Cooking Daikon ( Japanese / Chinese White Radish )
Daikon (大根 in Japanese) is a sister of Radish (yes, that red small one) or Swede and hey are all in the same Brassicaceae family, hence having the same four-petals flower like Rape flower (but Daikon’s flower is in pale violet to white = in fact pretty pretty, innocent looked flower 🙂 )
Despite it is one of the most common root vegetable in Japan (also in China = Japan is exporting its shredded and dried products to China hundreds of thousands of tons every year) when I came to England, it was not in greengrocer’s (yet, French calls it as Molly and eat a lots though, theirs having black skin and as big as Japanese one (up to 4″ or 10 cm diameter = hence, it resembles girl’s leg with black tights = so, to see it in the piled-up mountain in St’ Michelle market in Paris, it looked very sexy 😀 )
(In Japan, call a girl “Daikon ashi” (Daikon leg) is a worst insult 😉 )
Even though Daikon is so popular and ubiquitous though, you may not see them in a restaurant menu —– situation looked the same in French or Chinese, I don’t remember I ever seen this vegetable in their menu, except a very rustic or family kitchen style restaurant, otherwise as a small side-dish to drink Sake = such as I describe hereafter. 🙂
( If you ever seen disc-shaped yellow pickles = Takuan = it is one of the pickled style Daikon though, it may not in an expensive Japanese restaurant 🙂 )
—– So, how Japanese is cooking this vegetable in their kitchen ?
Daikon is very easy to cook vegetable as its own or with another materials —– It can be eaten even raw = grated ( the source to dip Tempra) or finely cut into thread (comes with Sashimi) and often boiled with Octopus or Squid because the Daikon is having a Digestive Enzyme which soften Octopus, on top of many nutrition and vitamins 🙂
The photo above is Furo-fuki Daikon ( 風呂吹大根 ) = Daikon was boiled with dashi, that’s all !
* Boil the Dashi = as the powder, or in a small packet, or use Dashi Kombu (Kelp sea weed) and a bit of Salt.
* Then put cut Daikon and boil — may be 60 min or so, until it was cooked soft (— it would be disintegrated if it was boiled too long —– still, it will make a nice soup. 🙂 )
Even simpler is Dengaku ( 田楽) = just boil Daikon in a plain water until it was cooked soft.
* And eat it with a Miso based source = Miso with small amount of Vinegar and a bit of Sugar, + small amount of Mirin (Japanese Cooking Sake or a bit of wine, White Rum can be used instead )
* For additional flavor — I add few drop of West-Indian Hot-chilly Source, or Wasabi, Mustard. — When I mixed with Thai Tom-yam-Ku paste = it wasn’t too bad —– any variation you can try and enjoy the taste. ( If it became too runny with vinegar etc, just add more Miso. 🙂 )
(For Dengaku, you can put many different materials too, such as Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery even Potato. — Japanese use Konnyaku (it’s a funny staff / Mannan product) as well. ) —– from here, another popular Japanese cooking called “Oden” is only a step away. Basically Oden is a cooking of the chopped Daikon and various fish cakes boiled together and pick up of those you like from the pan to your own small dish and eat. (normally with mustard = why mustard is, = since Daikon and Mustard belongs to the same botanical family, their taste mix well, = same as that, Tomato based cooking will mix well with chilli pepper, since they are in the same family)
—– Now you have seen the key of the Daikon cooking = main seasoning in Furofuki Daikon was in its Dashi, but the Dengaku, it was in the Source. Still in both cooking, the dominant taste is Daikon itself.
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When an Italian guy who seemed to have very good taste bud, first ever eat Daikon and he was very impressed and asked me how to make it. —– And he was even surprised, why Italian doesn’t have such cooking, despite it is very popular in France.
( Only a small trouble with eating Daikon is, it could make you to produce strongest mankind ever know kind of fart, yet still, it was known to be not poisonous = hence, it makes short of health warning. 😀 )
—– Not because of its humble, Minimalistic Zen approach, but simply, it’s so tasty = So, this is my Festive time eating. (on top of Temaki-Sushi. 😀 )
If you haven’t tasted it yet, I strongly recommend you to try.
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PS : I received an Email from my Chinese friend Sing Lee, the way how to cook it in Chinese style !
<<< (There was the Photos from him though, they have been disappeared — copyright issues ? —– I don’t know. What a shame.)
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Apocalypse ? —– What Apocalypse ?
According to a kind of interpretation of Mayan Calendar, last Saturday, 21st of December suppose
to be the end of the world ! —– How exciting ! If it happens, the most spectacular scene must be
seen on the landscape of sky-scrapers = so, I went to the City. In fact, I went there together with
another video artist, Funki Porcini and Tallbastard. —– Funki needed to shoot the night building
whether it is in ruin or collapsing on front of the eyes, otherwise just standing as usual 😀
And while he was shooting, I cricked few pictures.
