Nori Tsukudani

Tsukudani is usually seafood or seaweed strongly flavored with Soy Sauce. Tsukudani made from Nori (Roasted Seaweed) is one of the most popular ones. Nori Tsukudani is a black paste and may not look very appetizing for people who are not familiar with it, but it is a surprisingly tasty accompaniment for Steamed Rice.

Ingredients
10 sheets Nori (Roasted Seaweed)
2 cups (400ml) Dashi
1/4 cup (50ml) Soy Sauce
1/4 cup (50ml) Sake
2 Tbsp Mirin
Instructions

Tear and add Nori to Dashi in a pot. Heat at medium heat string constantly for 5 minutes.
When the Nori becomes thick, add Soy Sauce, Sake, and Mirin.
Turn down to low heat and cook until liquid is almost gone.

Japanese Beef Steak

Japanese Beef Steak is very close to western steaks except for the sauce. The sauce is a soy sauce based sauce, a little bit like Teriyaki sauce but maybe less sweet. Even though Japanese people typically don’t eat big steaks as often as people in the US, the dish is still one of their favorites.

Historically, Japanese people didn’t eat much meat other than wild game. They were agricultural people, and cows were part of the work force rather than food. Especially after Buddhism came into the country, eating beef was prohibited or avoided until the end of Japan’s closed-door policy in the 1860s. With the new growth of western styled food, cooking beef became more accepted. The beef steak was popularized by a western style food restaurant chain in Osaka in the 1920s. The dish was called “Bifuteki,” which probably came from the French word “bifteck,” and became widespread all over Japan.

Ingredients

1-2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Sake
2 Tbsp water
2 1" thick New York steaks
salt and white pepper
Oil
Instructions

Slice garlic thinly and set aside.
Mix sugar, Soy Sauce, Sake, water in a bowl to make sauce. Set aside.
Sprinkle salt and pepper on the steaks.
Heat frying pan at medium high heat and add oil. Add sliced garlic and cook until browned. Remove garlic from the pan.
Add steaks to the same pan and cook about 2 minutes per side or however you like. Add the sauce, coating the meat with the sauce, and remove the meat from the pan. Reduce the sauce for a minute.
Place the meat on a dish, pour the reduced sauce over them, then top with the garlic for garnish.

Business trip,box lunch

Business trip,box lunch.

Another view of Okonomiyaki at home

Another view of Okonomiyaki at home. A lot of people have portable electric griddles, and make Okonomiyaki at the dinner table as you eat.

The main ingredients are cabbage and a choice of meat. Pork is most common, but squid, shrimp, and beef are also popular. The meat is not usually mixed into the pancake, but added to one side. One of the best things about Okonomiyaki is that you can make it in so many ways. The name actually means “cook as you like” (or something close to that anyway). Different areas of Japan have very different styles as well. For example, in Hiroshima people add noodles.

After the cabbage, meat, and essential Okonomiyaki sauce for seasoning, other ingredients are very good to provide an authentic flavor:

1 Nagaimo (Chinese yam)—makes the pancake hold together and gives a light texture

2 pickled red ginger (Benishouga)—gives a little sour kick

3 dried green laver or seaweed (Aonori)— seaweed flavor that goes very well with the sauce

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup Dashi (fish broth)
1 egg
3-4 Tbsp Nagaimo (long yam), grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cabbage (about 12oz), chopped fine
3-4 green onions, chopped fine
2-3 Tbsp pickled red ginger (Benishouga, not sushi ginger), chopped fine
1 Tbsp oil
6 pieces thinly sliced pork belly
Okonomiyaki sauce or Tonkatsu sauce
mayonnaise
dried bonito flakes
dried green seaweed (Aonori)
Instructions

In a big bowl, whisk flour and Dashi (fish broth) together until smooth. Stir egg and yam to flour mixture. Season it with salt and soy sauce.
Add cabbage, onions, and ginger to the batter and mix.
Heat oil in a skillet, pour half of the pancake batter into an 8" circle, and lay 3 pieces of pork slices on it. Fry at medium heat until the bottom becomes golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
Flip to fry the other side until the pork becomes crispy, about 5-7 minutes.
Flip one more time, pork side up, and spread Okonomiyaki sauce and mayo on the pancake.
Sprinkle dried green seaweed, then dried bonito flakes over the pancake. Serve hot.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" (cf. yakitori and yakisoba). Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with the Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region. Tokyo okonomiyaki is usually smaller than a Hiroshima or Kansai okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki Ingredients:
1 cup All pour pose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
3/4 cup Dashi (http://youtu.be/bGMoS18iHpM)
1 1/2 Tbs. Nagaimo, Japanese mountain yum (Optional)
5 cups Green cabbage, cut into 1/2” pieces
2 Green onions, chopped
4 oz. Small shrimp, if it’s large size, cut into bit sizes
2 Eggs
2 Tbs. Cooking oil
6 of thin slices pork belly (6 oz.) (You can substitute bacon)

