by aleks
Great, some of my favorite Japanese foods, Kakiage Soba Noodles (Vegetable Tempura Soba) and Kohaku Namasu (Vegetables Marinated in Rice Vinegar) are traditional for the celebration of the New Year's Eve.
Found the recipes on the internet, along with this self-description of the place I found them at: 'Cooking with Dog is a YouTube cooking show featured by a canine host Francis and a mysterious Japanese Chef whose real name is not disclosed. While Chef cooks a variety of popular dishes in Japan, Francis calmly sits next to her and narrates the recipes step-by-step in English. He sometimes gets sleepy and closes his eyes but don't worry, you will still hear his voice. […]'
Here, from 'Cooking with Dog', is how to make Kakiage Soba:
And here Kohaku Namasu (Vegetables Marinated in Rice Vinegar) :
If you go straight to youtube version, you will find recipes written under the videos:
SJG is closed for the season, so some news from our feathered friends outside of my window. Pacific Northwest has Anna's hummingbirds which do not migrate out but stay trough the winter, and there was one, gray and green, on a below-zero Saturday morning. I spotted it on hummingbird feeder, but when looked closer noticed that it behaved rather strangely: instead of sipping and flying out, it looked as if it was drilling or mining: wrrr, wrrr.. Of course, the sugared water was frozen, and the poor bird tried to somehow get it out. I quickly brought the feeder indoor, thawed the content and took it out again, only to repeat it a few more times during the day.
Searched the internet for 'heated hummingbird feeder' with zero results, but found some advice there: one was to bring the feeder indoor at night at put it back in the morning; good for the early risers, those who don't travel or oversleep, and not a lasting solution, as it freezes right back fast. Plumber's heating tape advice looked rather cumbersome and expensive in executing, but advice about putting a 150 watts clip-on outdoor flash-lamp some 4-6 inches from the feeder looked promising.
Further research revealed that the lamp would need to be fitted with a pyrex glass bulb, + I would probably have to buy a short extension cord, as the lamp comes with an 8 feet cord only, so also some sort of insulation where the cords meet would be required. All of this was still agreeable until I realized that the 150 watts flood-lamp would not only illuminate the hummers' feeder but ALSO our neighbors' deck and bedroom window. Scratch that idea.
12/8/13 - NOT SJG. Hummingbird feeder 'heater' ingredients:
washcloth, 4 paperclips and 'hand warmers' packet
On the end I did bring the feeder inside for the night, but when I put it out the next morning it was in improved state: a washcloth, 4 paperclips and a hand warmer (the packets you get in a drugstore to put in your gloves or shoes when it's freezing outside) solved the problem. I folded the washcloth several times to fit it under the bottom of the feeder, sawed-in a paperclip in each corner (to be used as hooks on the feeder) and slipped a hand warmer packet between the layers closest to the feeder (with 4-5 layers insulating it from the air outside).
I had a customer in less than 2 minutes, and several of them returning often throughout the day! Literally every time I looked they were happy hummers there (they live in the neighbors' camellia tree), and although the 'heater' felt barely warm to touch, it kept the water in liquid state….
12/8/13 - NOT SJG; Steller's jays got fed, too (peanuts)
I wonder how the birds in the Japanese Garden fare now; the humingbirds live there, too - last time they had a nest on the pine tree right by the moon viewing platform - we didn't tell visitors, because of the birds' 1st and 4th amendments' issues, although we spied on them some, and then told the allies about their activities…
12/8/13 - NOT SJG; crows' bread diner - I LIKE crows very much
Ah, to further justify why this post is on the Japanese Garden Community blog, how about a link to a yummy Japanese Restaurant Style Carrot Ginger Salad Dressing - I came across it by accident, but after making it found eating it with a salad and alone, as a condiment and snack. It is THAT good! (Halving the recipe will give you a small, full jar - think 2 smashed carrots, 1 inch+ of ginger root, tablespoon of miso and a small amount of vinegar and oils)...
12/8/13 - NOT SJG; the usual little suspects munching on their seed mixture
Edit 11/11/13: SJG FILM BANK - For the last 2 years SJG film non-committee have been meeting and discussing films to be screened in TCR; last year we shared four movies, this year three… The link below goes to google-doc that contains suggestions and recommendations for the films discussed, but not yet shown - it was put together by non-committe member Joan K. and filled with ideas from YOU and non-committee members. If you have more suggestions, please email us and we will add them to the JAPANESE FILM BANK - happy winter viewing!
SJG • 10/22/13 - Only recently I became aware that some of our non-evergreen azaleas are more than one-pony trickers: here is a royal azalea along the second shortcut - in spring it has very distinctive pale green leaves, then white to pink flowers, in late summer its leaves become pinkish, and in late fall the leaves turn golden yellow with pinkish tint.
• All SJG volunteers received the note below, re-posting here as a reminder and for those also interested, but not notified (you can come as my friend)…. This is an offering from film non-commitee:
1 pm, THIS Thursday, November 14 – Film: Hula Girls. Join us in the Tateuchi Room to view the inspiring 1965 film, Hula Girls, based on the true story of how the people of a small coal mining town on the north east coast of Japan coped with economic decline by building a Hawaiian Village. (They built it, and many came!) The two-hour film also portrays a touching tale of personal redemption. A recent documentary on the village’s recovery from the tsunami in 2011 is available in DVD from the Japanese Consulate in Seattle and may be shown at another time if interest warrants it.
