Taberu La-Yu

La-Yu or Ra-Yu (辣油) is chili-infused sesame oil (a type of chili oil) that we use in Japan as a cooking ingredient or as a condiment. It is usually made by heating a non-volatile oil with spices, let cool, add sesame oil, and store in sterile glass container for few days to mellow.

La-Yu is mostly used for gyoza sauce with soy sauce and vinegar to give a hint of hot taste. It can be used for soups and stir-fries, too!

Taberu La-Yu, which means "Edible La-Yu", is true to it's name EDIBLE! You can eat it as is because it is not as hot as regular La-Yu. Instead, Taberu La-Yu contains shredded or minced savory ingredients, such as leeks, garlic, ginger, and onions.

Now this Taberu La-Yu stormed Japan! In different packaging and ingredients, I see it at stores everywhere. I've tried this Taberu La-Yu lately and was great! Without doubt, it went well with white rice!!! Of course, you can use it as a relish!

Try it out if available :D

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Looking for Childhood Photos

This weekend, my darling and I both went back to our own family home to find childhood photos of ourselves. My darling went all the way back to his hometown (in Hikone) to find his.

As you might know, we need to create a childhood photo montage video presentation which will be shown at our wedding reception. In Japan, photo montage presentation is the highlight of entertainment for the guests. Combined with our favorite music, from childhood photos to dating and engagement photos, it is a special reflection on our past to tell the story of us, who eventually meet and fall in love.

Well, there were hundreds of albums at my family home so I couldn't select ones I want to use in a snap... I think I'll go back again since my family home is just a few-minute walk from where I live.

Yeah, our doggy was doing fine. I saw Tamagawa Fireworks from home which we saw up close last year.

How was your weekend?!

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Juicy Tender Simmered Eggplant and Shimeji

This is my favorite recipe! Shimeji is a Japanese mushroom which is rich in umami (savoriness) tasting compounds such as guanylic acid, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid. I combined it with hon-dashi (packaged dashi powder) to give more of umami for eggplant to absorb! This tender eggplant really works up our appetite and goes great with white rice. Mmm yummy :P

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Juicy Tender Simmered Eggplant and Shimeji

Difficulty: Very Easy
Time: 15min
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
200g (0.4lb.) shimeji mushroom
200g (0.4lb.) Japanese eggplant
100g (0.2lb.) ground beef and pork
A
* 2 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
* 1 tbsp. sake
* 1 tsp. hon-dashi (packaged dashi powder)
* 1 tsp. grated shoga (ginger root)
* a pinch of sugar
sesame oil

Directions:
1. Chop eggplant into chunks and soak them in water to remove the oxalic acid and drain. Remove tough base of shimeji mushroom and break into bite-sized chunks.
2. Heat sesame oil in a pan, cook (stir around) ground beef and pork, add A, eggplant, and shimeji mushroom, and simmer until the liquid is almost gone and tender.

My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Have a good weekend!

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