tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15142486975757080452024-03-14T00:55:19.344-07:00my wagashi chroniclesexploring the delightful world of traditional Japanese confectionsdosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-5955268067651663542011-09-09T17:11:00.000-07:002011-09-10T15:19:42.290-07:00moon-viewing festival (more rabbit manju)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J8L9KwS3rCrOr_-1Zv2kVl2G7oSwVJ8YeIwXd_OnhxXC_xBe86uiza80vYOTaxq3ARsD76TKWSbJBoEDYCcn477RAuFnZzFJ1YxUwctNxT1DrSijq8n4q8sO3vcKr6dHTeHrAJDLnBhB/s1600/CIMG2019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J8L9KwS3rCrOr_-1Zv2kVl2G7oSwVJ8YeIwXd_OnhxXC_xBe86uiza80vYOTaxq3ARsD76TKWSbJBoEDYCcn477RAuFnZzFJ1YxUwctNxT1DrSijq8n4q8sO3vcKr6dHTeHrAJDLnBhB/s400/CIMG2019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650531543362332706" border="0" /></a><br />The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukimi"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tsuki-mi</span> (moon viewing)</a> celebration is fast approaching, and while debating whether to bother making a pile of the traditional <span style="font-style: italic;">tsuki-mi dango</span> (moon viewing dumplings), I came across these adorable rabbit-shaped steamed manju being promoted as an alternative treat for the occasion. In the Japanese mind, rabbits are closely associated with the moon, as it is not a man's face, but a rabbit pounding mochi that we see when we look up at the full moon on a clear autumn evening.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIjbx4jpMAFSPp2wqSkBYmguHAQtAmIPVVdIR5UxhaPAwX37eKwOV7iMiYgm3sSKPgj6ZdvdaYyEbCn0aXifqR-OtAcWLyo9HjtFcZjUz7sVT90rY8qR8rJlScPweI6-jSnO085MYb9Um/s1600/CIMG2020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIjbx4jpMAFSPp2wqSkBYmguHAQtAmIPVVdIR5UxhaPAwX37eKwOV7iMiYgm3sSKPgj6ZdvdaYyEbCn0aXifqR-OtAcWLyo9HjtFcZjUz7sVT90rY8qR8rJlScPweI6-jSnO085MYb9Um/s400/CIMG2020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650531466928932322" border="0" /></a><br />I know we covered rabbit confections aplenty in honor of the year of the rabbit, but the moon viewing festival is another thing entirely, and rabbit manju is a nice change from the simple, round (i.e. moon-shaped) mochi dumplings that are usually displayed (and eaten) on this occasion. I ordered the rabbit manju shown here from a wagashi confectionery called <span style="font-style: italic;">Piyonta in Kyoto</span>. The box that arrived contained six manju, two each of three different flavors: "plain," "chocolate," and "green tea."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpmO3bN_ojmLm01kPWqObN8qifbTY7kNgkYnY3MP8kWcA2Aa6X-zFqhWPNvmz1kHHBAfzMfKb_CigEtppB0cf8GfqrDLwxSVenG9o2r7J5ceV9O6znpL0lGiQBgSyRDE_sC_nKFpvJmFA/s1600/CIMG2015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpmO3bN_ojmLm01kPWqObN8qifbTY7kNgkYnY3MP8kWcA2Aa6X-zFqhWPNvmz1kHHBAfzMfKb_CigEtppB0cf8GfqrDLwxSVenG9o2r7J5ceV9O6znpL0lGiQBgSyRDE_sC_nKFpvJmFA/s400/CIMG2015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650531394556624242" border="0" /></a>According to my trusty tongue (and the ingredients list printed on the box), the outer layer of these manju is made with wheat flour. The "plain" flavor has a creamy tan-colored outer shell and creamy tan-colored filling flecked with chopped chestnuts and red azuki beans. The "chocolate" flavor has a dark brown outer shell and a light-brown filling flecked with almonds and chocolate. The "green tea" flavor has a green outer shell and smooth green filling, each colored and flavored with powdered green tea (matcha). In each case, and regardless of the color, the filling is White bean <span style="font-style: italic;">An</span>-based.<br /><br />Further complexity of flavor and a gentle sweetness result from the addition of egg yolk, butter, and sweetened condensed milk, which gives it the familiar fragrance and flavor of Western-style cakes and cookies. I've noticed that sweetened condensed milk pops up more and more often in wagashi ingredients these days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGYrSD-J8yIP0jc7Dk7VcSj7Hpj5LE8xCXIty-dBPwAdirU1ZoM-_-X4zc8oibHabIzgHFxtXvI80M8Bvx3uVCDiPTIbetz9B_UOGn-saV3sCG3C9nKXHMyHdsqWRLK3P9jL258C_Kh6N/s1600/img56641578.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGYrSD-J8yIP0jc7Dk7VcSj7Hpj5LE8xCXIty-dBPwAdirU1ZoM-_-X4zc8oibHabIzgHFxtXvI80M8Bvx3uVCDiPTIbetz9B_UOGn-saV3sCG3C9nKXHMyHdsqWRLK3P9jL258C_Kh6N/s200/img56641578.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650531194001728818" border="0" /></a>Someday I'll try to reproduce this wheat-flour manju and post a recipe, but not today. I lost most of the photos I took, and didn't realize it until the manju were eaten up and it was too late to take more photos. Sorry about that. By the way, these manju were delicious! : )<br /><br />While you're here, check out the rice-flour based <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/usagi-manju-steamed-dumpling.html">bunny manju</a> and <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/usagi-mochi-gyuuhi-series.html">bunny mochi </a>recipes too!dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-3443244141367734962011-05-11T02:35:00.000-07:002011-05-11T04:15:34.390-07:00salt-preserved cherry leaves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K0BQIQVquqJ0K6bDlCf5dZJd-aqIgOVWI5oMG-C8ZlHd5tyt7BOd4ksWMZydiqg4ghvQ9sem-Pxk1M95ZR3JtNwuYYQ2TvL0jPIh2w8iLEZv7qB-miJaDnyG4ka1AoOrPkUFEeJqzqbq/s1600/img_726730_34803261_0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K0BQIQVquqJ0K6bDlCf5dZJd-aqIgOVWI5oMG-C8ZlHd5tyt7BOd4ksWMZydiqg4ghvQ9sem-Pxk1M95ZR3JtNwuYYQ2TvL0jPIh2w8iLEZv7qB-miJaDnyG4ka1AoOrPkUFEeJqzqbq/s400/img_726730_34803261_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605413273657000946" border="0" /></a><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />tender leaves of a sakura cherry tree, (preferably yae-zakura)..... 50 grams<br />salt......10 grams (20% of the weight of the leaves)<br />white plum vinegar...... 50 cc<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis61Qd5xxBwqsulKS4bMuDWvFqkI_TYToUPPM0bwGUF9rMmKumCTTvFSbHA3lTlJIFw7rzNmGSfb7sh9sQJDtxp1z0CPY8cqUXbVH1LzK5PEMj0WVDDdr141888-VMfrQDe7I39bjXKW9H/s1600/sakura_leaves1-550x490.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis61Qd5xxBwqsulKS4bMuDWvFqkI_TYToUPPM0bwGUF9rMmKumCTTvFSbHA3lTlJIFw7rzNmGSfb7sh9sQJDtxp1z0CPY8cqUXbVH1LzK5PEMj0WVDDdr141888-VMfrQDe7I39bjXKW9H/s200/sakura_leaves1-550x490.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605409062131758994" border="0" /></a>Directions:<br /><br />1. Pick the sakura cherry leaves while they are still young and tender (large ones work best) along with about 1~2 cm of their stems, and clean them well by rinsing in water.<br /><br />2. Drain the leaves, and pat them dry. Place them in a sieve and pour boiling water over them.<br /><br />3. Quickly place the leaves in very cold water to prevent further cooking or change in color.<br /><br />4. Drain the leaves again and remove excess moisture by patting dry or using one of those plastic spinners you use to remove excess moisture from lettuce leaves.<br /><br />5. Lay the leaves out on paper towels or a tray and separate them into groups of similar-sized leaves.<br /><br />6. Sprinkle 1/3 of your salt over the bottom of a glass cake pan (or round plastic storage container). Divide up the leaves into groups of ten leaves of roughly the same size, and stack them on top of each other in the same direction. Lay the stacks in the pan on top of the salt, preferably without overlapping one stack with another.<br /><br />7. Sprinkle the rest of the salt over the top of the leaves, and pour the white plum vinegar around and in between the stacks of leaves.<br /><br />8. Place plastic wrap over the leaves. Then lay a flat lid or dish over the wrap, and something heavy, like a clean brick or some cans of soda, on top of the flat lid/dish.<br /><br />9. After two or three days, each stack of leaves can be placed in a small freezer bag (press out the excess air). Do not remove the salt at this time. The leaves can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer this way for up to two years.<br /><br />10. Soak the leaves to get rid of excess salt before using them in a recipe. When I use the leaves for <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2010/03/sakura-mochi.html">sakura mochi</a>, I like them to retain a slight saltiness.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rxpzvVHODQYU_2Fzl9mWhnZkZzPZIPgpFxLxsJlOhsLWmvYDkTKmpfm2QAevSsaLM4fR8hIvdqvEnvFz0hn4t9WCbb3ExzDvXawMiTyb-8TRoGlIiYSfSsspcbcbhMDXUj-ZnERmihje/s1600/sakuranoha.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rxpzvVHODQYU_2Fzl9mWhnZkZzPZIPgpFxLxsJlOhsLWmvYDkTKmpfm2QAevSsaLM4fR8hIvdqvEnvFz0hn4t9WCbb3ExzDvXawMiTyb-8TRoGlIiYSfSsspcbcbhMDXUj-ZnERmihje/s200/sakuranoha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605408944116742786" border="0" /></a><br />NOTE: If you can't get hold of white plum vinegar, you can dissolve 50~60 grams of salt in 100 cc of lukewarm water and pour that over the leaves in place of steps 6 and 7.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-48330898459834449832011-03-27T19:47:00.000-07:002011-03-28T01:51:59.740-07:00salt-preserved cherry blossoms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_PQoRIq5Or2meHiSiXeYtjPlutyx0Po3Hcvsv11_SaKo9oP2cmdf5vCvC4rLelEmyUtZ15q2T1B04Tm6YCoUTk4YFo-SkwVZMp4UVXT9uE1V8oHYp8PNjgfNHQzxR-3QljFZ9GxoakEN/s1600/driedsakura.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_PQoRIq5Or2meHiSiXeYtjPlutyx0Po3Hcvsv11_SaKo9oP2cmdf5vCvC4rLelEmyUtZ15q2T1B04Tm6YCoUTk4YFo-SkwVZMp4UVXT9uE1V8oHYp8PNjgfNHQzxR-3QljFZ9GxoakEN/s400/driedsakura.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588970329150793362" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I love using salt-preserved cherry leaves and blossoms in my spring desserts. Check out my <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2010/03/sakura-mochi.html">sakura mochi </a>recipe to see the most common way the leaves are used. My <a href="http://dosankodebbie.wordpress.com/2010/03/sakura-cheesecake/">sakura cheesecake</a> recipe uses both leaves and blossoms. If you do not live where these can be purchased, you might try making them yourself, though it is a lot of trouble. Today I am posting directions for salt-preserving the blossoms. I will post directions for preserving the leaves in my next post.</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />Please keep in mind these two things: (1) Most of the sakura fragrance and flavor is in the leaves, so use the leaves for cooking, and the blossoms mainly for decoration or to add very slight fragrance to green tea. (2) Try to use the deep pink blossoms of the Yae-zakura tree. These tend to bloom later than other varieties of sakura, and have large, multi-layered petals. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Choose a tree that is far from the exhaust fumes of motorized traffic.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />yae-zakura blossoms..........200 grams<br />salt (first stage)..........50 grams<br />ume-zu (plum vinegar, either white or pink will do)..........4 Tablespoons<br />salt (second stage)..........50 grams<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />1. Remove the blossoms from the branch at the point they are connected to it, stem and all. Rinse them gently, but thoroughly, in cold water. Drain the water, and pat the flowers dry using paper towels.<br /><br />2. Toss the first 50 grams of salt with the blossoms and place the salted flowers in a small bowl. Place a weight (400 grams) over the flowers, cover all with plastic wrap, and set aside <span style="font-weight: bold;">overnight</span>. This will draw out the excess water from the flowers.<br /><br />3. Next day, gently squeeze out the water from the flowers, then sprinkle them with the plum vinegar. Place a weight (this time only 100 grams) over the flowers, cover all with plastic wrap, and let sit for <span style="font-weight: bold;">three</span> days.<br /><br />4. Spread the flowers (still with their stems) over a paper towel-lined, woven bamboo tray so that no flower overlaps with another. Place the tray in a dry, shady place for <span style="font-weight: bold;">three</span> days.<br /><br />5. Toss the dried flowers with the second 50 grams of salt, and store them in a small, clean, screw top jar to keep at room temperature for future use. Or you can keep the plum vinegar-steeped flowers from step #3 in the refrigerator and eat them like pickles.<br /><br />More detail and photographs of the procedure can be found at this <a href="http://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/43690">Japanese site</a>.<br /><br /><div class="recipeBox"> <div class="innerWire"><br /></div> </div>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-15666800290044291082011-02-28T21:15:00.000-08:002011-03-01T03:14:48.356-08:00ebi senbei (shrimp-flavored rice crackers)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkVlCX3_kzvKdKyLNgSeTFNznozrNQ0Xgmp7VDU58sSHZL7Pq9lhLBz2WHU2BAW8bbZfn7OtTZv9MxWdKVhT-BEuCae3xg6uoG56UYL8iYWIJ3nJMf9De88JvJlIfP0nF0-LNDUx3L-ih/s1600/Ebisen.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkVlCX3_kzvKdKyLNgSeTFNznozrNQ0Xgmp7VDU58sSHZL7Pq9lhLBz2WHU2BAW8bbZfn7OtTZv9MxWdKVhT-BEuCae3xg6uoG56UYL8iYWIJ3nJMf9De88JvJlIfP0nF0-LNDUx3L-ih/s400/Ebisen.