A Purple Soup/Paste?

Does it look like a dessert to you? This soup/paste actually do taste

great! How great? Even when my daughter got sick with high fever and

did not feel like eating anything, to this one item she could hardly say no.

It is made of "purple - sweet potatoes" with fried onions, a little butter,

milk/soy milk and salt.

A very simple soup but tastes good and most of all, contain lots of vitamin

needed for our body ... a recommended menu for the little ones.

Only In Japan

Two pickled radish - the brown paste is made of fermented

rice bran (or rice peel) with miso - called "nuka miso", a typical Japanese

traditional pickling. The paste itself can last for decades and passed on to

several generations. These pickled vegetables not only taste good

but contain a lot of minerals and healthy germs for our stomach.

Tomatoes, eggplants, broccoli, green pepper, radish,

daikon/long white radish, Chinese cabbage

and many others can be eaten raw with this

type of pickling.

Not an Indian curry, but a Japanese curry.

Taste sweet and contain miso paste, tomatoes and curry powder.

A typical Friday menu among families here ... why curry?

This tradition began during the war when the

Marine soldiers were served curry every Friday on the ship.

Curry was also consider a specialty food back then.

DANGER! Oil That Can Lower Your Cholesterol

In Japan tempura is a popular dish. I believe it is popular overseas as well. Japanese however are very concerned about oil consumption as it will increase your cholesterol level. About a decade ago, there was a research by a well known manufacturer here and they announced a new product of oil that can actually lower your cholesterol. The product was a hit in the market here, i believe it has also expanded its market overseas.

Recently, it is know that the production of this oil involves a chemical process, using a chemical called glycidol fatty acid ester. Recent research showed that this chemical was found dangerous for health as it can cause cancer. The manufacturer now recalled its products after over 10 years of putting it on the shelf.

I hope the news reach those people out there who may be using such oil. This kind of findings teach me one thing --> we should not be lured easily by advertisement on healthy products. It takes a lot of effort to remain healthy, so there is no easy solution. If it sounds "too good to be true", don't count on it.

Note:

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/0916/TKY200909160312.html

The oil product is called エコナ(read: ekona in Japanese) produced by Kao

Alternative Snacks For Kids

.. Banana cake and healthy cookies made of soy bean powder and sesame powder

are our favorite menu for tea party - your guests can not forget the sweet rich

flavor and are sure to come back for more :D ...

... cheese, raisins, chocolate, ham whatever is inside, home made bread is always best

as you can cut the fat, use whole grain and other selected ingredients ...

Home made whole wheat choco - muffin (sorry the cover says madeleine, but it is not)

Pls note that to make madeleine, you need to put a lot more butter

Sweet honey pumpkin cooked in brown sugar and raisins topping

Sweet potatoes in honey soy sauce - also with raisins topping

Home Made Pizza

Mozzarella & fresh tomato salad with home grown basil

Ham, green pepper & mushroom pizza

Tomato, green pepper, onions and mushroom pizza

From scratch - the best pizza bread is the one you made yourself

with virgin olive oil, whole wheat flour and natural yeast :D

Vegeterian?

Kidney beans cooked in dashi, soya and sake,

with shredded katsuo for topping

Sweet onions saute with white radish in sweet sauce (sesame topping)

Fried sweet potatoes (low calorie) - sweet and salty taste,

with sesame toppings (children's favorite)

Fried eggplant with soy and sesame sauce

(alternative: combine with dried chili to make it spicy)

Which Dish Is Upside Down?

Top left: Japanese style hamburger with mushroom sauce, served with baked potatoes and pickles

Top right: mackerel in miso paste cooked with spring onions, served with daikon (white radish) cooked in sesame sauce

Bottom: broccoli stir fry and Chinese cabbage soup

Indonesian Food At Home

On my daughter's 7 th birthday, my mom and I made home made soto ayam, satay, tahu telur and ikan bakar - a series of Erika's first Indonesian home-made meal. My daughter likes satay, because it tastes like yakitori, and mie goreng, because it tastes like yaki-soba and fried rice, because it tastes like omu-raisu. What are your children's favorite dish? What do you think of Indonesian food?