Tonight I was a bit tired, so I went for some simple fare, Yakisoba or fried noodles. But it was cool as it gave me a chance to play with my new gadget again. About a week ago I got a Japanese madolin which I’ve been keeping an eye on for months. It’s not really expensive, depending on where you get it. I know of one store in Chinatown that sells it for about $30. But everything in that store is way overpriced anyway. I found mine for $20 at A &J’s.
So, I busted it out to make the shredded veggies needed. It comes with three blades, fine, medium, and coarse to shred the veggies according to what dish you’re going to make. And then there’s one big blade attached. The one cool thing about this is that it can shred your veggies paper thin which is great for making Japanese-style potato salad. Watch this vid by Owen Mack.
Funky, huh? So, I got out my veggies: cabbage, carrot, a few dried snow peas, broccoli steams, and rehydrated a few shiitake mushrooms. Then shredded everything up, except the mushrooms which were chopped. In macrobiotic cooking, it’s suggested to purchase a cutting knife for veggies. Similar to this: 
.
Now, why a regular ole knife won’t do the trick, I haven’t got a clue but I can’t complain about mine, as it’s been one of the best purchase I’ve made. Reminds me of those Ginsu knives commercials. **Stop for trip down memory lane, pls. 
**
Ah, I watched too much tv as a kid on Spring break. 
Well, here’s the bento I mustered up. And the lesson for the day is い which sounds like I as in “Tea“. Ta-Da!!!
Bento い- Yakisoba
A package of frozen yakisoba noodles with veggies, pickled veggies(homemade!!!), and macrobiotic apple sauce.
If you can’t get your hands on packaged yakisoba, then try this.
1 pack of ramen noodles
veggies of your choice
oil for stir frying
2 cups soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 cup mirin
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
Boil the noodles, then set aside, then stir fry your veggies for about 5 mins or so. Don’t overdo it, you want them to be crisp. Then add the noodles back to the pan, add seasonings and stir fry until coated. I usually top it off with a bit of Kewpie mayo, a japanese mayonnaise. But Miracle Whip will do just fine. Don’t over do it. And don’t go, uggh until you try it.
As for the apple sauce, I made that in my best kitchen gadget, my rice cooker The rice cooker will have it’s own post, as I could rave about it for days. Anyway, peel about 5 or 6 red apples, toss in a pinch of salt and raisins to your delight(not in the orginial recipe-but I found they added the necessary sweetness). Cover the bottom of the pot with water and set on porridge cycle. If you don’t have a rice cooker, then use a pot, of course, and bring water to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook until done, which is about 55 mins or so. The recipe said you could puree them in a food processor but I found mine to be so soft, that a good mash with a spoon was enough.
Next blog: Pickles or Tsukemono!!!