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578977444656625218" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite version of homemade <span style="font-style: italic;">ebi senbei </span>uses all mochi (glutinous) rice, is flavored with dried shrimp, and fried in oil to become puffy and crispy. The basic recipe can be adapted for different flavors and cooking methods. It's a great way to use leftover rice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">ingredients:</span><br />cooked rice <span style="font-size:85%;">(I use mochi rice, or a mixture of regular rice and mochi rice)</span>....120 grams<br />sakura ebi <span style="font-size:85%;">(dried tiny pink shrimp)</span>....3 tablespoons<br />a little bit of salt, oil<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMxdSEsoZy6WLunfJwUFDACi5QxI6Eb2_TtPz5ztWY3H6M-fQN3e8hZ36GBtSsO1YphUrXdvN9ow8a5sucKY_Jrttn1nb3_18Kgh2zVEiMgb5YgoMRJQaJVCTTyhS5WfYsCjeAy_kje0T/s1600/Ebisen0.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMxdSEsoZy6WLunfJwUFDACi5QxI6Eb2_TtPz5ztWY3H6M-fQN3e8hZ36GBtSsO1YphUrXdvN9ow8a5sucKY_Jrttn1nb3_18Kgh2zVEiMgb5YgoMRJQaJVCTTyhS5WfYsCjeAy_kje0T/s200/Ebisen0.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578977359957849458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">directions:</span><br />1. place cooked rice in a <span style="font-style: italic;">suribachi</span> (ribbed mortar) and grind it with a <span style="font-style: italic;"> surikogi</span> (wooden pestle) till the rice is partly mashed. Add shrimp and grind a bit more, mixing shrimp into the rice.<br /><br />2. Using a wet spoon, divide the partially mashed rice into 8 ~ 10 roughly equal portions. Lay them on a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap that is about the size of your microwave tray. Place another piece of plastic wrap over the rice and press with your hand to flatten each portion to a tenth-of-an-inch thickness.<br /><br />3. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle the tops of the rice portions with a little salt. Cook in microwave for about 3 minutes at 500 watts to evaporate excess moisture.<br /><br />4. Replace the top layer of plastic wrap over the rice and flip it over, so that the bottom layer of wrap (or wax paper) is on top. Remove the layer that is now on top, salt the rice once again, and cook in microwave for 2 ~3 more minutes.<br /><br />5. Let the rice cool to room temperature, then cook the portions in hot oil for one minute on each side, or till the crackers are crispy and light brown. Remove from oil and drain in a wire net or on paper towels till cooled. The result is a light, air-filled, crispy <span style="font-style: italic;">senbei</span>.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">senbei</span> will cook most evenly and quickly if excess moisture has evaporated from the rice portions by sufficient microwaving and being left on the counter to air-cool. If the rice has been flattened unevenly, it will cook unevenly. Experiment to find out how much microwaving, and how much frying, will result in the kind of <span style="font-style: italic;">sembei</span> you prefer.<br /><br />Variations:<br />A. Instead of shrimp, try mixing <span style="font-style: italic;">kizami-konbu</span> (finely shredded kelp seaweed) into the rice.<br />B. Instead of frying the senbei in oil, grill it on a wire net over a gas fire or hot coals. Grilling results in harder sembei that has a dry crispiness some people prefer. Grilling may result in some burnt areas, but that can also be appetizing, so no worries.<br />C. Instead of sprinkling the rice with salt, sprinkle with sugar crystals for sweet senbei.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWySLrRZVJhchRSa2ubx7us9r0gULSAyv6ubVHgBxs1KfYOiOtiLPOkwZRI9nPWFHS-gwO03_MYNwpBnRr9Y9VwDLY3VCxvwbXy7DAPoU9NP99aiEs3vvHn9EqWtv7xNR773a-PG6feEP/s1600/Ebisen3.JPG"><br /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-42697494542866611572011-02-17T17:08:00.000-08:002011-02-18T01:00:07.700-08:00usagi manju (steamed dumpling)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqT2T3l926NANL33l3RJ8h-35NBYBiVI7tGwXsipuZ5QVOyfnwEMu_9y-YlL6Oh3ZZ0UKSE551KfZsDeBTAWfYAsYw5yjivA1RY4gUGpwtRqFVY-VIHd9shy-Tsf28DKtDWNDedcXBMrT/s1600/CIMG1846.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqT2T3l926NANL33l3RJ8h-35NBYBiVI7tGwXsipuZ5QVOyfnwEMu_9y-YlL6Oh3ZZ0UKSE551KfZsDeBTAWfYAsYw5yjivA1RY4gUGpwtRqFVY-VIHd9shy-Tsf28DKtDWNDedcXBMrT/s400/CIMG1846.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574926375520478738" border="0" /></a><br />These rabbit-shaped dumplings become especially popular in the Year of the Rabbit, such as this year. I made them with traditional tools and cooking methods. No food processors or microwave ovens appear in this post. I was never as fond of manju <span style="font-size:85%;">(which has the texture of steamed bread or cake)</span>, as I am of mochi-type confections, and haven't had much experience making them. But these turned out wonderfully moist and flavorful. So much so that I'm determined to devote more time to manju-making in the future.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIPzv4VnYmmUot65K8WYm9b7v86XrBSn6YVfp5ObbQQE-6uRunWejwIqFULTrhgbFTsoy3h1C4st0bdTlOlewZ9mJO7BxbDDiBQ62XTaAeGXRGH6R05V80J7mA7wVRZmydNQDh3RCAkmP/s1600/CIMG1822.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMIPzv4VnYmmUot65K8WYm9b7v86XrBSn6YVfp5ObbQQE-6uRunWejwIqFULTrhgbFTsoy3h1C4st0bdTlOlewZ9mJO7BxbDDiBQ62XTaAeGXRGH6R05V80J7mA7wVRZmydNQDh3RCAkmP/s200/CIMG1822.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574887479375692530" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Yama-imo</span> (mountain yam) is a central ingredient in the best <span style="font-style: italic;">usagi manju</span> recipes, but my experiments with the most commonly available mountain yam-- <span style="font-style: italic;">naga-imo</span>-- failed because this yam is much too loose and watery for the purpose. I was finally able to get hold of a much denser mountain yam called <span style="font-style: italic;">Tsukune-imo</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Tsukune-imo</span> is often packed in sawdust to make it stay fresh longer, and has the shape of a fist. This yam is ground to a paste and combined with <span style="font-style: italic;">joshinko</span> (non-glutinous rice flour) and sugar in a ribbed mortar called <span style="font-style: italic;">suribachi</span>, using a wooden pestle called <span style="font-style: italic;">surikogi</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht_nSB8x8nnhd59OPCyMFq1V1sSG65F2dHkPXagH42ttpXfoXE6Ivdcy-D33Ok4uCyLC-rFaSmM0jrpZDSdLXbM8tV8emNuVv9V_3aVat56epx2ZOJbf6DmsqZQUcGMbPZEP4QaOfDDd5/s1600/CIMG1824.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiht_nSB8x8nnhd59OPCyMFq1V1sSG65F2dHkPXagH42ttpXfoXE6Ivdcy-D33Ok4uCyLC-rFaSmM0jrpZDSdLXbM8tV8emNuVv9V_3aVat56epx2ZOJbf6DmsqZQUcGMbPZEP4QaOfDDd5/s200/CIMG1824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574887413572318642" border="0" /></a>A common filling for <span style="font-style: italic;">usagi manju</span> is <span style="font-style: italic;">shiro-an</span> (white bean an), perhaps flavored with yuzu zest, or blended with mashed cooked egg yolk for a bright yellow color. But for today's filling, I used what I had on hand, and ended up with a combination of <span style="font-style: italic;">kinako</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(parched soybean flour)</span> moistened and flavored with <span style="font-style: italic;">ume</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">(usually referred to as Japanese plum, though it is really a kind of apricot) </span>jam and umeboshi <span style="font-size:85%;">(salt-pickled <span style="font-style: italic;">ume</span>)</span>. This oblique reference to plum blossoms seemed appropriate for this time of year, as they symbolize the beginning of spring.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRxFW0WLevhw0fu9efD3vN6ULd7NmZX2tCBppD1duZ7ZRMtReTdriKO5YMGd57-0hKOWTUTXt3ZAuHpmxwC93TsCh6Lwdfj9TVBXKFBcvv2AwrJ-bXdfOF_hQwApD-9ubuO3_x8Gcemnn/s1600/CIMG1826.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRxFW0WLevhw0fu9efD3vN6ULd7NmZX2tCBppD1duZ7ZRMtReTdriKO5YMGd57-0hKOWTUTXt3ZAuHpmxwC93TsCh6Lwdfj9TVBXKFBcvv2AwrJ-bXdfOF_hQwApD-9ubuO3_x8Gcemnn/s200/CIMG1826.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574887346819328002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ingredients:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tsukune-imo</span>, cleaned and peeled.............90 grams<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joshinko</span> ....................................................90 grams<br />Sugar..........................................................90 grams<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kinako</span> .......................................................50 grams<br />Ume jam............................................50 ~ 80 grams<br />Large, soft umeboshi.................................1<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgLWoDms5MICGDRdGpxrXCAq5cNHYgeH8_-3JcWuKWIdVm8-Ro6y_Mr1M6quj3pO5zgGKuycunmR3b0OLxLvs8ptTC-al2nq3gG79iQBYJfQkg8B7szbys9iIS9D7KmcQs-eSpqFfIpm1/s1600/CIMG1827.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgLWoDms5MICGDRdGpxrXCAq5cNHYgeH8_-3JcWuKWIdVm8-Ro6y_Mr1M6quj3pO5zgGKuycunmR3b0OLxLvs8ptTC-al2nq3gG79iQBYJfQkg8B7szbys9iIS9D7KmcQs-eSpqFfIpm1/s200/CIMG1827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574887199508676978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />1. Peel the yam and grate 90 grams of it with a metal grater to give yourself a head start. Then place the grated yam in the ribbed mortar and grind it with the pestle until the yam is a smooth paste. Stirring vigorously with the pestle also helps to fold air into the yam.<br /><br />2. Add sugar a little at a time and keep grinding and stirring with the pestle. You don't have to use all 50 grams of sugar if you prefer it less sweet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW28xRdrwG46synGA03oYR6t-yqFEZ-MdHS6evFSbK9L29BkalFMFPdzh2LtBdv1_g2BKI2b5ozzDB2he23i83ibvQvFK_NkWhj7TasaeXkLypjZ3-lICRyeIAjSz5uOPPOA2HSkY6bF3o/s1600/CIMG1829.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW28xRdrwG46synGA03oYR6t-yqFEZ-MdHS6evFSbK9L29BkalFMFPdzh2LtBdv1_g2BKI2b5ozzDB2he23i83ibvQvFK_NkWhj7TasaeXkLypjZ3-lICRyeIAjSz5uOPPOA2HSkY6bF3o/s200/CIMG1829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574887099815975346" border="0" /></a>3. Sift the <span style="font-style: italic;">joshinko</span> and add it to the yam mixture a little at a time, mixing with the pestle until the dough is tender, but firm enough to hold a shape. This is hard work, as the yam gets stiffer and more glutinous the longer you stir it.<br /><br />4. Divide the yam dough into 8 equal segments and make each segment into a ball. Set aside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPs1MRT9GQqfyQqZNs0pCmtts_NpRVca9JNRc8KNHFPp0Hyp-AEFF3M4yHQ1Ry-hANUeZ55ety-fXaS4n3xDw1f9KfhCjrycHo9dRpjEsdfmAgoxtb3N5bIsT7t41bIdVUTqrGpFNWKl2F/s1600/CIMG1830.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPs1MRT9GQqfyQqZNs0pCmtts_NpRVca9JNRc8KNHFPp0Hyp-AEFF3M4yHQ1Ry-hANUeZ55ety-fXaS4n3xDw1f9KfhCjrycHo9dRpjEsdfmAgoxtb3N5bIsT7t41bIdVUTqrGpFNWKl2F/s200/CIMG1830.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574887031527965090" border="0" /></a>5. Place the <span style="font-style: italic;">kinako</span> in a small mixing bowl. Using a spoon or spatula, mix in a little <span style="font-style: italic;">ume</span> jam and chopped <span style="font-style: italic;">umeboshi</span> (seed removed), adding more jam until the <span style="font-style: italic;">kinako</span> mixture is moist enough to roll into balls that keep their shape. Make 8 balls and set aside.<br /><br />6. With moistened hands, gently flatten a yam ball on one palm. Place a kinako ball in the center of this and wrap the yam dough around it. Using gentle finger pressure, shape the dumpling in the traditional rabbit shape, as explained in the <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/usagi-mochi-gyuuhi-series.html">usagi mochi post</a>. Repeat procedure with the rest of the balls. Simple round manju are perfectly fine too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf3-mgxJ1yp5GrW6DWnnndNZ_pv8U8We3o1nVnEyTK1r53Grh3dauTYa8GziwOsYhY85L7yiS-xCex-1OAtSl6zJow0W3gB4FtA3R8CZdSn4syXn5CMcjs1c4Bj8v_0C1zOiusAu3VlGh/s1600/CIMG1833.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqf3-mgxJ1yp5GrW6DWnnndNZ_pv8U8We3o1nVnEyTK1r53Grh3dauTYa8GziwOsYhY85L7yiS-xCex-1OAtSl6zJow0W3gB4FtA3R8CZdSn4syXn5CMcjs1c4Bj8v_0C1zOiusAu3VlGh/s200/CIMG1833.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574886944964655474" border="0" /></a>7. Put some water to boil in the bottom level of a steamer pot. Place the uncooked manju on little squares of wax paper and place them on a rack above the boiling water so that no manju touches another manju or the boiling water itself. Cover the steamer and cook the manju over medium heat for fifteen minutes.<br /><br />If, like me, you don't have a steamer, improvise with a regular pot and a metal vegetable steamer.<br /><br />8. When the manju are done steaming, remove them from the heat and let them cool to room temperature. Add ears and face details with food dye as described in the <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2011/02/usagi-mochi-gyuuhi-series.html">usagi mochi post</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Note:You can also experiment with shaping the yam dough itself to look like each dumpling has ears and a tail. However, this tends to make the dough thinner in some places than others, and the manju may split in the thin places during steaming. The splitting of the manju (thus revealing the filling) is not a bad thing, and some round manju are made like this on purpose to give them character. But if you want your manju to look like a rabbit, it isn't helpful for the dough to split.