Egg Nog

In my attempt to do some pre-Christmassy things this year, I decided to start with the ABC's. The letter "E" became "Make Egg Nog" day. Ryu doesn't care for really thick or sweet egg nog. We are tea totalers (sp?), so were looking for a non-alcoholic drink. We also have lived in Japan where raw eggs are OFTEN mixed with soy sauce and poured over hot rice in the morning for breakfast. So, when I found this recipe on About.com, it seemed to be right up our alley. I am typing it out with my notes as well as putting a link to it as sometimes...links - and thus recipes - disappear!

Easy Egg Nog

2 eggs beaten well (Why couldn't you use an egg product that is...pasteurized? if you were worried?)
3 Tbs. sugar (I wouldn't have minded a full 1/4 cup = 4 Tbs.)
1 tsp. vanilla (We could have upped this too. Yum!)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg, ground
2 1/3 cups milk

We washed the eggs before we broke them, and then whisked them well before gradually adding each ingredient. The three of us drank the whole batch for lunch today. Yum!

Soboro Bento (Lunch)

I originally thought that the name of this lunch was the same word used in Japanese for "not doing what you should be doing. Goofing off!" Turns out it isn't, but they are close. The simplicity of this obento is perfect for those days when I'm just not up to making a cutsie obento. O.K. I'm never into making cutsie obentos. So, this obento is great when Jun and I have to eat in PUBLIC with PEOPLE we KNOW! And, I have received compliments on the way it looks and the way it tastes. So there.

A retired male student, who is the new cook in his family, was afraid I would let Ryu starve - especially when I told him about the lunches I fixed, and gave me a cookbook on making lunches. No pictures. As I "read" this recipe to make sure I got all the important points for you, I noticed it said that "if you put something sweet in a lunch box, it helps the eater to relax." I didn't say I understood it. I said it said it. I always DID like a cookie in my lunch bag, though!

SOBORO BENTO (Lunch)

Meat

100 gm. ground chicken
4 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sake (surely white wine or water would suffice?)
2 tsp. sugar

Mix it all well (the meat is still raw!). Then cook it in a fry pan till the meat is all broken up into TINY pieces and much of the sauce has cooked down.

Egg

1 egg
1 tsp. water
dash of salt
dash of sugar

Mix it all up. Heat up the frying pan. Use a tad bit of oil if you need to. Pour in the egg. Grasp 5-6 chopsticks in your hand at once (that's what it SAYS in the book!) and stir away at the egg. This cooks it while breaking it up into TINY pieces like the meat. I have been known to use a small metal whisk for this job with adequate results.

Veggie

This obento should have three colors - that's how to WOW people. Any green veggie will do. I tend to use my spinach with gomae recipe.

Now, (for those new to obentos) put rice in the box (Tupperware stuff works too.) Then divide it into thirds and cover with the three toppings. I always double/triple the recipe as needed.