For Sauce
Okonomi sauce
Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise

For Garnish
Aonri, Japanese dried green seaweed powder
Katsuobushi, dried & smoked bonito plakes
Chopped green onion

Takoyaki

Takoyaki is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger, and green onion.Takoyaki are brushed with takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce) and mayonnaise, and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi). There are many variations to the takoyaki recipe, for example, ponzu (soy sauce with dashi and citrus vinegar), goma-dare (sesame-and-vinegar sauce) or vinegared dashi.

Takoyaki was first popularized in Osaka, where a street vendor named Tomekichi Endo is credited with its invention in 1935. Takoyaki was inspired by akashiyaki, a small round dumpling from the city of Akashi in Hyōgo Prefecture made of an egg-rich batter and octopus. Takoyaki was initially popular in the Kansai region, and later spread to the Kantō region and other areas of Japan. Takoyaki is associated with yatai street food stalls, and there are many well-established takoyaki specialty restaurants, particularly in the Kansai region. Takoyaki is now sold at commercial outlets, such as supermarkets and 24-hour convenience stores.

Saba Shioyaki grilled mackerel

Saba Shioyaki is grilled mackerel with salt, and it is a very common everyday kind of seafood dish in Japan. It is a very simple dish, with a flavor that comes only from salt and the fish itself, but you never get tired of it.
Ingredients
a whole mackerel (2 fillets)
salt
2" Daikon radish
soy sauce
Instructions

Cover a frying pan with aluminum foil.
Grate Daikon radish, and set aside.
Clean and fillet the fish or have your fish shop do it for you. Cut each fillet of mackerel in half. Sprinkle salt liberally on both sides of the fish.
Heat the frying pan at medium heat, and oil the surface of the aluminum foil lightly. Place the fish skin side down on the pan. Cook 7-8 minutes on each side, or until brown and cooked through.
Plate the fish, then add grated radish on the side, and pour some soy sauce on the radish if you want.

Miso Grilled Salmon

When fish or meat is marinaded in Miso paste, Miso gives it flavor, and also makes it tender. A famous kind of grilled fish marinaded in Miso is Saikyoyaki. Saikyoyaki uses Saikyo Miso, a kind of white Miso made in Kyoto. Saikyo Miso has a very nice, sophisticated sweetness that is perfect for a marinade. 

Ingredients
1/4cups white Miso paste
3 Tbsp Mirin
2 Tbsp Sake
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 pieces salmon fillets
Instructions

Mix Miso, Mirin, Sake, sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Marinade salmon fillets in Miso mixture for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Preheat oven at 425F. Wipe marinade liquid well from salmon fillets and place them on oiled aluminum foil spread over a sheet pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cooked through.

Tonkatsu

Tonkatsu is one of the most beloved “western style” Japanese foods in Japan. It is pork chop breaded with flour, egg, and Panko (bread crumbs), then deep fried. It’s not the healthiest food but rather comfort food. There are a lot of nice Tonkatsu restaurants in Japan. Making Tonkatsu at home is very easy. Most of the ingredients in the recipe are easily found at supermarkets. After all, it is a “western style” dish.

Ingredients
4 pork loin chops (about 1" thick, no bones)
salt
pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1-2 eggs
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
oil for deep frying
Instructions

Make small cuts all over pork chops with tip of knife. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of meat.
Coat the meat with flour, dip in eggs, then cover with bread crumbs.
Heat deep frying oil to 350 F, and deep fry crumb-covered meat. You can check the temperature by dropping a bread crumb. If it comes up to the oil surface right after it's dropped, it's good.
Fry until color turns golden brown and meat floats in the oil, about 5-8 minutes, turning once or twice.
Set the meat on a cooling rack for a minute. Cut into 5-6 pieces.

Yakibuta roast pork

Yakibuta is roast pork similar to Cha Siu of China. While Cha Siu uses a variety of spices such as star anise and cinnamon and also honey to flavor the meat, Japanese Yakibuta has a much simpler taste. Yakibuta is usually sliced thinly and served as a dish for an appetizer or a part of meals, and it is also a very popular topping for Ramen.

