Makiko Itoh : Not a nameless cat.

makiwi: @dance4joseph nah, too hard to get for most ppl

makiwi: Sneak peak of a new recipe - testing in progress http://t.co/jMDO8rnGGY

I don’t check the Amazon.com page for The Just Bento Cookbook too often, but I was taking a look yesterday and saw that it has reached 150 reviews! Most are 5-star reviews, with a few 4 and 3 star reviews (hey, you can’t please everyone). I didn’t ask people to review the book at all, so seeing that so many people have taken the time to post one is very gratifying. If you posted one on Amazon.com, or any of the other Amazons - thank you!

Also, with the exception of a few weeks here and there the book has been the no. 1 seller in the Japanese Cooking category on Amazon .com for the last 2 years, and in the top 5 of the Asian category for a lot of that time too. I don’t know what to say about that really, except…I’m amazed and honored and very proud of my baby for being such an over achiever.

The Just Bento Cookbook reached another milestone recently too: it is now in its 7th printing overall - quite an accomplishment I think a first time author’s cookbook. I am so grateful that the book has continued to sell so well, despite my extended absences from this site and Just Hungry over the past couple of years as I dealt with some health issues and so on.

I’ve been asked periodically if I’m working on another book. At the moment the answer is no. I was actually starting to gather the material together for another book proposal just after The Just Bento Cookbook came out in early 2011 — but then a whole lot of things happened: my original publisher suddenly closed shop (it’s now published by another subsidiary of the same company); the Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011 happened…and then I got sick and had to concentrate on getting better. I’m now a whole lot better physically of course - my cancer is in full remission, knock wood - and back to regular writing for my blogs as well as for The Japan Times and other places. So I’m almost ready to get back into the fray of book writing…I’m just a bit undecided, and unsure even as to how to go about it. (If you want to offer me any advice, I’m all ears!)

Anyway, I just wanted to say: if you’ve bought a copy of The Just Bento Cookbook, thank you. I hope that it’s been useful for you. ^_^

I don’t check the Amazon.com page for The Just Bento Cookbook too often, but I was taking a look yesterday and saw that it has reached 150 reviews! Most are 5-star reviews, with a few 4 and 3 star reviews (hey, you can’t please everyone). I didn’t ask people to review the book at all, so seeing that so many people have taken the time to post one is very gratifying. If you posted one on Amazon.com, or any of the other Amazons - thank you!

Also, with the exception of a few weeks here and there the book has been the no. 1 seller in the Japanese Cooking category on Amazon .com for the last 2 years, and in the top 5 of the Asian category for a lot of that time too. I don’t know what to say about that really, except…I’m amazed and honored and very proud of my baby for being such an over achiever.

The Just Bento Cookbook reached another milestone recently too: it is now in its 7th printing overall - quite an accomplishment I think a first time author’s cookbook. I am so grateful that the book has continued to sell so well, despite my extended absences from this site and Just Hungry over the past couple of years as I dealt with some health issues and so on.

I’ve been asked periodically if I’m working on another book. At the moment the answer is no. I was actually starting to gather the material together for another book proposal just after The Just Bento Cookbook came out in early 2011 — but then a whole lot of things happened: my original publisher suddenly closed shop (it’s now published by another subsidiary of the same company); the Japan earthquake on March 11, 2011 happened…and then I got sick and had to concentrate on getting better. I’m now a whole lot better physically of course - my cancer is in full remission, knock wood - and back to regular writing for my blogs as well as for The Japan Times and other places. So I’m almost ready to get back into the fray of book writing…I’m just a bit undecided, and unsure even as to how to go about it. (If you want to offer me any advice, I’m all ears!)

Anyway, I just wanted to say: if you’ve bought a copy of The Just Bento Cookbook, thank you. I hope that it’s been useful for you. ^_^

Makiko Itoh
Katanas were very functional weapons; they weren't carried around for show. The curvature allows the holder to slash with two hands or one hand.

