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BAM 40: Ikura Don (Salmon Roe Rice Bowl), Shitake and Green Onion Osumashi and Salad.

BAM 39: Teriyaki Chicken, Okara salad, Daikon with Chirimen jyako and Rice.

BAM 38: Shake (Salmon) Rice, Satoimo and shimeji miso shiru, hiyayakko with komatsuna and salmon skin daikon oroshi

BAM 37: Sui-gyoza 3 (3 of 3)

BAM 36: Sui-gyoza 2 (2 of 3)

BAM 35: Cabbage Salad with Sesame Dressing, Suigyoza Soup, Eggplant and Bell Pepper Miso Stir fry and Rice

Matsutake Gohan

BAM 33: Yakiniku, Kimchi, Kimchee, Soy Bean Soup and Rice

BAM 32: Wafū Pasta 3: Sansai (Mountain Vegetable) Pasta

BAM 31: Nasu no Tuskemono (Fast and Easy), Turkey Hijiki Niku Dango (Meat Ball), Negitama (Egg and green onion) Miso Soup and Rice

Cooking Perfect Stove Top Japanese Rice (Update)

BAM 30: Okonomiyaki (American-Kitchen)

BAM 29: Okonomiyaki (Buta Tama) (Easy Breezy)

BAM 28: Classic Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki (Buta tama)

BAM 27: Hiyashi Chuka

BAM 26: Southern-Japanese Build-a-Meal featuring Fried Chicken with Umeboshi Honey Dipping Sauce, Tofu Macaroni Salad and Okara Cornbread

BAM 25: Vegan Build-a-Meal Nagaimo Pancake, Lemon Daikon, Myoga and Red Potato Miso Soup and Rice.

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Mini Ikebana at your dinner table

Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Ikebana is an art form that takes years of training. The good news is that you don’t have to be a professional or have years of classes to make a fun presentation for your dinner table.

For dinner table ikebana arrangements, I like to have short and small arrangements so that your guests can see each other across the table, and so that you have enough space for all the dishes at your table.

You will need:
1 small or medium size kenzan (stainless steel weight with needles)*
Ceramic bowl, plate, vase (the shorter and flatter the better but you can be creative here)
water
favorite flowers
foliage

1) First you want to select foliage for fillers and flowers. It’s spring time in California so the maple trees leaves are a beautiful green. The gardeners stopped by the trim the trees so I grabbed a few branches for my ikebana. The branches are going to go in first since they will be the anchors for this ikebana.
2) Cut the branches at an angle so that it is easier to insert the thick branches into the kenzan. Odd numbers of branches and flowers will give this small ikebana balance.
3) Next, choose three flowers to put into your ikebana. In this case, I have three on one side and 1 cluster of flowers on the other.
4) Vary the length of the stems and arrange the flowers in a triangular pattern. In the first view, you can see that there are 3 flowers making a triangular pattern.

That’s it! You’ll be able to wow your dinner guests with a simple center piece that takes no time at all. For a more modern look, you can run a table runner under the center piece to give the table a little more flare.

*Different Kenzan sizes. You can also make one with a flat heavy magnet, super glue and some nails.
Kenzan lined up

Cut the stems at an angle. Cut the angle in a way that makes the slanted side is the front of the flower.
Cutting the stem at an angle

Insert the pointed end into the kenzan first and angle stem to desired angle.
Insert stem into Kenzan

Side 1
Ikebana-front view

Side 2
Ikebana-Back View

Tag List
tags (categories)
Soy Sauce [25]
Dashijiru [23]
Rice [19]
Daikon [14]
Egg [14]
Vegan [13]
Sesame Seed Oil [12]
Katsuobushi [11]
Chicken [11]
Kyuri [9]
Shiso [9]
Mayonnaise [8]
Miso [8]
Tofu [8]
Shoga [8]
Sake [8]
Cabbage [7]
Garlic [7]
Beef [7]
Vegetarian [7]
Pork [6]
Miso soup [6]
Vinegar [6]
Mirin [6]
Age [5]
Umeboshi [5]
Carrots [5]
Carrot [5]
Green Onion [5]
Hakusai [5]

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