Biiig Thank You! - and recovery...

Thanks for those who came to Brighton Food Festival and Brighton Japan Festival.

Specially, Brighton Japan Festival was not lucky on weather on both weekend....well, the first week, Brighton Food Festival was hit by crazy thunder, lightning and big rain fall, and gusty wind blew through the festival ground on the first week of Brighton Japan Festival.

Anyway, the planning of this September was little bit over the top of my capability. I was really dead during the last weekend.

Even I could not open PC for checking how I did.

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Now my house has been a bit tidier...well, there might be people don't know I make my sweets in my tiny, tiny kitchen at home. So during busy period with festivals, my house apart from the kitchen were left unattended. Even worse, my two monster kids do whatever they want...

This is the usual scene after a big events. As I only use Strawberries larger than 12g, there are so much left over strawberries. Never throw away some thing edible. I make Strawberry jam from the left over strawberries, and pancakes from the batter left over from Kintsuba.

There are some candidates who can consume all those left overs.


Now so many containers are put on top another to soak beans for the next event and making a bean tower.

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I would like to show some photos I took during the events.

19th September, sky was covered by thick clouds during day time. Just a few hours before the date changes, the sky cleared out! The fifteenth night's moon was really bright and beautiful. Sorry, my poor mobile did the best to picture this beauty of nature, though...

Instead of Tsukimi Dango, I placed Usagi Manju just like Festival Tsukimi Dango. ｗ

It looks like Gymnastic Usagi Manju...?

An unusual visitor...（My house is at the first floor）My neighbor, Chester. His eyes follow side to side my hands making anko balls. 

Ms Erika Footman came to have a wonderful gig in the Festival Premise. She used to stand on a big stage as IMMA of Mika's back vocalist. Her husband is the drummer of Skunk Anansie. They are too good to be here giving us a free gig!!! What a treat!

There were some friends of mine came to see the free gig asked me, "Why such a good artists are acting here?" It's because she is half Japanese!

Here is her home page.（http://www.officiallyerika.com/）

Sorry about the quality of the photo... :_(

My daughter after the gig. She seems to be influenced a lot. 

Although it was after her bedtime, she was so awake.

"I am going to be like Erika!"

By the way, the shiny lights far end is Brighton Pier.

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So, next event coming is on 5th October.

London！

　　　　　Trafalgar Square!

It's Japan Matsuri. I will work heard from now to make as many and tasty sweets as possible to introduce how wonderful Japanese traditional sweets are!

September schedule update

It's been unexpectedly busy during this month (business and private) , I have to miss this month's Farm Market I planned...

I really wanted to have it, but an-an is such a small operation, so something needs to be compromised. 
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Saturday 28th September
Brighton Farm Market
Cancelled

I can take some sweets to Croydon Japanese School and Brighton Japanese Club.
Please make your order on an-an homepage before Thursday.

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Here are some plan farther ahead.

Saturday 5th October

Japan Matsuri at London Trafalgar Square
Confirmed

Saturday 19th October

Brighton Farmers Market

Confirmed

Saturday 26th October
Croydon Japanese School Huruhon Ichi
Planned

Detail will come here at nearer date.

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Finally, there will be the announcement  of 

an-an's One Day a Week Japanese Cafe Invader Project

as soon as possible.


Please keep coming back here!

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See you at Brighton Japan Festival this weekend!

Otaku...after 20 years of silence

So I have done some tidy up from the Festival and made a cuppa.

Yesterday's weather was the worst ever. Windy as well as hard rain started in the afternoon.
However, there were so many people joined the festival.

Although I normally don't have time to look around this kind of event, I had a skillful helper yesterday, I was given a bit of moment to enjoy myself.

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In the afternoon, there was 6 girls and boys came to buy sweets.. They all wear same uniform. They are obviously costume player and .. I have seen the uniform somewhere...

I thought and though. But it was impossible to think anything with only 5 hours sleep in the last 3 days.
So, I asked.

Then, I became "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhh."

Here comes Otaku ...after 20 years of silence. haha.

Although I started serving other customer, I could not stop looking at them being taken photos by my stall by the event cameraman.

Awwww, I want to take some photo of them, too...

So, I jumped out my stall and went to talk to them.

So Cool.

Here is the photo.

They saluted for me! Awwww.

Well, you don't know them?
Ah, is this minor animation? I know this is broadcasted on niconico-douga and other very local TV channels in Japan.
But I have heard this is going to be on the silver screen in near future.

They are the solders from Investigation Team (What are they called in English version? I always watch this in Japanese, so if you know official translation, please let me know.)

And, the girl who is the second from left is eating...

an-an's Dorayaki----!

The boy left was hiding Tuskimi Dango at his back. ｗｗ

Thank you for enjoying my sweets.
It made my day!

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Finally, there is another finding.
There was a question for looong time, and one of my customer gave me the answer.

"Why is Dango sells so well in this kind of event?"
Here is the answer.

This is the ending theme of Japanese animation "CLANNAD".
I now understand why Tukimi Dango went so well as well.

From now on, this animation will be watched on my Wagashi production.
I will make not only Sanshoku Dango, An-Dango and Yaki-Dango!

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That was fun♪

I enjoyed too much...

This post is also a few day late... sorry. I wrote this in the evening of 14th September.