Ingredients
2 lb pork shoulder butt (900g)
1/2 C soy sauce (120ml)
1/4 C Sake (60ml)
1/2 C sugar (100g)
4-5 thick slices ginger root
1 clove garlic
Instructions

Tie the meat at 1" intervals with cotton twine (string).
Put all the ingredients along with the pork in a plastic bag, close and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours, or preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C), and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning and basting a couple of times.
Take the meat out from the oven and let it stand for 30 minutes; remove the strings, and slice.

Miso Ramen

Miso Ramen is Ramen noodles in a Miso based soup that was created in Japan in the 1960s. Ramen noodles are originally Chinese style noodles, but it’s been changed and improved over the years, and evolved to be our own food. And Miso Ramen is the pinnacle of “Japanese” Ramen noodles, the king of all Ramen.

Ingredients
Soup
A
6 C water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
20g ginger, sliced
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3-4 green onions
3"x1" (8x3cm) Dried Kombu

B
5-6 Tbsp Miso Paste
2 Tbsp Sake
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp chili bean paste such as Tobanjan or any chili paste

C
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, grated
Noodles
300g dried thin spaghetti
8 C (2L) water
2 Tbsp baking soda
Topping
Yakibuta
soft boiled egg halves
green onions, cut finely
corn, pan-fried with butter and salt

Instructions
Prepare the toppings (sliced Yakibuta, boiled eggs, green onions, and cooked corn), before making the soup and noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, you will need to add the soup and toppings right away or the noodles will get soft, so you won't have time to prepare the toppings at the end.

Put Ingredients A in a large pot and let boil for 15 minutes. Strain, then put the broth back in the pot.

Add ingredients B to the broth and let it simmer at low heat.
In boiling water in a pot, add baking soda (be careful, it may boil over), then add pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package.
While cooking pasta, add ingredients C to the soup and stir.
After cooking pasta, immediately divide noodles into bowls and add soup onto noodles. Top with Yakibuta, boiled egg halves, green onions and corns.

Tsukemen is not ramen..

Tsukemen has the noodles separated in a different bowl. To eat tsukemen, you take a few strands of noodle with your chopsticks and dip them lightly in your soup bowl. The reason for this is that tsukemen soup is made dense and you do not want to have the flavor of the soup overpower your noodles. Noodles in tsukemen are commonly served cold. 

How to Make Tsukemen (serves 2)
2 bags of Fresh Ramen or Tsukemen Noodles
100g Pork Belly Slices (3.53 oz)
400ml Chinese-style Chicken Stock (1.69 cups)
(400ml water + ½ tbsp chicken stock powder)
2 tbsp Sake
A medium to large clove of Garlic
A piece of Ginger root about two to three inches long

1 tsp Dried Red Chili Pepper that has been sliced into rings
3 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Naganegi - Long Green Onion
40g Shiitake Mushrooms (1.41 oz)
40g Shimeji Mushrooms (1.41 oz)
½ tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Vinegar

1 Soft Boiled Egg
Chopped Spring Onion Leaves
Katsuobushi Shavings - also known as Bonito Flakes
Grated Garlic

After ski Gyudon beef bowl

I'll be making this in Kiuruvesi during the ski holiday.

Ingredients for Gyudon (Japanese Beef Bowl) (serves 2)

200g Thinly Sliced Beef With A Little Fat (0.441 lb)

1/2 Onion (130g/4.59 oz)

5g Ginger (0.176 oz)

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Sake

1tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Hon-Mirin

100ml Water (3.38 u.s. fl. oz)

1/2 tsp Granulated Dashi

2 Eggs

Beni Shoga - Japanese Pickled Ginger

Shichimi - Seven Flavor Chili Pepper

Scallions

Steamed Rice

Nabeyaki Udon hot pot

Nabeyaki Udon is a hot udon noodle soup traditionally served in individual donabe (earthernware pot) or iron pots.

Besides udon noodles, the soup usually includes chicken, kamaboko (fish cake), mushrooms, and vegetables such as spinach, Tokyo or naga negi, and carrot. In addition, an egg and a large shrimp tempura is served on top.

