Buck wheat noodles my dad made, with the see weed he picked on the beach
Tempura: carrots and butterbur sprout (see images: http://images.inmagine.com/img/mixa/mx042/mx042010.jpg) my dad found in the woods
Taro cooked in Kombu broth
Daikon radish salad
Butterbur sprout, or fuki no too in Japanese is one of the early spring wild plants that we can find around our house. It’s a bit bitter and strong.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
市, Ichi, or Market
We have this farmer’s market held twice a month in the center of the town I live with my parents. The size of the market varies according to the season and is getting smaller compared to when I was small, due to the decrees of local farmers and population of Sado island. Now there are about 20 booths set up on the street. Most of the venders sell vegetables but some sell flowers, fruit, fish, see vegetables, seeds, bamboo baskets, etc.
I like going to the market. The venders only bring seasonal and local food, which is what I think is great and something I want to support. I can see changes in variety each time I go to the market and that’s also fun for me.
What I enjoy the most though, is the conversation with the venders. The people who come sell at the market are almost the same every time and I go there regularly so we remember each other. I feel somewhat at home. The venders (who are mostly old ladies) are also very friendly, kind, and talkative. I often ask them questions about the items they have or just how they are doing. They answer my questions frankly.
One day I sew a vender selling kiwi fruit, which is kind of rare to find in the market. So I asked her if she grows them on Sado. She then said, “Oh, they grow in our back yard. My family started growing them just for ourselves but we get so many that we bring some here now. We don’t spray anything on them. They are very sweet and tasty.” Of course I bought some from her :). Anyway just a small conversation like this brightens me up so much for some reason and makes me like the market so much.
But I get sad sometimes at the market. The main reason is because I feel sorry for the farmers. They grow food working so hard everyday and share the food with me and other consumers. But they can’t make a living just by growing food because vegetables are so cheap and there is not much support for them. Majority of people, even in Sado go to big supermarkets and buy much cheaper food grown on huge scale farms and/or imported from overseas.
Well but those local farmers might become the most powerful when society collapses. All I can/should do now I think is to respect farmers, learn from them, and become able to grow my own food.
I like going to the market. The venders only bring seasonal and local food, which is what I think is great and something I want to support. I can see changes in variety each time I go to the market and that’s also fun for me.
What I enjoy the most though, is the conversation with the venders. The people who come sell at the market are almost the same every time and I go there regularly so we remember each other. I feel somewhat at home. The venders (who are mostly old ladies) are also very friendly, kind, and talkative. I often ask them questions about the items they have or just how they are doing. They answer my questions frankly.
One day I sew a vender selling kiwi fruit, which is kind of rare to find in the market. So I asked her if she grows them on Sado. She then said, “Oh, they grow in our back yard. My family started growing them just for ourselves but we get so many that we bring some here now. We don’t spray anything on them. They are very sweet and tasty.” Of course I bought some from her :). Anyway just a small conversation like this brightens me up so much for some reason and makes me like the market so much.
But I get sad sometimes at the market. The main reason is because I feel sorry for the farmers. They grow food working so hard everyday and share the food with me and other consumers. But they can’t make a living just by growing food because vegetables are so cheap and there is not much support for them. Majority of people, even in Sado go to big supermarkets and buy much cheaper food grown on huge scale farms and/or imported from overseas.
Well but those local farmers might become the most powerful when society collapses. All I can/should do now I think is to respect farmers, learn from them, and become able to grow my own food.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Yuko, let's go running in the cold!
I went running again with my dad today. We ran about 6 km along the beach, the same route we took yesterday. There was icy snow on the street so it was so slippery. It was also cold (probably around 2 C or 35 F) and windy. My back was hurting. It was pretty much the worst condition ever. But it turned out to be a great opportunity to train my body and mind.
I decided my back was hurting because my running posture wasn’t correct. I tried to run leaning slightly forward, keeping my back straight at the same time. That little change not only let my back pain go away but also made it easier for my legs to slide forward to my surprise. When I realized, I was running faster than before, without any pain in my back. That was the best present from today’s run and made me so happy and grateful.