This demonstration video by a kendo (Japanese fencing) master using a shinken (real katana, vs. a bamboo or wooden one) shows how a katana is used often with one hand to slash. You can see how the curve of the blade works. (He's demonstrating the various moves that start from the seiza, or formal sitting, position in the video.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...
This fun video has a comparison of the strengths of a Japanese katana (curved, single blade) vs. a European longsword (double bladed, straight).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

See question on Quora

We are starting Lesson 5, Fish, with an easy bit of salmon cooking.

read more

makiwi: there has to be a word for this kind of wild speculation, esp. on Twitter, after every major event/tragedy. It’s not a good phenomenon.

makiwi: RT @MauraHernandez: Pls check timestamps before RTing news developments to make sure you're not sharing outdated info, or info that's be ...

makiwi: RT @justbento: Bento box review: An intriguing bento box...Gangnam Style!... http://t.co/CiA2QgQRjY

Unless you were living as a hermit away from any internet connection last year, you have probably heard of Gangnam Style, the phenomenal video sensation by South Korean entertainer PSY, aka Park Jae-sang, that took over the world. But Gangnam is not just the name of a rap song featuring a geeky looking dude dancing like a madman.. It’s also the name of a district in Seoul, South Korea, and that’s where this interesting line of bento boxes come from.

You’ll notice right away that unlike most reusable bento boxes, these boxes have slanted sides, rather like some disposable bento boxes. This means that they hold a bit less than they seem to - which is not a bad thing, especially if you’re using bentos to try to keep your calories down. The Small size holds 500ml, and the Large holds 900ml, although they feel a lot more bulkier than that somehow. On the plus size, the slanted sides make them a lot easier to wash by hand. You don’t have to wash them by hand though since they are totally dishwasher-safe, unlike many other boxes where the lids must be washed by hand.

Here’s a view from the top. The boxes have clear plastic lids and colorful contrasting color gaskets, which make the lids pretty waterproof. The color combinations may or may not work for you - besides the white and orange and the chocolate and pink combos shown here, there’s also a green/green variety. I was a bit taken aback at first at the brightness of that pink, but now I kind of like it.

The clips are really large and fit securely to the box. They are a bit hard to snap into place the first few times you use the box, but they do loosen up a bit over time.

The lid is also equipped with a covered steam vent, so you can put the box into the microwave lid and all - although I might be inclined to remove the lid to preserve the longevity of the gasket.

Inside, each box has two equally sized inner containers that fit snugly into the box. The inner containers are about the same thickness as the outer boxes, which makes them quite solid - but does make the box overall a bit heavy compared to boxes with thinner and ligher iner compartments. But the inner compartments stand up on their own, which is nice.

The bigger box also has two equal-size compartments.

Here I’ve used the larger (900ml capicity) box for a salad bento. I’ve filled one side with a pasta and chicken salad, and the other with a green salad with corn salad or mâche and boiled egg, with dressing in the small container (not included with this box). It’s really great for bentos of this type, since it’s nice and deep. Plus, you could put something you want to heat up in one compartment and something you want to keep cool in the other, and just pop the first compartment in a microwave to heat up.

Here I tried using the smaller box (500ml) for a more Japanese-style bento, with an onigiri on one side. It kind of works, although you need to work with the slanted nature of the box. (Note, I did tuck in the leaves when I closed the lid.)

The Gangnam bento box: pros and cons

Pros:

• Durable and solid feeling; feels very well made, with a nice matte finish
• Totally microwave and dishwasher safe; steam vent in lid for microwave use
• Slanted sides may make it easier to handwash
• Design with a difference
• Two removable rigid inner compartments
• Big strong clips to hold the leakproof lid securely

Cons:

• The slanted sides get a bit of getting used to
• A bit heavy and bulky feeling compared to bento boxes of similar capacity
• The colors may not be for everyone (I kind of wish there was a black an white or all-black color combination, which I think might be more usable for a wider audience…)
• No built in utensils

All in all, there’s a lot to like about the Gangnam bento box. I think I’m going to add them to my regular rotation.

The Gangnam bento box costs US $32 for the large (900ml) size, and $25 for the small (500ml) size, and is available from Bento&co.

