Good Way to Use Up Left Over Stir-fry

I usually have an odd portion of stir fry left over from dinner. I freeze the leftovers or use it the next day. The leftovers really come in handy when you don't really wanna cook, but want a nice meal. You can use the left over stir-fry as toppings for your noodles. You can either use left-overs from the night before or the one in the freezer. It's so easy to make. You can use any kind of asian noodles, cook it, drain it, put it in a bowl with superior broth, top it with the left over stir-fry, roasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions and drizzle ra-yu (chilli-infused oil) and sesame oil. This is SO good!

I always serve this with my Asian chicken salad. I use daikon sprouts, cucumbers, bean sprouts, daikon, hard boiled eggs and shredded chicken breasts with a spicy garlic dressing, but you can pretty much use anything you like or have in the fridge.

Spicy Garlic Dressing

Ingridients

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon doubanjiang

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced

Directions

1. Heat over medium heat, a small saucepan with sesame oil and garlic, cook until golden brown (but do not burn) immediately add doubanjiang and cook for 30 seconds and add rest over the ingredients and stir well.

Tonkatsu, Deep-Fried Pork Cutlet and Stir Fry for Dinner

I originally planned on only making stir fry, but as I was cooking, I remembered that I had 2 pork cutlets left over from making piccata, so I decided to make tonkatsu as well. But, as I finished coating the pork with the panko, I noticed I had about a cup left, so I also made ebi fry as well. lol It's an odd combination, but it was still good. Too bad my dad missed dinner. lol* Sorry dad. 

Anyways, both tonkatsu and ebi fry are easy to make, so here's the recipe. 

Tonkatsu

Ingredients

salt & pepper

4 pork short loin or pork chops
¼ cup flour
1 egg beaten
½ cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Cut the edge of pork (the white part to prevent shrinkage) in several places. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork. 

2. Lightly but thoroughly flour the pork. Dip the pork in beaten egg. Put panko on the pork and pat them well. 

3. Fry the pork in a 320F oil for a few minutes (have at least 1½inches of oil in the pan). Turn the pork chops and fry a few more minutes. 

4. Remove the pork to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let drain for 1~2 minutes, and serve. Serve with shredded cabbage, tomatoes and tonkatsu sauce. 

Ebi Fry follows the same coating process, but the preparations are a bit different.  

removing shells

1. Remove heads and shells from shrimp without removing tails. (If they're not deveined, do them now)

deveining

incisions

2. Make a few incisions on the stomach side of shrimp and lightly press the back of shrimp to straighten. 

pressing the back

3. Cut the edge of shrimp tails and remove dirt using a small knife. Dry shrimp on paper towels and lightly salt the shrimp.

cutting and removing the dirt from the tail

4. Dust shrimp in flour lightly. Dip the shrimp in beaten egg and avoid coating the tail. Coat the shrimp with panko.

5. Fry until golden brown. Remove the shrimp to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let drain and serve with tartar sauce. 

Will upload the recipe for the stir fry later.

Italian Dinner

Looking for a quick and easy meal? Try what I had for dinner a couple days ago, Spaghetti alla puttanesca, pork piccata and salad with Mozzarella di Bufala (Buffalo Mozzarella.) It only took me a mere half an hour to make all three of these dishes. It's easy and delicious. I added some broccoli to the puttanesca just because I had to use it up. I'm uploading the recipes for the pasta and piccata, so try it, it's good. I don't measure when I'm cooking and just eyeball everything, so the measurements is not precise :P

Spaghetti alla puttanesca

Serves 4 plus enough sauce for the piccata

Ingredients

Coarse salt

1.1lb pasta

4 tablespoons olive oil

7 medium cloves garlic, minced

¾ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

4 anchovies, crushed or ⅓ teaspoon anchovie paste

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1 chicken bouillon cube, ½ if it's the large kind

⅓ cup Sicilian or Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

¼ cup white wine

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 can of 28-ounce Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, reserving the juices

1 head of broccoli cut into florets (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta, and cook until pasta is al dente, follow the package instructions, cook pasta a minute less than the package says. Drain. If you're adding broccoli to the pasta, cook them with the pasta, broccoli only need about 4 minutes to cook, so add them when the pasta has 4 minutes remaining to cook. 

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, red-pepper flakes, and anchovies. Cook, stirring, until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add capers, olives and wine, burn off the alcohol and add add tomatoes, reserved juice and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Reserve enough sauce for the piccata.