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Today was the first day of Brighton Japan Festival.

Too crowded...not. The weather was not so good, so it was very relaxed turn ups on the ground.

My stall is located just next to the entrance gate. At 11 am, opening time...There was very few people came through the gate, so I was taking time to prepare and chatting with my an-an followers.

...Then, my followers brought their friends... and they brought more people...

When I looked up, there was a queue building up in front of my stall!!!!  ∑(ﾟДﾟ)

"I heard you are going to be here!"

That comment made my eyes wet... I felt my all hard work paid off.

The first customers on the day was two girls come from Birmingham (!). They didn't come for this event, but they bought two boxes full of my sweets!!! Then, a family come from St. Albance. Mum enjoyed Ichigo Daifuku write in front of my stall and praised a lot!!! Thank you---!

Festivals are normally very enjoyable, but this kind of events are special!
It was an event of Japanese subculture...means quite a lot of my customers are costume players and cute Goth-Lolita girls.
They asked politely  if they can take photos of my stall...To be honest, I really wanted to take their photos!!!

In my sweets, Sanshoku Dango was the most popular one.
Then, followed by Ichigo Daifuku and Rabbit steamed cake.

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Here is a BIG apology from an-an.

Around 3 pm, my sweets are all sold out.
It was my happy mis-prediction.
I will prepare more sweets for tomorrow.

I am making more Sanshoku Dango now.

It will be a bit windy day tomorrow. I will be there with sweets as much as I can bring!
Please be careful not to be blown away!

Finally, I would like to introduce my Rabbits.♪
Cute, aren't they?

September sweets and schedules

Before translating my Japanese blog, I have a big apology.

I am so sorry to issue this translated version so late.
It's not only a day or two... it's a half month late!!!

Awww. I will write English first next time.

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Ta-Dah!

Here comes "Scary September".

This is the most difficult time for an-an. Large events almost every weekends are coming and...the weather is not predictable, at all! so I cannot plan which sweets I prepare for those event in advanced.

I often gaze at weather report and wasting time wondering what to do.

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Here comes September Sweets!

I chigo Daifuku (This month is the last chance!)
Three types of Ohagi (Smooth, Chunky or Roasted soy flour)

All types of Daifuku.

For events, I bake Dorayaki, too.

You will see some special sweets for autumn on the stall table.
Tsukimi Dango and Rabbit Manju- are for Ju-goya (十五夜）, The Moon Festival on 19th September. The full moon on the night will be the best in the year. Please look up sky on the night if it is clear. You will see a rabbit on it.

Later in September, I will prepare some Autumn harvest sweets with chestnuts and pumpkin.
It's so fun to make autumn sweets!
Aww, well, don't mention I put on weight again as I need to taste all the sweets I make. haha.

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Here is the Event calender (sorry, some of them are already gone..)

7th and 8th September（through the Weekend）
Brighton Food Festival -Big Sussex Market
This event is finished. Thanks for coming.


14th and 15th September（through the Weekend）
Brighton Japan Festival　（Anime)
This event is finished. Thanks for coming.

This is a part of celebration of 400th anniversary of friendship between UK and Japan. This event last for 10 days from 13th September. The main venue is in Old Stein Green. Every night there will be some kind of exhibition related to Japanese culture. Most of the events are free, some of them are charged. Please go to the homepage for detail and ticket.(http://www.brightonjapan.com/brighton_japan_festival.html)

I had rally fun time during my trade...well, the weather was very unstable as I expected, though.
I will write some reports on this blog later on. Please watch this space!

To celebrate Ju-goya, the moon festival, an-an prepared Tsukimi Dango (moon rice dumpling) and Rabbit manju (steamed cake). If I could share some of Japanese festival atmosphere.


21st and 22nd September（through the weekend）
Brighton Japan Festival (Traditional Japan)
This weekend is the final of this special japan Festival.
There will be so many exhibition about traditional Japanese arts. Japanese drums and Okinawa Dance...
Children from Japanese Club will have a processions through Brighton main streets in the afternoon. They will carry handmade Omikoshi (portable Shrine) along with Japanese Drums.

This weekend Japanese club also have a marquee full of Japanese hand crafts. If you like to try putting on Kimono, if you want to try calligraphy, or if you want to make a masterpiece with Origami, please pop in!
I have to mention, we run the Japanese school from Japanese club non-profitably. We will ask for a small donation.

If you look up the moon on 19th September, you have to look at the moon on 17th October. It's Japanese' superstition. Your life will be fulfilled by looking at both moon. The moon on 17th October is the harvest moon. So we will prepare a lot of sweets from the autumn harvests, such as beans, chestnuts and pumpkins.
More detail about the event and programs, please go there.->http://www.brightonjapan.com/brighton_japan_festival.html


28th September (Saturday)
Brighton Farm Market
Sorry, we will have a break on this day.
I will have some delivery to Croydon Japanese school and Brighton Japanese Club school premises.
This would be the last chance to eat Ichigo Daifuku this year!

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In the future...。

London Japan Matsuri

Currently, I have an offer to pitch a stall at Trafalger Square on Saturday 5th October. 

Brighton Farmers Market

Saturday, 19th October 

Croydon Japanese School Huruhon-ichi

Saturday, 26th October 

Detail will come later on this blog.

I really hope the weather will be OK on all those dates...