</span>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-76372186454068297272011-02-02T15:58:00.000-08:002011-02-04T14:25:54.286-08:00usagi mochi (gyuuhi series)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_pdjw9oBznNQ5Tgfc4UGJEIawyp8JcIy7hQ1k63TUWxW6vSpI4jqDSduScRH_6Wj4eRTJC0mAQ0AhpY8Q1nYNindGIJ7e1JA_3EF4we-d-jDk9-P4soRH_aB5XdHjXSE8QK7PtYltDMy/s1600/usagimochi2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_pdjw9oBznNQ5Tgfc4UGJEIawyp8JcIy7hQ1k63TUWxW6vSpI4jqDSduScRH_6Wj4eRTJC0mAQ0AhpY8Q1nYNindGIJ7e1JA_3EF4we-d-jDk9-P4soRH_aB5XdHjXSE8QK7PtYltDMy/s400/usagimochi2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569254885578512050" border="0" /></a><br />I've been busy in the kitchen making all kinds of rabbit-shaped confections in celebration of the year of the rabbit, and had meant to post some of them before the end of January. Unfortunately, I used up all the ingredients for the popular<span style="font-style: italic;"> Usagi Manju</span> before I could refine the recipe enough to share with you.<br /><br />So while I wait for my pantry to be restocked, I've been playing around with <span style="font-style: italic;">gyuuhi</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Gyuuhi</span> is made from shiratama-ko (glutinous rice flour, sometimes sold as "mochi-ko"), sugar, and water. Confections made with <span style="font-style: italic;">gyuuhi</span> usually have the word <span style="font-style: italic;">mochi</span> in the name. You may remember that I first introduced <span style="font-style: italic;">gyuuhi</span> a year ago, in the post on <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2010/01/plum-blossoms-gyuuhi-series.html">plum blossom confections.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8pPJHejaTEs_bUIZ3_i7BRxxRFepVEb-nFC067ukTc5F7L0q83zYAChxhL1iQOyVDxLmMkPhNdHtkRXE_En50MIZWaurHsvm5sQf_WOfq6yxGK-WIJUDIXohgbyTT7TeMcjYXbjauGzA/s1600/usagimochi1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8pPJHejaTEs_bUIZ3_i7BRxxRFepVEb-nFC067ukTc5F7L0q83zYAChxhL1iQOyVDxLmMkPhNdHtkRXE_En50MIZWaurHsvm5sQf_WOfq6yxGK-WIJUDIXohgbyTT7TeMcjYXbjauGzA/s200/usagimochi1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569254798474677346" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Gyuuhi</span> is easy to make, tender,and smooth, so using it to cover a ball of filling and shaping it as you please is relatively easy. In today's post, I wrapped the <span style="font-style: italic;">gyuuhi</span> around a ball of <span style="font-style: italic;">koshi-an</span>, and gently patted it into the rabbit shape that is traditional in the world of wagashi (thick in the rear and slimming to a rounded point in the front). <span style="font-style: italic;">Gyuuhi</span> is too tender, however, to use for shaping the bunny ears, facial features, or bunny tail. So I marked the ears and face with a toothpick dipped in red food coloring. This is common in the world of wagashi, but I find it less than aesthetically satisfying.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span><br />Koshi-an (smooth an)......200 grams<br />Shiratama-ko.............50 grams<br />Sugar.........................50 grams<br />water.........................80 cc<br />katakuri-ko (potato starch)... enough for dusting work surface<br />tiny bit of red food coloring dissolved in water<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Note: measurement conversions can be found in the plum blossom post<span style="font-size:85%;">)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />1. Divide the <span style="font-style: italic;">koshi-an</span> into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Set aside.<br />2. Place shiratama-ko, sugar, and water in a microwaveable bowl and whisk ingredients briskly till there are no clumps at all.<br />3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and heat in microwave oven at 500 for 3 minutes.<br />4. Mix the goo-ified ingredients rigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula, and remove the resulting clump of dough to a <span style="font-style: italic;">katakuri-ko</span> (or cornstarch)-dusted surface.<br />5. Divide <span style="font-style: italic;">gyuuhi</span> dough into 8 pieces and flatten each into a circle. Place one <span style="font-style: italic;">an</span> ball in the middle of each circle and wrap <span style="font-style: italic;">gyuuhi </span>around the ball.<br />6. Pat the filled dough into the rabbit shape described above. Dip a toothpick into the dissolved food coloring and press into the "rabbit" at the right places to mark its ears and face.<br /><br />Give me a couple more weeks, and I should be able to post a recipe for <span style="font-style: italic;">Usagi Manju</span>.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-43104006966827439292010-09-24T22:51:00.001-07:002010-09-24T23:08:39.456-07:00wagashi and the five senses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wHVdCXqpU6DMKpfEqbvyb4uOtLHbqpKzOLdepDFQGmKQrJ9_kJU45ob2FKAoH-I_BiGjXilWpPPTWnO3VfwnyXhgTUs8pi9WVNDSFUvCOdoTI3jmeN1Mu_gZN1Mf6z4cRQM6RVparbYR/s1600/art_h1_001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wHVdCXqpU6DMKpfEqbvyb4uOtLHbqpKzOLdepDFQGmKQrJ9_kJU45ob2FKAoH-I_BiGjXilWpPPTWnO3VfwnyXhgTUs8pi9WVNDSFUvCOdoTI3jmeN1Mu_gZN1Mf6z4cRQM6RVparbYR/s400/art_h1_001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520725515303618578" border="0" /></a><br />One of the staff at <a href="http://www.obubutea.com/">Obubu Tea</a> drew my attention to the <a href="http://toraya-group.co.jp/english/wagashi/art.html">TORAYA website</a>, and I really wanted to share it with you because it has a lovely but concise explanation of how good traditional Japanese confections appeal to the five senses. Check it out! (I borrowed the attached image from the TORAYA website.)dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-35219174278580290942010-09-19T18:12:00.000-07:002010-09-20T16:33:37.962-07:00respect-for-the-aged-day (and rakugan confections)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsOvS4sxiox4KGSd4WX9ms1bs68-ZDW5ZnZcPi7u2KWx4cTP6tePNhIHvUuwrsi69NmmIwGVA3TzN2sfUNkF5K6aHKZokDtvlGxxLlo-VQg3KDmjpZ0T8CO3TbwiRboFQZXWKEciKljFD/s1600/KeiroNoHi.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsOvS4sxiox4KGSd4WX9ms1bs68-ZDW5ZnZcPi7u2KWx4cTP6tePNhIHvUuwrsi69NmmIwGVA3TzN2sfUNkF5K6aHKZokDtvlGxxLlo-VQg3KDmjpZ0T8CO3TbwiRboFQZXWKEciKljFD/s400/KeiroNoHi.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518808507641649810" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Today we are celebrating Respect-for-the-Aged Day <span style="font-weight: normal;">(<span class="t_nihongo_kanji" lang="ja">敬老の日</span><span class="t_nihongo_comma" style="display: none;">,</span> <i>Keirō no hi</i>)</span>, which is a Japanese national holiday to honor elderly citizens. It used to be held on September 15, but now it's held on the third Monday of September so that we can make a long weekend of it (hopefully to use for entertaining our elderly parents and relatives).</p><p>Yesterday I was an observer at an event where celebratory confections were being handed out to everyone over seventy. One of these senior citizens, a good friend of mine, pulled a fancy box out of her handbag and asked me if I would like to have it. When she opened it for me, it turned out to be a <span style="font-style: italic;">rakugan</span> confection in the shape of the face of a smiling old woman. My friend was daunted by the size of the thing and didn't care to eat it.</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">Rakugan</span> is a confection made from a dough of sugar (or sweet syrup) and starchy powder (such as rice powder or potato starch). This is usually shaped into ornate, thumbnail-sized shapes in wooden molds where they become dry and stiff before being tapped out and arranged in pretty boxed collections, most often to accompany the somewhat bitter <span style="font-style: italic;">matcha</span> tea in a tea ceremony. But there are larger versions to give as gifts or display as Buddhist altar offerings on holidays like today.<br /></p><p>I'm not a huge <span style="font-style: italic;">rakugan</span> fan (they're too dry and sweet for my taste), so I passed on my friend's offer, but then I thought it might be cool to take a photo and post it at the top for you to see. The photos below show the usual miniature confections in pretty, seasonal shapes. You can find a photo of some <span style="font-style: italic;">rakugan</span> molds in the right column of the blog.<br /></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT8moU-ObtGloAa4aE7VA9qYvA_llPHOhHAtCGqQpimwN6CYBDnAy5oxx_xdVq9eZl4XU-DKpnsMcAtvE_sVKBoNHNjf8nlwsKCm7Ub15GKQrMbWKzKe31nA-5df8Y4Q6BJ7gHDlOOrF_/s1600/tofu_rakugan_002.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT8moU-ObtGloAa4aE7VA9qYvA_llPHOhHAtCGqQpimwN6CYBDnAy5oxx_xdVq9eZl4XU-DKpnsMcAtvE_sVKBoNHNjf8nlwsKCm7Ub15GKQrMbWKzKe31nA-5df8Y4Q6BJ7gHDlOOrF_/s200/tofu_rakugan_002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518808435232437682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmYpxQtOR-KAyimI9Rx0ODD7Ksxc03lHMHk4a8VR6Z-eAHlfUhdMZeDdWoerBOO8o5EmhtMPTNFupzaR2HFSrGYts1R6q6QECYXEop4Yimq7rSXLqw50atYu8s2sfNGE10bE3R09cQHbE/s1600/rakugan.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmYpxQtOR-KAyimI9Rx0ODD7Ksxc03lHMHk4a8VR6Z-eAHlfUhdMZeDdWoerBOO8o5EmhtMPTNFupzaR2HFSrGYts1R6q6QECYXEop4Yimq7rSXLqw50atYu8s2sfNGE10bE3R09cQHbE/s200/rakugan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518808296917107618" border="0" /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-79932122026289272132010-08-14T19:38:00.000-07:002010-08-14T22:34:32.261-07:00kushi dango w/ 3 sauces<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMDhv7yP4a-MWj1YaO_N5MZt6wUDauyI1-suCEH7qWM16qelM2QNVC7bIAS-EKxECvtGhrcJxgoORFgWwcQUF2wgbr5bS9xK-qJeEGJ-Y1kuBDh6L0VY1MlOPPZbhHLBEECB2yvFSpAsy/s1600/CIMG1641.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMDhv7yP4a-MWj1YaO_N5MZt6wUDauyI1-suCEH7qWM16qelM2QNVC7bIAS-EKxECvtGhrcJxgoORFgWwcQUF2wgbr5bS9xK-qJeEGJ-Y1kuBDh6L0VY1MlOPPZbhHLBEECB2yvFSpAsy/s400/CIMG1641.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505467778084526402" border="0" /></a><br />I've posted dango here before in various presentations, but today I thought I'd go with the very traditional presentation of <span style="font-style: italic;">kushi dango</span>, which is dango threaded on bamboo skewers, lightly grilled, and spread with a variety of sauces. The sauces shown in the photo, from left to right are: <span style="font-style: italic;">mitarashi</span> (sweet soy-based), <span style="font-style: italic;">matcha</span> (green tea powder), and <span style="font-style: italic;">goma </span>(black sesame). My recipe of choice for basic dango is the one where silken tofu is mixed with shiramatako: details can be found on my <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/07/shiratama-anmitsu.html">shiratama an'mitsu</a> post.<br /><br />1. Prepare the wooden skewers by soaking them in water. This will make it easier to thread the balls, and the skewers will be less likely to burn during the grilling process.<br /><br />2. Make the dango according to directions described in the link above.<br /><br />3. Thread the boiled-then-chilled balls, four to a skewer, and grill on a wire net over the cooking ring on your stove or over a charcoal fire, only until the balls get slight, but yummy-looking burn marks. (You can even make these burn marks in a frying pan, if you'd rather not grill.)<br /><br />4. Remove grilled skewered dango from the heat and spread each row of dango with one of the following three toppings (sauce= <span style="font-style: italic;">tare</span>, paste=<span style="font-style: italic;">an</span>).<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Mitarashi sauce</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>:<br />soy sauce...... 2 Tablespoons<br />white sugar........ 2 Tablespoons (remove any lumps with a sifter)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">mirin</span>..........1 teaspoon (optional)<br />water.........2 Tablespoons<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">katakuriko</span> (potato starch or corn starch)...1/2 teaspoon<br /><br />Place soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and water in small cooking pot over medium heat and stir with wooden spoon till the ingredients are well dissolved. When it begins to boil, slowly add katakuriko which has been liquified with a bit of water, and stir into the rest of the ingredients till it becomes clear and thickened. Remove from heat. Spread the sauce over the dango.<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Sesame Sauce</span>: Blend black sesame paste (tahini) with sugar and enough water for desired spreadability and flavor.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Matcha paste</span>: Mix a desired amount of green tea powder into store-bought <span style="font-style: italic;">shiro-an</span> (white bean <span style="font-style: italic;">an</span>), and add enough water to get the desired consistency. Or, if you can't get <span style="font-style: italic;">shiro-an</span>, make a soft version of <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/06/super-simple-lima-bean-kinton.html">kinton</a> and mix in matcha (powdered green tea) to taste.<br /><br />Note: In this recipe, grilling the skewered dango is only for aesthetic purposes. You can skip that step if you want. Adjust ingredients for desired consistency and sweetness.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-31901387743466859332010-07-29T20:02:00.000-07:002010-07-30T01:09:54.082-07:00beko mochi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeD9H3jTf9tEpBhELsGZ88UgJjehC07blBJ-6sQgVGiWEfxrmUd-V8prSJp6b7FnpBIkaEI6fpf_mHoxiRNtGzYlaKwMqvYOCxWWz2tfTFxKcfIIhUAhl-hl71LEHpJo4wic9ZrZFZJEU/s1600/CIMG1625.