I feel I’ve been getting stronger both physically and mentally each day since I started running seriously. I know I will become even stronger, as long as I keep trying. So I will never give up. I will keep running.
I decided my back was hurting because my running posture wasn’t correct. I tried to run leaning slightly forward, keeping my back straight at the same time. That little change not only let my back pain go away but also made it easier for my legs to slide forward to my surprise. When I realized, I was running faster than before, without any pain in my back. That was the best present from today’s run and made me so happy and grateful.
I feel I’ve been getting stronger both physically and mentally each day since I started running seriously. I know I will become even stronger, as long as I keep trying. So I will never give up. I will keep running.
Monday, January 14, 2008
I did it!
I ran 7km today so I did 20km total this week.
I have been building up my stamina and have been able to run longer at a time than before, so I think it will be easier to run 20km a week from now on.
I've been enjoying running, which is great more than anything.
Yes! :)
I have been building up my stamina and have been able to run longer at a time than before, so I think it will be easier to run 20km a week from now on.
I've been enjoying running, which is great more than anything.
Yes! :)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Today’s dinner
Turnip and carrot in tahini Miso sauce (The recipe follows below)
Brown rice porridge with wild herbs and azuki beans (by my dad)
Miso soup with shiitake mushroom and tofu
Grated daikon radish
So here comes more about the turnip dish.
I made this with whatever I could find in the kitchen. The inspiration comes from the dish a friend in Canada made out of the dumpstered turnip.
Any way it turned out great and my mom liked it a lot too so I’m going to write the recipe so any of you can try making this if you want to.
I rarely measure ingredients when I cook so the list of ingredients is kind of rough, just so you know…
INGREDIENTS:
3 turnip root
1-2 carrot
A bunch of turnip greens
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs Miso
1 tbs Mirin, or maple syrup
1 tbs grated ginger
2 tbs rapeseed oil
1 tbs sesame seed oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Slice the turnip root and carrot and chop turnip greens.
2. Combine tahini, Miso, Mirin and ginger in a small bowl.
3. Heat oils in a pan, add turnip root and carrot, then turnip greens and fry them for about 5 min.
4. When the veggies are cooked and soft, add the tahini sauce, stir and cook for a few more min.
That’s it! Pretty simple huh? It took me only 15 min or so to make this.I like it that I can use the whole turnip (both root and leaves) in this recipe.Turnip greens are rich in vitamin C. It’s better not to waste it, isn’t it? :)
Thanks for reading! See you again!
Brown rice porridge with wild herbs and azuki beans (by my dad)
Miso soup with shiitake mushroom and tofu
Grated daikon radish
So here comes more about the turnip dish.
I made this with whatever I could find in the kitchen. The inspiration comes from the dish a friend in Canada made out of the dumpstered turnip.
Any way it turned out great and my mom liked it a lot too so I’m going to write the recipe so any of you can try making this if you want to.
I rarely measure ingredients when I cook so the list of ingredients is kind of rough, just so you know…
INGREDIENTS:
3 turnip root
1-2 carrot
A bunch of turnip greens
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs Miso
1 tbs Mirin, or maple syrup
1 tbs grated ginger
2 tbs rapeseed oil
1 tbs sesame seed oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Slice the turnip root and carrot and chop turnip greens.
2. Combine tahini, Miso, Mirin and ginger in a small bowl.
3. Heat oils in a pan, add turnip root and carrot, then turnip greens and fry them for about 5 min.
4. When the veggies are cooked and soft, add the tahini sauce, stir and cook for a few more min.
That’s it! Pretty simple huh? It took me only 15 min or so to make this.I like it that I can use the whole turnip (both root and leaves) in this recipe.Turnip greens are rich in vitamin C. It’s better not to waste it, isn’t it? :)
Thanks for reading! See you again!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Running in the snow
I went running with my dad today. We ran 7km total.
It snowed today and the streets were partially icy. I had to be very careful not to slip or fall.
