The Reality of Processed Foods and Restaurants

This morning, I forgot my gym stuff at home, so I ran back to home and ran to the station to catch my usual train... Isn't it my day? According to the astrology, the stars were in my favor... Hope I'm lucky today.

Anyway, starting from China's milk formula products, melamine has been detected in many of the processed foods in Japan... Also, after pesticide has been detected in a package of frozen gyoza dumplings imported from China, I hear the similar news almost everyday.
But this might be nothing new. We should have eaten something unhealthful without realizing. Isn't it scary? Not positive for our economy, but I want to cook and eat at home.

I will list recent news I found:
10/21: Saizeriya to pay back charges for its pizzas after melamine detected in ingredients
10/25: Insecticide found in Japan instant noodles
10/25: Melamine detected in fresh caramel in Saitama

The weather forecast had proved wrong and it was cloudy and rainy this weekend. Finally, the cloud cleared this morning! But the good thing is that the typhoon won't hit Japan this year!
I found a bird at the river near home. I took it with my cell! My boyfriend said it's a cormorant but I am not sure what this is...

Okay, I gotta go now.
Will see you tomorrow ;)

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Shrimp Tempura Udon Mummy

It is cloudy but warm again, the high is 77F (25C)!

Today, I will translate one of my Halloween recipes in response to the request ;)

Hope all ingredients are available in your area.



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Shrimp Tempura Udon Mummy

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 15min
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients:
4 ebi(shrimp) tempura
1 nori sheet (cut into 4 squares)
cream cheese
frozen udon noodles or pre-boiled udon noodles
sliced cheese and nori sheet for eyes
tentsuyu or konbu tsuyu

Directions:
1. Prepare ebi(shrimp) tempura.
The recipe of tempura is HERE.




2. Use frozen udon noodles or pre-boiled udon noodles which looks like the image on the left.



3. Boil udon noodles as directed on package.




4. Spread cream cheese on nori sheet.





5. Wrap ebi(shrimp) tempura with the nori sheet(4.).




6. When Udon gets dry, it's gluten gets strong and sticky. In that instant, wrap udon around the shrimp(5.). Cut out sliced cheese and nori sheet to make their eyes.



7. Pour non-diluted konbu tsuyu over, or dip it in tentsuyu and eat!

Please allow to cool tempura and udon when you wrap. You can eat as cold noodles like zaru udon (chilled udon noodles), or microwave before you eat.

My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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A bad cold (cold in the throat) is going around at work.
I need to be careful :(

Take care you all!!!

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Tempura

Hi! Today, it's little bit cloudy but still nice outside!

Nothing special, but I will write how to make tempura because I had a request to translate one of my recipes which needs this recipe!

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Tempura

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20min+
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients:
vegetables of your choice (eggplant, carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, renkon (lotus root), green pepper, shitake, shiso, etc...)
seafood of your choice (shrimp, fish, squid, etc...)
--Tempura Batter
* 1 egg
* ice water
* 1 cup (200cc) all purpose flour
--Tentsuyu (tempura dipping sauce)
* 1 cup (200cc) dashi broth (using packaged dashi powder saves time)
* 4 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
* 4 tbsp. soy sauce
vegetable oil
grated daikon radish
salt and sudachi (or lemon) if desired

Directions:
1. Prepare vegetables and seafood before frying. I will explain how to for shrimps: Use beheaded shrimps. Shell shrimps (leave their tails), remove spine, and make incisions in their stomach side to straighten them.
2. Tentsuyu: In a pan, bring dashi broth, mirin, and soy sauce to a boil.**
3. Tempura Batter: Beat an egg and add ice water to make them 200cc. (Be sure to use ice water!) Pour the mixture into a large bowl, sift flour in and mix lightly. (Do not overmix!)
4. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 180~190C (340~350F).
5. Lightly dip the ingredients in the batter and fry them immediately until golden and crisp. Drain tempura on a rack or a sheet of clean paper towel. (Do not fry too many at once.)
6. Serve with tentsuyu and grated daikon radish. Or salt and sudachi (or lemon) is good, too!

Tempura is best served hot!

**For tentsuyu, you can use Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu (3 times concentrated Konbu kelp seaweed soup stock). You just need to dilute it with hot water as directed on the package. This product is very convenient and it is available overseas!
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Yesterday, I wasn't able to stay up. Maybe because I work out seriously this week! Hope I have some improvements.

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