Mottainai is Climate-Friendly

 Pumpkin Korokke lunch and Tofu Gyoza side put in a customer's tiffin. Some customers bring in washed plastic take away containers to re-fill again.

I read the following article... and I thought I want to write my opinion.

[WIRED on line]
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/climate-change-myth-busting?fbclid=IwAR1uyPi7gnZ82RhkrPRqVbKxVJCn8bpy6HtQISRXYyeRt9a5Kx_d5LA-3Oo


This article is talking about what I am always thinking about.
The reason why plastics are used so widely and quickly is we thought saving logistics cost and product's shelf-life by using plastics.

We still excavate 1000 years old cookery pots from deep in the soil. However, they did not have impact to the climate. Why? Because, the volume was not as massive as the use of plastic now.

Use of plastic is ok.
But we need to change our thoughts towards anything we use.
We have to use anything everything as long as it can last.
First we need to change shopping how to chose something last long, versatile and with up/down-cycling possibilities.

I don't believe becoming Vegan is the solution to be Climate-friendly.
For example, Cotton and Jute wont keep us warm in winter. We might be able to buy cotton 100% corduroy jacket, but they are very expensive.　
So we put the heater's temperature setting higher or we need to rely on artificial wool, such as Acrylic or Polyester...
I don't think so.
If we have sheep's wool or alpaca wool as they are there produced without harming animals, we should use it.
If leather is by-product after someone had eaten its meat. Thats ok to use, too.
But NO animal should be killed for getting its leather or far. I am totally against of it.

The point is that "we need to consume". If we cannot avoid consuming something, use it up as 'nothing to waste'.
"Mottainai もったいない" is a Japanese word some people has forgotten to use.
"Mottainai" will require a lot of learning and remaking skills to fulfill.
However, that is the skills we now need to have to be Climate-friendly.

Fist of all, we should try to reduce the amount of goods for the Kerbside collection.  On both general waste and recycling materials...
I always think before putting anything into the bin, how we could avoid putting so much waste.

Then our way of shopping will be changed.

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We will give away a stamp for bringing your lunch box or mugs for take away.

Exchange one free drink and one free meal once it's filled up.

December Sweets and Events

It's December.
(I am not going to go any closer to the event happening on 25th.)
Already!!!

This photo was taken when I visited the History Museum behind the Himeji Castle, which is now known as the World Heritage, with my old friends in a winter few years ago. The Museum has sessions of dressing up (they are quite serious ones as you can see). The costume my daughter is wearing is "Ju-ni Hitoe", "a Kimono consists of 12 layers". It was funny that she could not move even an inch, as it was really heavy. In old days, Ohime-sama, Japanese princesses, were thought to be really quiet. Here is the real reason of it.

Now I started thinking about wearing Kimono more. I really need to practice how to put on Kimono.

Only 10 days left for Osechi (New Year's special meal box). There are a few left.
Please make an order before sold out.








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December sweets

Chestnuts Daifuku Mochi　£1.50 each
Sweet candied chestnuts and chunky adzuki bean past wrapped in mochi.
It will go with a cup of strong Sencha green tea.
Using plant based ingredient only.

Satsuma Daifuku Mochi　£1.50 each
Limited sweet till Christmas.
Fresh Satsuma and White bean paste is wrapped in soft Mochi.
Cinnamon flavor will add a feeling of festive.
Using plant based ingredient only.

Baked Chestnuts Cake　£1.80 each

Chestnuts and white bean paste is baked in butter rich biscuit dough.

This contains eggs, wheat (gluten) and dairy.





Steamed Chestnuts Yokan　£1.80 piece（£６.00/a bar）
This steamed aduki bean cake is full of candied chestnuts pieces.
This contains wheat (gluten). Using plant based ingredient only.

Pumpkin Kintuba squares　£1.50 each
Unfortunately Organic pumpkin from Namayasai suffered from the weather and we have got just enough for making some for the Touji, Winter Solstice. We believe that we eat pumpkin on this day to go through the rest of winter healthily.
This contains wheat (gluten). Using plant based ingredient only.

Dorayaki pancake sandwich ￡1.50 each
please choose fillings from Smooth adzuki beans pasete, Chunky adzuki beans paste, or White bean paste with Matcha green tea.
This contains wheat (gluten) eggs and honey.

Daifuku Mochi 　£1.00
Please choose fillings from Smooth adzuki beans paset or Chunky adzuki beans pasete.

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December Events

Thursdays 6th, 13th and 20th. We will have the Okonomiyaki and Night cafe. 
　　　　We recommend to make reservation to use Teppan for Okonomiyaki.


