Japanese Peaches

The Japanese peaches are in season , they are big and so sweet. We are now  having our holidays in Singapore..Luckily,1 of my friends who happened to come to my place on the next day of our arrival got to taste it.She was surprised as it was very soft and sweet just like can fruit because it was fully ripe.When I peeled the skin,the juice was simply spilling down from the peach.I used to miss these  Japanese peaches most in this season when we used to live in Singapore.

Madonna's Japanese private chef of Macrobiotics

Mayumi Nishimura who's 56 years old,used to be Modonna's private chef for 7 years;2001 to 2008 and will resume work soon.She was specially selected for her baby boy who was 9 months old who then had an allergy problem.It was only for a week and his allergy problem was cured by her Macrobiotics cooking.This gave her the job as a private chef. Mayumi smiled and said that actually it was not difficult for her to bring about the desired result as the little boy only ate her food!

When she was in her 20s,she moved to US.She got married and brought up 2 children.She also had an experience of working for a year for the founder of the US Macrobiotics,Mr.Michio Kushi,who happens to be my teacher too.So she could cook the Japanese style of vegetarian food very well.She also worked for the vice president of Goa and also for  the cancer patients in US.
Her lecture was held in the Lima Macrobiotics School in Shinjyuku,Tokyo on the 20th of July.During the question and answer session,I asked her what did Madonna benefit from her cooking.'Madonna disliked the normal vegetarian food as my Macrobiotics cooking was very attractive for her where the taste and her health was concerned.Amazingly she was not tired of my food for 7 years as I had many variation and devised.She looked happy !.'She worked very hard everyday to prepare the 3 meals with  the dessert even during her world tour.
She added that there are many kinds of delicacies all over the world;however this Macrobiotics cooking has the meaningful theory of the Yin and Yang like Zen.
Mayumi confessed that 1 day she was asked  by Madonna to dance and sing in front of her but she declined and said that she could only cook!

                                       Ms  Mayumi Nishimura

                            Brown rice with black beans, clear soup, pickled radish by her recipe

                                        Rice millk pudding by her recipe

                                Lima Macrobiotics School's founder was Michio Kushi 's teacher.

             *  Madonna's comment above  is ' Mayumi  makes delicious meals that have kept myself  and my family healthy and happy for years'        

                             Brown rice& *Pickled Plums（Ume-Boshi梅干）
              *http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.sg/2012/06/rainy-season-work.html

              * http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.jp/2012/07/lets-dry-ume-boshinow.html
                 

         *http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.sg/2012/02/ume-boshi-pickled-plums.html     

                                                        

                                                     Hijiki seaweed

                                                   Dried radish (Kiri-Boshi Daikon切干大根）

                                                   Dried Tofu（Koya-Tofu 高野豆腐）

                                          Mixed Sushi (Chirashi-Sushi　ちらし寿司）                      

                                       

                                           vegetable  Lasagra        
                                                                                            

                                   Lovely dessert without sugar, egg and dairy products            

                                         
                                          

                                              Ingredients      
                                                   
                                            

Japanese Cherries

Recently,1 of my readers asked me about the salted Sakura leaves as she wants to make Sakura Mochi.
That reminded me of something which I've forgotten;that is to show the photo of the lovely cherries.
There are many Sakura trees here but I've not seen any fruits and if I manage to find any,they are too small to be eaten.
Maybe these cherries come from different kinds of species in Yamagata Prefecture in Tohoku region.
When we lived in Singapore  , my husband once brought them to his company to share with his staff after his business trip in Japan .Later I heard from his Indian driver who also got some of them that he had  brought back home  and called his relatives and enjoyed each one.
He said that they looked like beautiful ornaments, and I thought the prices were also like ornaments too!

                         
                                     This photo was taken in June.

Downpour in Kyushu

 240 000 people were  ordered to evacuate in Northern Kyushu .