Ingredients for Nabeyaki Udon (serves 1)
1 Bag of Frozen Udon Noodles
300ml Water (1.27 u.s. cup)
2/3 tsp Granulated Dashi
25ml Soy Sauce (1 2/3 tbsp)
25ml Hon-Mirin (1 2/3 tbsp)

2 Frozen Black Tiger Shrimps
Salt, Katakuri Starch, Water

50 ml Cold Water (1.69 u.s. fl. oz)
30g Cold Tempura Flour (1.06 oz)

6 Dried/Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
300ml Water (1.27 u.s. cup)
1 1/2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Soy Sauce

Welsh Onion
Mitsuba - Japanese Wild Persley
Kamaboko - Steamed Fish Cake
Yuzu Peel
25g Chicken (0.88 oz)
1 Egg

Sukiyaki for a winter's day

On the theme of winter hotpot. A family cokking Sukiyak
This real-time video shows you how to prepare Japanese Kansai-style Sukiyaki. Ingredients include vegetable oil or beef fat, thin-sliced beef, sugar, sake, soy sauce, tofu, shirataki noodles, cabbage, enoki mushrooms, daikon radish, sliced onions, green onions, carrots, spinach, etc.

Another view for Shabu-Shabu Saturday
Ingredients for Beef Shabu-Shabu & Zosui (serves 2)
300g Slice Beef (10 1/2 oz)
Shungiku - Edible Chrysanthemum
Mizuna - Pot Herb Mustard
Welsh Onion
2 Shiitake Mushrooms
80g Enoki Mushrooms (2 4/5 oz)
40g Kudzu-kiri - Dried Kudzu Starch Noodles (1 2/5 oz)

1 Lime
3 tbsp Soy Sauce (an equal quantity of lime juice)
100g Daikon Radish (3 1/2 oz)
2 Long Green Onions (also used for zosui)

3 tbsp White Sesame Paste
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
2/3 tbsp Fish Sauce - Nam Pla
1 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Water
1/2 clove of Garlic

1200ml Water (5 u.s. cup)
2 pieces of 10x10cm Kombu Kelp
50ml Sake (1 3/4 oz)
A Little Bit of Salt

200g Hot Steamed Rice (7 oz)
1 Egg
A Little Bit of Salt
A Little Bit of Soy Sauce
Long Green Onion

Shabu Shabu Saturday

I am planning for a Shabu Shabu Saturday in Helsinki. Shabu Shabu is a Japanese hot pot dish, Nabemono, with paper-thin sliced beef. It is cooked at the dinner table using a portable gas stove and we eat it as we cook. The single most important ingredient of the dish is beef.

Ingredients
10cm Kombu (dried kelp)
1500 ml water
3 Tbsp Sake
300g beef, sliced very thinly
6 leaves nappa cabbage
3 white long onions
6 Shiitake mushrooms
1/2 bunch Kikuna or Shungiku (edible chrysanthemum leaves)
Shabu Shabu dipping sauce
4 Tbsp ground sesame seeds
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Miso Paste
2 Tbsp water
Instructions

Mix all the ingredients of the dipping sauce. Set aside.
In a pot, put dried Kombu in the water, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Cut meat into the size you like. Cut cabbage into 2" width pieces, slice white long onion diagonally, cut off the stems of Shiitake mushrooms, and cut Kikuna (Shungiku) into 2" length pieces.
Heat the pot at medium high heat until the water boils, then take the Kombu out. Turn down the heat to medium low. Add Sake.
Dip the meat in the simmering broth until the color turns pink. Cook meat and vegetables as you eat.

Sunomono (Cucumber Salad)

Sunomono (Cucumber Salad) is a perfect small side dish. It’s easy to make, healthy to eat, and very refreshing to accompany any main dish. It’s tangy but sweet, who wouldn’t like it?

Ingredients
3 Japanese or 4 Persian cucumbers (or English)
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions

Slice cucumbers as thin as you can. Stir in salt, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze water out from cucumbers. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce together until sugar dissolves. Add vinegar mixture and sesame seeds to prepared cucumbers and mix well.

Some guidance from Nami on creating your own bento

Some guidance from Nami on creating your own bento.

Rule 1 Divide the Meal Proportionally. Dividing the meal proportionally will help you assemble a nutritiously balanced meal. It should at least have 4 types of food: carbs (carbohydrates), proteins, vegetables, and fruits. Be conscious about what types of foods to put in bento box when you are packing lunch. A suggested bento ratio is 4 : 2 : 1 : 1 (4 parts carbs : 2 parts protein : 1 part vegetables : 1 part fruits). I sometimes pack 2 parts of veggies inside the bento (skip fruit section) and prepare a separate container just for fruits.

Rule 2 Keep in Mind to Add Colors. When making choices of which foods to include in the bento box, choose bold colors to provide visual impact. Not only do colorful vegetables and fruits add beautiful colors, but they are often the healthiest. 

