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| 赤い花 |
初夏バテになっている方が沢山おられると思います。
私も暑さがそもそもダメなんですが、日本では初夏は5月からですので、丁度6月末から7月初め頃から体調が少しだけ悪くなるんですよね。
この少しだけが曲者(クセモノ)で、薬を飲む程でも無いし、病院に行くまでも無い、ドラッグストアで薬剤師さんに相談しようにも具合が何処となく悪い。けれど明確な症状は無い。だから結局エナジー系の錠剤を飲めば良いから飲んではいるけれども・・・。
というのが恐らく初夏バテなんですよね。
少しだけ体調が悪いのが一週間程続くと落ち込みませんか?
気持ちがブルーになっていて、ちょっとした事で気持ちが揺れたり、嫌だな、という気持ちは普段するっとすれ違えるのに、何故かこの頃何時迄もブルーのまま。
これは恐らく便秘と同じ、内科にかかるものでは無いでしょうか?
便秘だと酷い場合ずっとイライラしている人って居ますよね?
そんなのこちらに関係ないし、何故トイレ休憩の時に無関係な職場が同じだけの人が便秘が治ったかどうかをいちいち本人に大声で報告されなければならないのか、と私はよくウンザリしていました。
慢性の季節病や、気温の移り変わりで風邪を引きかけたりしているので、普段飲んでいる風邪薬を一錠少なめに飲んで改善されなければ内科を受診してみて下さい。
気持ちが落ちている時は、いくつかの家で出来る対処を試してみて下さい。
早く帰って早めの時間にお風呂に入り、普通の食事を摂って寝る。
が良く言われる事ですね。
基本これで大体の症状は改善されます。
ですが、これをやりながら、時間が空いた時にも以下のことを試してみて下さい。
・マグカップに入れた水を電子レンジでお湯にし、オレンジオイル(又はオレンジ・ピール)かポッカレモンを数滴入れ、湯気をそっと吸い込みながら、ゆっくり15分程かけて飲む。
額がうっすら汗ばむ位になっていれば十分です。
マルゴ オレンジオイル
オレンジオイルには食用とそうでないものがあります。
食用ではないものを飲むと、健康被害が起きますのでご注意下さい。
オレンジ・ピールかオレンジ・マーマレイドが安心安全です。 こちらはスーパーかデパートで取り扱いがあります。
・温タオルを作ってうなじに当てる。
水で濡らしたタオルを軽く絞り、電子レンジに2,3分かける。
触れる位になったら、やはり顔が温まる位までうなじに当てる。
当てる場所は他に、膝の裏又は土踏まずも試してみて下さい。
あまり味の濃いものを食べたくない場合、冷たい麺で栄養価が高いものを食べるのをおすすめします。乾麺のお蕎麦を茹でてザル蕎麦なんかも入って行きやすいですよね。
乾麺のお蕎麦は私はファミリーマートの乾麺が好きです。
「のどごしなめらかな そば」 という商品名です。
用意するもの
乾麺タイプのそば 1袋
麺つゆ:麺つゆはどちらのでも良いが2倍濃縮か3倍濃縮タイプを、無ければストレートでも良いです。ストレートタイプは早めに使い切りましょう。カレンダーに消費期限の印を付けておくと忘れにくいです。
1000ml入る鍋
菜箸
キッチンタイマー
ザル
氷 スコップ4すくい分
茹で方ですが、1000ml入るのお鍋と菜箸、キッチンタイマーを用意します。
鍋の6分目まで水を入れ、湯を沸かし、キッチンタイマーを4分半にセットしておきます。
大きな泡が出る程沸騰したら(これは非常に重要です。この沸騰が足りないから乾麺は難しいと言われるんです)、ひと束が1人分ですので、紙の帯を解いて、キッチンタイマーをスタートさせ、乾麺をお湯の中に斜めに差し入れながら軽く横に広げます。
菜箸で麺をほぐし全部が湯の中に沈むようにし、菜箸で斜めのジグザグ線を描くようにかき混ぜながら、時間通り茹で続けます。
4分半後、流しの蛇口の下に置いたザルに茹で上がった麺を流し入れ、蛇口を1番大きく開けて水を大量にかけながら、麺のぬめりを取ります。
麺全体に水が掛かったら、そのまま水を止めずに指で麺を力強く横に振って洗います。
表面のぬめりが取れたら、麺全体を掴んでザルの中でひっくり返し(こねた餅をひっくり返すイメージ)、また力強く横に振って水洗いします。
全体のぬめりが取れたら、水を止めます。
ザルの中にスコップ1すくいの氷を入れ、再び水をかけながら氷を麺で包むようにして、麺を冷やします。
氷が麺に付きますが、麺が千切れないように要は麺をキンキンに冷やすように麺で氷を包みます。
この時、氷が溶け残っていても問題はありません。
お皿に麺を移し、その上にスコップ2杯分の氷を散らします。
麺つゆはどちらのでも良いですが、2倍濃縮タイプか3倍濃縮タイプを私はお勧めします。
2倍濃縮タイプは、原液をコップか小鉢に入れ、その量の倍になるように水を入れるだけです。
3倍は軽量カップの1番下のメモリまで原液を入れ、そのまま、その2つ上の線まで(つまり1番下から数えて3番目)水を入れれば3倍です。
それで完成です。
ザル蕎麦の上にキムチ、錦糸卵を乗せたり、トマト、サニーレタス(少しだけ苦味があると一緒に食べた時蕎麦が引き立ちます)、オクラ、好きなハムを乗せ、麺つゆに刻んだ唐辛子又は緑色のタバスコを入れて、爽やかな味を楽しむと、何処かで見たことがあるけれど行ったことはきっと無い、よその国の味がしますよね。
窓を開けると今私の住む日本は大分暑いですし、熱中症も危ないので、窓を閉めたまま目の前に映る景色を、今居る台所を入れた景色である、と考えてみると、この景色が何処までも続き広がり、外つ国(とつくに) の窓の中の瑞々しいスペインの果物の模様が付いた、色鮮やかな食卓に続いているのだと、はっきり分かると思います。
それでは、フレッシュで硬質に細い直線の光を放つ、夏の真ん中の食事を予感しながら、素敵な日曜日をお過ごし下さい。
Since it’s Sunday, I’m writing about something gentle.
I imagine there are a lot of people feeling the effects of early summer fatigue right now.
I can’t stand the heat to begin with, but since early summer in Japan starts in May, I tend to start feeling a little under the weather around the end of June or early July.
It’s this “little bit” that’s the tricky part—it’s not bad enough to take medicine or go to the doctor, and even if I try to consult a pharmacist at the drugstore, I just feel vaguely unwell. But there are no clear symptoms. So, in the end, I just take some energy pills because I figure that’s all I need…
That’s probably what early summer fatigue is all about.
Don’t you feel a bit down when you’ve been feeling just a little off for about a week?