Saturday 22nd  The last opening day before Christmas. 
　　Opening our is same as Fridays, 11:30 -17:00

Sunday 23rd ～ 30th Winter Closing.
      Sorry for the inconvenience.

Monday 31st The New Year's Eve
　　12:00 ～ Osechi will be ready for taking home.
　　14:59　Count down to 2019 in Japan!
　　17:00　Closed　
　　Only Soba (Backwheat noodle) in broth and Inarizushi served on this day.
      Wagashi can be purchased only for take away.
      We expect the cafe will be very busy upto 2 pm on the day.
      Please try to avoid the peak time.
      Taking away soba is also available.

Please take care of yourself and your family and get through to 2019 happily!!!
The cafe an-an is open again on 3rd January in 2019.

Japanees Afternoon Tea "Chrysanthemum"

Next Japanese style afternoon Tea is on 16th November.
All are made from plant base ingredients and suitable Vegan.

Menu　

The first 
Broth with Daikon radish
Boiled Chrysanthemum leaves with Sweet soy sauce
Grilled Shimegi mushrooms
Chrysanthemum sushi

The second
Persimmon Kaki Daifuku Mochi
Kintsuba with Sweet Potato
Baby wiled bore Mochi (with roasted soy flour)
Mitarashi Dango (with Sweet soy dip)

The third
Chrysanthemum（Nerikiri）
Kuri Kinton（shaped chestnuts paste）

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the menu might be altered due to ingredients availability.

Please tell us which session you would like to book seats.
We have only 8 seats per session.
£12.00 per person. including your favorite drink under £2.00.
We regret say as the seats are limited, so a child occupies a seat would be counted as a person.

Morning session
10:00-11:30
Late afternoon session
16:00-17:30
Evening session
18:30-20:00

I look forward to seeing you there.

Introduction...? for November newsletter.

…Well, I was writing this month's newsletter.. but I got ill before finish it.
Its due to the clock change. I never get used to this twice a year adjustment.

On the day of Halloween, Nobody cared my masked face. But now people started giving me a confused glance. I am just being very Japanese. I don't want to share this horrible cold to anyone.💦
So, I am witing this in Bed... please be patient.

A big event this month would be...
Cancelling Okonomiyki Night cafe on 8th, as I have a study group in London.

Japanese style afternoon tea on Friday 16th November. the Theme is "Chrysanthemum". Hopefully the flower will last by then...

Then, its the time of.... thinking about the end of 2018!!!
Please order "New Year bento, Osechi for one". As soon as the order reaches to 30 sets, it will be finished. one set costs ￡18, or £25 in a set of miniture Oju box（Its only for rent. I will return ￡5 when you bring back the box. ）If you like us to fill your Oju box (one 25cm x 25cm for one set), please bring it by 15th December.

Please check more detail on the following newsletter.
I will try to recover asap...(;^ω^)

October Sweets & Events

We have bright and fine days in England South, but the sun is already in autumn colour. Something a bit sad is Cherry tree is not getting coloured very well. Normally, they coloured yellow to red and falls off... but this year most of cherry leaves are turning into brown from edge. I am hoping to be better a bit...

Another shocking thing is I missed chestnuts picking!!! I have a really big chestnuts tree on my street and it normally gives me a good amount of really sweet chestnuts. When I realised, there is non left on the tree...

I just enjoy autumn for now in the gentle sunshine...

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October Sweets

Rabbit cake ￡1.50/each

This year's thirteenth night's moon is on the 21st October. If you enjoyed the fifteenth night's moon on the Moon festival, please look up the sky on that day. Otherwise.... (it's just superstition.) Rabbit cake will be at the cafe till this day.
This contains wheat flour and gluten.








Mitarashi Dango　￡1.50/each

As moon festival's sweets, this rice dumplings on skewer is eaten warm. Please give us about 10 mins to warm up. Sauce contains soy sauce made with Wheat flour and Gluten. 





Kimi Shigure  ￡1.50/each

This sweets represent a crack of dry ground after a long rain. Smooth Adzuki past is wrapped by short custard like flavored paste.
This contains Egg yolks.







Sanshoku Dango　￡1.50/each

Dorayaki　smooth Adzuki、chunky Adzuki、Matcha green tea、￡1.50/each
This contains Gluten and Eggs.

Daifuku　smooth Adzuki 、Chunky Azuki、￡1.00/each

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October Events

This month seems to be very quiet...
4th（Thu）Okonomi & Night Cafe
　　　　　Please book a table if you like to use a Teppan hot plate.
11th（Thu）Okonomi & Night Cafe
　　　　　Please book a table if you like to use a Teppan hot plate.
18th（Thu）Okonomi & Night Cafe
　　　　　Please book a table if you like to use a Teppan hot plate.

