How to Eat "ONE MAN Ramen"

In Yokohama we found this small ramen shop that catered for the solo eater, those who don't want to be bothered by the company of other human being while slurping up their hot, wet noodles. It's not a public spectacule. (I suppose for the self-conscious noodle slurper, who has terrible table manners or the alienated diner who needs some private downtime with their pork slices.....whatever the case, I highly recommend it purely for the ramen itself and the experience. The noodle shop has branches everywhere in Japan(centering mostly from Fukuoka City, whereit originated) We found the shop in Yokohama, adjacent to the View Building, across from the JR Sakuragicho station. The restauirant is called ' ' which more or less translated to 'leave me alone' When you first enter the shop be aware that it's dark and ominous and their is no 'welcome to our shop' until you sit down at one of the many enclosed booths. There is only a small roll screen in front of you.

You are first given a questionaire from a faceless waitress who asks you to fill out the form and call her when you've complete it. The basic questions are 1. How would you like you noodles cooked? 2. What type of broth would you prefer? 3. Would you like your ramen mild or spicy or super hot? While you are waiting you are given a soft boiled egg to peel yourself and a small packet of salt. (only if youve order the topping) I recommend ordering two, one for an appetizer and one to add to your ramen. After a bit, the waitress brings your meal and says please enjoy, then she closes the shutters and you are left alone to contemplate your exsistence with the steaming bowl of ramen. Should you finish off the noodle in no time flat, you can request a second helping by calling the waitress back with a call button located at the top of the counter next to the water fountain.

A second helping of noodles is called 'Karu tama' and the waitress will press a metal chip on the computer IC readers and a noodle chime song will play. She'lll ask you again how you would like your noodles cooked: 'Futsu' regular , 'Tatta men" al dente, of "bari katta" starchy tough, barely cooked and close to raw!
After you've finished your noodles you simple say "Gochiso-sama" and leave the counter. I felt so lonely and helpless eating alone in a closed ramen shop, but I might go again, just to keep myself company.....

"Matsuri" Festival Food

Summer is a time for many festivals in Japan. One of the best things about every festival is the wide variety of foods! 夏はフェスティバルのための最も良い時間です。

Azabu Juban Matsuri, Tokyo

The streets of Azabu-Juban are lined wall to wall with many yukata clad people hungrily scowling the street-venders for summer delectables!

VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AVVqrfNBE0

Working in the food booths is hard and smokey. The shear volume of hungry people and gross inventory over 3-days is staggering!

"Squid tentacles anyone?"

Octopus Dumplings. Small whole octopi are cooked in eggy batter and formed into round, bite-size morsels covered it sauce and eaten with a toohpick.

Fried potato spirals were a big seller this year.The whole spud is sliced and stretched out on a skewer then fried-like a long potato chip....on-a-stick!

You can choose from various dipping flavors: cheesy, spicy, seaweed, or plain sea salt. Miki-chan here chose a "double dip extra CHEEZY"

Cooking Club: Turkish Cooking (Part Two)

Turkish Delight ロクム

I would often see confectionery stores displaying colorful rows of these sweets in store markets in Europe and often received them as gifts from friends who had been abroad to Istanbul (as well as the UK) The colors were a bit offsetting but once you bite into the rich jelliness of the candy and the surprising crunch of the nuts then let the awhiff of the rosewater carry you away to Narnia. I can see now how the boy was tempted away by the Icy Queen to betray his family. (I so much wanted to betray someone just to have some more....lokum!)

VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JylBx5wX1uA&feature=related

（トルコ語：lokum）は、砂糖にデンプンとナッツ（クルミ、ピスタチオ、アーモンド、ヘーゼルナッツ、ココナッツ）を加えて作る、トルコの菓子。マシュリク、バルカン半島、ギリシャの他、欧米でも知られている。英語ではターキッシュ・ディライト（Turkish delight、「トルコの悦び」）と呼ばれる。作り方は、砂糖を水に溶かして火にかけ、コーンスターチなどデンプンを溶き入れ、飴状になったらナッツを混ぜ入れ、デンプンをまぶした型に入れて冷まして固め、冷めたら正方形に切ってデンプンと粉砂糖をまぶす。ゆべしに似ている。ネスレカナダ社が「ビッグ・ターク」（Big Turk）というロクムをチョコレートで包んだスナックバーを製造している他、イギリスとオーストラリアではキャドバリー社が同じくロクムをチョコレートで包んだフライズ・ターキッシュ・ディライト（Fry's Turkish Delight）という菓子を製造している。

Turkish Delight

The recipe itself is very simple- however, the timing and having patience are required.

