Japanese Bazaar in Bern

Hi there!

Just a short update of today’s sunny Sunday! I have been to Bern to a Japanese Bazaar. I was very excited to meet my favorite Japanese breads: メロンパン Melonpan ♥ アンパン Anpan ~ you two are irresistible! 

Can you see the little dots? Luckily I don’t have any pollen allergy!

They look awesome >o<

Yummy bread from Hiro Takahashi

Matcha Cakes!

My Sis bought a cat sewing kit (*´◡`*)

All mine!!!

Japanese “Thank You” – Early Spring Festival

Good morning pretty flowers!

As promised, here are the impressions of the Japanese “Thank you”- Early Spring Festival in Basel. We arrived just at the right time to pick some delicious Sushi from a big flowerbed.  It was an amazing idea to put the Sushi on the salad leaves and garnish with floral radish and rabbit apples (the typical way how Japanese cut their apples for an Bento Lunch box). It was a marvellous flower garden.  May I should try this out when I invite my friends for dinner the next time – would be awesome as an appetizer.

Beside the concerts you could buy Wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery), sweet and savoury breads, Bento lunch boxes, Arare (Japanese rice crackers) and other yummy stuff from the land of the rising sun. I was standing in front of the Japanese bread stand *omg* they a wide choice of buns, it was very hard to decide. I ended up buying a アンパン (Anpan; bread filled with red bean paste), a 揚げあんぱん(Age-Anpan; fried bread filled with red bean paste) and a クリームパン (Kurimu Pan; bread filled with cream). Mhhh~ *tottemo shiawase!* *very happy*!

by train

An unusual posing of my Mum (*>w<*)

Hello Basel~!

Japanese buns ( ˘﹃˘ )

Arare (Japanese rice crackers)

Mhhh~

Here is the rabbit apple ^^

世界のみなさんありがとう・Bento

Kitsune Udon

My Sweeties (๑´0`๑)

And a sweet Taiyaki on our way back home~

*happy*

A sυpєrhєrσ мα∂є oƒ Brєα∂

It has been a long time ago since my last baking challenge! Let me introduce you a new recipe ^^ :

Anpan・アンパン is a Japanese sweet treat, a bun filled with red bean paste. May some of you know Anpanman・アンパンマン, the Japanese anime cartoon series for young children. I grew up with this anime cartoon so he was my superhero in my childhood xD アンパンマン is a kind of superman who fights against bad guys and helps the people of the town. アンパンマン’s head is made of Anpan and when you eat a piece of it, you become fit and strong. (see the video below, after 03:45 minutes there is a scene where Anpanman is giving a piece of his head to a hungry cat)

Are you ready to make your own superhero?
For about 7 Anpan you need:

3 cups of flour
²/₃ cup of milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoon of sugar
3 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of active dry yeast

Anko for the filling

for selfmade Tsubu-An (=red bean paste)
250g Azuki beans
200g of sugar
a pinch of salt

Instruction:
selfmade Tsubu-An (when you have enough time ^^)
1. Place the beans in a deep pot and fill in some water until it covers the beans
2. Boil the beans for about 5 minutes
3. After boiling, pour out the water and add new water to the beans (the water should cover the beans)
4. Repeat step 3 two or even three times
5. Put the pot on low heat and simmer the beans for 1 ~2 hours until they become soft
6. Remove the excess water and add the sugar
7. Cook the beans some more minutes until it is thickened

Anpan dough
1. Put the flour, eggs (save some egg yolk for later) milk, sugar, salt, butter, active dry yeast together and kneat to a dough by using your hands
2. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes with a damp cloth laid on top to keep them from drying out

Anpan
1. Form little balls and flatten them
2. Put some Tsubu-An in the middle of the dough
3. Pull the dough over and seal completely
4. Put the sealed side onto your baking sheet
5. Brush the remaining egg yolk on the top of the buns
6. If you like you can sprinkle each Anpan with sesame seeds
7. Bake the Anpan about 25 ~ 30 minutes, till golden brown

Jαpαи Tяa∂ιтισиaℓ ~ Sнιиωazєи

As promised, I’d love to introduce you “Shinwazen”. So, let me see, hm… where should I start?  First of all, let me explain you the meaning of Shinwazen 真和禅:

“shin” 真 has positive meanings like originality, truth and perfection.

“wa” 和 is used when you talk about something typical japanese. The meaning of 和 is mild, relaxed, balanced, suitable and conform.

“zen” 禅 on the one hand it symbolizes the “Zen-Mediation” and on the other hand it is used to describe the simple japanese beauty & design, which is also called “Zen-Style”.

The object of Shinwazen is the popularization of Japanese culture and tradition in Europe. They choose and sell special high-quality products and the range reaches from dried food, Miso-soup, vegetable curry, full grain rice to soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar  and green tea. I listed up all the products:

Kοηєkο *иyααα* #2

Here it is: Koneko July/August 2011