we have only this at the emergency situation, I'll eat it but...



2.Instant noodle

We eat it daily. There are a lot of kinds of noodle. Also, taste are very good recently.
We will have a full belly with it compared dried bread.
But it is not so good for our health, less nutritious...
Also, the weak point of this is that it need boild water.
If all of lifeline were stopped, we can't eat it.

3.Canned bread

It is almost same as normal bread. The difference is that only it' s canned!
We can keep it 6months~1year.
And, there are many flavors, chocolate, blueberry, fruit etc...
But, it is a little bit high price... it sold about 400yen a piece.

4.Alpha rice

It is really useful one! It is DRIED cooked rice!!

The most important point is that we can eat it with only water!!
Moreover, it ha various menu eg: white rice, pilaf, okowa, rice gruel...
I think it's healther than instant nudle, and we Japanese need RICE!!!!

5. Space food

It's really interesting!!

It's freeze- dried foods!!!
We don't need anything when we eat it!!
I was very surprised because they have a lot of freeze-dried foods!!

eg. gratin, takoyaki, kimuchi etc...
I've never eaten it, but my friends said it's good.

Especially Japan has a lot of earth quick, so I think these emergency foods were invented.

If we Japan didn't have earth quick, we would not have such a lot of kind of emergency food.

The environment and geography of Japan made the history of Japanese emergency food, may be.

What kind of emergency food are in your house?