• Make sure you have two pots. Pot A and Pot B. Pot B should be larger because the two pots will be combined. Stir the sugar into the water and allow to dissolve. Place on heat and bring to a boil- be sure not to let it boil over! Just after topping off reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes to reach 115 on a candy themometer.

In Pot B combine the cornstarch and water-again dissolve first before placing on heat. Stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Be wary, the mixture will thicken in an instant so keep stirring!




Combine the sugar syrup slowly and break up as many 'icebergs' as possible. Continue simmering and stirring for one hour- unti the cornstarch lumps dissolve.

Cool slightly and add nuts(blanched) and rosewater .Then pour into a 9" pan lined with waxed paper. Let set overnight. I had prepared one the night before. We sliced it and generously coated it with powdered sugar.

RECIPE:
材料　８０個分【ローズ】グラニュー糖　５カップ水　５カップ半レモン果汁　小さじ２コーンスターチ　１カップ半酒石酸　小さじ１ローズウォーター　大さじ２食紅　少々サラダ油　少々粉砂糖　１カップ厚手の鍋（大、小）２３ｃｍ四方の型
１．２３ｃｍ四方の型にラップをしき、サラダ油をぬる。２．砂糖、水２カップ、レモン汁を鍋（小）にいれ、中火にかける。砂糖が完全に溶けて、沸騰するまでかきまぜた ら、火を弱める。ブクブクと泡立つ状態（１１５度）に なるまで、かきまぜずにとろ火で煮る。３．酒石酸とコーンスターチ１カップと１／４を鍋（大）にいれ、中火にかる。ダマにならないように、残りの水３ カップ半を徐々に加えてゆく。沸騰してもったりとした 糊状になるまで、かきまぜつづける。　　　　４．３に２をくわえ、よくかきまぜたら、火を弱める。こげつかないように、よくかきまぜながら淡い黄金色になるまで約１時間、とろ火で煮る。
５．４にローズウォーターと食紅をくわえ、かきまぜる。用意しておいた型にながし込み、平らにならす。そのままふたをせず、室温でひと晩ねかせる。　　　６．まな板に、残りのコーンスターチ１／４カップと粉砂糖をふりかける。その上にターキッシュディライトをあけサラダ油をつけた包丁で２．５ｃｍ角に切る。７．くっつかないように粉砂糖をよくまぶす。まるい箱に入れ、緑色の絹のリボンをかける。

※以下のフレーバーの場合はローズウォーターと食紅の代わりに以下のものを入れる。【レモン】レモン汁　計大さじ５レモンエッセンス　小さじ２着色料（イエロー）【ミント】ミントリキュール　大さじ２着色料（グリーン）　少々
【オレンジ】オレンジリキュール　大さじ２　　　　　着色料（オレンジ）　少々【バニラ＆ナッツ】バニラエッセンス　大さじ２ナッツ　１／２カップ※空煎りしたアーモンドもしくはウォールナッツ。きざんでおく。

Cooking Club: Turkish Cooking (Part One)

Falafel ファラフェル
I used to have Falafels almost everyday after school at a small Turkish Restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut- the name of the restaurant eludes me- but my study group would always take up residence at a corner table and munch on falafel after falafel and chase them down with harsh, black Turkish coffees that were as thick as mud and loaded with enough pure caffeine to keep us awake studying til the break of dawn!

The consummate junk food of the Middle East. I would see them being made on almost every street corner in Istanbul and Egypt.
ファラフェルもしくはファラーフェル（アラビア語: فلافل 、ヘブライ語: פלאפל、英語: Falafel）はヒヨコマメまたはソラマメから作ったコロッケのような中東の食べ物。

Cooking Class.

We made whole wheat pita bread from scratch, rolling out the flour dough and allowing it to 'puff up' when baked.

ピタ（英語pita, ヘブライ語 pitah פִּתָּה, アラビア語kmaj كماج）、ピタパン(pita bread)は直径20センチくらいの平たく円形のパン。地中海沿岸、中東、北アフリカで広く見られる食文化。
小麦粉に水・塩・砂糖・イーストを加えて、一時間ほど発酵させ、高温のオーブンで一気に焼上げる。中が空洞のポケット状になっているところから、英語ではポケットパン（pocket bread）とも呼ばれ、フムス（ヒヨコマメのペースト）など様々なソース類をすくって食べたり、中にスブラキやケバブ、ファラフェルなど野菜や肉、豆類などの具材を挟みいれたサンドイッチとして食べたりする。

The dried chickpeas (you can also used dried fava beans-but not canned)were soaked overnight and we made them into spicy falafels. Before mixing the ingredients together and using your hands to form balls it's wise to coat your hands with oil first to make it easier to prevent the falafel (tumeric, collander, and cumin)spices from staining your hands. Also, allow the mixture to sit awhile so that the spices can flavor the beans thoroughly.

