How to Cook Steamed White Rice (Gohan) - Video Recipe

Last night, I completed the first video showing you How to Cook Steamed White Rice (Gohan)!



If I stick to the quality, I can recreate it forever, so I just uploaded whatever I made... so bear with the quality...



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How to Cook Steamed White Rice (Gohan)

Difficulty: Super Easy
Time: approx. 30min
Number of servings: 4 (2 cups of rice)

Necessary Equipment:
suihanki (Japanese rice cooker)

Ingredients:
2 cups Japanese-style rice
water

Directions:
1. Measure the Rice:
Measure the rice with a measuring cup and put it into the cooking pot. Most of the time the measuring cup comes with your rice cooker!
2. Rinse the Rice:
With cold water, wash the rice. As for 2 cups, wash 4 or 5 times. Water does not have to be clear but somewhat clean.
3. Add Water:
Add water to the appropriate level indicated in the pot. If you have time, let the rice soak in the water at least 30 minutes.
4. Start the Cooker:
Place the pot into the rice cooker. Cover it, and press the button to start.
5. Steam:
When it's done, do not open and let it steam for about 15 minutes.
6. Toss:
Using a rice paddle, toss the rice lightly.
7. Serve:
You can keep the rice warmed until you unplug the rice cooker so serve when other dishes are ready.
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The next video will be a dish that goes good with white rice!

I hope I can post it soon :)

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Home Renovation - Pro Pics

I finally uploaded our renovation pictures taken by a professional photographer on facebook!!!



Actually the photographer took the pics on the day of the huge quake (3/11). omg...

*Renovation Updates*
- Completed
- 7th Week
- 6th Week
- 5th Week
- 4th Week
- 2nd and 3rd Week
- 1st Week
- The Start Date

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Introduction to my Channel

Some of you may already know that I am going to leave my job on May 31st. I have been working at a trading company for 7 years but after the huge quake in Miyagi, I thought it's end of Japan (and I think many people did thought in the same way...) So, I simply thought I want to use my time to share Japanese cooking which is the most thing I can do for myself and for my country at this moment. I believe Japanese dishes are amazingly healthy and delicious and people have to try out at home! And maybe your interest in Japan (consuming Japanese products?!) would help restore Japan after many many years!

So, for a few years, I shared my ideas of Japanese home-cooked meals through my blog but now I decided to share them through my Create Eat Happy :) channel @ YouTube, which I think is more interesting and easier to understand.

I mostly cook Japanese foods in a style using popular Japanese food products which most Japanese homemakers use. So, I hope you enjoy!

BTW, I'm new to speaking English online and editing how to videos using iMovie, so please bear with me until I improve!

I hope I can post my first tutorial as soon as I can!



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See you!!!

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♥My Cookbook♥

Wrong Belief

To tell the truth, I don't like Japanese (as a subject). I remember my parents used to worry about my Japanese language when I came back to Japan at 5th grade of elementary school because we used to live overseas (in Jordan) for 6 years.

Back then, everyone focused on my Japanese and that made me really sick of reading books and writing Kanji, and strangely I still think the same way. LoL

Majority opinion gives the wrong belief?!

Also, many people said I am not good at sports, so I still feel in that way, too.

Do you have anything that you are not good at just because others said so?

Vice versa, I like cooking because my darling really enjoys eating my dishes. hehe

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PACCO Dining Set

On Saturday, our new dining set (PACCO) has arrived!



I am new to the mac world, so it took me so long to edit these pictures...





Yesterday I shoot a video of our home but again taking me long to edit it with iMovie.

Hopefully, I'll upload it on my YouTube channel soon.

Bye for now ;)

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Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels just came out on Friday (2011/4/15) in Japan.



Travel writer Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) takes an assignment in Bermuda, but ends up on the island of Lilliput, where he towers over its tiny citizens.

So, on Saturday, my darling and I went to the movies after so long! The story was comical but somewhat romantic. I kind of agree that people can feel motivated by other people's attention. It was funny that Gulliver actually changed Lilliput while he couldn't change anything as a mail clerk.

