Moon Dumpling with Zunda ずんだ入りお月見だんご

日本語のレシピは　ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の　Hachidory から　ご覧下さい。

Aki 秋is now staying here and waiting to get colder so that it can turn the leaves into orange, yellow and red.

Autumn already changed the color of the rice plant to brown, letting us harvest the rice grains.

There are two days that are equivalent to Thanksgiving Day in Japan.  One is “Kinroh-Kansha no Hi勤労感謝の日” on November 23 and the other is “Tokanya十日夜” on November 14. 

Those are the days to give thanks to the harvests and the other blessings.

But unfortunately many people are not aware of those events and just take it as one of the national holidays for the first one, and as for the latter one, even do not know there’s such a traditional event.

(Take a look at my previous post to know more about”Kinroh-Kansha no Hi 勤労感謝の日)

 “Tokanya十日夜” is also considered the third Moon Viewing Day of the year, which is October 10 in Lunar calendar. (November 14th in the current calendar.) 

There are three Moon Viewing Day in Japan though the second and the last ones are not practiced in most of the regions nowadays (even the first one is often forgotten).  
The first one is the 15^th of August, the second one is 13^th of September and the last one is 10^th of October, all dates are of the lunar calendar.  

Therefore “Tokanya十日夜” is actually Thanksgiving Day and also Moon Viewing Day. 

If you missed to view the moon on September 21 and October18 (of the current calendar), why not look up the moon on November 14 and send your gratitude for what you have and also make a wish upon the moon? 

You can also dedicate “Otsukimidango/Glutinous rice dumplings” to the moon following the recipe that I am sharing with you today. 

The dumplings should be dedicated to the moon first, but if you are not patient enough, you are allowed to eat them straight away!

(You can know more about Moon Viewing Day in my previous post )

 If you found today’s otsukimi dango/moon dumpling is not so easy to make after reading the recipe, maybe you can try the easy version to make is with pumpkin that I introduced in above link.

Enjoy moon dumpling making with your family or friends!

 

 

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タグ：お月見 十日夜 とおかんや 勤労感謝の日 ずんだ かぼちゃ お月見だんご 白玉団子 マクロビオティック ビーガン グルテンフリー マクロビオビーガン Hachidory macrobiotics Vegan Gluten-Free EDAMAME Pumpkin dumplings Otsukimi moonviewingday

Fig with Creamy Tofu Cheese, いちじくとクリーミー豆腐チーズ

 

日本語のレシピは　ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の　Hachidory から　ご覧下さい。

“Time flies like an arrow.”

This proverb is so true when we get older.

When I was small, the time passed too slowly.

I had to wait for ages for the summer to come and my next birthday to arrive.

But now, I often utter to myself, “It’s already summer again ?”,  “My birthday is coming again!”.

 

I know that is something natural.

That is the course of our lives.

In the other word, it is the order of the nature.

When we are born on this earth, our journey to the other side of the world is also starting. 

They are on one line.

Our individual life is an eternal line.

We just walk on what is given to us without being afraid of what is going to happen in the future. 

The important thing is that we live this moment utmost, with dignity without succumbing to any forms of oppression.

When the season shifts to the autumn, my mind tends to be sentimental. 

I’m sure some of you feel same way when you hear the music played by the insects at night.

Today’s recipe is something that cheers me up during this season.

It is “Fig with Creamy Tofu Cheese”.

 

The fig tree that I planted its sapling five years ago finally bore two fruits this year for the first time, after having gone through the unusual growth.  Believe it or not, first three years, it grew to the certain height, but it disappeared (totally out of site) in the winter, and sprouted again in the spring, grew faster and faster each year.  But it did not disappear last winter, kept growing since then, and became a stout tree that can bear the fruit.

Unfortunately or fortunately, one morning, I found that those pieces of the fig disappeared.  I presumed they entertained the birds first.

The fresh fig is available only for a few weeks in Japan.

Whenever I open the fig and look at the ruby color flesh which springs out the milky liquid to the surface, I am filled with the funny sensation, a kind of secretive or sensual feeling.

I don’t know why but I feel guilty to eat it.

But the moment I put it into my mouth, that feeling flew away and I feel contented.

The combination of the fig and tofu cheese is superb.  

The sweetness of the fig and the saltiness of cheese compensate each other, and they create the new stunning taste and satisfaction.

Don’t miss this scrumptious food while the fresh figs are available.

 

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タグ：Fig Vegan macrobiotics Vegan cheese fresh fig Japanese cooking tofu cheese Hachidory Japanese vegan 無花果 いちじく 豆腐チーズ ビーガン ヴィーガン マクロビオティック 日本料理 料理教室 子供料理教室 英語料理教室

Mushroom Okowa, vegan きのこおこわ

日本語のレシピは　ビーガン、ベジタリアン情報満載の　Hachidory から　ご覧下さい。

 

It has been for a while since the big typhoon had gone.

There were landslides along my regular routes to the mountains and they still have scars.

But fortunately, I myself and my home were not affected.

 

The nature is so fascinating, bringing us the peace of mind and happiness, but at the same time it has the opposite side like us.

It is the order of the nature, yin and yang.

The nature is so powerful, but not infinitely, may be it could be so vulnerable.

 

Thanksgiving Day is coming soon.

(If you are interested in knowing about the equivalent day in Japan, visit this post. )

 We need to thank the nature for its blessing in the form of harvests.

Pumpkins, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, taros, lotus roots, walnuts, ginkonuts, persimmons have been harvested and are widely available now.

Most of them are starchy and fatty.

It is the blessing from the nature for us to be prepared for the cold winter.

It is interesting that every year my appetite increases in this season, and those foods satisfy my heart and tummy.