The top photo, Snowdrops was the kind, I least expected to find here. —– But, expecting only to
see them in a kind of nature, might be just an arrogance of the mankind = for them, like a rocky
mountain and the thin soil on the rock = city-scape can be just another nature for them.
As I didn’t expected, likewise, people may not noticed this flower = hence never disturbed her =
being left her own, Snowdrops could thrive !!! ( This is what the Nature is. = It’s the Dharma )
—– It seems, the world has survived intact and the Xmas is coming yet again 😀
So, to everybody who is going to celebrate it, “Merry Xmas” 🙂
—– For me though, a matter, winter solstice has past, was much more significant, as
the sun is coming back ! = It’s getting brighter 🙂
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Impressionist photo of Autumn
They are utterly vague fuzzy images though, strangely we can see enough information,
or we feel enough of what is going on there. And it is enough to carry on our life.
( The detail of Concentric Double-density Pinhole can be found in this post (link))
Some one said, ” To know the name of Plant is the start to respect and love the Nature”
Is it ? —– I think, ” To realize, How little I know, lead me to just accept what’s there,
regardless any name or details, —– This must be the Truth to be there”.
= Therefore, see nothing is what clear eyes can see at it’s best ! Ha ha ha 😀 😀
So, those fuzzy images may be what our eyes are actually seeing. And so-called sharp
photographic images were, the results of the heavy manipulation in the brain.
( Do remember, our eyes never able to see a straight line, as the Retina is not flat =
impression of straight line was created in the brain ! = so did any images. The facts
in the Argumented Reality showed, our vision is very very flexible. 😀 )
They looks like just common tall grass though, this one is the Japanese Susuki Grass.
And I’m very very attached to it.
So, this is it. It was my Autumn moment of this year. 🙂
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Autumn CHERRY BLOSSOMS
It was on the end of November last year, I found the flowers on this Cherry tree.
But it happened to show the same, two weeks earlier in this time. —– As it is a bit early
this year, the Cherry tree has lots of leaves as well.
So, the autumn golden leaves and the pink blossoms in the same time = rather unusual
sight in deed. Because it was unusual, I didn’t feel very comfortable last year though, I was
more permissive mood this year. After all, to impose “What is normal or abnormal” is man’s idea.
—– Nature may have much more facets which we never know = And they may say,
“What’s wrong with having flowers in an Autumn = it’s not your business”.
A sort of stereotypical knowledge = there may not be an insect who visit and pollinating
the flowers out of season though, —– yes, there is an insect (kind of fly ?) was in the flower.
Out of our eyes and beyond our knowledges the Nature may still be in full
operation regardless the season 😀
And WHO said, the Cherry open the flowers only for the purpose to make fruits
and seeds = yet still, they could blossom just giving a fun
for the winter insects too —– why not 😀
—– As a result, this tree gave the opportunities for me to talk about TWICE already
= it’s a big achievement for such a small tree !
Never mind, the Wheel of the Nature is Going Round and Round and Round —–
And our lives goes on as well. 🙂
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Ultra Low-Angle Photo (2)
This is yet another shots of moss with Ultra Low-Angle Adapter.
The subject I encountered was Marchantia polimorpha (better known as Umbrella river-wort)
and its Reproductive structure = Gametophores (but the photos here is its female part).
This photo was taken by Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5 (reverse mounted) with Low-Angle Adapter.
(magnification = x1)
This is not a Palm tree but the same Gametophores which was seen through
Low-Angle Adapter with 24mm f2 lens. (magnification = x2.6)
This 24mm lens is the first one Nikon ever put a Close Range Compensation (shifting a lens
element to correct the aberration) in the 70th, hence the image is very sharp even in close up.
And the photos of this moss from more ordinary angle with 55mm lens (reversed)
(magnification = x1) Dead plant, right photo is showing the male Gametophores.
Straight shot of an Umbrella. Left photo by 24mm f2 (at f2) (x2.6) and right photo is by 55mm Macro
though, this is a cropped image to the same size of 24mm picture for comparison.
—– to chose its out of focus Bokeh created by large f2 aperture of 24mm lens or sharper image
of Macro lens, would be a matter of taste and its purpose.
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Ultra Low Angle Photo Adapter
This is a photograph of the moss, taken in an ultra-low angle view.
A while ago, one of the most unique photographer in the Net-sphere who is producing the
photos with her exceptionally unique eye-point,
Karen the [Draw and Shoot] showed the photos of tiny Lichen, which were taken extremely
low angle. Hence I put a comment “To take picture in such low angle must be very hard”
—– and she replied that she was almost standing on her head !