SJG • 10/22/13 - late afternoon sun on the East path
• Here is a contribution from a new guide, Victoria B. who just had last of the season tour 'with delightful 5th graders from a Waldorf school. […] One girl said she wanted to bring a tatami mat and put it under the wisteria arbor and live there! Many said they wanted to come back in the spring when things were blooming.'
Victoria shared this with me ( thank you, Victoria!), because I was nominally her mentor (she really didn't need one), and included this morsel, to share with all of you:
'A friend who sends me websites with funny or beautiful photos, sent me one with fall-foliage photos-- one photo from each state with the dates that the colors are best. The one representing Washington State is in our garden! It shows the kasuga lantern and the WPA bridge. Here's the website-- I don't know if someone would send the link to the docents or if you could put it on your website but I think its a great honor that we have the most stunning fall foliage of anywhere in Washington.
SJG • 10/22/13 - A young visitor on the WPA bridge
• and this comes from our old, old guide (well, not really, but she wasn't just trained, so i can joke - i'm an ancient guide judging by the year of training), Jeanne P:
'Aleks, I don't know if this is appropriate for the blog, since it is a commercial venture. On the other hand, it is about (mostly) local potters inspired by traditional Japanese pottery. Here is the link:
• And a reminder from cont. ed. committee - for volunteers only, the rest of you just go ahead and get jealous, or become SJG volunteers...
10:30 am, Thursday, November 21 - Special talk/Cont Ed,
Masa Mizuno will present a talk on the maintenance and history of Seattle Japanese Garden. Masa & Associates specializes in the continuity and refinement of established gardens, instruction/presentations, building, and consulting of commercial, private and public gardens in Canada and the U.S., including Seattle Japanese Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden. We are fortunate to have him with us.
• • •
HULA GIRLS trailer:
P.S. The leaves are mostly gone now, just a few reminders in pics...
We showed the film 'Dream window' today in Tateuchi Community Room, to a very enthusiastic audience of guides. The film non-commitee is considering showing it at least once a year from now on, as it should probably be a 'required viewing' for all who guide in the Japanese Gardens - not very many new guides had time to attend today, so we will try to reach them later with this.
The Maple Fest is continuing: below some pics from last Tuesday:
SJG • 10/22/13 - our very old (past 100 years) lace-leaf maple, finally almost red
SJG • 10/22/13 - The Tea House Garden, seen from across the pond
SJG • 10/22/13 - Kathleen Smith beloved fern maple at ZZW I didn't know it fades so fast: mere 10 days from green to red, to fall on the ground...
SJG • 10/22/13 - Look at the Omato: it is all red, RED now! Just a few posts below it was merely brownish...
SJG • 10/22/13 - don't even know what to call it. Just out of this world.
by aleks
Maple Fest started October 13th, Sunday, this year, and is still going on: 16 maples have tags, so you can learn their proper names, this time of the year only, as it is very un-Japanese to label plants in the Garden. Due to the east coast travels I missed the show opening, but Allan Seidenverg kindly sent these photos taken by Paula last Sunday:
SJG •10/13/13 - Maple Fest celebration; photo by Paula
SJG •10/13/13 - Maple Fest celebration; photo by Paula
SJG •10/13/13 - Maple Fest celebration; photo by Paula
Today I went and photographed the maples as they are, now when the show is 10 days in progress: some maples are still stubbornly not turning, like the habitually late in season shishigashira, some progressed to crimson red, like omato and osakazuki, and some are almost gone, like circinatum and full moon - pretty soon I'll post some of them here, and file ALL of them on the bloom blog (URL in the left column).
In the meantime, and for the contrast, maple turning on the east coast:
10/17/13 - leaves turning in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.
Locals noted it is unusually orangey this year.
REMINDER: Film 'Dream window' about gardens of Japan, this Thursday, 10/24/13 at 1 pm in Tateuchi Room - everybody welcome.
1.) Very sadly, our very loved and esteemed fellow guide, Mary Ann Wiley, is no longer with us. Her obituary is here....
SJG • 10/4/13 - Guides learning about maples from the Plant Committee; here on the North Path, by the Acer Palmatum 'shishigashira' or Lion's Mane Maple (the last to turn its leaves in our season)
2.) For everyone: Maple Fest is coming this Sunday, October 13; sixteen prominent maples will be labeled, and stay that way, till there are any leaves left on them this fall. I'll be traveling to the east coast on the day of the Maple Fest and miss it, but perhaps some fellow bloggers would write and share about it here, please? I've been photographing these maples for several years now, and will shortly include them in the bloom blog = photo album of SJG plants (URL on the left side of this blog).
SJG • 10/4/13 - Guides learning about maples from the Plant Committee; here by 'Omato', on the East path
3.) For everyone: Our next film showing, 'Dream Window', 1992 - is at 1 pm Thursday, October 24. All interested invited.
4.) For everyone: 4th Annual Photography Workshop−Autumn at the Seattle Japanese Garden
with Ray Pfortner, educator & photographer starts Friday, Oct. 11 & 18, 6:30-9 pm (at Laurelhurst Community Center). Tuition: $220* ($200 for Garden members) Materials: $20. To register, contact Cheryl Brown at 206.386.9106 or cheryl.brown@seattle.gov
5.) For everyone: Tonight a fellow guide, Nat S. and I + our partners went to see 'Vermeer and Music' - streaming from The National Gallery, London, to our American movie theaters - very enjoyable: to see more about the series check 'Exhibition on screen' here...
SJG • 10/4/13 - and this is just for you, Mary Ann Wiley! A maple turning on ZZW, or so called Service Road.
6.) For guides only: A reminder about our October 19th Fall Meeting (9:30 am start) followed by the Volunteer Luncheon.