3. Stir pasta and broccoli into sauce. Cook, stirring until sauce clings to pasta, about 40 seconds. Stir in parsley. Serve immediately with piccata.

Piccata

Ingridients

salt and pepper

all-purpose flour

4 slices of pork short loin or tenderloin

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons grated parmesean cheese

2 eggs beaten

Directions

1. Cut the edge of pork (the white part to prevent shrinkage) in several places. Salt and peper the loin and coat generously with cheese and flour, then coat with eggs.

2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the pork and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately with the reserved puttanesca sauce.

Flower of the Week / 今週のお花

Lisianthus

Lisianthus

Lisianthus, also known as Eustoma, Prairie Gentian or Texan bluebell is a genus of 3 species in the family Gentianaceae, found in warm regions of the Southern United States, Mexico, Caribbean  and northern South America. Eustoma is named after the Greek words eu- (beautiful, good, well-), and stoma  (mouth). The meaning of Eustoma is "good-tasting" or "well-spoken." It comes in shades of purple, cream, pink, also pale green, or bold two-tone "picotees" with coloured petal edges. They are mostly found growing in grassland  and areas of disturbed ground.

They are herbaceous annuals, growing to 15 – 60 cm tall, with bluish green, slightly succulent leaves, and large funnel shaped flowers growing on long straight stems. It is a very versatile flower for florists, as it makes a good filler in luxurious bouquets and can be a main flower on its own. It's also a very longlasting flower, if their stems are recut regularly.

Floriography - symbolizes outgoing nature, appreciation.

roses and lisianthus arrangement by me

ユーストマ / トルコギキョウ

ユーストマはリンドウ科ユーストマ属（旧学名リシアンサス属）の非耐寒性の多年草もしくは一年草。アメリカ大陸北部からメキシコ北部にかけて2種ある。 アメリカではTexas Bluebell, Tulip Gentian、日本ではトルコギキョウ、リシアンサス、ユーストマなどと呼ばれている。また、リンドウ科に分類されているのでキキョウ（もしくはキキョウ科）と も何ら関係はありません。トルコという名前の由来は花の形がトルコ人が頭に巻くターバンに似ているからだとか、元々のトルコギキョウの花色である青紫色が トルコ石や地中海の海の色を連想させるからだとかいわれていますが、はっきりとした由来はわかっていないようです。また、学名のEustoma（ユースト マ）はギリシア語で「良い口」を語源としますが、これは花の形からきたのでしょう。
 

すらっと伸びた茎の先端に次々と咲かせる色とりどりの花は豪華で気品があます。日本には昭和10年代に切り花用向きに導入されて現在に至るまでたくさん の品種が作られました。現在では切り花用の草丈の高いもの意外に鉢花用の矮性種（草丈の高くならないコンパクトな品種）もあり用途の幅も広がってきていま す。
 

切り花向きの品種を中心として非常にバラエティーが多く、一重咲き・八重咲き・枝分かれして一本の茎にたくさんの花を咲かせるスプレー咲きをはじめとし て、花色は白・紫・黄色・ピンク・ブルー、花の咲く時期も早生・中生・晩生と幅広く揃っています。また、株を冷蔵保存するなど技術の発達により切り花は一 年を通して流通しています。

花言葉　-　優美, 希望, よい語らい, 清々しい美しさ

Recalling the Daffodil Post / I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

William Wordsworth

I don't know if all of you are familiar with this poem, but it truly is a wonderful poem.  The poem 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' is also known by the title 'Daffodils', a lyrical poem written by William Wordsworth in 1804. It was published in 1815 in 'Collected Poems' with four stanzas. William Wordsworth is a well-known romantic poet who believed in conveying simple and creative expressions through his poems. He had quoted, "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility". Thus, Daffodils is one of the most popular poems of the Romantic Age, unfolding the poet's excitement, love and praise for a field blossoming with daffodils. 

William Wordsworth wrote Daffodils on a stormy day in spring, while walking along with his sister Dorothy near Ullswater Lake, in England. He imagined that the daffodils were dancing and invoking him to join and enjoy the breezy nature of the fields. Dorothy Wordsworth, the younger sister of William Wordsworth, found the poem so interesting that she took 'Daffodils' as the subject for her journal. 

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
  

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Here is a link to the poem read by one of my favorite actors, Jeremy Irons. Enjoy! 

