 Just the nice weather we needed! Blue sky, warm air, and bright light!
Ten years ago, there was a big earthquake in north-eastern Japan causing a once-every-1000 years tsunami. I learned about it early in the morning from a friend’s phone call. I remember how I spent all my time those days to try and contact my family, who were living in the affected area. After a couple of weeks, my friends and I put our heads together and started fundraising for my hometown. We collected 10,000 in 8 months which we sent to a fishermen’s coo-up which had lost its sea vegetable farm. I was amazed by the amount we could collect through the work of my friends and everyone who donated. Ten years later, I still appreciate it. This is the main reason why I started making miso here. Miso has been eaten in Japan since the 7th century. It is one of the principal reasons for Japanese longevity. I want to give back to the people of Iowa through my miso made with Iowa grown soybeans and grains. Thank you very much. Health brings happiness! Here I introduce a favored recipe: IOWA MISO Creamed Kale! IOWA MISO-Creamed Kale Ingredients:
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It seems the real IOWA Winter has started, but I read in the news about Tokyo that the first spring wind has been blowing there already! Honestly, at times like these I long to be back in a warm place. There are, of course, some really good points of an IOWA winter. First of all, this is the best time to make MISO! We call it "KANJIKOMI" = "KAN" is cold, "JIKOMI" is preparation. We are told that there are several reasons. In winter, there are few germs in the air and the water. Next, the temperatures are low so that the fermentation process progresses slowly. Later, during spring and summer, the fermentation can go deeper and the MISO is ready to eat by fall. Third, we can use the freshly harvested grains and soybeans of the previous summer. Fourth, it used to be that farmers in the olden days made their own MISO, and so only had time to make it in the winter. Yes, me too, although I am not a farmer, I have more time to concentrate on makeing KOJI and cook freshly harvested soybeans in winter.  Freshly made KOJI rice
Now is the season for Meyer Lemons, my favorites! This lemon is milder and tastes a little bit similar to the fruit we call YUZU in Japan. The combination of IOWA MISO and Meyer Lemon is very delicious! This is really good as a dip with fresh cucumber, carrots, radish avogado and celery.  Happy New Year 2021! I wish your 2021 will be a wonderful year! One of my good childhood memories is the first day of January, New Year's day. My parents, who run a fish dealership, never have a day off, but New Year's day was an exception with special, traditional luxury dishes from my hometown, some of which (my husband the historian tells me) go back thousands of years. While eating we would announce our goals for the coming year and relax. This day was therefore so special because the next day, 2 January, my parents' shop would be open again. Now, I'm doing the same here in IOWA with my own family. I prepared several special dishes, we used our fancy table cloth and crockery, and we announced our goals to each other. What are your goals this year?  Granola with miso, which is very popular at home. The sweetness is very modest, so when you expect the granola you bought at the store, you will think it's not sweet at all! However, if you chew it, you can enjoy the taste of each ingredient and it has a rich flavor. I use all organic materials. Nuts include white, black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, California almonds, oats, bran, coconut sugar, brown sugar, safflower oil, cranberries, and IOWA MISO. You can enjoy this granola as a snack or with yogurt. Please enjoy!  |
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