Kaminazuki : Month of the beautiful moon!

Kaminazuki: October

Tsukimi dango: rice dumplings for the autumn moon-viewing!

In Japan, it is said that the most beautiful moon appears in autumn.
We truly love 'tsukimi'(moon-viewing in English)!
Since old times, the full moon in the 8th month
and the waxing moon in the 9th month (both in the lunar calendar) have been appreciated.

On the 27th of October this year, we’ll celebrate a beautiful waxing moon.
On this day, tsukimi dango or rice dumplings with some autumn treasures, like chestnuts or edamame pod soybeans are offered to the moon.
We share the autumn harvest with the moon.

Dango is a kind of casual sweet food, and often served with red bean paste (azukian). This month’s paste is edamame paste called 'zunda'. Zunda is a beautiful green and can be a healthy topping for dango dumplings. Have a beautiful moon-viewing and enjoy tsukimi dango!

Hirousu: Deep-fried tofu balls

Hirousu: Deep-fried tofu ball

Sometimes Kyoto-ben (regional dialect) is unique,
and is quite different from standard Japanese. We say 'okini' for 'thank you', not 'arigato', for example.

Today's dish is deep-fried tofu balls called 'ganmodoki' in general.
But, in Kyoto, we call it ‘hirousu’, which is said to have originated
from the Portuguese word, 'filhos'.
This dish is also sometimes referred to as 'hiryozu'. 'Hiryozu' literally means 'flying dragon’s head', because some ingredients in it look like the eyes of a dragon, its whiskers or scales etc.

Tofu has a delicate flavor, it is good to taste its beautiful flavor simply, but this deep-fried tofu is also surprisingly good! The outside is crispy and inside is still soft and it keeps tofu’s flavor very well. The secret of this soft texture is the yamanoimo (sticky yam potato) which makes this ball softer & smoother.
Please put your favorite vegetables into the mashed tofu so that you can enjoy the different flavors and textures that meld well with tofu’s mild flavor. Not only tofu lovers, but also people who are unfamiliar with tofu will love this tofu dish.
I’m sure you will too! Enjoy it!

left on the basket: yamanoimo

-----------------------------
Ingredients:
Momen/firm tofu 350grams
Grated yamanoimo/yam potato 2 table spoons
(For the substitution, please use whipped eggwhite and heavy soymilk)
Starch 1 tea spoon
Salt a pinch

a. Dried Kikurage mushrooms 7grams
b. Thin julienne strips of carrots 20grams
c. Lightly boiled, small pieces of yurine/edible lily roots 15grams
d. Boiled ginkgo nuts a few pieces
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Directions:
1. Place a couple of plates (put some weight) on tofu for around 30 minutes
to remove excess water
2. Strain and mash 1. in the grinding bowl
3. Add 2 table spoons of grated yamanoimo, 1 tea spoon of starch and a pinch of salt
in the tofu(2.)and mix very well to make a smooth texture
4. Soak Kikurage in cold water and when Kikurage gets soft, cut into thin julienne strips
5. Put Kikurage(4.) b., c. and d. in 3. and mix very well again
6. Make 5. into four balls 　　　　
7. Deep-fry 6. till they get golden brown

Prepare hot soup and serve
1. Put 200ml of dashi soup stock, 20ml of regular soysauce, 20ml of light soysauce
and 40ml of mirin/sweet rice wine in a pan and warm it
2. Put each ball in a bowl
3. Pour hot soup
4. Garnish grated daikon radish and a piece of myoga/ginger bud 　　

Happy New Year - 2012!

Wishing you all a very happy Dragon Year, 2012!

Iwaizakana: New Year's special foods

top left: kazunoko-prepared herring roes
top right: gomame-roasted tiny dried anchovies
centar: subasu-sweet marinated lotus roots

bottom left: kuromame-sweet simmered black soybeans  

bottom right: gobou-sesame dressed burdock roots

from the left: ebiimo, burdockroot, kintoki carrot, gomame, yuzu, kuwai, yamanoimo and renkon/lotus root