Terrariums

I've always been fascinated with terrariums. They're intricate and beautiful, somewhat magical. My interpretation of a terrarium is a bonsai in a Wardian case. I want a house full of beautiful terrariums. lol* 

If you don't know what terrariums are, terrariums are miniature, self contained eco-systems. Once created, these closed environments can go for months unattended without even adding water.

my terrarium

The history of Terrariums goes back to the early 1800's.  But, even before the early 1800's, plants were kept under bell-shaped glass jars for exhibit since 500 BC. But the terrarium in its modern form was invented by accident in 1827 by Nathaniel Ward, a London physician with a passion for botany. Dr. Ward built a fern rockery in his backyard, but the ferns kept dying, poisoned by the fumes from the city's factories. Ward was also studying moths and caterpillars and, while experimenting with a cocoon in a covered jar for observation, he noticed that several plants had grown in the bit of soil at the bottom of the jar. Among the bottled plants was a fern and, unlike the ferns in his garden, it looked healthy; Dr. Ward concluded that plants could flourish in London if they could be protected from the city's polluted air. Ward pursued his discovery in miniature greenhouses, which he named fern cases, and which are now known as Wardian cases or terrariums.

Ever since the invention of Wardian cases, horticulturists were able to bring back sensitive tropical plants in Wardian cases well-protected from salt air and changing climatic conditions during the long sea voyage. Ward's terrariums also became popular for growing the plants, and it became, in various guises, almost a domestic necessity. The poor had to content themselves with inexpensive rudimentary versions, but there were no limits for the rich. Wardian cases grew into miniature Taj Mahals and Brighton Pavilions, perfect vehicles for the contemporary love of elaborate ornamentation as well as living plants. The Wardian case was fashionable in the United States in the early 1860s, and hardly a self-respecting Victorian household was without one. 

Today's "Wardian Cases", or Terrariums, as we now call them, no longer have the need to keep our plants away from cold, and fouled air, but serve quite another purpose. With the dry air of our modern air conditioned, and forced air heated homes, many plants have difficulty thriving without a great deal of attention. Terrariums allow us to keep plants easily in our homes in attractive, decorative containers, while creating an environment which requires very little care. Closed terrariums, happy in their humidity filled surroundings, actually thrive on neglect. So make one for yourself and enjoy the beauty of the terrariums. You can creat terrariums in almost anything, but they look absolutely gorgeous in apothecary jars, Wardian case or any glass containers. The Wardian case can also serve a an decorative objet in any room. Look for one at tag sales, consignment shops or antique stores. Good luck!

One of My Favorites

I've finished arranging the flowers! I didn't use any frogs or floral foam for this arrangement. I wanted to allow the flowers to maintain their overall integrity. And I want the arrangement to last, so I'm allowing the flowers to behave naturally. I quite pleased with the finished arrangement. The arrangement actually look better than the pic:)

アレンジ終了しました～！今回は剣山やオアシスは使いませんでした。花本来のしなやかさ、たれ、くきのカーブなどを自然に生かしたかったので今回はこのようになりました。長持ちして欲しい場合はやはりオアシスや剣山を使わない方がいいですね。今回のアレンジメントには満足してますｗ

Flower of the Week / 今週の花

Scabiosa


Scabiosa is a genus in the teasel Family Dipsacaceae of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word scabious; however some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in related genera such as Knautia and Succisa; at least some of these were formerly placed in Scabiosa. Another common name for members of this genus is pincushion flowers.


Members of this genus are native to Europe and Asia. Some species of Scabiosa, notably small scabious (S. columbaria) and Mediterranean sweet scabious (S. atropurpurea) have been developed into cultivars for gardeners.


Scabiosa plants have many small flowers of soft lavender blue, lilac or creamy white colour borne in a single head on a tall stalk. Scabious flowers are nectar rich and attract a variety of insects including moths and butterflies such as the Six-spot Burnet. Scabiosa species are also used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Grey Pug.


In 1782, a mysterious pale yellow scabious, called Scabiosa trenta, was described by Belsazar Hacquet, an Austrian physician, botanist, and mountaineer, in his work Plantae alpinae Carniolicae. It became a great source of inspiration for later botanists and mountaineers discovering the Julian Alps, especially Julius Kugy. The Austrian botanist Anton Kerner von Marilaun later proved Belsazar Hacquet had not found a new species, but a specimen of the already known submediterranean Cephalaria leucantha.