Did you see the movie already?!
How was your weekend?!

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Belief

Many people lost hope after the quake because of losing their family, friends, homes,  jobs, money, and everyday things we take for granted.

Under such circumstance of nothing, one of the things that give hope for their future is belief that things will work out.

I totally understand that because even people in Tokyo are having hard time paving the way for the future...

I am officially leaving on 5/31 but today is the last day to commute to work. I have a positive belief in my decision!!!

Have a good weekend :D

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SPAM Comments from Your Smart Kitchen...

Your Smart Kitchen writes skillful comments on my blog. I first didn't realize they were SPAM because their comments were somewhat related to my posts. But one thing that made me stop and think was they always post with a different name with the same link to their website.

Also, I sometimes get auto-related SPAM comments on my BMW post. LoL

Do you get any SPAM comments that relates to your posts?! What do you do against them?!

I now simply delete them... but seriously replied to it once. haha

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My Mom's Juicy Tender Simmered Eggplant

This is very simple but my favorite dish that my mom cooks ;)

It's a sweet soy sauce flavor (kind of teriyaki flavor) that goes perfect with white rice.

Perfect for your bento okazu (side dish), too!!!



Video Recipe Available :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ZcVgJtU1Q

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My Mom's Juicy Tender Simmered Eggplant

Difficulty: Very Easy
Time: 20min
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
360g (0.8lb.) eggplant
1.5 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
1.5 tbsp. sugar
1/3 tsp. hon-dashi (packaged dashi powder)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
sesame oil
1.5 tbsp. ground white sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Chop eggplant into chunks and soak them in water to remove the oxalic acid and drain.




2. Heat sesame oil in a pan and stir-fry eggplant. Add mirin, sugar and hon-dashi, and cook for 3 minutes.




3. Season with soy sauce (adjust to suit your taste if needed) and simmer until the liquid is almost gone and tender. Mix in ground white sesame seeds and serve.



My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Yummy Yummy!!!

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Karaoke Addiction

I've become addicted to karaoke when I was a high school student. I couldn't afford to go there that often at that time but I remember I went there after finals with my friends for more than 3 hours!



My darling unfortunately doesn't like to go karaoke so now I go there once in a great while. Maybe twice a year or less. (My darling sings if I hand over a microphone, though...)

Anyways, yesterday I saw on TV that "your tastes may change for your loved one". I guess my Karaoke addiction reduced after I met my darling! LoL

Did any of your taste change for your loved one?!

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Mayo Curry Stir-Fried Diced Potatoes and Sausages

My darling loves curry flavor and so does the most Japanese kids ;) Mayonnaise makes the dish mild and rich! Potatoes and sausages in my fridge perfectly matched this flavor and became heavenly delicious!!!

This recipe was published in a food magazine called Lettuce Club (3/25/2011 issue).

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Mayo Curry Stir-Fried Diced Potatoes and Sausages

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10min
Number of servings: 1-2

Ingredients:
100g (3.6oz.) sausage
100g (3.6oz.) potato
60g (2.4oz.) onion
40g (1.5oz.) carrot
1/2 clove garlic
A
* 1/2 tsp. curry powder
* 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
* salt and cracked black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
parsley flakes

Directions:
1. Finely chop garlic. Dice sausage and onion. Dice potato and carrot and microwave on medium (500W) for 3 minutes (makes root vegetables stir-fry faster).
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry chopped garlic till fragrant. Add sausage and onion and stir-fry on medium until onion softens. Add potato and carrot (1.) and cook over high heat until golden brown.
3. Quickly season with A, spoon onto serving plate, and sprinkle with parsley flakes.

My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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Enjoy!!!

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Asparagus Kanitama

Kanitama (芙蓉蟹) is a Chinese omelette with crab meat topped with sweet and sour sauce. It is very popular home-cooked meal in Japan. You can add any kind of mushrooms and/or vegetables, but today I will show you mine adding asparagus. The rich flavor of asparagus makes it really yummy!!! To make it familiar, I used consomme cube instead of Chinese soup for the sauce.

