I'm still here - and got a new bento box!

Yes, time flies. Only one post this year so far, but I'm still here. Just overworked.
But, I've decided to start making bento lunches again. I'm not so happy with food at work, and want to eat better.
To motivate myself I ordered a new bento box from Bento & co. Get yours here, they ship worldwide: Bento&co
It's a round box, red "laque", rabbits "usagi" from Hakoya.

Let me overflow you with pictures of this beauty:

 From the side, with black elastic band.

 Top lid.

 

Can't wait to fill it!

Old and new bento boxes, both with rabbits.

Beautiful ceramics...

 I was lucky enough to buy not just one, but two, beautiful tea ceremony bowls in Japantown. First I bought this beauty. I wanted a light color since I already got a black one.

It has lovely uneven grey glaze with little dots in it and white pattern that looks like grass or straws.

Then I walked on to the next store and saw this one... oh, and I love blue. So I got this one as well. 

It reminds me of the ocean; the Pacific, with the striking color and wave pattern. No regrets, they´re so lovely. If I had a more money, I would get an antique chawan, but I´m happy with these!

Tofu box has arrived!

After travelling across the U.S. in a box, hand carried on a plane from San Fran to NL, my tofu box finally made the final stretch in a kangaroo trolley from NL to Norway yesterday.... my precious!

 Made of hinoki wood, it came with a sieve cloth and bag in white.

It´s very nice and it smells good too.

It also came with nigari, so today I have to get myself some soya and make tofu again.... stay tuned!

I also got this nice soya cup from my mother-in-law, bought in San Francisco. Very nice eggplant motive.

More Japanese items sneaking their way into my house.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Copenhagen. I used to live there, so to me it´s a little bit like a second hometown. I always drop by "Sticks n´sushi", to eat and to stock up on Japanese items. This time I got away with a nice selection of soy, miso dip and sauces, plus a brand new matcha sifter! Oh, and me and Mr. Linuz had a great evening with food and sake off course....

Check out my new matcha sifter! (Matcha-what? you say...) I´ll show you how it works soon. Or wait; it sifts matcha! ;)

You can check out Sticks n´sushi´s menu here, if you happen to be in Danmark/ Copenhagen area (lucky you!): Sticks n´sushi website
Pst: We would love to have one in Oslo you guys....

Gifts!

I have no idea what I´ve done, but last week I got 2 very nice presents!
From my friend Turid, I got two new furoshiki, from Japan. She visited Japan a little while ago.
One cotton with flowers, and one in 100% silk, two colors on opposite sides. I can´t wait to try them!

From my colleague I got a nice summer present; a candle holder shaped as a lotus flower, beautiful!

I also got some chrysanthemum tea I´ve ordered. I plan to pack the tea in small bags and
send them to the people that orderes items from krysantemum design.
I´ve been contemplating for a while what to pack as "free treats", and landed on the tea.

Now I need to get some small see-through bags and we´re set!

Tea ceremony - making matcha

Finally I have got all the equipment for making matcha... I have a whisk, a scoop, a hemp towel, whisk holder, iron tea-kettle for water and good quality matcha.

So, here´s my version of a tea ceremony:
I apologize to all you Japanse out there who find me to be too much of an amateur for this; I will practice!

First I heat water and warm the bowl with hot water inside, wipes it off dry.

Kettle with hot water, ceremony grade matcha, whisk on holder, bowl with matcha scooped in.

For this matcha (Yuuki Midori, organic) I use 2 scoops and aprox. 70 ml water.

I let the water cool to about 70 degrees C and pour it in, holding the bowl in one hand.

Whisk in a W-shaped pattern using your vrist only, not the whole arm.

Until you get a frothy foam with lots of bubbles.

Enjoy!

My utensils and tea displayed on a piece of hemp cloth.

Mail from Japan

Two parcels in one day! I almost forgot the pouring rain.... The trip to the post office was rewarded with this:

My new chasen has arrived + some nice organic matcha I can´t wait to try.
Today I just enjoyed unpacking and touching the hand cut bamboo.
Tomorrow or later tonight it will be put to the test when I´m making a nice cup of usucha matcha!

Wating for mail... from Japan

Soon in use!

I´ve finally ordered a new chasen (matcha whisk) and this time a hand made one from Japan!
I´ve also ordered some organic matcha from the same store. Usually shipping from Japan is
fast and safe, so I have big hopes for the parcels to arrive next week!

I will post pictures when it arrives, but for now you can see it for yourself here:
Matcha whisk and tea

I need to order more utensils for the tea ceremony, but I like to try a store first and see if everything works out fine.

New matcha 抹茶 bowl.... 茶碗

茶碗 Black beauty

While buying a print at The Yooniverse studio http://www.theyooniversestudio.no/ last week, my eye caught some nice, japanese bowls. So, off course I had to get one, perfect for making matcha. And my litle girl got one with an owl.

Back home I realized I´ve lost my matcha whisk... so I´ll be getting a new one next week!

Hoot, hoot!

Please support Japan:

For my Norwegian friends:
If you want to give a contribution to Japan + have a nice print on your wall, please buy one of Kazuhiko Yamadas wonderful prints or original paintings. He sends 100% of the money to aid children in Japan. What a wonderful thing to do!

The prints can be bought here:
http://www.theyooniversestudio.no/index.php/cPath/73

The originals are for sale in Studio Kampen / The Yooniverse studio, Sons gate 7, Oslo.

Kumihimo - news and a shop!

Look what I´m making! My braiding really took off, so I´ve got myself a small shop on the "norwegian etsy"; Epla! My shop is called krysantemum design - krysantemum being both a flower and a japanese hair braiding style.

