My Last Thursday

as an 18-year-old. It was a great year, it really was. Not that I did anything different--I didn't buy cigarettes, I didn't vote, I didn't pay rent. I went off to college, at least. I drove a little. Let's see, in another two years I can buy liquor, but let's bet that it'll be probably five years (after that) before I do. Y'know what I mean.

Last year I had a Thursday Birthday. And this aforementioned 21 is my Blackjack Birthday, and it will also fall on a Blackjack Date (3/10/08). Regretfully, since last year was a Thursday Birthday, there's no hope of my Blackjack Birthday being on a Blackjack Thursday.

Guys, I'm tired and I'm really not feeling this Thursday message thing. ...

What can I do to make us interested in what I have to say? What do I have to say?

Hmm, I have absolutely nothing interesting to say today. Ok, I got it. Hold on to your seats.

How to Make Japan #2

Bread Flour - 350g (2.55 cups)
Butter - 21 g (1.48 tbsp)
Sugar - 21g (1.06 tbsp)
Milk - 33cc (1.11 fl oz)
Water - 180cc (6.08 fl oz)
Dry Yeast - 5g (1.25 tsp)
Salt - 6.5g (1.07 tsp)

Mix flour, sugar, salt, yeast dissolved in water, water, and milk. Then add butter. Knead. When it no longer feels sticky, shape it so that it's round. Leave it in a warm place for an hour. Get rid of gas by dropping it from a height of 50cm (about 20 inches) (don't punch it). Leave it for another hour. Then put it in the rice cooker (yes, rice cooker) and turn it on--bake for an hour. Then turn it over and cook it again (another hour). Turn it over again and cook it again. So it's cooked three times total, for three hours total.

Pictures and instructions in Japanese: http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Animation/yakitate/special/japan2.html

Some of you may have had to listen to me smatter on about "the bread show!!", which is an anime called Yakitate!! Japan! It's about this kid with "solar hands" (hands that are just warmer than normal hands), who wants to create the first Japanese bread. He calls it "Japan" because Pan is the loan word for bread. So it's a pun. So he's spent like ten years now making Japan, from #1 to #, what, 61, I guess I last saw. This is the recipe shown in episode 28, for Japan #2 that he made when he was six, with his rice maker.

Now you can make fresh bread in YOUR rice maker!! If you can measure in metric, I suggest you do it, because I don't know how accurate my conversions are. I used an online "gourmet" converter thingie, but I don't entirely trust it. Next time I go home, I'm totally trying this out.

You can watch Yakitate!! for free at a low-ish quality here: http://www.keiichianimeforever.com/anime/onlineanime/series.html/en/yakitatejapan . It's got up to ep 22, so if you want more than that, you can come to me ^_~ It's a really really really really funny show, and I highly recommend it. Also, you learn about baking! It's a great experience all around.

Happy Thursday!!
-Steph