Two ounces of Kanton (Japanese gelatine); six eggs; three tablespoonfuls of cherry sirup; one ounce of goma seeds.
To make the pink custards, whip the whites of five eggs into the dissolved two ounces of gelatine. Add, while stirring over a slow fire, three tablespoonfuls of cherry sirup. Let it come to a boil, then pour quickly into flower-shaped molds, and let it set.
Yellow custards can be made by using the yolks instead of the whites of eggs, and half a pint of coconut milk. When the custards are solid, turn them from the molds on to large leaves on a plate, or decorate the flowered custard with leaves suitable to the flower represented. If the flower has a dark center, use goma seeds, and if variegated colors are liked, pour half the yellow and half the cherry custards into the molds. The effect is very pretty, and the custards delicious. The pouring should be done very quickly and lightly, and the molds, of course, should be of flower designs. All travelers are enthusiasts on the subject of Japanese flower custards.
KINOKO-TAMAGO-YAKI (Shrimp Omelette)
Four eggs; one half cupful of shrimp meat; one half cupful of syou sauce; goma-seed oil.
Beat up the eggs with half a cupful of syou. Have ready about four or five small frying pans. Wipe pans when hot with paper soaked in goma-seed oil. Pour into each pan an equal quantity of the egg, and quickly divide and scatter in the shrimp meat, which has been finely chopped. Fry all slowly for four minutes. The Japanese brown both sides at once, by putting some burning charcoal into a tin plate and laying this on top of the omelette on the stove. The omelette should be served very hot, and for this purpose there are special omelette dishes, Chinese and Japanese, the lower part of which is a hot water holder.
USU TAMAGO YAKI (Fried Eggs)
One half dozen eggs; one cupful of cooking juice; two tablespoonfuls of syou sauce.
Beat the eggs with chopsticks, adding the cooking sauce and syou. Mix all well. Wipe a frying pan with paper soaked with goma-seed oil, and as soon as pan is well heated, pour in the above mixture and fry over a slow fire.
TAMAGO TOFU
Eggs; cooking juice; syou sauce; horseradish.
Break any required number of eggs and beat with chopsticks. Mix with twice the amount of cooking juice and one third of syou sauce. Pour the mixture into a thin china bowl or a tin mold, and steam over boiling water for thirty or forty minutes. Transfer a soupladleful to each individual bowl, and over each pour a small quantity of cooking juice and a few drops of syou sauce. Sprinkle with ground horseradish, and serve very hot.
SCRAMBLED EGGS (Japanese Style)
Eggs; green pepper; cold boiled rice; mushrooms.
Break into frying pan half a dozen eggs, stirring lightly with knife. Add quickly, before egg begins to cook, a tablespoonful of chopped green pepper, the juice of an onion, half a cupful of chopped mushrooms, and half a cupful of boiled rice. Toss all quickly together. Cook over a very slow fire, and serve hot.
SAKURA (Cherry Custard)
Beat up lightly and frothily six fresh eggs. Add one cupful of milk, sugar, and three tablespoonfuls of cherry sirup. Throw a handful of ripe, plump red cherries into the baking pan, and over this pour the above mixture. Bake for about half an hour in a medium oven. Then remove, and at intervals over top of dish set more cherries. Sugar is unnecessary where the cherries are sweet and ripe, as the sirup will then suffice.
TAMAGO BOLAN (Peony Eggs)
Boil five eggs hard. Place in cold water. Remove shells carefully, so as not to blemish whites. Carefully cut off top with thread, one end between teeth, the other between fingers, drawing thread through egg. Remove the yolks. Boil a small pink snapper (fish) in hot water for ten minutes, or steam for thirty. Remove all bones and fins, and chop together until fine. Mix with finely mashed miso, pepper, and salt. Chop yolks daintily and fluffily, and mix with fish meat. Fill the whites with this mixture. Now place the filled whites in center of a lettuce head and arrange fine strips of udo shoots round it. To fix lettuce head properly, all the leaves should be carefully adjusted and separated, washed, and then put back into shape again. It looks now like a bouquet, and is held together with toothpicks.
VEGETABLES AND RELISHES
KUWAI-KINTON (Water Chestnut Cream)