But it’s so much easier and more fun to run with somebody.
I’m so fortunate that my dad comes running with me sometimes.
I have to run 7 more km tomorrow to achieve my goal of 20km a week.
I can do it!
It snowed today and the streets were partially icy. I had to be very careful not to slip or fall.
But it’s so much easier and more fun to run with somebody.
I’m so fortunate that my dad comes running with me sometimes.
I have to run 7 more km tomorrow to achieve my goal of 20km a week.
I can do it!
She is so sweet
I prepared Amazake last night.
Amazake literally means sweet sake, but it's non-alcoholic and is a sweet, cultured grain drink, usually made using rice and Koji (=a mold or Aspergillus oryzae).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazake
It's pretty easy as long as Koji is available to you.
Basically you need to make rice porridge, let it cool a bit and mix it with Koji then keep it at around 60C or 140F for about 6 to 9 hours.
I used brown rice and kept the rice-Koji mixture in a thermal water bottle over night.
It had turned unbelievably sweet when I tasted it this morning. No wonder some people use Amazake as a sweetener.
I put some in a blender and made it smooth, heated it up a bit and drank it with a pinch of cinnamon.
It was so good :)
I want to make it with some other grains maybe millet the next time I make Amazake.
Here you can see how exactly to make Amazake.
http://www.cybermacro.com/Macrobiotic_Recipes/From_Cookbooks/How_To_Make_Amazake_by_Sandor_Ellix_Katz/
Cheers!
Amazake literally means sweet sake, but it's non-alcoholic and is a sweet, cultured grain drink, usually made using rice and Koji (=a mold or Aspergillus oryzae).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazake
It's pretty easy as long as Koji is available to you.
Basically you need to make rice porridge, let it cool a bit and mix it with Koji then keep it at around 60C or 140F for about 6 to 9 hours.
I used brown rice and kept the rice-Koji mixture in a thermal water bottle over night.
It had turned unbelievably sweet when I tasted it this morning. No wonder some people use Amazake as a sweetener.
I put some in a blender and made it smooth, heated it up a bit and drank it with a pinch of cinnamon.
It was so good :)
I want to make it with some other grains maybe millet the next time I make Amazake.
Here you can see how exactly to make Amazake.
http://www.cybermacro.com/Macrobiotic_Recipes/From_Cookbooks/How_To_Make_Amazake_by_Sandor_Ellix_Katz/
Cheers!
Goals of the month
run 20km (=12.5mile)a week, 80km (=50mile) a month at least
do all the power yoga sequence in the book I have everyday before bed
complete "Energy Flow" on piano by Ryuichi Sakamoto
I will add more later.
do all the power yoga sequence in the book I have everyday before bed
complete "Energy Flow" on piano by Ryuichi Sakamoto
I will add more later.
Reading report
Of January 8th 2008
I’ve been going to the library and reading a lot lately. The library system in Sado is so much better than I had expected: they not only get books from other branches in the island for you but also from the main library in Niigata city on the main island. I want to make use of the library in Sado more from now on.
In the last 3 weeks, I’ve read books on jogging and triathlon training, sport science, yoga, brain science, aging, the environment, macrobiotics, female bodies and sexualities, etc. The encyclopedia of current world situations such as terrorism, environmental issues, underground markets, globalization and corporations, was pretty interesting.
I read a book on food mileage today. Food mileage is a multiply of the quantity of food and the distance the food had to travel to come on your plate. I knew that Japan is importing so much food (about 60%) from overseas but I didn’t know that half of it is corn to feed cattle. That means if people in Japan cut back on meat consumption, we can be much more self supporting on food source than we are now, and reduce ecological foot print that results from food import. It’s so sad that the diet of most people in Japan has changed completely from pretty-much-vegetarian to meat eating in the last fifty years or so. I personally don’t eat meat but still there is so much I can do to reduce the “food mileage” of what I eat daily. I can think of the following 3 ideas now. I’d appreciate it if you have any other ideas and possibilities. Thanks!