Floriography - Unfortunate Love, grief

スカビオサ


スカビオサはヨーロッパを中心としてアジア、アフリカまで約80種類が分布します。毎年花を咲かせる多年草のものと一度花を咲かせて実を結ぶと枯れてしまう1・2年草のものがあります。園芸でよく栽培されるのは1年草のセイヨウマツムシソウ（スカビオサ・アトルプルプレア）や多年草のコーカサスマツムシソウ（スカビオサ・カウカシカ）などで鉢植えや切り花として出回っています。また、バラエティーに富んだ園芸品種もあります。一般にスカビオサというと外国産の洋種を挿すことが多いです。


日本にもマツムシソウ（スカビオサ・ジャポニカ）１種が分布します。マツムシソウは日本各地の草地に自生し秋の高原を彩る山野草として親しまれています。タカネマツムシソウ、ソナレマツムシソウなどの変種が存在します。洋種のスカビオサとは分けて扱うこともあります。


スカビオサはラテン語で「疥癬（かいせん）」という意味で、この植物が皮膚病の薬として用いられたことに由来します。


花言葉 - 不運な愛,  朝の花嫁,  風情,  魅力

Deep Tones

I tend to shy away from using deep toned flowers, but when I went into the flower shop, the deep burgundy color of the Scabiosa captured my eyes and I pictured a luxurious, European, The Great Gatsby like, lush arrangement. So, I bought sweet peas, scabiosa, ranunculus, dusty miller, snapdragons, gloriosa lily, eucalyptus, mokara orchid and speckled red spray roses. I don't know the name of the spray rose... It's similar to Arrow Follies, but it's speckles are yellow, not white, has identical coloring as a gloriosa lily. Hope the arrangement turn out well:)

僕は深みのある色の花をアレンジするのは得意じゃないんですが、今日はフラワーショップでワインレッドのスカビオサが目に留まり、豪華、ヨーロピアン、グレート・ギャツビー、華々しいアレンジメントが頭に浮かびました。なので、スイトピー、スカビオサ、ラナンキュラス、ダスティーミラー、キンギョソウ、グロリオサ、ユーカリ、モカラとスプレーバラ・ファイヤーフラッシュを購入しました。アレンジするのが楽しみｗ


Btw, I found out the name of the spray rose, it's Fire Flash

Chilled Orange Soufflé with Strawberry Sauce

I LOVE this recipe so much. It's simple, yet this chilled soufflé is so delectable, the orange zest and the wine in this soufflé is a perfect marriage. It can be made and appreciated at all times.  This is a recipe from Anne Willan, the founder of the prestigious Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne in Burgundy, France. The recipie calls for strawberries, but I find that raspberries compliments the soufflé better, but you try it and see what you like. 



Ingredients
6 cups strawberries
¾ cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups sweet white wine
1½ tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
(optional 1~2 tablespoon Grand Marnier)

As you can see, the mixture solidified quickly, that I didn't have the time to smooth out the surface

Directions
1. Place a medium bowl in the freezer to chill. Cut 4 strips of parchment paper about 1 inch longer than the circumference and at least 1 1/2 inches taller than a 6-ounce ramekin. Wrap a parchment-paper strip around each of 4 ramekins to form a collar, and secure with tape.


2. Reserve 4 small strawberries for garnishing. Hull the remaining strawberries. Puree 3 cups (with Grand Marnier if you'd like) strawberries and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. (If you're using raspberries, make sure you strain the sauce to get the seeds out) Transfer to a bowl or small pitcher, cover, and chill to serve with the souffles. Slice the remaining strawberries, combine with 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and divide them among the souffle dishes.


3. Place 1/4 cup wine in a small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin. Let stand until gelatin begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, remove bowl from freezer, and pour cream into bowl; whip cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill.


4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar and the orange zest on high speed until light and very thick, at least 5 minutes.


5. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring the remaining 1 3/4 cups wine just to a boil. With the mixer on low speed, slowly stir the hot wine into the egg-yolk mixture. Return this mixture to the pan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens and lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure not to let it boil; if it does it will curdle. Remove the custard from the heat, and immediately set the pan into the ice-water bath.