(Disclaimer: The boxes were provided to JustBento for review purposes. We did not receive any compensation for the review, and the opinions expressed are solely my own.)

More reviews of interesting bento products coming soon!

Unless you were living as a hermit away from any internet connection last year, you have probably heard of Gangnam Style, the phenomenal video sensation by South Korean entertainer PSY, aka Park Jae-sang, that took over the world. But Gangnam is not just the name of a rap song featuring a geeky looking dude dancing like a madman.. It’s also the name of a district in Seoul, South Korea, and that’s where this interesting line of bento boxes come from.

You’ll notice right away that unlike most reusable bento boxes, these boxes have slanted sides, rather like some disposable bento boxes. This means that they hold a bit less than they seem to - which is not a bad thing, especially if you’re using bentos to try to keep your calories down. The Small size holds 500ml, and the Large holds 900ml, although they feel a lot more bulkier than that somehow. On the plus size, the slanted sides make them a lot easier to wash by hand. You don’t have to wash them by hand though since they are totally dishwasher-safe, unlike many other boxes where the lids must be washed by hand.

Here’s a view from the top. The boxes have clear plastic lids and colorful contrasting color gaskets, which make the lids pretty waterproof. The color combinations may or may not work for you - besides the white and orange and the chocolate and pink combos shown here, there’s also a green/green variety. I was a bit taken aback at first at the brightness of that pink, but now I kind of like it.

The clips are really large and fit securely to the box. They are a bit hard to snap into place the first few times you use the box, but they do loosen up a bit over time.

The lid is also equipped with a covered steam vent, so you can put the box into the microwave lid and all - although I might be inclined to remove the lid to preserve the longevity of the gasket.

Inside, each box has two equally sized inner containers that fit snugly into the box. The inner containers are about the same thickness as the outer boxes, which makes them quite solid - but does make the box overall a bit heavy compared to boxes with thinner and ligher iner compartments. But the inner compartments stand up on their own, which is nice.

The bigger box also has two equal-size compartments.

Here I’ve used the larger (900ml capicity) box for a salad bento. I’ve filled one side with a pasta and chicken salad, and the other with a green salad with corn salad or mâche and boiled egg, with dressing in the small container (not included with this box). It’s really great for bentos of this type, since it’s nice and deep. Plus, you could put something you want to heat up in one compartment and something you want to keep cool in the other, and just pop the first compartment in a microwave to heat up.

Here I tried using the smaller box (500ml) for a more Japanese-style bento, with an onigiri on one side. It kind of works, although you need to work with the slanted nature of the box. (Note, I did tuck in the leaves when I closed the lid.)

The Gangnam bento box: pros and cons

Pros:

• Durable and solid feeling; feels very well made, with a nice matte finish
• Totally microwave and dishwasher safe; steam vent in lid for microwave use
• Slanted sides may make it easier to handwash
• Design with a difference
• Two removable rigid inner compartments
• Big strong clips to hold the leakproof lid securely

Cons:

• The slanted sides get a bit of getting used to
• A bit heavy and bulky feeling compared to bento boxes of similar capacity
• The colors may not be for everyone (I kind of wish there was a black an white or all-black color combination, which I think might be more usable for a wider audience…)
• No built in utensils

All in all, there’s a lot to like about the Gangnam bento box. I think I’m going to add them to my regular rotation.

The Gangnam bento box costs US $32 for the large (900ml) size, and $25 for the small (500ml) size, and is available from Bento&co.

(Disclaimer: The boxes were provided to JustBento for review purposes. We did not receive any compensation for the review, and the opinions expressed are solely my own.)

More reviews of interesting bento products coming soon!

Makiko Itoh
You can actually do this in the latest version of iBooks, if your books are in ePub format. (Maybe PDF too but I haven't tested that.) To get your ebooks into iBooks import them first into the iTunes app on your computer. To sync bookmarks and notes, this page has instructions on how to do it: Get Your ePub Bookmarks To Sync Between iOS Devices In iBooks [iOS Tips]. It is a bit of a pain since you have to open the App store each time you want to sync, but it works.

See question on Quora

Makiko Itoh
Of course. All major religions have followers in Japan, not to mention quite a few cults.