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeD9H3jTf9tEpBhELsGZ88UgJjehC07blBJ-6sQgVGiWEfxrmUd-V8prSJp6b7FnpBIkaEI6fpf_mHoxiRNtGzYlaKwMqvYOCxWWz2tfTFxKcfIIhUAhl-hl71LEHpJo4wic9ZrZFZJEU/s400/CIMG1625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499544961503918626" border="0" /></a>Beko mochi is a simple sweet that was common in Hokkaido when I was a child. Families would make it at home using small wooden molds that might have been passed down for generations. It consists of little more than a steamed dough of two kinds of rice flour sweetened with sugar (white sugar for the white dough; dark brown sugar for the brown dough). It contains no <span style="font-style: italic;">an</span>, and no flavoring other than the sugar.<br /><br />The Hokkaido version of beko mochi is almost always shaped like a leaf-- part white and part brown. City folk sometimes purchase them from wagashi shops-- more for their nostalgia value than for the flavor or appearance. But in the countryside, grandmas still follow the multi-step procedure of kneading two kinds of rice flour (glutinous and non-glutinous), steaming the dough, kneading again, pressing it into molds, and steaming it again.<br /><br />I was taught to make beko mochi years ago, when I was working for a small coastal town in southern Hokkaido with a population of 2700. The town's one and only hardware store sold several different kinds of roughly carved wooden molds that charmed me so much, I bought one of each before I even knew what they were for. I haven't made beko mochi since then, and had no real desire to do so, but recently I came across a boxed beko mochi mix that came with its own plastic leaf mold. I bought it with the full intention of making a batch for this blog.... but I never got around to it. Sorry. (Blame this monstrously hot summer.)<br /><br />So the photos I've posted are of store-bought beko mochi, and the store-bought beko mochi mix. :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCOp8PCR-kvTe2TfHDrTlnD9Z8ts8z7SNElLDfWhkbCTpT8lCx-H9WhtekgPyM3h70Ax1JnrKFVh1gDYrXIECvid6JDzgRRQXtIcH7Sd3flcKxjqcXY1fPEyNJcaLkd-rFweLrwfJnfJr/s1600/CIMG1630.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCOp8PCR-kvTe2TfHDrTlnD9Z8ts8z7SNElLDfWhkbCTpT8lCx-H9WhtekgPyM3h70Ax1JnrKFVh1gDYrXIECvid6JDzgRRQXtIcH7Sd3flcKxjqcXY1fPEyNJcaLkd-rFweLrwfJnfJr/s400/CIMG1630.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499544894384381234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlaAtP-rBJWV1HUEZeMKZMh7mLVTsTqu1lKixA4C1-ARCEjRfiOgJVz857xooqliNFROGQ09iCS-bShvMEDCXwP5gC3hyphenhyphenTaeHFAEF6lmmr3s0rDxUp_aMie183M5bajpbLQqiukrSU9lz/s1600/CIMG1625.JPG"><br /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-11276180691772335662010-05-02T19:55:00.000-07:002010-05-03T00:27:04.694-07:00kashiwa mochi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYtZyvwCyuCFBnl3szoKe8gnIAguoVZ0PVenqkhSFxetYtSDwU5C26gKSHQ2_KqN90UWnZKt6pDSrQUh4Cdjpd_hVXzbMhnBJO5AhKCR8D0noVm5Sic3SoGdgbZuJdcoBNYH9-e1r-E_H/s1600/CIMG1555.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYtZyvwCyuCFBnl3szoKe8gnIAguoVZ0PVenqkhSFxetYtSDwU5C26gKSHQ2_KqN90UWnZKt6pDSrQUh4Cdjpd_hVXzbMhnBJO5AhKCR8D0noVm5Sic3SoGdgbZuJdcoBNYH9-e1r-E_H/s400/CIMG1555.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466872398371136738" border="0" /></a><br />Japan is now in the middle of Golden Week, a series of holidays starting from April 29 and going till May 5. When I was little, May 5 was called "Boys' Day." Various foods and displays that symbolized the parents' prayers and dreams for their sons were the highlight of this festival. And even as a girl, it was exciting to be a part of of the celebrations.<br /><br />Nowadays, the holiday is called "Children's Day," but the festival retains much of its masculine feel. Typical displays include old-style warrior helmets and armor. This contrasts with March 3 which is officially called "Doll's Day," and is a festival to celebrate the traditional feminine qualities that parents once wished for their little girls. The typical display is dolls dressed in the costumes of the ancient imperial court. I think both festivals are fun, and no amount of indoctrination in political correctness will change that.<br /><br />One of the sweets traditionally associated with Boy's Day/Children's Day is Kashiwa Mochi. A Dictionary of Japanese Food by Richard Hosking defines it thus: "<i>Round shaped mochi filled with an and wrapped in an oak leaf. It is especially eaten on May 5, Children's Day (formerly Boys' Day), the symbolism being that oak leaves do not wither."</i> (p.74)<br /><br />Here is a recipe from <i>Denshi Renji de Kantan Wagashi</i> (easy Japanese sweets made with a microwave oven) by Matsui Michiru:<br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />smooth an (koshi-an, sieved sweet red bean paste)....200 grams<br />non-glutinous rice flour (johshinko)......200 grams<br />water............................280 cc<br />oak leaves.....................8<br /><br /><u>Directions:</u><br />1. Divide the <i>an</i> into 8 portions of equal size and roll each portion into a ball.<br />2. In a microwave-safe dish, place rice flour and water, mixing them well.<br />3. Cover the dish and heat in microwave for 4 minutes. Remove dish from microwave, mix contents again, and microwave for 3 more minutes.<br />4. Remove the dough from the dish and wrap it in a clean, moistened kitchen towel. With the dough wrapped in the towel, knead the dough until it is smooth.<br />5. Moisten your hands with water and divide the dough into 8 equal portions, pressing each portion gently into an oval shape. Place one <i>an</i> ball in the middle of each dough oval. Fold the dough over the the <i>an</i> ball, sealing the edges .<br />6. When the dough has cooled, fold an oak leaf over each of the an-wrapped dough balls.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1549.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1549.jpg" alt="kashiwamochi1" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These freeze well. Defrost at room temp when you're ready to serve them.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-54678954187930931982010-04-14T16:37:00.000-07:002010-04-14T18:21:05.681-07:00stuffed kumquats<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E2Vf0J_SZxqEJ8QgCq6z251_tv6dB5k41GxHliI8J4fzfZhyV6DjlJBSQ_9fqLcFoj6iS7PTylimFPjM0u4FLkhgZsnKo_52waznZ3phSiqhrNMHUMm_u0FEgit5qOT2qtxAwqJnWGe5/s1600/CIMG1509.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9E2Vf0J_SZxqEJ8QgCq6z251_tv6dB5k41GxHliI8J4fzfZhyV6DjlJBSQ_9fqLcFoj6iS7PTylimFPjM0u4FLkhgZsnKo_52waznZ3phSiqhrNMHUMm_u0FEgit5qOT2qtxAwqJnWGe5/s400/CIMG1509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460155909779646418" border="0" /></a><br />I'd been saving a bag of kumquats (<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">kinkan</i>) in syrup to serve as a special dessert one of these days. But "one-of-these-days" kept getting postponed, and in the meantime I decided to turn these little bitty citrus fruits into wagashi by stuffing them in a manner not unlike the stuffed dried persimmons I posted a couple months ago. The kumquats were smaller and more fragile than the dried persimmons, so it was a little tricky, but the results were definitely worth it!<br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />kumquats in syrup, syrup drained and reserved for other use<br /><i>shiro-an</i> (white bean <i>an</i>)<br />walnuts, chopped<br />granulated sugar (optional)<br /><br /><u>Directions</u><br />Pat the kumquats dry and slice them in half, preferably not all the way through, so that the peel is still connected on one side. Stick a fork in the center of the exposed flesh on one side of the halved fruit, and gently tug at it so it all comes out in one piece from the peel. This is surprisingly easy. Do that to the other half, then follow procedure for all the rest of the kumquats.<br /><br />Remove any seeds, then chop the kumquat flesh. Mix it with an equal amount of <i>shiro-an</i>, and stir a much lesser amount of chopped walnuts into the mixture. Using a teaspoon, stuff the mixture into the two halves of each kumquat, then press the halves together so that they appear whole again. Sprinkle the stuffed kumquats with granulated sugar, and spear with toothpicks to serve. These sweet/bitter treats go great with hot green tea, and just as well with coffee.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1504.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1504.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1506.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1506.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1507.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1507.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1511.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1511.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-49922342633228180792010-03-04T18:19:00.000-08:002010-03-05T00:57:58.970-08:00sakura mochi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDto_3S8rAfIiS1n51H_1NbOBqTyLQCnK_ggBGGoouDNoniAETh2iz7fORbKAm7g7udJ18E_Ry8F_E8_TGAi9Dn3nS_e1FU93pvDBmoxXfkiiNTdIOIntmhkqo7Mbfl6rLvm4SUZLQDKb/s1600-h/CIMG1461.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDto_3S8rAfIiS1n51H_1NbOBqTyLQCnK_ggBGGoouDNoniAETh2iz7fORbKAm7g7udJ18E_Ry8F_E8_TGAi9Dn3nS_e1FU93pvDBmoxXfkiiNTdIOIntmhkqo7Mbfl6rLvm4SUZLQDKb/s400/CIMG1461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444969715112018706" border="0" /></a><br />What better way to welcome the spring cherry blossom-viewing season than with cherry blossom-scented wagashi and a cup of fragrant, newly-harvested green tea (<i>shin-cha</i>)? Sakura-mochi is one of my absolute favorite wagashi of all time, and I was thrilled to discover it can be easily made at home. There are two main regional variations for sakura-mochi. My preferred version uses <i>doumyouji-ko</i> (道明寺子粉), granules made from mochi rice that has been soaked in water, steamed, dried, and then coarsely ground. If <i>doumyoujiko</i> is not available at a market near you, it can be ordered online, or you may be able to persuade a wagashi shop to sell you some from their stock.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1424.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1424.jpg" alt="sakuramochi2" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Ingredients for 8 confections:</u><br /><i>Koshi-an</i> (smooth red bean <i>an</i>).....160 grams/6.5 oz<br /><i>Doumyouji-ko</i> (mochi granules).....100 grams/3.5 oz<br />sugar.....1 Tablespoon, or more to taste.<br />very hot water.....150 cc/5 oz<br />red/pink food coloring, the barest pinch<br />cherry leaves preserved in salt.....8<br />cherry blossoms preserved in salt....8 (optional)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1433.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1433.jpg" alt="sakuramochi1" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1425.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1425.jpg" alt="sakuramochi3" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Directions:</u><br />1. Soak cherry leaves in cold water for 15 ~30 minutes to remove excess salt. Pat dry.<br /><br />2. Divide the koshi-an into 8 equal lumps, and roll each into a ball. Set aside.<br /><br />3. Put doumyouji-ko, sugar, and very hot water in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir it around, and add just a pinch of red food coloring so that the mixture turns a pale pink. Let this sit for 10 minutes.<br /><br />4. Microwave the bowl with its contents for 2 minutes, uncovered. (My microwave oven only does 500 W, and is a bit on the weak side, so I nuked it 1/2 minute longer). Let this sit for 15 minutes.<br /><br />5. Use a wooden spatula to stir the contents of the bowl, to bring out the stickiness of the mochi.<br /><br />6. Moisten your hands and separate the mochi mixture into 8 equal lumps. (I moisten my hands from a bowl of slightly salty water. This adds just a hint of salt to the mochi to supplement whatever salt remains in the cherry leaves, and helps bring out the sweetness of the confection.) Gently flatten each lump into a circular patty.<br /><br />7. Place a ball of an in the center of one of the mochi patties and gently stretch the patty so that it envelopes the an ball. Do this to all the mochi and an.<br /><br />8. Place one of the an-wrapped mochi balls on a cherry leaf, on the half nearest to the pointy end, and bring the rounded end of the leaf over the top of the ball. Do this to all of the balls and leaves. Press gently to flatten the balls just a bit, to insure that the leaves adhere.<br /><br />9. Let the sakura-mochi settle for a while before serving. The fragrance of the leaves will transfer to the mochi. The leaf is edible, but you may want to pull away the tough center vein in the middle of the leaf if you decide to eat it along with the mochi. (This is what I do).<br /><br />Traditionally the mochi is wrapped so that the smooth side of the leaf (the side where the veins don't show prominently) is visible. The veiny side had a brighter green, so I tried it both ways; some with the smooth side facing out, and some with the bumpy side facing out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1436-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1436-1.jpg" alt="sakuramochi4" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1437-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1437-1.jpg" alt="sakuramochi5" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1439.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1439.jpg" alt="sakuramochi6" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1440.