You feel blue, and even little things can throw you off. Feelings of “I don’t like this” that you’d normally brush off easily just linger, and for some reason, you stay in that blue mood for ages.
Isn’t this probably the same as constipation—something you’d see a general practitioner about?
You know how some people get really irritable when they’re severely constipated?
That has nothing to do with me, and I used to get really fed up with having to listen to coworkers—who have nothing to do with the situation—shout out to me during bathroom breaks to report whether their constipation had cleared up or not.
If you’re suffering from chronic seasonal ailments or are starting to catch a cold due to temperature changes, try taking one less tablet of your usual cold medicine. If that doesn’t help, please see an internist.
When you’re feeling down, try a few remedies you can do at home.
Go home early, take a bath early in the evening, eat a normal meal, and go to bed.
That’s the standard advice, isn’t it?
Generally, this will improve most symptoms.
However, while doing this, try the following whenever you have some free time.
・Heat water in a mug in the microwave, add a few drops of orange oil or Pokka Lemon, and drink it slowly over about 15 minutes while gently inhaling the steam.
It’s enough if your forehead gets slightly sweaty.
I imagine there are a lot of people feeling the effects of early summer fatigue right now.
I can’t stand the heat to begin with, but since early summer in Japan starts in May, I tend to start feeling a little under the weather around the end of June or early July.
It’s this “little bit” that’s the tricky part—it’s not bad enough to take medicine or go to the doctor, and even if I try to consult a pharmacist at the drugstore, I just feel vaguely unwell. But there are no clear symptoms. So, in the end, I just take some energy pills because I figure that’s all I need…
That’s probably what early summer fatigue is all about.
Don’t you feel a bit down when you’ve been feeling just a little off for about a week?
You feel blue, and even little things can throw you off. Feelings of “I don’t like this” that you’d normally brush off easily just linger, and for some reason, you stay in that blue mood for ages.
Isn’t this probably the same as constipation—something you’d see a general practitioner about?
You know how some people get really irritable when they’re severely constipated?
That has nothing to do with me, and I used to get really fed up with having to listen to coworkers—who have nothing to do with the situation—shout out to me during bathroom breaks to report whether their constipation had cleared up or not.
If you’re suffering from chronic seasonal ailments or are starting to catch a cold due to temperature changes, try taking one less tablet of your usual cold medicine. If that doesn’t help, please see an internist.
When you’re feeling down, try a few remedies you can do at home.
Go home early, take a bath early in the evening, eat a normal meal, and go to bed.
That’s the standard advice, isn’t it?
Generally, this will improve most symptoms.
However, while doing this, try the following whenever you have some free time.