So, I promised her I’ll show an adapter to do such low angle shot. (Thence, it took a while
to find the adapter from tens of the boxes of camera-related junk, odd lenses to electronic
controllers, etc :-))
—– It was an adapter to take a picture side-way = a prism was mounted on a
lens rear-cap to reflect the light in 90 degree, hence able to take side-view close-up
while looking down the view finder. ( photo above / center)
Though, as the prism I used was rather small and viewing angle was very narrow,
this adapter is limited to be used only for more than x2 magnification while the lens
was reverse-mounted.
So that, I made another one which can be attached on front of the lens, which is using
a mirror instead of a prism. ( photo above / left)
The quality of the mirror is directly affect the image quality hence, ordinary mirror
couldn’t be used. (Ordinary mirror has double reflections, one on the surface of the glass
and the other on the metal coating) so that, I used a surface mirror from a SLR camera.
(= it is a genuine optical quality mirror still we can get, out of a broken old camera, free !)
The mirror was fixed and glued in 45 degree to a frame of Polarizing Filter, therefore
the mirror can be rotated to a desired direction. (Photo above is the skeleton. Later,
the light-path other than side-view was sealed to prevent the double image)
Photo left is the whole assembly of Camera, Macro lens and the Low-Angle Adapter
attached on front. (Though, the lens was reverse mounted on this set-up)
On the actual use, set-up was shown on the Photo right. The test subject = Hazelnut
was in focus and this test shot image is the right photo in the collaged photo before.
Unlike the top photo which was taken with Low-angle Adapter attached on front of lens
(Micro Nikkor 55mm f3.5) and the magnification was about x1/2, this photo above is
x1.2 (with lens reversed) — though, when lens was reversed, to have a focus, it need
to move tripod all together (or got to do it hand-held) = sorry, this photo was not
very sharp 😀
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Small drawback of this adapter is, as it is using a mirror, the photo is the reversed image.
(Can easily be reversed again in Photoshop 🙂 )
The photo below is a normal shot without using Low-angle Adapter.
= You may noticed, the Moss’ pods are aiming left = this is the normal view, but in another
photo above, the pods are all aiming right. Because, they are the mirror images, though, it
may not be any trouble in most of the case. 🙂
= For some occasion, this adapter might be useful for close-up.
But, with a telephoto lens, (provided its filter size is smaller than 55mm) you can take
picture while aiming the camera 90 degree away, without let the people know, you
are taking their picture. ( Though, don’t misuse it. 😀 )
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PS : To the people who want to make this kind of adapter,
—– To get a Frame of Polarizing filter would be rather difficult = instead,
better use a lens-cap which has push-tubs on both side.
Cut a window 38mm x 18mm in the center of the cap and stick the mirror
from SLR (but only from manual-focus old camera — AF camera has
secondary mirror (more difficult to disassemble) and mirror itself has
half mirror in the center = not suit for this purpose) using Epoxy-pate would
be the easiest as you can shape it to hold the mirror in its position.
Cut a piece of cardboard paper to two of 28Mm x 18mm x 21mm triangle and
fix it to both end of the window first and fix the mirror on its edge would be a
better approach. (mirror would be fixed not 45 degree but about 48 degree
= this would be better)
If you finger-printed on the mirror, use white-spirit or solvent (on tissue
paper) before Epoxy-pate hardens.
By the way, never attempt to peel off the mirror from its base-panel = mirror
would just break.
Have a good work and Good luck.
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Park in September
When I took those pictures, I remembered “Wait a moment, I’ve seen those flowers in full
bloom, and I’ve taken pictures — where those photos has gone ? (Then I found them and put
to past two posts ) What I realized was, even if it’s only less than a month since I came here
last time though, what a difference mere 4 weeks has made. Really, the Summer has gone.
May be because the Summer was rather wet, the Ginkgo tree seemed to have fewer nuts.
Literally the time fly.
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Canon 5D Mk-III / Pentax 15 mm F3.5
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Flowers in the Park — Cropped Macro (ish) Photos
Those photos were also in the file, taken in August though, long forgotten 😀
[]These day many compact cameras came into the market started to say that they got x20 super-Zoom / such as equivalent of 24~1000 mm —– m m m, ? ? ?
Soon I realized, they are not optical Zoom to 1000 mm, but it was combined with Digital Zoom = in another word it’s a fraud. Thanks to the extremely advanced image sensor in the camera, the quality of the image is good enough for the most of the user even if it was in fact just a cropped, enlarged image —– most of the consumers are happy even with Phone-camera !
So, why not = Camera manufacturer has gone over the blue line.
So, the center part of this photo was cropped and enlarged to the next photo.
(Click the photo to enlarge —– not too bad isn’t it 🙂 )
As a matter of fact, those originally near 10Meg bit file photos are reduced here to mere 500k bit or so, in order to upload. Nobody ever complained, neither me 😀
Among the photographer who bought Nikon D810E, who did ever needed to enlarge their photo to more than A2 size ? — Vast majority of the so-called photographer who is showing their photos in the net, is in fact surviving with small job for brochure or web-site photo or occasional wedding photo, if there were job at all.