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1440.jpg" alt="sakuramochi7" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1463.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1463.jpg" alt="sakuramochiB" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Variations:</u> You can decorate some of the mochi balls with cherry blossoms (gently rinse the salt off the blossom and blot dry) instead of wrapping them in leaves. Or try stirring minced cherry leaves into the mochi mixture before you microwave it, for another flavorful, un-wrapped version of sakura mochi. Garnish tops with cherry blossoms. The blossom is edible.<br /><br />The leaves are where the cherry blossom fragrance is strongest. The blossoms are mainly for show. Click to see my recipe for <a href="http://dosankodebbie.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/sakura-cheesecake/">Sakura Cheesecake</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/sakuramochi.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/sakuramochi.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-74778295643603840712010-02-25T18:08:00.000-08:002010-02-25T18:14:03.757-08:00lily root kinton<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8odm-b1CmdCUpe6EQA6U3fwvLiNnsMw3Si943m_FmqF3g0o1gQHFzjyjZw1b6BB0SEFiBpcDoKRI2AyL3ez5X1uIZ1NCzDIXOgED2J3kotRiILo9xPwDeMkI2kwX9Cn6caT68MXu9dDEf/s1600-h/CIMG1411.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8odm-b1CmdCUpe6EQA6U3fwvLiNnsMw3Si943m_FmqF3g0o1gQHFzjyjZw1b6BB0SEFiBpcDoKRI2AyL3ez5X1uIZ1NCzDIXOgED2J3kotRiILo9xPwDeMkI2kwX9Cn6caT68MXu9dDEf/s400/CIMG1411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442369663145503234" border="0" /></a><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />lily root, <i>sometimes called lily bulbs</i> (yuri-ne)....2 heads<br />sugar.....1 Tablespoon or more to taste<br />salt....a pinch<br />food coloring, sesame seeds and sprinkles for decoration (optional)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/PB010003.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/PB010003.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lily root looks a bit like a head of garlic, but flatter. It should be available at an Asian food market. It usually comes to the consumer packed in sawdust. Kept this way, lily root can stay fresh for months in the refrigerator.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/PB010007.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/PB010007.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Turn the lily root over and you'll find a gnarly "belly button" that must be cut out before you can separate the "petals" of the root. This can be done easily with the pointy end of a potato peeler.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/PB010010.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/PB010010.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Carefully pry off the "petals" from the outer row of the root, working your way towards the center. When the "petals" have been separated, rinse them well in water to get all the dirt and sawdust out of the nooks and crannies. Cut away any brown edges or spots. Place the lily root segments in vigorously boiling salted water for about five minutes, or until the petals are soft enough to mash between your fingers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1397.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1397.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Drain the lily root and mash finely while it is still hot. I do this by using a fine-meshed wire colander as a sieve, but a small-capacity food processor would probably work just as well. If the mashed lily root is too wet/soft to form into balls, put it back into the cooking pot and stir it with a wooden spoon over medium heat until enough liquid has evaporated to make it firmer. Add sugar to taste. After it's cooled to room temperature, mix in a pinch of salt.<br /><br />The mashed lily root will be creamy white, but at this point you may add food coloring to all or part of the lily root. (With small children in mind, I decided to make colorful balls and dyed part of the mashed lily root yellow, and part of it orange.) Divide the mashed lily root into six equal segments and shape each segment into a ball.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1398.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1398.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1400.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1400.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Twist each ball in a square of plastic wrap, and set aside for ten minutes or more. When the balls have settled, unwrap them carefully so as not to disturb the "wrinkles" that the plastic wrap made in the sides of each ball. To make the balls even more colorful, I sprinkled the yellow ones with black sesame seeds, and the orange ones with multi-colored chocolate sprinkles. For adults, I would probably have left the mashed lily root its natural color and topped each ball with grated citrus peel.<br /><br />Lily root is very mild in flavor, but it has a fun crunchy texture when simply blanched, and a distinctive creamy texture when cooked through. To see how I use it in savory (non-dessert) dishes, go to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://dosankodebbie.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/lily-root-in-three-courses/">Lily Root in Three Courses</a>.</span>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-69801541396592097932010-02-05T21:10:00.000-08:002010-02-06T15:53:20.008-08:00stuffed dried persimmons (2)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8rFnmU_yWRsqfZGWsstQhmoFtcVm544UdAZm0dI_JK_k-QJU1hHZYyNeYj7qJoAXGIF2FFeH0inlni2VVCACQ7CnKIAR4eU6yoizVXqx4r1Moj0Fwmho2V47McoxeuekbWYF2L_6u76K/s1600-h/CIMG1391.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8rFnmU_yWRsqfZGWsstQhmoFtcVm544UdAZm0dI_JK_k-QJU1hHZYyNeYj7qJoAXGIF2FFeH0inlni2VVCACQ7CnKIAR4eU6yoizVXqx4r1Moj0Fwmho2V47McoxeuekbWYF2L_6u76K/s400/CIMG1391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434993887262384754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I once suggested this version of stuffed dried persimmons waay, waay back, as a short postscript to a post about dried persimmons stuffed with cream cheese and candied yuzu peel. But since I finally took some photos of the An & Walnuts version, I thought I'd post them to show you how easy and attractive it is.<br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br />Dried persimmons (I used Ichida-gaki, a soft and gooey brand of dried persimmon from Nagano prefecture)<br />Shiro-an (white bean an)<br />Walnuts, chopped<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1383.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1383.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Directions:</u><br />1. Mix the walnuts and an together.<br />2. Gently remove the woody caps from each dried persimmon. Use a knife if you need to.<br />3. Press a finger through the hole where the cap used to be and gently create a cavity in the persimmon without breaking the outside skin.<br />4. Stuff the cavity with the an/walnut mixture, little by little till it is full.<br />5. Replace the woody caps over the holes, and dust the stuffed persimmons with granulated sugar.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1386.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1386.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1393.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1393.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Serve with strong, unsweetened Japanese tea.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-50427074813476604152010-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:002010-02-01T23:37:01.915-08:00shiruko/zenzai in three variations<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBf6VK_NPK4lX6Qlf3MK6KubV2qygJ8_Zx17KXFj_BOfMTqQ4cnCR2-0oKN4QWwZ1ex4v_HoOdSoCQP-cItTrROUe-DeShp1JN7l5zVyybU61quu15cjEGITxwBEDdgiNgjkpqBL1l2wCJ/s1600-h/CIMG1355.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBf6VK_NPK4lX6Qlf3MK6KubV2qygJ8_Zx17KXFj_BOfMTqQ4cnCR2-0oKN4QWwZ1ex4v_HoOdSoCQP-cItTrROUe-DeShp1JN7l5zVyybU61quu15cjEGITxwBEDdgiNgjkpqBL1l2wCJ/s400/CIMG1355.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433520646429436018" border="0" /></a><br />According to <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">A Dictionary of Japanese Food</i> by Richard Hosking, <b style="font-weight: bold;" mce_style="font-weight: bold;">shiruko</b><i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> </i>is a<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> "sweet soup made from the </i>an<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> of azuki beans with </i>mochi<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> or </i>dango [dumplings]<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> of </i>shiratama<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> added. If the </i>an<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> is not sieved, the soup is called </i>zenzai." Hosking defines <b style="font-weight: bold;" mce_style="font-weight: bold;">zenzai</b> as "<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">sweet red bean (azuki) soup. Toasted </i>mochi<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> are served in a sweet soup of </i>an<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">. The type of </i>an<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;"> used varies with the part of Japan</i>."<br /><br />Well, call me an ignorant country bumpkin, but I didn't hear the term <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">zenzai</i> till I lived in the Kansai region as an adult. When I was a child growing up in Hokkaido, we called all soupy <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">an</i> by the name of <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiruko</i>. I was congratulating myself on learning the difference at last, when I discovered that in these modern times, traditional definitions often no longer apply. Curiosity led to experimentation, and experimentation led to the three recipes I've posted here.<br /><br />Let's start out with my version of traditional <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiruko/zenzai</i>. I heat the contents of a can of sweetened boiled azuki beans (or <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">an</i>) and thin it with water to the desired consistency. Meanwhile I grill some mochi on a net over my gas burner. I like brown rice mochi because I find it is more fragrant and flavorful than the white version. And I like to grill it so that it burns a little around the edges. This gives it a pleasant smokey flavor. I spoon the hot azuki soup into individual bowls and plunk grilled mochi into each bowl. To raise the dish to the level of a dessert for a celebration, or for guests, I add to each bowl one chestnut that has been bottled in syrup. So simple!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1377.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1377.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1380.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1380.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next, give this refreshing, chilled version of <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiruko/zensai</i> a try. The ingredients are <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">an</i>, yogurt, and <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiratama</i> dumplings. Find my recipe for <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiratama</i> dumplings <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/09/mugikogashi.html">here</a>. I use tofu instead of water when I make my dumplings. This produces dumplings with denser flavor that stay soft longer that ones made with water, even after they've been chilled in the refrigerator. I usually make a lot at once, and freeze them in small batches for later use.<br /><br />Blend <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">an </i>with yogurt to desired consistency (add sweetener if you <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">must</i>), pour into individual serving bowls, and plop a few <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiratama</i> dumplings in the middle. No heating with this recipe. Serve chilled. It has a very pretty pinkish-purplish hue that makes me think of blueberries.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1345.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1345.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1349.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1349.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1350.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1350.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Finally, here's a recipe for <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiruko</i> that doesn't include azuki at all. Heat some sesame paste (<i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">neri-goma</i>) in a saucepan and gradually thin it out with some milk till you get it to the desired consistency. Add sugar till you get it to the desired sweetness. Blend well. When the soup is smooth and heated through, pour into individual bowls and add sliced bananas and <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiratama</i> dumplings. I played with the color combination of this one, using black sesame paste and adding dried <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">yomogi</i> (mugwort) to the <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiratama-ko</i> to produce green dumplings in addition to the usual white ones. The black-speckled soup with green and white dumplings and yellow banana slices made for an amusing/entertaining/startling <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">shiruko</i> that appealed to my passion for colorful food. This was a big hit with my husband, who is not partial to desserts with <i style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">an</i>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1346.