Check it out (Norwegian customers):

http://krysantemumdesign.epla.no

Looks like I´ve got a hidden passion, and maybe talent?

Kumihimo - braiding

So, I've been braiding a lot lately using an old Japanese techniqe called Kumihimo.

Some info:
The most prominent historical use of the cords was by samurai as both a functional and decorative way to lace their lamellar armour and their horses' armor (barding). Kumihimo cords are now used as ties on haori jackets and obijimes, which are used for tying on an obi (kimono sash).

I'm using a portable marudai made of flexible foam, and it works really well. It's my past-time activity in front of tv! I would like to get a real wooden marudai as well, to add to the Japanse-stuff-in-my-house list...

Pictures coming soon!

Daifukumochi - the candy that makes Norwegian kids cry...

So I came home from Japan two years ago with loads of Japanese sweets. They´re mainly made of rice flour and beans. The taste is somewhat different from western sweets. My daughter has set her mind on liking everything Japanese, so she ate them with all the enthusiasm only a small kind can. She also invited the neighborhood kids in for a treat... the result; tears.

They looked so tasty, pink and green, in such a nice box!

Two years later I thought I´d try to make my own. I didn´t have azuki beans to make the filling, so I made plain without filling, but with green tea. They came out very well on the second try!

Here goes:

Daifukumochi

3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp matcha

potato starch to dust with

Sift matcha into flour in a large bowl.

Mix sugar and water in a pan, bring to a boil.

Pour the liquid into the flour and whisk as hard as you can.
Transfer the mass back into pan and simmer while stirring for 2 minutes or so.
Put the mass on a plate and cut small pieces that you drop into

potato starch
and roll into small balls.

Enjoy! (Ps. Be careful when handing them out to kids - might case unwanted reactions!)

Kimono day!

Sunday is kimono day in our house.... or, to be correct; yukata for me. Sadly I didn´t get a real kimono for myself in Japan... but next time I will! My daughter is just beginning to fit into hers. She looks fantastic! Never mind my bad sash knitting skills, at least I managed some kind of bow.

J has a pink child cotton kimono with sakura and chrysanthemum flowers.

I´m wearing my Hasseludden (www.yasuragi.se) yukata.

My bento stash

Since I've ordered some more bento stuff, I decided to check what I've got now... before it arrives. And it is some, but I sure could use more! So, it's all good! Can't wait to get the egg shaper, small bottles and Totoro bento box!

From left: Furoshiki x2, drawstring bag, rabbit 2 tier box, Hello Kitty single box, ongri box x2, bento onigri box, 2 tier bentobox with shut-close lid, small boxes inkl. Hello Kitty mayo box with spoon, silicone shapes, training chopsticks for my daughter, vegetable cutters in various shapes, animal pins for food, nori stapler.

My bento equipment has been bought at Tokyo Hands in Tokyo and from J-box online. Plus a few household items from Norway like silicone molds, heart cutters, etc.

ps. most of this is my daughters! If you were wondering....

Trip to Japan, oct 08

Long overdue... posting a few pictures from my trip to Japan in October 2008.
We landed at Kansai airport and spent time in Osaka and Kyoto before heading for 2 days in Naoshima island. A wonderful, wonderful place filled with art, architecture, good food and peace... Sadly, we had to leave, and finished our trip in Tokyo, which was exiting as well. But not that peaceful...


Here's our hotel in Naoshima, design Tadao Ando. One of his few wooden buildings. And the beach....







View from my veranda. Our first day was sunny, but the next was overcast and pretty windy. Still, it was very pleasant weather for October! In Norway it was rain and +5 degrees...









One of the many art pieces around the island. A Shinto shrine in a new interpretation.











In Naoshima Ferry terminal I found this interesting display of local seafood.. I didn't get any of this, but I got some really nice nori, locally made. Even my 3 year-old loves that nori....

Japanese cooking, part 1

After reading a blog called Tess´s Japanese Kitchen while looking for a recipe, I've decided to post some of my ventures into the world of Japanese cooking as well.

I get recipes several places, from cookbooks, online, from my Japanese colleague...

My first project this week will be: Green tea ice cream + planting shiso (perilla).
I planted shiso last year with much luck, but sadly my plants died in the fall before I got to freeze anything or conserve it. This year I will plant daikon as well, with seeds I brought from Japan.

Green tea ice cream

2 egg yolks
5 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup of milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp green tea powder
3 tbsp hot water

Dissolve tea in water, set aside.
In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Put the bowl over medium heat and add milk.
Whisk until thickening. Let it cool and add green tea mixture. Add whipped cream
and freeze in ice cream-maker or freezer.

Pictures in separate post above.

Monday 16.03.:
The ice cream is now well on it's way. I've stirred it twice, and had a small taste. It's fabulous! Can't wait to have a BIG scoop. This is one of the things I really miss from Japan...

Planting shiso (perilla)

Planting is set for Wednesday.
Got my seeds and pots ready, I'll get soil tomorrow.

19.03.09:
The seeds are planted. I'll post pictures when the first sprouts surface. I tried to repeat what I did last year when I got such a good result. We live in a different house now, so my window is angeled different, but I hope there will be enough sun anyway.

Daikon seeds to be planted a bit later in the spring.

Bento box

Happiness
my new bento box and furoshiki cloth
yellow tamago, orange carrots, green nuts and brown tuna
little rabbits on the lid
remembering where I'd bought it, Tokyo
we'll meet again soon
I've left a suitcase