Today's news paper said that yesterday , on the 14th of July ,the Yabe River , Yanagawa city in Fukuoka Prefecture burst its banks because of the heavy rains thus,flooding  the whole town of Yamato -Cho.  (the photo below) . At around 9am yesterday ,the downpour was measured to 91.5mm/hour  at this area .One local man saw the tall trees floating  with the roar !!Other areas had 450 mm of rains  in the  24  hours..The Meteorological Agency announced  that  it had rained over 800 mm in these 3 days which is rainfall for a whole year in the areas and 22 people were lost...

 In the city of  Kumamoto Prefecture , the hotel staff were sweeping out the mud at the banquet  hall. 
As for today, it is clear but  the temperature is rising up till 34.1degrees in Oita Prefecture recording  as the hottest day! How harsh!!
                                

                           

                                      Sankei News Paper , 15th July 2012

                                      This photo was taken on 12th July in Kumamoto 

Mummy's Bento Box with Love

My 18 year old second son has  returned back home  from UK for  his  holidays.
He has just started a part- time job,working in the Packing Company in  Yokohama from 5pm to 4 am everyday .
Now it's the season of the midyear gift in Japan  so the company is very busy.
Just only a few days have passed, he has become a senior and he is now  teaching newcomers  how to pack many cardboard boxes in a cart..I am so happy as he enjoys the tough job which is also his 1st working experience  in his life..

When he leaves home, I pass a bento box to him.Nowadays there are many kinds of instant food in the supermarket here but I don't like them.
 In this hot weather  putting an Ume-boshi   in the center of rice is  important to avoid it from getting rot. .Actually he didn't like Ume-boshi  before, but recently he found his body needs it as he sweat a lot  , the Ume-boshi includes citric acid and salt.

http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.jp/2012/02/ume-boshi-pickled-plums.html

http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.jp/2012/06/rainy-season-work.html

When he comes back around 5am he is always starving , I rush to cook a big breakfast  for him   and later a simple one (Miso soup ,  porridge or rice and pickles)  for my husband who sometimes brings 2 big  brown rice balls to his office for lunch . I start to prepare my son's bento box from 3 pm then dinner from 6pm so I am feeling myself being a full time  cook at home now!That simply give me great pleasure.

          


                      Brown rice & Ume-boshi, rolled egg, ginger pork, Shirataki, burdock, pumpkin, green pepper, fish paste &cucumber
            

                     Brown rice & Ume-boshi,  Grilled salted salmon, rolled egg, dried  and seasoned tofu, eggplant, carrot, greeen, fried  tofu

                     Brown rice &Ume-boshi,  minced chicken balls,dried mushroom,eggplant,lady fingers,  Shirataki, burdock&carrot,boiled sweet corn

                                *He asked me more volume for the energy!

                        Brown rice & Ume-boshi,  Fried  chicken, vege tempura(white onion, carrot, burdock), rolled egg, dried mushrooms,eggplant,carrot, burdock ,Shirataki
                               

                                Brown rice & Ume-boshi, fried fishes, rolled egg, tempura of French    beans, boiled white radish, Hijiki seawead & carrot, green pepper

                                                                                                           
          

                                

                                       We wrap with a cloth.

Eda-Mame (枝豆)

Now is the season of the Eda-Mame, which is the most popular Japanese food for the foreigners.

Eda means branch  and Mame means bean in the Japanese language.

Before boiling , I rub a little  salt into them for the color . 4 % of  the salted water is suitable for boiling as salty taste is vaital  for Eda-Mame.

When you eat them ,it's better to suck the pods not to open  with your hands  to enjoy the delicious Eda-Mame!

Too Hot !!

It was a fair weather in Japan except for Northern Kyushu where, it had  heavy rains on the 4th
of July. The temperatures were rising  up till 33.8 degrees  in Gunma Prefecture, 33.2 degrees  in Fukushima Prefecture, recorded as the  hottest for this summer.

In Shibuya , Tokyo , there were many women with parasols (photo below)

According to  the Meteorological Agency, this heat will continue till  the 8th of July  around the  areas of Kanto and South Kyushu. As it ,we need to protect ourselves from the heat and humidity.

                                      Sankei Paper(産経新聞） ５．７．２０１２