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1346.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1347.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1347.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1357.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1357.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I haven't bothered with measurements, because the important thing here is the idea of these variations, and you can adjust as you please to make more/less, sweet/not-so-sweet versions of these desserts. Some of you may want to make azuki <i>an</i> from scratch. More power to you. I don't use <i>an</i> enough to make it from scratch myself.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-47342759428879287572010-01-22T23:02:00.000-08:002010-01-23T04:08:34.039-08:00plum blossoms (gyuuhi series)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqc4VHC48Nsy9zWRElSMcsPM2p1gBjhm8_XsGWewDpdaTiG_4Y0L3z3Dm8YgxHRvT3dJyJNWJs835sa1svml8iZbAtQ2q8aBiniNNORiRF5ZO2ublO2YG_CTvRxE6WUOVwMm3Lb-5HKWF/s1600-h/CIMG1343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqc4VHC48Nsy9zWRElSMcsPM2p1gBjhm8_XsGWewDpdaTiG_4Y0L3z3Dm8YgxHRvT3dJyJNWJs835sa1svml8iZbAtQ2q8aBiniNNORiRF5ZO2ublO2YG_CTvRxE6WUOVwMm3Lb-5HKWF/s400/CIMG1343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429844497592258514" border="0" /></a><br />Though in northern Japan we are still snowbound, and will be for at least three more months, we were comforted, along with all of Japan, when the TV weather girl announced last week that plum blossoms had begun to bloom somewhere down south. Plum blossoms are one of the official harbingers of Spring. Yes, it's that time of the year when any self-respecting, Japan-based foodie will insert something plum-related into the menu.<br /><br />Today's recipe is for a plum blossom-shaped, plum-flavored confection made from <i>gyuuhi</i>, a mochi-like dough that is tender and easier to mold than mochi. The original recipe uses plain white bean <i>an</i> (<i>shiro-an</i>) as the filling, but I mixed preserved plums into the <i>an</i>. Half with chopped red pickled plums, and the other half with chopped sweetened green plums left over from making plum wine. Sometimes you can find these green plums at the bottom of a bottle of plum wine. Don't throw them out. Freeze them and use them for just such a recipe as this.<br /><br /><u>Ingredients (for 8 confections):</u><br /><br /><i>shiratama-ko</i> (glutinous rice powder)...50 grams/1.6 oz<br />granulated sugar..................50 grams/1.6 oz<br />water.................................80 cc/ 1/3 cup<br /><br /><i>katakuriko</i> (potato flour, may substitute corn starch).....1/2 cup or less<br /><i>shiro-an</i> (white bean <i>an</i>)....................160 grams/ 5.5 oz<br />soft <i>umeboshi</i> (red salt-pickled plums) and <i>ao-ume</i> (preserved green plums)...2 each<br />the yolk of a boiled egg, for decoration<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1336.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1336.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Directions:</u><br /><br />1. Finely chop the red and green plums, discarding the pits. Mix half of the <i>an</i> with the pickled plums, and the other half with the green plums. Divide each half into four equal portions (eight total) and roll them into balls.<br /><br />2. Place the <i>shiratama-ko</i>, sugar, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir with a whisk till any lumps are gone. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cook in microwave at 500 watts for 3 minutes. When done, use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the mixture thoroughly. This is the <i>gyuuhi</i> dough.<br /><br />3. Dump the <i>gyuuhi</i> dough onto a surface sprinkled with <i>katakuriko</i> (or corn starch) and divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball, then flatten each <i>gyuuhi</i> ball and wrap it around one of the <i>an</i> balls.<br /><br />4. Use the dull edge of a knife to press 5 lines from the outer edge of each ball to its center, to represent the petals of the plum blossom. The <i>gyuuhi</i> will bounce back, so press firmly.<br /><br />5. When all eight balls look like plum blossoms, place a pinch of boiled egg yolk in each center.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1339.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1339.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1340.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1340.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1344-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1344-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />notes: The red plum-<i>an</i> mixture was very soft due to the moisture in the <i>umeboshi</i>. It was hard to form it into balls. But the flavor balance of the sour <i>umeboshi</i> and the sweet <i>shiro-an</i> was fantastic. The green plum-<i>an</i>, on the other hand, had the interesting crunchy texture of green plums without much added moisture, so the <i>an</i> was easy to handle. I liked the flavor of the red plum-<i>an</i> filled confections best.<br /><br />My conversions into ounces are always approximate. Please use metric if possible, and if not, check the conversions with your own reference books to make sure.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-14573568422860023352010-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:002010-01-12T17:45:51.071-08:00wagashi-style imo-mochi<a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1323.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1323.jpg" alt="wagashi imomochi L" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The area where I live is famous in Japan for its potatoes. We are used to having potatoes in our diet in a variety of forms, including a snack loved by children and tourists. This is <span style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">imo-mochi</span>, a dumpling made only of potatoes and potato flour, and pan-fried in a bit of butter. The potato flour (you can substitute corn starch) gives the dumplings a glutinous texture like <span style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">mochi</span> rice cakes- hence the name. Ordinarily we shape the potato mixture into roughly circular patties, but given a fancier shape, this rustic snack becomes a pretty confection that is suitable for a tea party. It is not usually sweetened, but for this post, I've offered a sweet alternative.<br /><br /><u><span style="font-weight: bold;" mce_style="font-weight: bold;">ingredients (for 10 confections)</span></u><br />potatoes.....cooked and mashed (without skins), 250 grams/8 oz<br /><span style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">katakuriko</span> (potato starch).....50 grams/1.6 oz<br />butter.....1/2~1Tablespoon<br />soy sauce, seaweed flakes (salt, sugar, optional)<br /><br /><u><span style="font-weight: bold;" mce_style="font-weight: bold;">directions:</span></u><br />1. Mash the potatoes while they are still hot, add the <i>katakuriko</i> (or corn starch) and a pinch of salt. Combine ingredients thoroughly with a spatula. Depending on the potato or how it was cooked, it may need a tiny bit of water to make it malleable. If you decide to add water, start with one teaspoon or less.<br />2. When the mixture has cooled enough to handle, knead it with your hands till it is a smooth, elastic ball.<br />3. Roll the dough into a rope about 15~20 cm (6-8 inches) long, then cut it into 10 equal segments.<br />4. Place one of the segments on the palm of your hand and shape it into a leaf. Using the dull side of a dinner knife, make vein-like impressions on the top of the leaf. Do this to all segments.<br />5. Heat a frying pan over medium fire and melt the butter in it.<br />6. Place the leaves in the frying pan (vein side down), and cover the pan. Cook till they begin to brown- about 2 minutes should be enough.<br />7. Turn the leaves over and cook for 1-2 minutes more.<br />8. Remove potato leaves to a plate and brush a little soy sauce over the surface of each. Then sprinkle a bit of seaweed flakes over them in an irregular pattern.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1317.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1317.jpg" alt="wagashi.imomochi1M" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1319.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1319.jpg" alt="wagashi.imomochi2M" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1320.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1320.jpg" alt="wagashi.imomochi3M" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1321.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1321.jpg" alt="wagashi.imomochi4M" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These little <i>imo-mochi</i> leaves will be crispy on the outside, soft and chewy like <i>mochi</i> on the inside. The dish and fork in the photo are very small, so the leaves are smaller than you might think-- no more than 3 inches long, and 2 inches at the widest part. They are best eaten hot.<br /><br />If you want a sweet version, add sugar to taste when preparing the potato dough in step #1, omit step #8 and instead, add soy sauce and sugar to the pan just before the potato leaves are cooked through. This will form a syrup with which you can coat the potato leaves, just as we did in the previous post on <span style="font-style: italic;" mce_style="font-style: italic;">renkon yakimochi.</span>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-82290577370513280212009-12-29T17:45:00.000-08:002009-12-29T17:47:23.766-08:00renkon yakimochi<a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1306_2.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1306_2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's a wagashi (traditional Japanese confection) recipe that may remind you of Chinese Dim Sum. I tweaked a recipe I found in Haruko Kanezuka's book <i>Wa no Oyatsu</i> (Japanese snacks). It is not overly sweet, as so many Western desserts tend to be, but that's only one of the reasons I like it so much. It's made from healthy ingredients, is quick to make from start to finish, has interesting texture, and is visually interesting too.<br /><br />Main ingredients (six confections):<br /><br /><i>Shiratama-ko</i> (flour made from sticky rice)......... 50 grams (1 & 2/3 oz)<br />Fresh or water-packed lotus root, some for slicing and some for grating.......(buy about 150 grams worth=5 oz)<br />Black sesame seeds....2 teaspoons<br />Soy sauce....2 teaspoons<br />Sugar....1 Tablespoon<br />a bit of oil for frying<br />cheese, (optional)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1279.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1279.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Prep:<br />If the lotus root is fresh (un-packaged), peel it. Cut 6 thin (3~4 cm) slices from it and put the slices in a bowl of cold water to keep them from oxidizing and changing color. Grate enough of the remaining lotus root to make 100 grams (3.5 oz) worth. If using cheese, chop enough to make 5~6 teaspoons worth.<br /><br />Cooking directions:<br />1. Place the <i>shiratama-ko</i> and the grated lotus root in a bowl and gently knead together to make a cohesive ball.<br />2. Add the sesame seed to the above, and knead till mixed evenly into the dough.<br />3. Divide dough into 6 equal balls.<br />4. Flatten each ball against the palm of your hand and place a teaspoon or less of chopped cheese in the middle. Wrap the dough around it and pat it back into a ball.<br />5. Pat the lotus root slices dry with paper towels, and flatten a dough ball against each slice.<br />6. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Then place all the lotus/dough patties in the pan with the lotus side down. Reduce heat to low, cover pan, and let steam-cook for 5 minutes.<br />7. Turn the patties over and steam-cook for 3 more minutes.<br />8. Remove excess oil from pan with paper towels, and then add the soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon or shake the pan to dissolve the sugar into the soy sauce, tossing the patties till they are coated with this sauce.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1282.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1282.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1287.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1287.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1289.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1289.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1291.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1291.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1293.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1293.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1297.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1297.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1299.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1299.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1300.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1300.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1309_2.