The most populat Electric fan in Japan

This electric fan is now very hot in Japan as it can be  charged  itself in daytime ..After 6-7 hours storage,  it may work  around 15 hours so  during night time it does not use electricity.It can cut around 90% of  elrctricity consumption even during daytime compared to normal fans . It cost 40000 yen at this shop  but some people have been already  waiting for the arrival of the new ones.
One of my friend (30) told me, that she is interested in new one because of saving on electricity   but she has have old ones  and its price 40000yen  is 4times of the normal one.She said "What to do!!"

Solar Annular Eclipse

We had a Solar Eclipse yestaday morning.
The photo published in the news paper was  taken just next to the new tower ,Tokyo Sky Tree which opens from today .The track of it  seems to have crosssed the tower .
It was after  932 years  later that  people had seen  it at most of the places in Japan.
At 0730 AM, it was cloudy and dark, luckily we could see the beautiful silver ring  without sunglasses.My friend sent me the photo below  which were taken by her son (15)as I had overslept！

Fuki no to蕗の薹 Butterbur Scape and Fuki 蕗 Stem (willd edible plant 5)

In the early spring we can find the scapes  of the butterburs on  the ground in the countryside.They have strong bitterness so we deep fry  or after boiling we fry with Miso and Mirin(sweet Sake)　 . 'Fuki Miso" goes  well with white rice .

After they grow in late April or  May  , we eat their  stems after boiling .We peel the skin and season them with soy sauce , salt, Mirin (sweet sake ) and soup stock.
We do appreciate these kinds of vernal  wild edible plants, which show how we welcome spring after the cold winter in Japan.

This technique is Ao-ni(青煮） which　is  still  green  even after boiling.

Ashitaba 明日葉 Wild edible plant 4

In Kansai district ,we don't have this plant so I have not seen　it  before we moved  to Kanto district  in 2009, I only knew the unique  name of Ashitaba.
Originally they grow at the seaside of Izu, in Shizuoka Prefecture. Ashita means tomorrow in Japanese and ba(ha) means leaf.
The growth of this plant is very fast so  after　picking  them up, new leaves come out the very next day.Actually they look like Tapioca leaves in the Southeast Asia ! Normally we deep -fry after we dip them into  the batter. We believe that  this plant has strong energy.

                                      

Fanbrella not Umbrella!

We are worried that it will be very hot without  sufficient electricity this summer in jpan.
This is an umbrella with small fans  called "Fanbrella".
It looks like a normal black umbrella , but once you open it , you can see 3 pieces of fans with length of 8 cm.There is a swich on the hold  grip including  4 AA batteries . The wind by turning fans is not so strong but we will  feel coolness  above the neck.The cloth can cut UV so it is used as both a rainy day and a hot day.They are sold  at  8190 yen at the  Odakyu department store , Shinjyuku in Tokyo..It  was started to be sold  from April  this year after the development after 2 years  and  200 pieces are sold a month.
Yesterday was the hottest day in this spring ,the highest temperature was 29c in Gunma Prefecture.
I think my husband will need the Fanbrella!
                             

                                             
                                                      
          

Udo Wild edible plant 3

                                                   Japanese salad with Udo

                                                                        Udo with Wakame seaweed 

                                                     Tempura of Udo.

Tempura of the skin and stems
                                                                         
 Udo is my favorite wild edible plant among all .Normaly it has 2 types, one is picked up in the mountains and the other one is cultivated which is bleached  just like white asparagus .We seldom  get the first ones  at the green grocer  so when I found it in April , I was thrilled and my mouth became watery.
When we lived in the country side in Hyogo Prefecture till 2004  , 1 spring  my neighbor  gave me  a few  bunches of Udo . They got it when they went for their favorite spot , hiking . They knew I like  it so much  .So  I really miss the  green Udo.
It had  a very good and strong  flavor , I felt  spirit of the mountain. After peeling the skin,I immediately  have to soak all of it   in water with some vinegar otherwise it 'll turn  black..
We can eat all the parts of it even the skin and the edge of the stalks and  leaves,too.
                                                              
                                                                                

                                                             Udo from the moutain .

                                         
                                                 Cultivated Udo

                                                                       
                                           

Takenoko 筍 （Bamboo Shoot ) Wild edible plant 2

                                               
                                                      I needed some leaves of Japanese pepper for topping
                                                                but my garden doesn't have it..
                                                    

                                                                    Japanese pepper tree at green grocery
                                                                     Looks like curry leaves!
In March,they are still very small and they don't have bitterness in them.
So we just grill them and eat just like sashime(sliced raw fish) with soy sauce.
Traditionally,we do appreciate the seasonal things especially, first is  to get vital energy from the ground.
After it is grown,we boil it with rice bran and then soak it in water.Boiled bamboo shoot and Wakame seaweed is a very good combination.In this season we enjoy bamboo shoot rice too .
At Sushi reataurant it is  used  for the topping of Nigiri Sushi now.

       The first bomboo shoots  I found at the vegetable shop  in  middle March.                                      

                                       The bamboo shoot in early April

                     The bitterness was still light so I used milky water after washing rice instead of rice bran.

                                                        Rice bran (with chili)

                                                  The bamboo shoots became bigger in late April .  

Tsukushi 土筆 ( Horsetail） Wild edible plant 1

Tsukushi is one of the edible wild plants which grows in the early spring season.
When we  find them on the grounds of the countryside,we are sure that the spring season is soon approaching.

As for cooking, I boil them to take out the bitterness first, then I stir-fry and boil with  shredded deep-fried bean curd ,Soy Sauce, Mirin(sweet sake for seasoning) and Japanese soup stock.It is a very good appetizer in this season!

These photos were taken in March

                                                                                                                                                                 

After Tsukushi withers, leaves come out.We dry them and drink as herb tea as it is effective in blood circulation.

Sushi Bento Boxes

We had a lovely holiday in Sinagpore for 1 week and  we 've just returned back home.Yesterday we went to the big supermarket here  to buy some  food .
For our lunch we bought Sushi Bento boxes and Sashimi (sliced raw
fish). I prepared salad and Miso soup as we've  missed the vegetables.
As for these  kinds of  sushi ( we call 'Nigiri sushi" which is consisting of a slice of Sashimi on a small oval-shaped ball of boild rice ) ,normally we don't prepare at home . We prefer to eat outside or buy them as we need many  kinds of sashimi for this  sushi. The sushi rice of takeaway is harder than it at a reatautant
Hand- rolled  sushi is very  popular at home  as it is easier to be prepared  and chilren also can make  it by themselves .Moreover we can add in  anything like sausages ,boiled corns , a can of tuna,
 , chicken , salad . ..and so on. Rolled sushi with Nori (laver)
, Inari-sushi (wrapped with deep fried tofu) , Tirashi-sushi ( mixed sushi)
are also  preapred at home.
My husband likes   Mackerel sushi  the most which nowadays seldom people make at home.

Even  disposable trays below we make them nicely just like art as we don't like simple trays when we spread dishes on the table.How considerate we are on these kinds of small things..!

Top one is the  Kaisen (sea food)sushi with crab meat ,salmon roe , sashimi  and egg (598yen)

Nigiri sushi cost 298 yen each.The small packet is Soy sauce.Wasabi is already spread.

These trays only for sushi have  divisions to fix it.

Kanpachi( one kind of yellowtail )480yen

This tray  for sashimi  also  has divisions with a slant

てまえmeans "this side"

Today I prepared Inari-sushi with brown rice.

I make Mixed sushi first and hold .

This is Mackerel Sushi I made for him!

http://macromacrobiyoko.blogspot.jp/2012/02/mackerelsaba.html