This is the Tokyo Camii (mosque) in Shibuya. I think it's the largest public mosque in Japan, but not the only one - there are several in Tokyo alone. Website in Turkish, Japanese and English:  Tokyo Camii & Turkish Culture Center 東京ジャーミイ・トルコ文化センター , Tokyo Mosque , 東京 ジャーミー,東京 ジャーミィ, 東京 モスク


Japanese Wikipedia says there are an estimated 50,000 Muslims in Japan, mostly expats or immigrants from predominantly Islamic countries, mainly from South/South East Asia. (Although this English Wikipedia page says "120 thousand" but it's not sourced: Freedom of religion in Japan )

See question on Quora

Possible fix for kernel_task running out of control

Makiko Itoh
You can definitely find nagaimo at any Japanese grocery store. You can probably find it at Korean or Chinese stores too. Here's a list of Japanese grocery stores for California I put together some time ago - a bit outdated, so please check for updated info in the comments there too. Marukai and Mitsuwa would definitely have nagaimo, usually cut into pieces.

Japanese grocery stores in California

In Japan, nagaimo as well as its close cousin yamaimo is most often eaten grated and raw. It's very slimy, and Japanese people generally love slimy foods like okra, natto, moroheiya and so on.

This is a typical dish that uses nagaimo - yamakake-don, a bed of plain rice with raw tuna cubes, grated nagaimo, and a raw egg. Served with soy sauce drizzled on and sometimes some grated wasabi.


Also, yamakake-soba, a bowl of sold soba noodles in soup with grated nagaimo and a raw egg, plus various condiments. This one also has mozuku seaweed, another very slimy food.


A simpler variation is tororo-soba, where the grated nagaimo is put into the dipping sauce for cold soba. Recipe here: Tororo Soba (Slimy soba noodles with grated nagaimo)


This is a kind of bowl of slimy goodness I concocted - it has blanched okra, natto and grated nagaimo. (Recipe: Slimy slimy goodness all together in a bowl )

Nagaimo or yamaimo is also an important ingredient in okonomiyaki batter; it makes the batter kind of bouncy yet creamy. There is also a sweet concoction called kakukan, a speciality of some regions of Kyushu in southern Japan, that uses grated yamaimo (preferred) or nagaimo for its texture. It sort of acts in the way eggs do, both holding together and aerating a dough.


It's also good just peeled, sliced and panfried or grilled, especially fried in  butter with a bit of soy sauce.


FWIW nagaimo looks like this - but you rarely get a whole nagaimo; you just get a small cut piece. The ends are often covered with sawdust, which helps to dry them out and keep them longer.

-

See question on Quora

Makiko Itoh
I don't necessarily agree with your premise. I think today's generation is fascinated by mythology. But it's not the mythology of the past, as in ancient Greek or Norse tales - it's the mythology of today. Look how many urban legends still persist, and how tall tales can spread like wildfire. The internet hasn't dampened the human penchant for liking a good story, real or not, it's only encouraged it.

If you are talking about a waning interest in ancient mythology, that's probably chalked up to a changing focus in education. In times gone by the study of classical civilizations was a major part of an academic education, especially in Europe but elsewhere too. Nowadays, much of education is about practical skills and getting a job, a well paying one preferred, after graduating.

See question on Quora

Makiko Itoh
Carmen Dell'Orifice, supermodel. She'll be 82 in June.

This is pretty heavily Photoshopped I think, but still. (Also someone, not the OP, added the text in the parentheses, after several answers were already here.)

In any case, without any Photoshopping she still looks unbelievable. 81!


Rocking the runway at New York Fashion Week in September 2012.


I love this photo.

Carmen Dell'Orefice - Wikipedia (she's been modelling since she was 15.)

See question on Quora

makiwi: 23 degrees C today! 26 degrees on Tuesday! Spring is finally here.

makiwi: @choytan いやいや、冗談です、今のところ　＾＾；

makiwi: (for people wondering, the earthquake today is not in Tohoku like the March 2011 quake; this is further south, near the Kansai area)