Red: tomato, carrot, red radish, bell pepper, apple, grapes, strawberries, plum, raspberries, nectarines, etc.
Yellow & Orange: corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, bell pepper, orange, lemon, banana, etc
Green: lettuce, cucumber, green onion, edamame, broccoli, spinach, okra, shiso, snap peas, asparagus, parsley, bok choy, green beans, Brussels sprouts, green peas, kiwi, etc
White: daikon radish, potato, onion, lotus root, enoki mushroom, white sesame seeds
Black & Brown: blueberries, shiitake mushroom, gobo (burdock root), wakame (dried seaweed), nori (dried seaweed sheet), hijiki (dried seaweed), black sesame seeds, etc.

If you have similarly colored dishes like broccoli and asparagus, separate them and put other foods in between to make the bento more visually appealing. Sprinkling colorful furikake (rice seasonings) or garnishing with chopped parsley and green onion gives nice accents to overall presentation.

Rule 3 Pack the Foods Tightly. It’s important to pack the foods tightly to prevent the food from shifting in bento box. You don’t want to see messy bento when you (or your children) open the bento box at lunch time. Try packing in following order. Pack pre-shaped or bulky food first.Then put more flexible-shape food in remaining spaces.Finally add some small accent food like cherry tomatoes and steamed broccoli to fill in the small gaps to prevent from shifting.

Step 1: Put Carbs. Fill 1/2 of bento box with carbs. Of course, you can pack brown rice, pasta, wraps, sandwich, bread, etc instead of white rice.
Step 2: Put Proteins. Any kind of beef, chicken, pork, tofu, beans, eggs, or other protein source can be packed in 1/4 of bento box. If possible, add 2 kinds of protein dishes in the spot.
Step 3: Put Vegetables & Fruits. Vegetables and fruits should be filled up in the remaining 1/4 of bento box. Packing at least 2 kinds of vegetable dishes is ideal. If you have more vegetable dishes, pack the fruits in a separate container.

Nori Bento Lunch Box

Noriben is the simplest type of bento, containing only soy sauce, Nori seaweed, and rice. You can find this bento almost anywhere in japan, and it is usually the least expensive bento.

Side dishes differ from store to store, but the most popular ones are fish fries and chikuwa tempura. If you know Hotto Motto (famous takeaway bento shop in Japan), their Noriben is pretty typical in Japan. 

---------------------------------
How to Make Noriben (Nori Bento Lunch Box)

Difficulty: Medium
Time: 45min
Number of servings: N/A

Ingredients:
((Kinpira Gobo))
200g (7oz.) Gobo (burdock root)
100g (3.5oz.) carrot
2 tbsp. Mirin (sweet sake)
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tbsp. sesame seeds
((Fish Fries))
white fish (I used swordfish)
salt and cracked black pepper
A
* flour
* 1 beaten egg
* Panko (bread crumbs)
B Tartar Sauce
* 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
* 2 tbsp. chopped onion
* 1 chopped hard-boiled egg
* 1 tbsp. chopped dill pickle
* 1 tsp. lemon juice
* salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying
Okonomiyaki sauce (or Tonkatsu sauce)
((Chikuwa Tempura - Deep Fried Fishcake Tempura))
4 large Chikuwa (fish cake)
A
* leftover beaten egg from the fish fries
* 75ml water
* 5 tbsp. flour
* 2 tbsp. Aonori (green laver)
vegetable oil for frying
((Nori Rice))
cooked rice
Nori seaweed sheet
A
*1 packet (5g) Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
*1 tsp. Dashi soy sauce (or soy sauce)
((Others))
Takuan (Daikon radish pickles)
Baran (plastic leaf in sushi) if you have