・Heat water in a mug in the microwave, add a few drops of orange oil or Pokka Lemon, and drink it slowly over about 15 minutes while gently inhaling the steam.
It’s enough if your forehead gets slightly sweaty.
Marugo Orange Oil
https://amzn.asia/d/0eUCnkxS
There are two types of orange oil: food-grade and non-food-grade.
Please be careful, as consuming non-food-grade orange oil can cause health problems.
Orange peel or orange marmalade are safe and reliable options. You can find these at supermarkets or department stores.
https://amzn.asia/d/0eUCnkxS
There are two types of orange oil: food-grade and non-food-grade.
Please be careful, as consuming non-food-grade orange oil can cause health problems.
Orange peel or orange marmalade are safe and reliable options. You can find these at supermarkets or department stores.
・Make a warm towel and place it on the nape of your neck.
Wet a towel with water, wring it out lightly, and heat it in the microwave for 2–3 minutes.
Once it’s cool enough to touch, hold it against the nape of your neck until your face feels warm.
You can also try applying it to the back of your knees or the arches of your feet.
Wet a towel with water, wring it out lightly, and heat it in the microwave for 2–3 minutes.
Once it’s cool enough to touch, hold it against the nape of your neck until your face feels warm.
You can also try applying it to the back of your knees or the arches of your feet.
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Summer Soba Noodles |
When it comes to dried soba noodles, I like the ones from FamilyMart.
The product name is “Smooth-Textured Soba.”
Items
Dried soba noodles: 1 package
Noodle sauce: Any brand is fine, but use a 2x or 3x concentrated type; if you don’t have that, the ready-to-use type is okay too. Be sure to use up the ready-to-use type quickly. Mark the expiration date on your calendar so you don’t forget.
A pot that holds 1,000 ml
Cooking chopsticks
Kitchen timer
Colander
Ice: 4 scoops
To cook the noodles, prepare a pot that holds 1,000 ml, cooking chopsticks, and a kitchen timer.
Fill the pot about two-thirds full with water, bring it to a boil, and set the kitchen timer for 4½ minutes.
Once the water is boiling vigorously with large bubbles (this is very important—it’s often said that dry noodles are difficult to cook because the water isn’t boiling hard enough), since one bundle is one serving, untie the paper band, start the kitchen timer, and gently spread the dry noodles out sideways as you lower them diagonally into the boiling water.
Use the chopsticks to separate the noodles so they all sink into the water, and continue boiling them for the full time while stirring with the chopsticks in a diagonal zigzag motion.
After 4½ minutes, pour the cooked noodles into a colander placed under the sink faucet.
Turn the faucet on full blast and rinse the noodles thoroughly with a large amount of water to remove the slime.
Once the water has covered all the noodles, without turning off the water, vigorously shake the noodles side to side with your fingers to rinse them.
Once the water has covered all the noodles, without turning off the water, vigorously shake the noodles side to side with your fingers to rinse them.
Once the slime on the surface is gone, grab the noodles as a whole and flip them over in the colander (imagine flipping over a kneaded mochi), then vigorously shake them side to side again to rinse them.
Once all the slime is gone, turn off the water.
Add one scoop of ice to the colander, and while continuing to pour water over the noodles, wrap the ice in the noodles to cool them down.
The ice will stick to the noodles, but the key is to wrap the ice in the noodles to chill them thoroughly without breaking them.
It’s okay if some ice remains melted at this point.
Transfer the noodles to a plate and scatter two scoops of ice on top.
You can use any type of soba dipping sauce, but I recommend the 2x or 3x concentrated varieties.
For the 2x concentrated type, simply pour the concentrate into a glass or small bowl and add water until the volume doubles.
For the 3x concentrated type, fill a measuring cup to the very bottom mark with the concentrate, then add water up to the second mark from the top (i.e., the third mark from the bottom).
And that’s it—you’re done.
Top the soba in a colander with kimchi and shredded omelet, or add tomatoes, sunflower lettuce (its slight bitterness really brings out the flavor of the soba when eaten together), okra, and your favorite ham. Then, add chopped chili peppers or green Tabasco sauce to the noodle broth and enjoy the refreshing flavor—it’ll taste like a foreign country you’ve seen somewhere but have surely never visited.
If you open the window, it’s quite hot here in Japan where I live right now, and there’s a risk of heatstroke, so keep the window closed and imagine the view right in front of you—including the kitchen where you’re standing—as a scene that stretches on and on, leading to a vibrant dining table in a foreign land, adorned with patterns of fresh Spanish fruit. I think you’ll clearly see that this view extends endlessly, leading to that colorful dining table.
So, as you anticipate a mid-summer meal bathed in fresh, crisp, slender rays of light, I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.