6. Melt gelatin over very low heat, and stir it into the warm custard. Continue stirring until it starts to set. Remove it from the ice-water bath and fold in the whipped cream. (You may want somebody to help you at this point, after mixing in the whipped cream, the mixture will solidify quickly, so have another person tap the ramekins to smooth out the surface.) Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dishes, covering the strawberries. You will have to work quickly, as the mixture sets quickly once it is cold. It should fill to an inch or more above the rim of the dishes. Chill until firmly set, at least 2 and up to 12 hours (if kept longer, the souffles tend to stiffen).


7. To serve, loosen and remove the parchment-paper collars from the souffles. Thinly slice each reserved strawberry to form a fan, leaving the slices joined at the hull. Press the strawberries flat with your thumb to fan the slices, and set one on top of each souffle. If the souffles have been chilled for more than a few hours, let them warm and soften at room temperature for a few minutes. Serve with the chilled strawberry sauce.

夕ご飯 / A Strictly Japanese Dinner

今日は適当に残り物の整理で風呂吹き大根、ちらし寿司、餡かけ茶碗蒸しと吸い物。本当に日本料理は手間がかかります・・・　

でも考えてみれば手間をかけるのには色んな意味があるのでしょう。美味しく食事をいただける様には当然ですが、健康面、美意識、旬、季節感、心遣いなど深い意味を持ってるんですね。

食事を取る事による充足感、また美味しい物を食べる事による喜びは、精神衛生上好ましい影響を与えるんですよ～。最近の食べ物は早くて旨いを重視していますが、それで本当にいいのでしょうか？加工食品も本当に食べ物といえるのでしょうか！？　笑　今のは言いすぎｗ　ローソンのチキン好きだもん♥ ローソンさん頑張って下さい！でも皆さんも手間がかかっても健康的で美味しい食事をなるべくとるようにしましょう！今は時間がないのでそんなに説明できないんですが、1,2年前から美食学に興味を持ったので少し勉強をしてるんですが、皆さんもしてみてはどうでしょう？とても興味深いですよ。

Sorry I have to go so, write more in english later

Cherry Pie / チェリーパイ

If you've never baked a fresh cherry pie or never had one, you should totally try it, it's amazing! It's so much better than ones that come out of the can. I use bing cherries for my pie but you can use any kind like Sequoia, Lambert or Tartarian. If you can also use sour cherries for a tarter pie, try Early Richmond, Morello or Montmorency. 

Ingridients
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 recipe pastry for a 9in double crust pie (Pate Brisee) or 9in frozen pie crust
1 cup sugar or less depending on the sweetness of the cherries.
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2lbs fresh bing cherries, pitted (about 6 cups), or 1¾ pounds frozen bing cherries, thawed or partially thawed.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disc of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out an 11-inch round, and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Keep the crust refrigerated while preparing the lattice strips.


3. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out second disc of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Trim to make a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut 16 strips each approximately 12 inches long and ½ inch wide with a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife (use a ruler for a straight line). Transfer the parchment to baking sheet, and refrigerate until cold, about 10 minutes.


4. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add cherries and vanilla, and toss. Pour cherry mixture into prepared pie plate. Dot the top with butter. Lightly brush edges of crust with egg in order the stick the lattice top. Make the lattice top and brush with eggs. (If you don't know how to make a lattice top, got to number 7)


5. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about an hour (if using frozen, it will take about 1½ hours). If top begins to brown too quickly, tent with foil and continue to bake.


6. Let pie cool slightly on a wire rack. Pie can be stored at room temperature (covered loosely with parchment and tented with foil) for up to 1 day.


7. Make the lattice: Lay 8 strips of dough across the pie. Fold back every other strip. Lay another strip perpendicular in center of pie. Unfold the strips over perpendicular strip. Fold back the strips that are under the perpendicular strip. Lay a second perpendicular strip next to the first. Unfold the strips over the second perpendicular strip. Repeat, weaving strips across half the pie. Return to center, lay a perpendicular strip on unwoven side of pie, and repeat. Trim strips to make a 1-inch overhang. Tuck extra under rim of crust, and crimp to seal. Brush lattice with egg.


