Taka's Japanese Blog: March 2011

Friday, March 11, 2011

Live webcam

This webcam might take a little bit to load.
Free TV Show from Ustream

http://www.eva.hi-ho.ne.jp/su-ta-/indexe.html link to sushi cam, closed monday ^ ^

Earthquake and tsunami hit Japan

An 8.7 - 8.9 rank tsunami hits Japan killing hundreds and causin destruction.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Japanese Dog breeds

List of Japanese dog breeds ^ ^

1. Akita Inu

2. American Akita

3. Hokkaido Ken

4. Japanese Chin

5. Kai Ken

6. Kishu Inu

7. Shiba Inu

8. Shikoku

9. Tosa

10. Japanese Spitz

11. Tanuki

Pictures of these dogs ^ ^

Akita Inu

American Akita

Hokkaido Ken

Japanese Chin

Kai Ken

(bad quality)

Kinshu Inu

Shiba Inu

Shikoku Inu

Tosa

Japanese Spitz

                                                                          Tanuki

Videos of these dogs ^ ^

Akita Inu

Hokkaido Ken

Japanese Chin

Kai Ken

Shibu Inu

Shikoku

Tosa

Japanese Spitz

Tanuki

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Melon pan

Melon pan also known as melon bun or melon bread, is a common Japanese baked good, although it is called melon bread it doesn't usually taste like melon ( melon flavoring is becoming more popular)

Melon pan can be filled as well ^ ^

Recipes ^ ^
Japanese Melon Pan

Ingredients:

(makes about 12 buns)

Bread Dough:

300g bread flour

6g instant yeast

36g caster sugar

5g salt

6g skim milk powder (I used my boy's milk powder)

200g warm water (37~38 degC) (I didn't bother, just made sure water is not cold)

30g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)

Pastry layer

80g unsalted butter (bring to room temperature)

90g caster sugar

80g egg, lightly beaten (oh, I hate weighing eggs!)

200g cake flour

2g baking powder

some melon extract (I leave this out as I don't have this)

some caster sugar for dusting/coating

How I made them:

1.Sift bread flour, caster sugar, salt, milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add in instant yeast and mix the powdered mixture a little.

2.Add in warm water. DO NOT add in all the water at one go, leave a little bit so as to adjust the texture of the dough.

3.Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough. Add the remaining water if it is too dry.

4.Transfer dough to work surface. Knead until the dough longer sticks to the work surface. This should take about less than 5 mins.

5.Flatten the dough and add in the butter. Continue to knead. Initially, the dough will be very oily, after a few kneads, the butter will be absorbed by the dough. Continue to knead until the dough no longer feel sticky to your hand and will not stick to the work surface. This should take about 15 to 20 mins.

6.Place dough in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof for about one hour, or until double in bulk.

7.While the dough is proofing, prepare the pastry layer. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until mixture turns pale.

8.Add in a few drops of melon extract if desired.

9.Add in lightly beaten eggs in 3 addition. Beat well after each addition.

10.Sift over cake flour and baking powder. Mix with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporate. Divide into 12 portions, about 35~40g each. For the chocolate chips version, wrapped some chocolate chips into each pastry dough. Place in a tray and let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

11.Punch out the gas in the bread dough and divide into 12 portion, about 45g each. Roll into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and let the dough relax for 10mins.

12.Remove chilled pastry dough from the fridge. Roll out each dough in between 2 layers of cling wraps (I used clear plastic bags). Roll the bread dough again into rounds again. Remove the top layer of the cling wrap and place the bread dough onto the pastry dough. With the bottom layer of the cling wrap still intact, wrap the pastry dough around the bread dough. Carefully remove the bottom layer of the cling wrap, at the same time, smoothing the edges of the pastry dough. NOTE: DO NOT cover the Entire bread dough with the pastry dough. Leave the bottom 2 ~ 3 cm uncovered. The dough needs the space to expand, otherwise the pastry dough will burst and the resulting appearance will not be very pleasing.

13.Coat the exterior with caster sugar, stamp patterns on the surface with cookie cutters or decorate as desired. Leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 40 ~ 50mins.

14.Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 deg C (I set mine as 180 deg C) for 10 ~ 12 mins. Note: mine took 20mins to brown!

Recipe source: 酥皮麵包大集合by 佐藤律子

Daifuku

Daifuku is a type of strawberry mochi ^ ^

Here is a cooking video ^ ^

Shinee!!!

Shinee is a contemporary R&B Korean boy band, In my opinion they are popular in Japan. ^ ^

Here is a list of some of the songs by Shinee

1. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)

2. In My Room

3. Real

4. 사.계.한 (Love Should Go On)　

5. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay/Boom Track )

SHINee World

1. 아.미.고 (Amigo) *

2. Forever or Never *

3. 산소 같은 너 (Love like Oxygen)

4. 사.계.한 (Love Should Go On) (Plugged by DJ_Oneshot) *

5. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)

6. 너 아니면 안 되는걸 (ROMANTIC)

7. 사랑의 길 (Love's Way)

8. 그녀가 헤어졌다 (One for me)

9. 화장을 하고 (Graze)

10. 마지막 선물 (Last Gift)(In my room - Prelude)

11. 내 곁에만 있어 (Best Place)

12. 혜야 (Y Si Fuera Ella)

13. 눈을 감아보면 (Four Seasons)

14. In my room (Unplugged Remix)

15. The SHINee World (doo-bop)

The Second Mini Album: ROMEO

1. 니가 맘에 들어 (Talk To You)

2. 줄리엣 (Juliette)

3. 차라리 때려 (Hit Me)

4. 세노리따 (Señorita)

5. 잠꼬대 (Please, Don't Go)

6. 소년, 소녀를 만나다 (Romeo+Juliette)

2009, Year Of Us

1. Y.O.U.(Year Of Us)

2. 링딩동 (Ring Ding Dong)

3. Jo Jo

4. Get Down

5. SHINee Girl

6. 내가 사랑했던 이름 (The Name I Loved)

Cre`me Caramel pudding

This is a common type of pudding that is commonly eaten in Japan, along with many other parts of the world .^ ^

http://buttersugarflour.com/category/recipes/desserts/

LOL

                                  Recipes

Ingrdiants -caramel :

1 cup of granulated fine sugar

cream :

1 litre of milk

12 egg yolks

A pinch of salt

A table spoon of granulated fine sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Essence of Orange peels finely chopped

Method:

1. Heat the pan and add sugar in low heat until brown and then add water. Place aside

2. Warm up the milk. it is not too hot. Put in a pinch of salt and sugar.

3. Make sure if the sugar dissolves and then place it aside.

4. Beat 12 egg yolks until smooth and add the vanilla essence. mix this with milk.

5. Place the caramel at the bottom of your bowls for steaming Then place the mixture of the milk and egg yolks slowly. Place you bowls in the steamer and steam until firm. You may garnish with orange peels if you wish and eat it with sliced canned peach.

                      http://food.sulekha.com/cream-caramel-pudding-id1140-30711-recipe.htm