Deep frying the falafels is a little tricky. Be sure to allow them to heat all the way through to the center or else the chickpeas inside will be tough or doughy. The outside of the falafel should be hard and crispy(the outside layer of chickpeas cooks quickly) Rotate the falafels frequently so they are cooked evenly.

When your falafels are ready- you're ready to eat! Slice the pita breads lengthwise into two half pockets and fill with lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices, then drizzle with Tahini sesame dressing.


RECIPES:

Cafe Gecko's Falafel Recipe

1 cup dried chickpeas1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper4 cloves of garlic1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon tumeric1 teaspoon baking powder4-6 tablespoons flourVegetable oil for frying
Method:1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.(if there’s no food processor you can use a blender with 2 parts water, strained and retain course puree) Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl. Leaving refrigerated for several hours is best for the spices to blend- but they can be cooked right away.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of golf balls.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahini thinned with water.

Tokyo Taste 東京食糧サミット

Tokyo Taste 2009
Food Summit 東京食糧サミットYurakucho Forum , Tokyo
Many renowned chefs were invited to demonstrate new
cooking techniques at the first of it's kind 'food summit.'

Many of the chefs performed demonstration before a live television audience.シェフの多くがテレビでデモンストレーションを与えました。

There were also some close-up and hands-on demonstrations all around the building. As well as many tastings and free food samples. また、クローズアップデモンストレーションと試食がありました。

come to think of it....I don't rightly remember where I went to after hitting the Wine Tasting booth....there was such a wide selection and various tasting promoters- it's all a big blur! 私は、次にブドウ酒試飲の仕事ブースをどこまで追いかけたかを覚えていません。
Can't wait for next years Summit! 私は次の何年ものサミットにおいてfowardに見えています。

School Lunch

Lunchtime at Elementary Schools
One of the best parts of substitute teaching at an elementary school isn't the fundamental distinction I receive knowing that I am contributing to the advancement of their higher linguistical education....naw...it's lunchtime and the grubs!
Many Japanese school boards take considerable care in making sure their students receive healthy, well-balanced meals. It's fun to watch some students don surgical suits before serving each classes meal trays and other students call out the day's menu: Kids: "Today's menu is fried salmon steak with pickled vegetables. Also mixed rice and seaweed soup......."
Kids:"Today's menu is bean soup with ham, fried chicken and pumpkin, and wheat bread. Also, because it is Sensubun holiday, we get a bag of roasted soy beans to ward off evil spirits....."

Kids: "Today for lunch we have pumpkin mash, potato and vegetable soup, white bread, and as an added treat...mochi ice cream!" (Yukimi daifuku is a frozen, sweet mochi rice cake filled with vanilla ice cream. It's very stretchyyyyyy)

This student wanted to show me just how stretchyyyyyy the mochi dessert was!

Kids: "Today for lunch we have warm seaweed salad, stewed meat and potatoes, with fish flakes sprinkled on our rice...."
Kids: "Our lunch today has chicken egg drop soup, fried locally caught sweetfish, milk bread, and corn on the cob....."

Kids: "For lunch today we have fried potato taters and fish and a bowl of white stuff with noodles swimming through it...."

Cooking Club: Mexican Cooking

Mexican Cooking
トルティーヤ　 タコミート　トマトサルサ　ワカモレ

FLOUR TORTILLAS　　　　トルティーヤ
材料：
3 cups Flour
小麦粉　３カップ
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
塩　小さじ１
4-6 tbs. Vegetable Shortening (Crisco)
ショートニングオイル　大さじ４～６
1 1/4 cups warm water
湯　１ １／４カップ

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
大き目のボウルに上記材料を入れ、混ぜる
Use a fork to cut in shortening until crumbly.
フォークを使い、ショートニングオイルを砕けやすくする
Using your hands mix in warm water a little at a time.
湯を加え、手で軽く混ぜる
Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes until firm and not sticky.
生地が固まるまで５～８分程度こねる（ねばりが出ないように！）
Form 12 small balls. Allow to rest for a few minutes.
生地を１２個にわけ、２，３分おく
Dust balls with flour and roll into thin tortillas.
小麦粉をまぶして広げ、薄いトルティーヤを作る
Heat a skillet on low heat and brown tortillas lightly on each side.
弱火でフライパンを温め、広げたトルティーヤを両面焼く（油はいれない）
Wrap in cloth until ready to serve.
食べる直前まで乾いた布で包んでおく