チェリーパイ


近いうちにアップします！m(_ _)m

Tempura / 天ぷら

なんか最近無性に揚げ物が食べたい・・・　今日のお昼ご飯は、残り物で作った海老と紫蘇の天ぷらとそばでした。天ぷらの衣って意外と難しいと思っている方も多いと思うので今日はその衣の紹介です。

天ぷら大好き♥♥

材料
卵　一個
水　200cc
薄力粉　200ccのカップ一杯


作り方
1. まずボウルに卵を割ってほぐします。 そこに200ccの冷水を入れて泡だて器で軽く混ぜます。


2. 200ccのカップ一杯の薄力粉を三回ほどに分けて、1.に入れます。揚げる直前に衣は混ぜてください。


Lately, for some reason I've been craving deep fried food... So, today I made tempura for lunch to accompany my soba. I made it with whatever I had in the fridge, so I fried shrimp and Green Shiso (Perilla frutescens). So delicious! It's so easy to make tempura, but some of you may have a hard time with preparing the batter, so I'm going to share with you my easy tempura batter with you.

I ♥ Tempura

Ingridients
1 large egg
¾ cup cold water
¾ cup all purpose flour or weak flour


Directions


1. In a medium bowl, beat egg slightly and whisk in cold water.


2. Shift the flour into the egg water mixture, ¼ cup at a time. Make sure to use cold water and not to over mix to prevent the glutens from forming. Also, lightly coat whatever you are frying with flour, shaking off the excess before dipping them into the batter. 


Did you know that Tempura was introduced to Japan in the mid-sixteenth century by early Portuguese missionaries and traders? Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, reportedly loved tempura.

Blancmange / ブラマンジェ

Blancmange is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin or cornstarch and often flavored with almonds. It is usually set in a mold and served cold. Blancmange is easy to make and this would be a perfect finish to any meal. You can serve this for a formal or casual dinner depending on the presentation. Try it for your next meal! I don't flavor my blancmange with almond, but it's still good.

Ingredients
1~1½ tablespoon powdered gelatin
3 tablespoon water
1⅔cup milk to half and half
¼  cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup and 2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Sauce
½ lb strawberries (You can use more)
3 tablespoon sugar (adjust depending on the sweetness of the berry)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon kirsch


Direction


1. In a small bowl pour water and sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the water and let it soften for a bout 5 minutes.


2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add milk/half and half and the sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. turn the heat to low and add the softened gelatin, stir until dissolved, do not boil.


3. Remove saucepan from the heat and pour heavy cream and vanilla into the warm milk mixture, stir and strain into mold (You can make this in a large mold or individual). Chill in the refrigerator until set, serve cold with strawberry sauce and garnish with mint leaves.


Strawberry Sauce


1. Wash and hull the strawberries and cut into quarters.


2. In a bowl, mix sugar, lemon juice and kirsch. Add the strawberries and mix well. Refrigerate the strawberries and let it macerate. You can puree the sauce or serve as is.


ブラマンジェ

材料
大1~1½ ゼラチン
大3　     水
200cc　 牛乳
60g　    グラニュー糖
100cc　 生クリーム
バニラエッセンス　少々


シロップ
300g～ イチゴ　
大3　   グラニュー糖
大1　   レモン汁
大1　   キルシュワッサー　


作り方


1. ゼラチンは水に振りかけて、しばらくおき、じゅうぶんにふやかしておく。


2. なべに牛乳とグラニュー糖を入れて、火にかける。沸騰直前で火を止め、ゼラチンを入れて、よく溶かす。


3. 2をボウルにこし入れ、粗熱が取れたら生クリームとバニラエッセンスを加え、よく混ぜる。


4. 器に注いで冷蔵庫に2～3時間おき、冷やし固める。なるべくつくった日に食べるほうがおいしい。

Caption this!

When I was googling for the pic I used in the previous post, I came across this cake... lol*

how appetizing

Dessert for the rest of the week

For rest of the week hopefully, I'll upload dessert recipes. yum yum! 

Quote of the Day

Admit that your own private Mount Everest exists. That is half the battle. 

BTW, finally got a watch!

I finally got a watch! lol I've been too lazy to get one for years, but my dad got me one for Christmas. YAY!

loves it ya'll

Flower Arrangements 2 ways

So, I finished the arrangements. I initially made a huge arrangement in an urn, but the flowers seemed Eastery, so I rearranged the flowers into an Easter arrangement (it's early, but it's good to practice) :)

1st Arrangment

Easter Inspired Arrangement

I'm a bit disappointed about the Easter picture... The wall and the rabbits are white and the bedding is also white, so you can't really distinguish what's what. The bedding should've been a pale green or at least ivory. Anyways, same flowers, two different looks.