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Asparagus Kanitama

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30min
Number of servings: 2

Ingredients:
100g (3.5oz.) asparagus
4 eggs
110g (3.8oz.) shredded crab meat
1 tbsp. sake
75g (2.6oz.) onion
salt and cracked black pepper
vegetable oil
A
* 150cc water
* 1/2 consomme cube
* 1 tbsp. ketchup
* 1 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
* cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. katakuriko/corn starch mixed with 1/2 tbsp. water

Directions:
1. Mix A in a pan and bring to a boil. Put katakuriko/corn starch mixture in the pan and stir quickly until thick and stop the heat.


2. Put shredded crab meat in a bowl and sprinkle sake.




3. If you have thick asparagus, peel the lower section (hard part) lightly with a vegetable peeler, and boil the asparagus (1-3 minutes depending on size) in the salted water until al dente. Cut the asparagus diagonally into to 2 inch pieces. Chop onion.

4. Beat eggs in a bowl and add crab meat, chopped onion, and asparagus in it. Add a bit of salt and cracked black pepper to taste.


5. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Spoon the mixture (4.) into the hot pan and form a round patty. When one side is done and nicely browned, turn over with a spatula and cook the other side.

6. Reheat the sweet and sour sauce (1.) over low. Serve the omelet on a plate and pour the sauce over. It doesn't matter if the asparagus popped out of the omelette.



My original recipe in Japanese is here.
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I hope you enjoy :)

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Cherry-Blossom Viewing

On Sunday, we went out for a walk (9km - 5.5miles) to see the cherry blossoms.



They were already in full bloom!!!

I have been really busy lately, so I didn't realize that this season has arrived already.

However, we have blustery winds and heavy rains in Spring almost every year, so we can enjoy the blossoms only for a few days... X(

I think this weekend was the best time to view cherry blossoms in Tokyo area, although it was pretty cloudy all day long.

How was your weekend?!

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How to Make Korokke (Addictive Japanese Croquette - My Mom's Recipe) - Video Recipe

One of my favorite dishes from childhood which my mom often made♥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIGaMT7VKZo

Korokke (Croquette) is a parcel of food such as minced meat or vegetables, shaped into a cylinder or circle, encased in breadcrumbs and deep fried. 

My mom always mixes minced meat and boiled eggs, they make the croquette really addictive! My darling loves it, so I always make tons of them! Try out my recipe and you will know why ;)

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Addictive Japanese Croquette

Difficulty: Medium
Time: 30min
Number of servings: 16 croquettes

Ingredients:
6 egg
800g (1.8lb) potato
200g (7oz) ground beef and pork mixture
200g (7oz) onion
2 tbsp. butter
A
* 1tsp. salt
* cracked black pepper
* nutmeg
B
* flour
* beaten egg
* Panko (bread crumbs)
vegetable oil for frying
ketchup and/or mayonnaise if desired
vegetables of your choice

Directions:

1. Cook hard-boiled eggs and roughly mince them. Peel and cut potatoes into medium chunks and boil them until soften. Drain and mash them while hot.



2. Mince the onion and saute with butter until soft. Add ground beef and pork mixture and cook until done. Season with A.



3. In the pot of mashed potatoes (1.), mix chopped eggs (1.), and cooked onion and meat (2.).




4. Make the mixture flat in the pot and divide it into 16 equal portions.





5. Make flat and oval-shaped patties. Coat each piece with flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with panko .




6. Deep fry them in oil at 170C (340F) until cooked golden brown.





7. Serve croquettes with ketchup and/or mayonnaise if desired, and garnish with vegetables of your choice.




You can enjoy it in a sandwich next morning ;)






レシピ (日本語)
http://cooklabo.blogspot.jp/2011/06/blog-post_14.html
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Have a good weekend!

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