( I was lucky to survive, when I came here, there wasn’t a bilingual photographer who can negotiate and coordinate with English company —– hence, I nearly monopolized Japanese commercial and editorial business here )
Looks like just ordinary close up though, this is an cropped enlarged image.
Those cropped Macroish photos are no way near to the quality of proper Macro lens shot though, if a photo like this was shown in Wiki, you may not noticed or complained. —– this is a reason why I’m using Fisheye lens a lot such as in a party occasion. = in other words, use a Zoom lens such as 24~70, 24~100 wouldn’t be necessary = good enough photo could be produced from good primary 24 mm lens !
( So, we don’t need to spend hefty money or carrying heavy lens 😀 ) ( Better not be obsessed with useless QUALITY ! = be relaxed. take Middle way 😀 😀 )
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Scarlet Pinpernel / Pinhole Macro Photo
Scarlet Pinpernel, commonly known as Red Chickweed was said to be common weed though,
I’ve seen only handful times in this country, and nowhere else.
In the first encounter, I’ve almost got a shock = plant looks like its white cousin but with
beautiful vermilion red flowers. = ” This must be the famous Scarlet Pinpernel, here this is it”.
Though, this is the very strange elusive plant. (or elusive to my eyes ? ).
They grow always unexpected unlikely place. = never grown in typical glass land but somewhat
in its edge or margin of left-over land. And most unusual character is they never appear in the
same place next year. = hence, years later, I just encounter in somewhere else, unexpectedly.
It’s defy all of my rational observations. = They have seeds = very tiny round seeds with no
hair which can be only dropped to the same ground, which mean never able to travel far ——
how come, in such condition why not to germinate in the same soil, same place again. = and
who carried the seeds to the new place ? —– Ant ?
And even more strange character is, in my experience, their seeds never germinates when
I put them to a pot next year. And even if I got a plant from a ground and planted it to a pot,
they just die. —- Some one said, that I shouldn’t give too much water = I knew, but in nature
the soil they grow could be very soggy with a heavy rain = why the water I’ve gave, soon after
transplant could kill them ?
—– So, my guess is, in old days, this peculiar elusive character of the plant was well
known to the people hence, it was chosen to be the nickname of the Hero in the
Baroness Orczy’s novels [ Scarlet Pinpernel] = ” They seek him here. They seek him
there. —– My own elusive Pinpernel “
As a comparison, this photo was taken by Micro Nikkor 50 mm F3.5 with extension
tube and a Reverse-ring, at F3.5. Magnification was x5.
And the top two photos was taken by the Double-density Pinhole with extension tube =
equivalent of 90 mm lens / ISO 1600 with flash-light. Canon 5D Mk-III.
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Double Density Pinhole Photo (2)
As I promised before this is the sample photos of “a bit sharper Double-Density-Pinhole
Images”, and those photos were taken by the Canon 5D Mk 3 and Nikon D810 camera.
Both of left images were taken by Tamuron 90 mm Macro Lens with F-setting 2.5 (fully open) 2000th second. ISO 100.
Top two were by Canon 5D Mk3 and the Pinhole image was taken ISO 1600 and AV setting (0.8 sec with +1 1/3).
Bottom two were by Nikon D810 and the Pinhole image was taken ISO 6400 setting.(Non-CPU-Lens setting = Camera says F45. 1/2.5 second ).
—– By the way, I haven’t found why the Canon’s image (Top two) having Magenta and Green cast. Both Cameras were set to AWB (Auto White Balance) though, as cloud moves, lighting condition was not exactly the same, therefore don’t make a conclusion about the color contribution of each camera on those photos.
Above those 6 photos were taken by D810, ISO 6400, F-setting was F45 or F64, Shutter time was 1 second ~ 1/4 second. (with lots of Re-try 😀 )
On this time, Outer Pinhole was 1.2 mm and a smaller pinhole was made in the center of Metal-coted film, and the panel was mounted on Nikon Revers-Ring (hence, it enables to use it in different focal length, with or without extension ring.
And with [Nikon —> Canon Mount Adapter] the same can be used on Canon as well) 🙂
As Pinhole panel was fixed on a revers-ring, it enable ( just 🙂 )to use ordinary Lens-hood (Lens-hood is essential) = two photos above are the sample when hood was dropped and direct sun light hit the pinhole, though some might like a photo with strong halation 😀
By the way, I cover the Camera etc, with lots of stickers to conceal Camera name, Model name etc —– to make it looks cheap, and my friend who actually possess D810 adopted the same attitude = It would discourage a mugger 😀
After dealt with a lots of Pinhole pictures —– ordinary photo looks rather fresh.
It looks not too bad too. Ha ha ha 😀
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