Category: Cooking

Posted in Cooking, Feelings, Gadget, Japanese Food

Made Gyoza (Dumplings) with Toshiba Ishigama Dome

Posted on by sonokotchi

I bought this in January 2013.

This is hard working multitasking one.

It heats it up like a microwave, bakes it like a oven, grills like a griller, steams like a steamer.

I used to bake cakes, cookies, etc. with this but now I simply use it for heating up.

I was hungry after returning from a bodywork.

I quickly made gyoza/dumplings (1. cut cabbage & lotus, 2. minced pork, 3. added soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking sake, ground ginger & garlic, 4. make shape) and steamed as many dumplings as I could.

These are delicious!

I couldn’t stop with 6; I ate 10.

These are home-made gyoza and I added vegetables; not that sinful…right…?

Posted in Cooking, Experience, Feelings, Place, Travel

The Shikoku Pilgrimage: Day 6 (1/2)

Posted on by sonokotchi

Starting my day with Japanese breakfast.


Hotel is just next to Uwajima Station.


The first temple is far from Hotel while driving, enjoyed a peaceful view.


No. Kanjizaiji (Kanjizai Temple)



My guardian, Senju-kannon (Thousand Armed Avalokiteshwara)


Kaeru (Frog) is a good luck charm in Japan because it sounds same as “Return”.

Happiness Returns, Wealth Returns, Illness Reurns


No. 39 Enkoji (Enko Temple)



Water is good for curing eye illness. 

Tap/rub some water around your eyes.


Further drove down to the most Southern poont of Shikoku island.

This is Shimantogawa (Shimanto River), one of three purest rivers in Japan.


No. 38 Kongo Fukuji (Kongo Happiness Temple)


The garden is beautiful.


This point is the most Southern spot in Shikoku.



This is John Manjiro who is one of people That studied in the USA. 

He became a translator for Japan when Japan is opening isolation in the mid 1850.

I visited more temples today, but I need to go to bed now.

I will continue tomorrow, oyasuminasai

Posted in Cooking, Feelings, Japanese Food

Peace & Sukiyaki

Posted on by sonokotchi

I don’t want to talk about politics on my blog.

I just pray for the world peace.

In Tokyo, the temperature dropped; it’s only 8C now.

It’s a nice season to enjoy babe (pot dish).

I cooked sukiyaki (beef with vegetables) tonight.

I’ve been eating outside and oh no, I gained few kg…it’s time to cook and eat healthy. f^_^;

Posted in Cooking, Exercise, Feelings, Golf, Japanese Food

One Sunday

Posted on by sonokotchi

I wanted to play golf today, but it rained heavily.

We decided to practice at a driving range.

It was a good practice, but I miss playing golf; I played my last game in December 2015…2015…

Yes, it was unfortunate that it rained heavily….


For dinner, cooked Kamonabe (duck pot).

It was delicious with variety of vegetables: shiitake mushroom, bunashimeji mushroom, enoki mushroom, hakusai (Chinese cabege), mizuna (potherb mustard), and negi (green onion).


After enjoying duck and vegetables, we cooked  zosui (porridge) with this delicious stock by adding egg and rice.

 

I was recommended to enjoy it with umeboshi (sour plum) and surprisingly, it’s goooood.


I enjoyed my dinner with Kirin’s seasonal beers.

I’m not a beer expert, but this is how enjoyed… Akiaji (ale, right) and Izayoinotsuki (pilsunar, left).

Both of them are nice in each way; I would recommend you to try them.


Autumn is harvest time; I’m glad to be Japanese to enjoy seasonal food and drink♪

Posted in Cooking, Daily Life, Exercise, Feelings, Japanese Food

What a Monday!

Posted on by sonokotchi


Tokyo was hit by Typhoon 9. 

It brought much rain and caused floods, land slides, black out, etc. 

I am lucky that I’m not affected by this typhoon. 

Well, typhoon is a good excuse to leave office early tonight. 

I decided to bully my trainer by going to gym.  

Poor him, others cancelled a session because trains might get suspended. 

Well, at last, I showed up as promised. hehehe

After exercise, I cooked my lazy dinner. 


Baby leaves, lettuce, white radish, green onion, boiled pork with ponzu sauce (citrus flavored soy sauce). 

This dish is simple, but very refreshing. 

And Rio Olympics ended.

Next is our turn, Tokyo Olympics 2020! 

Posted in Beauty, Cooking, Exercise, Feelings, Health, Tokyo

Healthy Saturday

Posted on by sonokotchi

It rained heavily in the morning; and a weather alert was announced from a speaker.

However, rain stopped when I finished my brunch (roti canai, peach, banana and pineapple & mango juice).