22th（Mon）～ 26th（Fri) Please watch this space as the cafe may close depending on the stuff shortage due to the school holiday. 
　
29th（Mon）～November ２nd（Fri）Halloween ＆ Day of the dead　
You may find a special menu for these special week.

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Mushrooms are on season!
How about Japanese curry with Japanese mushrooms?
Please check on the black board in front of the cafe.

Afternoon tea in Japanese style

Moon Festival "Potato Moon"

24th of September is Moon Festival. It's a bit early, but I would like to celebrate it on Friday 21st September.
This Moon Festival is for celebrating harvest of Potatoes and Beans.

Time & Date : Friday 21st September
　　Morning session　10:00～11:30 am
　　Afternoon session　4:00～5:30 pm
　　Evening session　6:30～8:00 pm

Maximum 8 people in each session.
All the ingredients used for this afternoon tea are from Plants sourced.
The first plate is a light meal.
The second plate is sweets can satisfy your stomach.
The third plate will satisfy your five senses.

Wheat maybe used a part of it. If you have any allergy, please let me know.

Price ; ￡12/pp　（inc. coffee or any tea of your choice）

Please make an reservation on info@an-an.co.uk　with your name, a number of seats, mobile no., and allergy.

I look forward to seeing you.

September Sweets and Events

I cannot say loudly, but …

Yahooo!
Kids are back to school!!! 

I felt this summer was loooong.
It was really hot since mid June, this summer seems to have started since then as I needed to take kids to swim in the sea or have BBQ in the garden.

This week, my usual an-an member will come back to the cafe. I cannot tell you enough how much I am relieved. I don't need to beg my kids to help me... I don't need to keep customer waiting for slow service.

Here is the announcement of the event this weekend.

On Saturday 8th September, there is a charity event at Hove Lagoon. This festival is held by friends of Hove Lagoon and Norman Cook, aka Fat Boy Slim, for collecting funds for refurbishing the park.
an-an will have a stall selling Japanese sweets and cakes, and Japanese ingredients. Please come to see me!

Live Music, Pilates and Tai Chi demonstrations, Dog show and Skateboard coaching... so many things to see and do!
This Saturday, if you don't have any plan, please pop in to Hove Lagoon from 11 am.

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September Sweets

Strawberry Mochi ￡1.50/each
This month is the last chance to enjoy fresh Strawberry mochi at an-an! It is only here while British strawberries are available!

Rabbit steamed cake ￡1.50/each
24th September is the Moon Festival, the day with the most beautiful moon. We believe a rabbit making mochi on the moon. This contains wheat and gluten.

Mitarashi Dango　￡1.50/each
Dango, sweet rice balls, on a skewer. With sauce or without sauce, it's really tasty! The sauce is sweet soy flavor. This contains Wheat, Gluten and Soy beans.




Ohagi （Smooth or Chunky adzuki paste, Roasted Soy flour）￡1.50/each　
Ohagi set £4.00(3 kinds in a box)
We pray for ancesters in Ohigan week. it starts from 20th and finish 26th. This will be on the shelf from 17th. This contains soy beans. 

Dorayaki (smooth or chunky Adzuki paste or Japanese Matcha green tea) ￡1.50 each
This contains Wheat and gluten, Eggs, Honey.

Daifuku (Smooth or Chunky adzuki paste) ￡1.00 each

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September Events

Thursday 6th Okonomiyaki & night cafe　6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
　　        Please reserve a table if you like to use Teppan (Hot plate)
Saturday 8th Hove Lagoon Festival
　　　　　11:00 am ～4:00 pm
　　　　　＊Please try to use public transports. The closest station is Portslade, 15 min away fro the Lagoon. 700 bus will be good from Brighton or Worthing.
Thursday 13th Okonomiyaki & night cafe　6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
　　        Please reserve a table if you like to use Teppan (Hot plate)
Thursday 20th Okonomiyaki & night cafe　6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
　　        Please reserve a table if you like to use Teppan (Hot plate)
Friday 21st Japanese style afternoon tea "Yam Moon" ?
Thursday 27th Okonomiyaki & night cafe　6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
　　        Please reserve a table if you like to use Teppan (Hot plate)
Satruday 29th Huruhon ichi, Second-hand books sale
　　　　　10 am to 12 am (ex. 11:05 - 11:45 students only time)
　　　　　Croydon High School : Old Farleigh Rd, Croydon CR2 8YB

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I will write another blog for the detail about Japanese Style afternoon tea.