Among them, rice is the fundamental staple which is the source of my power.

Newly harvested rice is so tasty with a hint of sweetness and  moisture.

 

Today I am sharing the glutinous rice recipe, “Okowa”.
My recipe is based on the very traditional method.

If you search “Okowa” you can hit many recipes, but most of them are following the contemporary quick boiling method, often using the electric rice cooker.

“Okowa” literally means hard, and it is something like al dente, the word to express the certain firmness of the pasta. 
This texture cannot be yielded by boiling and simmering the rice. 
It can be obtained only by steaming.

Therefore if you want a real “Okowa”, follow my recipe !

 

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タグ：ビーガン きのこ おこわ きのこおこわ マクロビオティック 勤労感謝の日 Thanksgiving Day ginko nuts MUSHROOMS Glutinous rice macrobiotics Japanese vegan Okowa 銀杏の処理 銀杏

Vegan Pumpkin Dumpling お月見だんご

日本語のレシピは　ビーガン情報サイト "Hachidory" で　ご覧ください。

The summer has faded away and hello to the autumn.

 

The rice can be harvested soon.

]

The persimmon is still a bit too green.

 

The chestnut is ready to be taken.

The first thing that comes up to my mind when I feel the autumn air, is my fond memory of “Otsukimi”/ Moon Viewing Day.

When I was young, this traditional event was practiced in a family unit in Japan.

I used to love this elegant event.

 

On the day of Ostukimi, I and my sister went to the riverbank in the evening to cut and collect some susuki/the silver grass.

When we were back home, the tiny table was set at the engawa, the corridor facing east south side with all the windows fully opened.  

On the table, there were rice dumplings that my mother made, and pears and grapes gracefully decorated. 

We put the silver grass in the vase placed beside those foods.

The engawa was transformed into the very cozy area.

After dinner we moved there, and enjoyed moon viewing in a nostalgic mood.

It was said that a rabbit was pounding the glutinous rice on the moon, and I used to believe it and try to find the rabbit there.  

Somehow, I always found her there and felt good about it.

It was such a romantic moment !

But I remember that I was more looking forward to the next moment.

When the moon had enjoyed the food that we offered to her, it was our turn.

The dumplings and fruit were my favorites !

 

When I grew up, I moved to Singapore, and there I found the same day was celebrated in a different way.

It was called “Moon Cake Festival”.   Both events are originated from China, and it’s a celebration of a full moon of mid-autumn. 

I thought how interesting it was that once used to be the same event developed into different ways.

While I lived in Singapore, I more followed the Singapore custom.

When I came back to Japan after being away for over 20 years, I found “Ostukimi” was not celebrated here any more.

But I resumed this custom because of my fond memory.

Each year I decorate my room with “Ostukimi” items during this season and make rice dumplings on the actual date.

 

 

I think you can guess which recipe I am sharing with you today.

Yes, it is the dumplings, but it is the pumpkin dumplings, not the rice dumplings.

It is so easy to make !

The only thing you need is to get the starchy dense pumpkin, not the wet type one like butternut squash.

Then anybody, even the small kids can make it !

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タグ：macrobiotics Glutinous rice dumpling Otsukimidango Dumpling moon cake festival Hachidory Otsukimi Pumpkin Singapore 中秋の名月 Vegan ビーガン シンガポール Full Moon マクロビオティック ムーンケーキフェスティバル すすき mid autumn festival お月見 お月見だんご かぼちゃ

Simmered Taro / Shiroiro Koimo 白色小芋

日本語のレシピは　ビーガンサイト　”Hachidory" で　ご覧ください。

The leaves turned yellow and red has started falling.

Yes, the autumn is short, shorter than any other seasons.

May be because of that, I always feel like clinging to this season.

Seeing the falling leaves is something that does not make you feel warm.

It brings a sense of loneliness, but with a kind of solomness.

It is not so bad to see the falling leaves after all.

On the contrary to this sense of depletion, our appetite jump up in fall season.

Fortunately, it is the season of harvest too, and the nature blesses us plenty of staples.

The newly harvested rice is moist and sweet.

The ginko nuts fallen from the trees can be picked up from the ground as much as I want, and they are plump and chewy.

 

The sweet potatoes are sweet and starchy.

The carrots are getting juicier and sweeter.

It is the principle of the nature that our appetite increse when the nature produeces much staples.

So don't go for diet from the autumn to the winter !

Because our bodies unlikely want to slim down during these seasons, and resist to all the attempts made by you as they try to accumulate the fats by any means.

Anyway, believe it or not, it is such a waste not to enjoy those tasty and powerful seasonal grains and vegetables.

Today, I am sharing one of the seasonal Japanese vegetable recipe with you.

"Satoimo" is the Japanese name, and it is often translated to "taro" in English.

But unlike the taro which is the main staple in the tropical regions, satoimo is usually harvested in cold season here in Saitama.

It is very slimy, and many Japanese people enjoy this unique texture.

They are often simmered with dashi soup stock and soy sauce. 

I like to steam them and eat with various sauce that I made.

It can be a nice ingredient for Miso soup too.

These are the patties with mashed satoimo, hijiki sea vegetable and grated lotus root.

Satoimo cannot be omitted for "Konyasai no Umani "/ simmered root vegetables.

I deep-fry them once a season for my son.

Which one do you want to  learn ?

I chose the one that experimented recently and turned out very tasty.

There you go !

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タグ：Satoimo Taro macrobiotics Japanese cooking Japanese fall 里芋 塩麹 甘酒 白みそ マクロビオティック 和食 ビーガン Vegan 紅葉 英語レシピ Hachidory