YUCa’s Diary : Week 16, 2021
Tonkatsu for Lunch. The other day, my family and I visited Yamagata prefecture and had lunch at our favorite restaurant in the Shonai airport. Their signature dish is Tonkatsu and we always choose this!
Do you know Tonkatsu (とんかつ)? I remember that my cooking class guests sometimes misunderstood Tonkatsu (=Fried pork fillet) with Tonkotsu (=Pork bone). There are some tips to make crispy and juicy Tonkatsu. If you are interested in making Tonkatsu at home, please check here!
In Yamagata, we visited an aquarium famous for the best jellyfish in Japan. We were all surprised to meet so many kinds of jellyfish in one day.
Thank you for watching my interview on NHK World
Thank you for watching my interview on both BIZ STREAM & NEWSLINE IN DEPTH on NHK World!
Although the influence of the pandemic is still continuing, I started my online class with the hope that we can feel the connection between people through cooking and help enrich your life.
To commemorate this broadcast, I decided to hold a special campaign. If you make a reservation using this campaign code, you will get 20% off the tuition fee for online classes. Please take this opportunity to invite your friends and family to experience the online class.
Online Cooking Class : http://yjc.pikondev.com/category/virtual-japanese-cooking-class
Campaign code : NHK2021BIZ
I look forward to cooking with you online!
YUCa
YUCa’s Diary : Week 15, 2021
Mario became 10 years old recently! He came to our house just after my husband and I started living together so he is like our first child (even now!). After him, Luigi, Kengo and Sui joined our family. I am sure Mario didn’t expect our family becomes so big! My family believe Mario is a Lucky Dog. Because he has good luck since he was a child and has been bringing us wonderful things in life. 10 years old means about 70 years old for dog. I hope he will eat well, stay healthy and live long. I found a paper put on the wall and it said “Happy Birthday, Mario!”. I am pretty sure that Kengo did that.
Soy Products for Japanese Cooking
The soy bean, a rich source of protein, is central to the Japanese diet. Soy products include tofu, soy sauce, and miso. Tofu can also be pronounced dofu, as in Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu) or yudofu (tofu hot pot).
Tofu
Tofu in Japan can be a reservation, a far cry from the bland blocks commonly found commonly found elsewhere.
Abura-age (油揚げ) : Pieces of tofu from which excess water has been pressed, and then deep-fried
Agedashi dofu (揚げ出し豆腐) : Tofu that is rolled in a starch (katakuriko0 deep-fried, and covered in a savory soy and dashi sauce
Atsu-age (厚揚げ) : Thick pieces of tofu that are deep-fried
Ganmodoki (がんもどき) : Tofu that is mixed with vegetables from both land and sea, molded into balls, and deep-fried
Hiyayakko (冷奴) : Chilled tofu, popular in summer
Kinugoshi dofu (絹ごし豆腐) : Soft or silken tofu
Koya-dofu (高野豆腐) : Freeze-dried tofu, named after Mount Koya where it was originally made
Momen dofu (木綿豆腐) : cotton tofu or firm tofu, so called because the tofu was traditionally strained through a piece of cotton cloth
Yakidofu (焼き豆腐) : Grilled tofu, often used in hot pots
Yudofu (湯豆腐) : Tofu hot pot, a popular dish in the winter
Zaru dofu (ざる豆腐) : Very soft tofu named for the zaru, a bowl made from bamboo in which it is formed
Other soy products
Daizu (大豆) : Dried soybeans
Edamame (枝豆) : fresh soybeans, usually served boiled and seasoned with sea salt
Kinako (きなこ) : Flour made from toasted soybeans; a popular ingredients in wagashi (Japanese confections)
Miso (みそ) : Fermented paste, which is made from soybeans and sea salt combined with koji. More in detail
Okara (おから) : The pulp left over after steamed soy beans are pressed to make soymilk; low in fat and rich in fiber, okra may be mixed with vegetables, or used as an ingredient in croquette
Natto (納豆) : Fermented soybeans, famous for a their funky aroma and gooey texture.
Tonyu (豆乳) : Soy milk
Yuba (湯葉) : The skin from soy milk that has been heated; best when served on its own with a bit of soy sauce and wasabi, it can also be used to wrap foods or as an ingredient.
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides)
YUCa’s Diary : Week 14, 2021
1st of April was an April fools day! Secretly, I changed my profile photo on my various SNS! Did you notice it???
This is chef’s uniform at the kindergarten. Some of you might know but I was working at the kindergarten in Tokyo. I was making lunches and sweets for around 160 babies and kids (& also teachers). It was really a good experience and became a great career path for me. Especially, when I create baby & kids meal recipes on my YouTube channel! 😉
P.S. It seems that Mario and Luigi are wondering what’s going on.
YUCa’s Diary : Week 13, 2021
The other day, I had a brunch to celebrate the 10th wedding anniversary at Matsumotoro in Hibiya. It’s been 10 years since there were various things both my business and my private. I realized that 10 years was so quick. There have been some achievements, but there are still some areas. Even so, my family has increased, so I would like to sit down and do my best for the next 10 years.
先日、日比谷にある松本楼にて結婚１０周年のお祝いブランチをしてきました。公私共にいろいろなことがあって、内容の濃かった10年。10年ってあっという間なんだなぁと実感。それなりに達成できたことはあったけれども、まだまだの部分もある。それでも、家族も増えたので、これからの10年はもうちょっと腰を据えて頑張っていきたいと思うところです。
YUCa’s Diary : Week 12, 2021
Sui-chan under the Sakura cherry blossoms. Maybe this is the first time for her to see beautiful Sakura consciously.
YUCa’s Diary : Week 11, 2021
Sui-chan started drawing lines with using pencil. (and she drinks milk at the same time…) Apparently, she is good at multitasking that her mother is not. And Mario is always her guard dog.
YUCa’s Diary : Week 10, 2021
I found the cherry blossoms flavor KitKat at convenience store.
Not only beautiful package, you can make a donation to plant cherry trees in Tohoku region by purchasing this product.
It was March 11 yesterday and special programs were broadcasted all day in Japan. 10 years have passed since the big earthquake and tsunami happened in Tohoku area of Japan.
I believe that this event changed many people’s lives and way of thinking.
From this day onward, I began to think that unexpected things happen suddenly in life. I have to take more responsibility, independence in my life. Feel grateful for the normal day every nights.
And now, I became a mother of two children who were born after this event. As a parent, I will continue telling my children what happened in northern part of Japan and what we should prepare for the future.
YUCa’s Diary : Week 9, 2021
Have you ever heard the word “Asa Ra”(朝ラー)？
This means “Easting Ramen from the morning”.
It has been a hot topic just before Corona and was popular with tourists as well, especially Ramen Lovers !
A Japanese famous ramen company Ippudo 一風堂 recently started offering Soy sauce ramen & Special rice porridge at their limited shop in Asakusabashi. So, my family and I visited weekday morning from 8:00!
The price is reasonable at 500 yen, and those who wish can drink coffee for free. *This service is weekday only!
Though Ippudo is famous for Tonkotsu ramen but the soy sauce ramen and their homemade egg noodles were really fresh, chewy and went well with light flavor soy based soup.
And our surprise was that their special rice porridge is made of Tonkotsu soup! Umeboshi, Zha cai, and paprika, which are thought to have been added to change the texture, were also interesting and delicious.
Both dishes warmed my body on a cold morning.
If you are interested in making Shoyu ramen (soy sauce based ramen), please check this recipe!