Directions:
((Kinpira Gobo))
1. Use the back of the knife, lightly shave the gobo skin (do not peel because you will peel of the nutritious part between the skin and gobo). First, thinly slice the gobo diagonally. Then stack a few together and cut into thin strips. Soak the gobo strips in water while cutting, then drain well, lightly rinse, and dry off with paper towels.
2. Thinly slice the carrot in the same way.
3. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and stir-fry gobo and carrot for a couple of minutes until tender.
4. Blend Mirin and sugar to give a sweetness, then season with soy sauce and stir-fry until the liquid is gone.
5. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
((Fish Fries))
1. Remove all the bones from the fish. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
2. Coat each with flour, dip in beaten egg, and coat with Panko.
3. Fry them in oil at 170C (340F) for 4-5 minutes until cooked golden brown. (Turn them over to cook evenly.) Remove the fish fries from the oil and drain.
4. Mix B to make tartar sauce.
5. Serve the fish fries with tartar sauce and Okonomiyaki sauce (or Tonkatsu sauce).
((Chikuwa Tempura - Deep Fried Fishcake Tempura))
1. Mix A in a bowl. Cut Chikuwa in halves if they are too large.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan to 170C (340F). Lightly dip the Chikuwa in the batter and fry them immediately until golden and crisp.
3. Drain them on a rack or a sheet of clean paper towel.
*make Okonomiyaki or Tenkasu using the leftover batter
((Nori Rice))
1. Mix A very well.
2. Put rice in a bento box. Put the Katsuobushi mixture on top. Then tear up Nori sheet into small pieces, and put them on top.
((Others))
Place side dishes on top of the Nori Rice. Serve the fish fries with tartar sauce and Okonomiyaki sauce (or Tonkatsu sauce). Okonomiyaki sauce goes great with Chikuwa Tempura as well!

Cooking bento with a dog

To make bento in the busy morning is preparing the ingredients the night before or using premade ingredients from the market.

Ingredients for Bento Lunch Box (serves 1)
- Potato Salad -
40g Potato (1.41 oz)
10g Carrot (0.35 oz)
400cc Water (1.69 u.s. cup)
1/2 tsp Salt
4cm Cucumber (1.57 inch)
A pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Sweet Corn
1/2 tsp Vinegar
A pinch of Sugar
A pinch of Black Pepper
1 tsp Mayonnaise
1 Cherry Tomato

- Chicken Karaage -
50g Chicken (1.76 oz)
2/3 tbs Kimchi Base
or 1/2 Soy Sauce + 1/2 Sake + Grated Garlic
1 tsp Potato Starch
Frying Oil

- Honey Glazed Pumpkin -
40g Pumpkin (1.41 oz)
Honey
Toasted Black Sesame Seeds
1/8 Apple

- Onigiri -
140g Fresh Steamed Rice (4.94 oz)
Noritama Furikake - Egg & Seaweed
Yukari Furikake - Red Shiso Leaf
2 sheets of 19×5cm Toasted Nori (7.5x2 inch)

- Spinach Tamagoyaki -
1 Egg
40g Spinach (1.41 oz)
1 tsp Soy Sauce

1 Vienna Sausage
1/2 tsp Oil

Bento for school lunch

Making a packed lunch for your children to take to school is a chore performed by parents around the world. But in Japan, it is not just the taste and healthiness of the meal that is important - but how it looks.

Hirmatsu bento lunch

All the way from Fukuoka: yesterday, the day before yesterday, and lunch. Period of the last day of the 'Bento' is the theme of the local cuisine. Kitakyushu the tradition of the challenge to cook the rice bran, Takeuchi-kun or what's left.
The taste, but, on the floor, the age difference between income and I was out. The Takeuchi family of the floor, such a deep flavor, so I grew up on the floor, I want to make. (^ - ^) no.

Bento styles

The basics: bentos can be elaborately arranged in a style called "kyaraben" ("character bento"). Kyaraben are typically decorated to look like popular characters from Japanese cartoons (anime), comic books (manga), or video games. Another popular bento style is "oekakiben" or "picture bento". This is decorated to look like people, animals, buildings and monuments, or items such as flowers and plants. Contests are often held where bento arrangers compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements.

Bento types

Bento Types: 

• Shōkadō bentō is a traditional black-lacquered Japanese bento box. 
• Kamameshi bentō are sold at train stations in Nagano prefecture. It is cooked and served in a clay pot.
• Makunouchi bentō is a classic style of bento with rice, a pickled ume fruit (umeboshi), a slice of broiled salmon, a rolled egg, etc.
• Noriben is the simplest bento, with nori dipped in soy sauce covering cooked rice.
• Sake bentō is a simple bento with a slice of broiled salmon as the main dish.
• Shidashi bentō is made in a restaurant and delivered during lunch. This bento is often eaten at a gathering like a funeral or a party. 
• Tori bento consists of pieces of chicken cooked in sauce served over rice. It is a popular bento in Gunma prefecture.
• Hinomaru bento is the name for a bento consisting of plain white rice with an umeboshi in the centre.

This is it! Bento is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Bentos are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops, railway stations, and department stores. However, Japanese homemakers often spend time and energy on a carefully prepared lunch box for their spouse, child, or themselves.