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/wagashi/CIMG1309_2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As an alternative, replace the cheese with a different filling, or leave the filling out all together. Either way, this is a delicious snack! Serve with bancha tea.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-20588071124059549552009-11-05T18:14:00.000-08:002009-11-05T21:25:50.101-08:00kuri kinton<i><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1250.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1250.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Kinton</i> is one of the easiest to make among Japanese confections, and <i>Kuri Kinton</i> (Chestnut Kinton) is probably the most traditional among the many kinds you can make. The most common version involves mixing pureed sweet potato (<i>satsuma-imo</i>) with whole or crumbled chestnuts-bottled-in-syrup-- a spoon-able version that often appears as part of <i>O-sechi ryouri</i> (New Year's cuisine arranged prettily in fancy lacquered boxes). I find that version a bit too sweet, and lacking in visual appeal. For many years I was convinced I didn't like <i>kinton</i> confections at all. But then I discovered the molded <i>kuri kinton</i> made by a number of <i>wagashi</i> artisans. The recipe posted here was inspired by one of my favorites, a <i>kuri kinton</i> made by Seigetsudou Honpo, a confectionery of Gifu prefecture.<br /><br /><u>Ingredients for 5~7 confections:</u><br />boiled or roasted chestnuts, peeled..........240 grams/8 oz<br /><i>mizu ame</i> (rice syrup) or corn syrup.......just enough to moisten the chestnuts<br /><br />Set aside one or two chestnuts, and mash the rest to a pulp. Mix in rice syrup, a tiny bit at a time, until the mashed chestnuts are just moist enough to stick together when you squeeze a clump of it in your hand. If it is not sweet enough for you, add some sugar until it is. Chop the chestnuts that were set aside--finely, but not so fine that you don't notice them when you bite into the confection. Mixed the chopped chestnuts into the mashed moistened chestnuts. Divide the mixture into 5~7 portions and twist each portion in a square of plastic wrap so it gets shaped into a ball marked with wrinkles from the wrap. When each ball is firmly shaped, press gently down from the top to flatten it a little. Unwrap the confections just before serving. Delicious with hot green tea or <i>houji-cha</i>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1253-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1253-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If chestnuts-bottled-in-syrup is all you can get, go ahead and use it. The chestnuts will be easier to mash, and you probably won't have to add any further sweetener.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-71134421918975735652009-10-27T17:53:00.000-07:002009-10-27T23:52:29.903-07:00ginkgo nut pastry nuggets<a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjktMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjktMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250029-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250029-1.jpg" alt="ginnan10(L)" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In Sapporo, it's now the season when ginkgo nuts start dropping from the maidenhair trees. I racked my brains to think of a tea-time treat that could be made from this seasonal delight. We think of <span style="font-style: italic;">wagashi</span>, of course, as a sweet thing. But not all Japanese tea-time treats are sweet. We munch on <span style="font-style: italic;">sembei</span> rice crackers of all kinds as an accompaniment to tea, and one of my favorite snacks is a brick of <span style="font-style: italic;">mochi</span> grilled till it's crackly outside and melty inside, then served with a mixture of soy sauce and grated daikon radish. Mmmm, delicious! Ginkgo nuts strike me as best suited to a savory snack.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9YWZjMzBhMjMtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9YWZjMzBhMjMtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/afc30a23-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/afc30a23-1.jpg" alt="ginnan(L)" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Ginkgo nuts.... although used frequently enough in Asian cuisine, they usually seem relegated to a minor role, and I have read that it isn't a good idea to eat too many of them at one time. So...how to make them the star of a dish without using too many at one time? I decided to adjust a recipe I have often used with olives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for 30 snacks:</span><br />Cheese, 1 cup (I had Gouda on hand, so that's what I used), finely chopped<br />Butter, 1/4 cup softened<br />Flour, 3/4 cup sifted<br />Paprika, 1/2 teaspoon<br />Oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon,<br />Hot pepper sauce, a dash<br />Black sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons<br />30 ginkgo nuts<br /><br />The best ginkgo nuts are freshly gathered. If you are lucky enough to get these, you'll need to know how to prep them for this recipe. I hate the water-logged texture of canned ginkgo nuts, but the procedure of extracting the nuts from their smelly yucky inedible fruit exterior has always put me off prepping them from scratch. This time, however, a friend did the yucky work, and presented me with a bagful of cleaned up and sun-dried ginkgo nuts in the shell.<br /><br />Use pliers to crack open the hard exterior of the nuts. It may take a few tries before you figure out how to use just enough force to crack open the shell without smashing the nut inside. Don't worry about any papery skins remaining on them. Next, roll the shelled nuts around in a hot wok with a tiny bit of oil. The nuts will take on a beautiful jade green color. After you take them off the stove, you'll see how easy it now is to slip the papery skins off. Sprinkle them with salt and let them cool.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMDctMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMDctMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250007-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250007-1.jpg" alt="ginnan2(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMDQtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMDQtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250004-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250004-1.jpg" alt="ginnnan1(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMDktMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMDktMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250009-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250009-1.jpg" alt="ginnan3(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMTEtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMTEtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250011-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250011-1.jpg" alt="ginnan4(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMTUtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMTUtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250015-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250015-1.jpg" alt="ginnan5(L)" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Next, work the chopped cheese, softened butter, flour, paprika, oyster sauce, and hot pepper sauce into a pastry-type dough with your fingers, trying to get everything to bind together without overworking the dough. The dough will look dry and crumbly when you're finished, but if you take some in your hand and squeeze gently, it should stick together firmly. Take a bit of the dough, press it into a one-inch-sized ball, then flattened it on your palm. Place one nut in the center of this flattened dough, and then wrap the dough around it to reform a ball. Do this with all the dough and ginkgo nuts until they are used up (about 30 balls). Then gently press the balls into some sesame seeds. Lay the balls an inch apart on an UNgreased cookie sheet, and bake them in a 200 C (400F) degree oven for 15 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMTgtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMTgtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250018-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250018-1.jpg" alt="ginnan6(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjAtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjAtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250020-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250020-1.jpg" alt="ginnan7(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjEtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjEtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250021-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250021-1.jpg" alt="ginnan8(M)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjYtMS5qcGc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9UEIyNTAwMjYtMS5qcGc=" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250026-1.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/PB250026-1.jpg" alt="ginnan9(L)" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Baked pastry nuggets freeze very well.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-29448328360476918702009-10-06T17:04:00.000-07:002009-10-06T17:21:01.138-07:00miniature kabocha confections (nerikiri series)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPiwjRgENN3FCWXXzOwycf2DpsUnYvnSgVmxKtpBWhrcWy9mrsivKJFUn8uDyAtIonRO7FdY1Z0QylSPD5BAK84tVgpxziFyY2Pr2cZeuBMG-g6B5SpcanAC6JV7RUtBMVHQbQQG0JogP/s1600-h/CIMG1203.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPiwjRgENN3FCWXXzOwycf2DpsUnYvnSgVmxKtpBWhrcWy9mrsivKJFUn8uDyAtIonRO7FdY1Z0QylSPD5BAK84tVgpxziFyY2Pr2cZeuBMG-g6B5SpcanAC6JV7RUtBMVHQbQQG0JogP/s400/CIMG1203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389646462171247922" border="0" /></a><br />The <i>nerikiri</i> dough (rice flour and white bean <i>an</i> combo) is as easy to use as playdough. A lot of people have been telling me it reminds them of marzipan, which I've never tried. And I don't know if marzipan can be made with a main ingredient other than almonds, but I do know that <i>neriki</i> can be made with alternate ingredients. In today's recipe, I substituted pureed kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) for the white bean <i>an</i>, wrapped the resulting <i>nerikiri</i> around a core of red bean <i>an</i>, and molded it to look like a miniature kabocha.<br /><br /><u>Ingredients for ten confections:</u><br /><br />kabocha (or pumpkin)..... enough to result in 300 grams/ 10 oz of puree<br /><i>shiratama-ko</i> (glutinous rice flour)....2 teaspoons<br />sugar (optional)......30 grams/ 1 oz<br /><i>matcha</i> (powdered green tea).... 1 Tablespoon<br /><i>tsubuan</i> (coarse red bean an).....150 grams/ 5 oz<br />black or white sesame seeds for decoration (optional)....20~ 30<br />pine nuts or sunflower seeds for decoration (optional)....10<br /><br />I cut one medium-sized kabocha into chunks and microwaved the chunks (loosely covered with plastic wrap) till the orange flesh was tender. When the chunks had cooled enough to handle, I cut away the hard green peel from the orange flesh, and mashed the flesh with a fork till it was a smooth paste. You can do this in a food processor if you prefer. I didn't add any sugar because I thought the kabocha was sweet enough. But if you like it sweeter, add sugar as you mash the kabocha.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1132.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1132.jpg" alt="pumpkinnerikiri2" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dissolve the <i>shiratama-ko</i> (rice flour) in a tablespoon of water, and mix it thoroughly into the kabocha puree. <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/09/nerikiri-series-fall-leaves.html">Click here for detailed directions</a> (with photos) for making <i>nerikiri</i>. When the kabocha <i>neriki</i> is the right consistency and cooled to room temp, divide the dough in half. Take one of the halves and knead <i>matcha</i> (green tea) powder into it. This will color the dough green and add a wonderful green tea fragrance.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1134.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1134.jpg" alt="pumpkinnerikiri3" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Roll the tsubuan (red bean an) into ten balls. Roll the orange half of the nerikiri dough into about 15 balls, and the green half into about 15 balls.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1191.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1191.jpg" alt="pumpkinnerikiri4" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Once again, <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/09/nerikiri-series-fall-leaves.html">click here</a> to see photos of how to put three <i>nerikiri</i> balls together in your palm and press them together to form a flat circle large enough to enclose one of the <i>tsubuan</i> balls. Only this time, combine the orange and green so that any one confection will be mostly green (with a dash of orange), or mostly orange (with a dash of green). Pinch pieces off the balls to adjust the amount of color you are aiming for.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1193.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1193.jpg" alt="pumpkinnerikiri5" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Make sure the seams are smooth and the separate pieces of dough are sticking well to each other. Then press gently down on the top so that each ball is slightly squashed. Use the dull edge of a straight utensil (I used chopsticks) to press dents into the flattened balls to make them look more like real kabocha. I used sesame seeds to express the imperfections in the outer skin of the kabocha, and a sunflower seed to represent the stem.