Kazunoko no Nigiri-zushi

Kazunoko means herring roe.
It is dried under the sun, or pickled in salt.
Those roes are very small, but adheres and became lump.
It has a pleasant unique texture.

This photo is herring roe sushi.
Herring roe is put on oblong shaped sushi rice which is formed by hand.
And those are bound with nori.

Hishi mochi

Hishi mochi is a lozenge mochi (rice cake) which is prepare for girl 's day.

March 3rd is girl's day in Japan.

We call it "hina matsuri".

It is an event to celebrate in hope of the growth of girl in healthy.

Hishi mochi is formed three layers.

The third layer( green ) is kusa-mochi which is a rice cake flavored with mugwort.

Those three colours, pink, white and green , are compared to peach blossom, remaining snow and young grass( fresh leaf) each.

Buri no Teriyaki

This is a teriyaki buri (yellowtail).
Buri is a oily fish, so it is good for teriyaki.
Teriyaki buri has rich taste.
It is still delicious even it become cold.
So it is also good for bento.

In this time, I show you the way to cook teriyaki buri with frying-pan.
We usually marinate filleted buri in teriyaki-sauce which is made by mixing soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar.
Take buri and drain excess liquid.
Heat some salada oil in a frying-pan, and fry buri both side.
Pour teriyaki-sauce and simmer in low heat.

Mame Daifuku

Daifuku is a traditional Japanese sweet which is also called "Daifuku Mochi".
Daifuku is a mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet red bean paste.
It has rounded shape and usually slightly coated with potato starch.

Mame daifuku is a one of variety of daifuku.
It is a daifuku which mix beans with mochi.

Chikuzen ni

This is a regional simmered dish of kyusyu region.
But in these days, it is cooked all over Japan.

Chikuzen-ni is also called "Gameni".
It has rich taste.
Because many vegetables are sauteed and simmered with chicken.

We usually heat a little of oil in a pan.
Put bite size cut chicken pieces , and stir-fry them.
Put vegetables (carrot, lotus root, burdock, taro, shiitake etc.) and konnyaku, and continue to stir-fry them.
Put soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, and dashi-soup.
Simmer them with skimming scum that rise the surface.

Tori no Tatsuta-age

This is a Japanese deep-fried chicken.
("tatsuta-age" means a Japanese deep-fried technic.)

It is similar to "Tori no kara-age".
Different point of them are
(1) In case of tatsuta-age chicken, chicken pieces are soaked in sauce, before those are coated with potato starch.

(2)In case of tatsuta-age, chicken pieces are coated with potato starch.
In case of kara-age, chicken pieces are coated with potato starch or wheat flour.

(3)tatsuta-age chicken is not cooked with garlic.

So I think tatsuta-age chicken is more Japanese.

We usually cut chicken leg into bite size.
Put chicken pieces into sauce which is mixed with soy sauce, sake and grated ginger( or ginger juice), and keep it around in 20 min.
Take chicken pieces out, and dry them with paper towel.
Coat them with potato starch, and deep-fry.

Unohana (Sauteed Okara)

Okara is a left after making soy milk.
But it is a nutritious food.
Okara is also known as excellent diet food.
Because it is low in fat and rich in fiber.

We usually stir-fry okara in a pan without oil, and take out okara from the pan.
Heat a little of salada oil in the pan.
Stir-fry some vegetables and other ingredients such as carrot, shiitake-mushroom, spinatch, green beans, aburaage , konnyaku and sakuraebi(small dried shrimp) in the pan.
Add okara(stir-fried), soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, dashi-soup to the pan.
And simmer them with stirring until liquid is gone.

We usually have it as side dish.