Sayaka’s Kitchen

Aloha!

I talked about whole soybeans last time, so this time I’d like to talk about the “broken” or “crashed” soybeans– how tofu and soymilk are made.

Tofu was first made in China, but there are several theories where and when. However, we know it was already being made in the 6-7^th Century. It is said that tofu was first brought to Japan by some Japanese delegates who went to China sometime in the 8^th Century, but the word “tofu” didn’t appear in writing until 12^th Century.

Generally, tofu making process goes like this:

It’s been long since I wrote in this blog last time here… sorry for the absence. Hope readers of this blog had a good start of the year a month ago!

I will be updating this blog more frequently from now on – well, this can be my Belated New Year’s Resolution!

Now, I’d like to talk about soy. I think there are many wonders surrounding the magic beans – What kind of products are made from it? Which ones are available in North America? How should we prepare them, and what’s the health benefit of each of them?

We love eating vegetables–especially the seasonal ones. Since we eat A LOT of vegetables, the parcentage of vegetable cost in all grocery cost can be really high. So saving on vegetables can be really effective for this house’s economic.

That’s why I like to go to Chinatown to get fresh, seasonal, and cheap vegetables. Look at the picture here– all of this is only $15! How nice…!!

From the left below, clockwise:

Broccoli, kabocha squash, green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, burdock root (gobo), daikon radish, green onion, hechima (loofah or washcloth squash), and Okinawan sweet potatoes.

Aloha!

It is now a “Shimi” season in Okinawa. Shimi season is one of the 24 seasons of one lunar calendar, which usually is mid- to end of April in Gregorian calendar. If you are a good Okinawan, you are supposed to go to your ancestors’ graveyard to greet them.

Grew up in Mainland Japan, it was a bit “scary event” for me first. What about all those ghosts?? What if I start hearing their voice??

But that was the whole point of this event, in fact. This is a very important occasion for Okinawan people to “share the time” with their ancestors.

Aloha!

It’s been raining most of the time in Hawaii for the last month… which is very unusual.

Although Hawaii winter means more rain, it doesn’t mean this much rain! This is definitely one of the most rainy winter in Hawaiian history. Very strange.

But still, if it’s not raining too hard, my husband and I try to manage ourselves to get out there and run after work. We’ve been running in Ala Moana Beach Park until recently, but we recently changed our running course to the World Famous Diamond Head.

A little while ago I organized a tiny party with my friends on the beach. I wanted to make it special so we invited a “lei teacher.”

She is a real nice lady from Micronesia, and apparently the lei making is very popular in Micronesia also, and she grew up making it.

It was my mother’s request that she wants to learn how to make leis when she visits me in Hawaii. So I started looking for a lei class, but surprisingly, I didn’t find any class you can walk-in. If it was just some regular orchids on a thread that’s easy– just go to Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. But my mom, she wanted to learn the “real” one, like the one Hawaiian people use in their rituals.

Aloha,

I just came back earlier this weekend from a trip to Japan. This time, I visited my family in Eastern Japan to meet my parents, sister and her husband, and their 4-month-old son, before I left for Okinawa.

My mom made us some soba, or buckwheat noodles, which she’s been practicing over the years. The steps are simple, just mix up the buckwheat flour and water, knead, and cut into noodle shape; but it requires a mastery!

Here’re some pictures her making the soba.

Aloha,

I hope everyone had a great starting of the New Year!

I spent this Holiday at my husband’s parents house, and it was wonderful. I could feel a bit of fresh, stingy, cold air, which is very different from where I live… Hawaii. This time, my brother-in-law and his wife brought a little 6-month-old nephew and everyone got so crazy about him! He is a killer… I’ve been killed several times by his smiles!

Anyways, now we are back in Honolulu and finally starting to work in full throttle.