1. Eat locally:
There’s abundance of local, seasonal, fresh food around me. Persimmons, apples, kiwi, fig, mandarin oranges, lots of kinds of vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, sea vegetables, sea salt, etc. are available on the island. My dad’s friend grows brown rice organically so we get brown rice from him. We can also go foraging in the nearby woods for wild plants and mushrooms mainly in spring and fall. It’s nothing to go without avocado from Mexico or bananas from the Philippines. I don’t think it’s a good idea health wise either to eat food from far away places, especially from different climate zones.
2. Grow my own food:
I definitely should do this. Growing season starts in March or April here but I can start making good soil by taking care of the compost we have in our front yard, NOW.
3. Dumpster dive:
Dumpster diving surely is great as a way to reduce our ecological foot print. It’s not an option for me right now but I do it when there’s accessible dumpsters and food thrown away near me.
I’ve been going to the library and reading a lot lately. The library system in Sado is so much better than I had expected: they not only get books from other branches in the island for you but also from the main library in Niigata city on the main island. I want to make use of the library in Sado more from now on.
In the last 3 weeks, I’ve read books on jogging and triathlon training, sport science, yoga, brain science, aging, the environment, macrobiotics, female bodies and sexualities, etc. The encyclopedia of current world situations such as terrorism, environmental issues, underground markets, globalization and corporations, was pretty interesting.
I read a book on food mileage today. Food mileage is a multiply of the quantity of food and the distance the food had to travel to come on your plate. I knew that Japan is importing so much food (about 60%) from overseas but I didn’t know that half of it is corn to feed cattle. That means if people in Japan cut back on meat consumption, we can be much more self supporting on food source than we are now, and reduce ecological foot print that results from food import. It’s so sad that the diet of most people in Japan has changed completely from pretty-much-vegetarian to meat eating in the last fifty years or so. I personally don’t eat meat but still there is so much I can do to reduce the “food mileage” of what I eat daily. I can think of the following 3 ideas now. I’d appreciate it if you have any other ideas and possibilities. Thanks!
1. Eat locally:
There’s abundance of local, seasonal, fresh food around me. Persimmons, apples, kiwi, fig, mandarin oranges, lots of kinds of vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, sea vegetables, sea salt, etc. are available on the island. My dad’s friend grows brown rice organically so we get brown rice from him. We can also go foraging in the nearby woods for wild plants and mushrooms mainly in spring and fall. It’s nothing to go without avocado from Mexico or bananas from the Philippines. I don’t think it’s a good idea health wise either to eat food from far away places, especially from different climate zones.
2. Grow my own food:
I definitely should do this. Growing season starts in March or April here but I can start making good soil by taking care of the compost we have in our front yard, NOW.
3. Dumpster dive:
Dumpster diving surely is great as a way to reduce our ecological foot print. It’s not an option for me right now but I do it when there’s accessible dumpsters and food thrown away near me.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Restart
I decided to start writing in this blog again.
I want to make it clear why I keep this blog, so I can hold on to it and get back to it whenever I become weak or lazy.
So, the reason why I keep this blog:
1. I want to stay motivated in life and I think keeping this blog will help me do that.
2. I want to be able to express myself better in English and I think keeping this blog in English helps.
3. I want my friends to be able to stay updated on my life when they want to.
4. I also hope that this blog could become a place where I can exchange ideas and opinions with people who read my blog.
Welcome! and I hope you will enjoy!
Thanks a lot for visiting.
I want to make it clear why I keep this blog, so I can hold on to it and get back to it whenever I become weak or lazy.
So, the reason why I keep this blog:
1. I want to stay motivated in life and I think keeping this blog will help me do that.
2. I want to be able to express myself better in English and I think keeping this blog in English helps.
3. I want my friends to be able to stay updated on my life when they want to.
4. I also hope that this blog could become a place where I can exchange ideas and opinions with people who read my blog.
Welcome! and I hope you will enjoy!
Thanks a lot for visiting.
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