After my brunch, I went to my monthly magma spa @ Marunoichi Bricks Square.

The weather was okay then.

The weather is crazy in Tokyo nowadays.

Posted in Beauty, Cooking, Exercise, Feelings, Food, Health, Japanese Food

Magma Spa and Chicken Salad

Posted on by sonokotchi


It’s time to renew my membership for gym. 

I try to go to gym regularly on Monday to a nearest gym from my apartment. 

I’ve been signing up for the premium status so that I can get one free magma spa (or commonly called a stone spa) session for 80 mins every month. 

I was so surprised when I found out the last time I went for a magma spa was in last July. 

It’s been a year since I went last time!!! 

I felt ashamed because a staff gave me a towel for being a loyal customer…

I should include a monthly magma spa session as one of my routine!  

I sweat, sweat and sweat and feel good. 

I was just lying there, but I feel so tired and sleepy now… Why?   

At home, I ate a huge plate of salad with sesame seed dressing. 

I made a salad with vegetables, smoked salmon and steamed chicken. 


This steamed chicken, called salad chicken, is innovated by convenience stores. 

It’s very popular among Japanese now. 

It’s healthy, low calories, delicious and cheap – it’s sold at any convinience stores.

 
I don’t need to cook; it’s ready to eat. 

I bought alpensalz flavor this time and this product is available in many brands such as the Seven-Eleven and flavors such as herbs. 

This product provides good protein, yet low calories, for people on diet.

I should consider replacing my meals with this. Hummm

Posted in Cooking, Family, Feelings, Food, Travel

Salmon Sandwich

Posted on by sonokotchi

I used to think salmon sandwich is boring. 

Now sentimental value is added and I appreciate it very much. 

I’m happy to see products, especially food, from Scandinavian countries at stores in Japan. 

I prepared salmon sandwich with Denmark’s smoked salmon for my brunch. 

 For dinner, parents were in town to go to a classic concert; we met up after the concert to have Italian.


I gave Mom the cosmetics that caused me skin problems.

It’s branded cosmetics so it wasn’t cheep; it costed me About USD 60. 

Yes, the cosmetics became a gift to Mom. 

She gave me a big smile when I gave it to her. 

I thought
how many times do we need to celebrate Mother’s Day in a year? hahaha 

Posted in Cooking, Experience, Feelings

Housekeeping Day

Posted on by sonokotchi

After work, I arrive home hungry.

I usually cook for dinner and lunch for my lunch box.

To ease my evenings, I decided to spend few hours to cook.

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(Dashi (stock for miso soup and basic Japanese food), pumpkin in dashi flavour, miso soup, red snapper in soy sauce flavour, boiled spinach, bean sprout and egg in oyster sauce flavor and mashed pumpkin.)

And another thing…..recently, I found out that I could keep my clothes cleaner if I hand wash by myself.

I’m a lazy person, I often send my clothes to laundry service.

But the other day, I doubted its work when I received returned clothes.

I tried hand washing my jacket with Emal, detergent for clothes for dry-cleaning. (To my surprise, Emal is Kao’s product, too.)

I thought I am going to destroy my clothes, but….

I could not believe what I saw then, BROWN COLOURED WATER……?????

Tonight I washed my office pants…..I am not proud how it looks, but I thought I can share my surprise and this is the proof. Sigh…

Okay, I admit I hate ironing, but now I’m considering to buy a good steam iron.

The jacket look the same after ironing as if these were returned from the laundry shop.

IMG_8933

Posted in Cooking, Family, Feelings, Food

Happy Father’s Day Eve

Posted on by sonokotchi

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Today, I invited my parents for Father’s Day Eve dinner.

As you know, I visited Miyazaki to attend a meeting and I bought a Miyazaki Mango.

This mango costed me JPY 2,500 (USD 25) a piece.

In Tokyo, price is usually higher; this mango could cost more, USD 30? USD 40?

If this was the Egg of Sun brand, it could cost USD 50 in Miyazaki and USD 80 – 100 in Tokyo.

I asked why this brand is so expensive.

The type of mango is the same, apple mango family, that we can find in Thailand, the Philippines, and other ASEAN countries.

The Egg of Sun mango grew in a glass house without any agrochemical.

A farmer carefully checks each piece of mango, not by a tree a piece, twice in a day: morning and evening.

The Egg of Sun brand is a winner of the beauty contest, it has a beautiful shape (no dents, no scratch, and no color changes), large (size 5L: more than 350g) and sweet (sugar contents have to be higher than 15).

I bought a ripe mango which is smaller (size 4L).

I don’t think I would spend so much money on a mango in future.

That’s why I asked my parents for dinner to celebrate Father’s Day Eve tonight.

Mango cannot wait. hahaha