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1216.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1216.jpg" alt="pumpkinnerikiri1" border="0" /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-40112839835115127612009-10-03T21:49:00.000-07:002009-10-04T12:48:06.314-07:00O-hagi (plus an explanation of "an")<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_WHhhy0cbqM4TvpEOGnQQ5tCUC8Ms85u7ncdFAP-oHtxUFTrvJ1RiHCRrBDzjRqgL263pTtqC7qvpM0rhIxdSBw3nOev3bCcD5XbMdK0g6-CBlwEoRkZWS6iYaBw7T7wUOqPxg8wxXld/s1600-h/CIMG1195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_WHhhy0cbqM4TvpEOGnQQ5tCUC8Ms85u7ncdFAP-oHtxUFTrvJ1RiHCRrBDzjRqgL263pTtqC7qvpM0rhIxdSBw3nOev3bCcD5XbMdK0g6-CBlwEoRkZWS6iYaBw7T7wUOqPxg8wxXld/s400/CIMG1195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388603796113756866" border="0" /></a><br /><i>A Dictionary of Japanese Food</i> by Richard Hosking describes <b><i>O-hagi</i></b> as an "inside-out rice cake, so called because the <b><i>an</i></b> normally inside the cake is on the outside. The cake is named after <b><i>hagi</i> </b>(bush clover), which flowers in the autumn and which the cake vaguely resembles. When these cakes are made in spring, they are called <b><i>Botan mochi </i></b>(peony cakes). They are made with a mixture of glutinous and non-glutinous rice and are coated with <b><i>tsubuan</i></b>... Simple, very popular, and very good."<br /><br />I often think of <i>Ohagi</i> as an inside-out <i>daifuku</i>, which I guess is what Hosking means by "rice cake.". I introduced <i>daifuku</i> in my blog on <a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/07/ichigo-daifuku.html">Ichigo-Daifuku (Strawberry Daifuku)</a>, in which a fresh strawberry and red bean <i>an</i> were wrapped in mochi. <i>An</i> is a paste that can be made from various starchy ingredients and sugar, but the most common ingredient is azuki beans, which are reddish. Red bean <i>an</i> comes in various degrees of coarseness. The <i>tsubu-an</i> mentioned in the quote above is a coarse <i>an</i> which includes pieces of the bean skin. <i>Koshi-an</i> is smooth <i>an</i> where the skins have been sieved out. <i>Shiro-an</i> is made from white kidney beans. <i>An</i> can also be made from sweet potatoes, chestnuts, and lily roots, among other things.<br /><br />Today I made kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) <i>an</i> to slather over my <i>ohagi</i>. I use a short-cut method to make the mochi center, by following the directions in the aforementioned Strawberry Daifuku blog. You may, of course, prepare a mixture of glutinous mochi rice and non-glutinous rice from scratch, but you won't find directions here for that (sorry).<br /><br />To make the pumpkin <i>an</i>, I cut up a Japanese pumpkin (kabocha) and cooked it in my microwave until it was soft. I scraped the orange flesh off the tough green outer peel, and mashed it with a fork. Use a food processor if you like. Kabocha are naturally sweet, but if you want it sweeter-- or if you use a pumpkin that isn't quite as sweet-- add sugar to taste as you mash it.<br /><br />Make oblong rolls of mochi (made sufficiently soft by following the directions in the daifuku blog) and coat with with the pumpkin <i>an</i>. I made a few of the traditional <i>ohagi</i> covered in coarse red bean <i>an,</i> a few with the pumpkin <i>an</i>, and placed one of each on a dish for contrast.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1202.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1202.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-62834713365240900602009-10-02T02:33:00.000-07:002009-10-02T17:00:04.026-07:00camellia blossoms (nerikiri series)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmu6UV_Vsft6OKFR6gc0ORNLcExC-RATUyxxShfdmm_Eat-Wxx2Y-E4qsJGLmy-QfiwGziuSvlceaNuLOz3tFqTJIbmvPBTao6-rKhlJ5VjOloRAeh9MvluK_mPPoiyncKOsZASSM2-64/s1600-h/CIMG1181.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmu6UV_Vsft6OKFR6gc0ORNLcExC-RATUyxxShfdmm_Eat-Wxx2Y-E4qsJGLmy-QfiwGziuSvlceaNuLOz3tFqTJIbmvPBTao6-rKhlJ5VjOloRAeh9MvluK_mPPoiyncKOsZASSM2-64/s400/CIMG1181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387934794256846562" border="0" /></a><br />In my previous post, I explained how to make <i>nerikiri</i>, a combination of sweet white bean paste (<i>shiro-an</i>) and rice flour (<i>shiratamako</i>) that is the basis for a whole category of traditional Japanese sweets. Once you get the hang of <i>neriki</i>, this camellia blossom <i>wagashi</i> is a cinch to make.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients for 10 confections:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://wagashichronicles.blogspot.com/2009/09/nerikiri-series-fall-leaves.html">nerikiri dough from previous post</a>, (about 300 grams/ 10 oz)<br />food coloring (red, yellow)<br /><br />1. Divide 90 grams (3 oz) of the nerikiri into ten equal pieces. Roll each piece into an oblong ball.<br />2. Color 150 grams (5 oz) of the nerikiri red, and divide it into 50 equal parts.<br />3. Color the remaining nerikiri yellow, and divide it into 10 equal parts.<br />4. Flatten each yellow piece into a roughly rectangular shape (1.5 cm x 4.0 cm) and make little cuts along the top of the long edge with a knife. Wrap each one around a rolled piece of uncolored nerikiri.<br />5. Shape each piece of red nerikiri into a thin flower petal (wider at one end than the other), and place five petals evenly around the sides of each of the white and yellow centers you made in #4.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1144.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1144.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1155.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1155.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29t" target="_blank"><img style="width: 297px; height: 333px;" src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1181_2.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1181_2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Serve with hot green tea.dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1514248697575708045.post-39482186930476085652009-09-23T16:49:00.001-07:002009-10-02T16:03:24.346-07:00fall leaves (nerikiri series)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI-AT4MHeiXkb2rird7sKj9hLRLD5_lcJzz0re9pGhzBkA9PPP52KOEDpi-jCchNOaIw2aNdziY2LUPbenCIY3G1efBbYVmHPhiwmAIMMwbkMGE2SfRqUIZNfIlt-xFJfC-snR4JDbwF9/s1600-h/CIMG1104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimI-AT4MHeiXkb2rird7sKj9hLRLD5_lcJzz0re9pGhzBkA9PPP52KOEDpi-jCchNOaIw2aNdziY2LUPbenCIY3G1efBbYVmHPhiwmAIMMwbkMGE2SfRqUIZNfIlt-xFJfC-snR4JDbwF9/s400/CIMG1104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384872095110406898" border="0" /></a><br />I started my wagashi adventures with the easier confections that women of my parents' generation, and to a lesser degree my own, made for their families at home. Nowadays these confections are readily available at any market or roadside stall, so today's busy young mothers are less inclined to make them from scratch. I meant to prove to myself, and to my readers, that these confections can be made easily, cheaply, and quickly, and that they are so much better <i><b>for</b></i> you and your kids than the pre-packaged, mass-produced junk we would eat otherwise.<br /><br />Before long I was ready to try something a bit more challenging, and I decided to take a swing at <i>Nerikiri</i>, which is the basis for a whole wonderful world of delicately-shaped and subtly-colored confections. The basic ingredients are the familiar ones from earlier posts.<br /><br /><u>Nerikiri ingredients:</u><br />White bean an........ 300 grams (10 oz)<br />Shiratamako........5 grams (about 2 teaspoons)<br />Water.......1 tablespoon<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzUuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzUuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1075.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1075.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri2" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Place the <i>shiratamako</i> in a small bowl with the water, and stir till the rice flour is completely dissolved. Add the white bean <i>an</i> to the dissolved <i>shiratamako</i> and mix thoroughly. Divide the <span style="font-style: italic;">an</span> mixture into 6~8 equal portions and lay, without overlapping, in a ring around the outer edge of a round microwave-safe dish (I used a pyrex pie dish).<br /><br />Leave the dish <b>uncovered</b>, and nuke in microwave for 3 minutes so that the excess moisture will evaporate out of the <i>an</i> mixture. Depending on the power of your microwave, you may have to repeat this two or three times. I ended up microwaving at 500W for a total of 7 minutes before the mixture was dehydrated enough (you want to be able to knead it like playdough).<br /><br />Take the <i>an</i> mixture out of the microwave and scrape the separate portions into one lump and knead together so that it becomes a smooth ball of dough. Cover this with a damp kitchen towel and let sit until cooled to room temperature.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzEuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzEuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1071.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1071.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri1" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzYuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzYuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1076.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1076.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri3" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzcuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzcuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1077.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1077.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri4" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><u>Directions for Fall Leaves confection:<br /></u><i>An </i>dough from recipe above<br />Red Bean <i>an.....</i> enough to make 6~8 1-inch sized balls<br />Food dye<br /><u><br /></u>Divide the cooled <i>nerikiri</i> dough into three lumps roughly equal in size. Using food dye, color one lump green, another one yellow or orange, and the last one red or pink. I used powdered dye and dissolved the tiniest amount (1/8 teaspoon) with a drop or two of water before kneading the <i>an</i> dough into it. To make the orange color, I mixed yellow and red dye together before kneading the dough into it.<br /><br />If the <i>an</i> dough gets too moist during this process, put it back into the microwave for a couple of minutes to dry it out enough to handle like playdough. Make 6~8 small balls from each color of dough. Place one ball of each color together (as shown below) and gently squeeze them so that they stick together. Place this on the palm of your hand and stretch it out without letting the colors mix up too much. Put a ball of red bean <i>an</i> in the middle and gently pull the colored dough around it till it is wrapped completely. Place this large dough ball in the center of a square of plastic wrap and twist the corners firmly at the top. (Traditionally, this is done with a thin cotton cloth.)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzguanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwNzguanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1078.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1078.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri5" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwODAuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwODAuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1080.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1080.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri6" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwODIuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwODIuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1082.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1082.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri7" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwODcuanBn" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vczM2LnBob3RvYnVja2V0LmNvbS9hbGJ1bXMvZTE4L2Rvc2Fua29kZWJiaWUvP2FjdGlvbj12aWV3JmN1cnJlbnQ9Q0lNRzEwODcuanBn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1087.jpg" mce_src="http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e18/dosankodebbie/CIMG1087.jpg" alt="FallLeavesNerikiri9" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Let the confection settle for a while in a cool place (refrigerator would be good). When ready to serve, gently remove the plastic wrap so that the wrinkles formed in the confection are not disturbed. The idea is to evoke autumn by reproducing the tints of fall leaves. Experiment with different color intensities and combinations to suit your taste. I made some with just green and yellow dough, and others with just orange and red.<br /><br />If you prefer a subtler color combination than shown here, experiment with dye products and techniques and you see what you can come up with. I will be posting several more in the <i>nerikiri</i> series of Japanese confections. The one shown here is one of the very simplest of these, but they can become quite fancy. Once you get the hang of <i>nerikiri</i>, there's so much you can do with it!<br /><img src="file:///Users/deborahdavidson/Desktop/CIMG1104.JPG" alt="" />dosankodebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04357411708254011194noreply@blogger.com