Miso dressing recipe

I love salad! Now, when you eat salad, the dressing you chose is one of the key point. It makes the whole thing totally different depending on what kind of dressing you use.

Great salad + bad dressing = moderate but slightly bad
OK salad + great dressing = moderate but slightly good
Great salad + great dressing = INSANELY GOOD!!! :)

I like to make my own salad dressing, as many of the commercial dressing have junk in it - high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, MSG, and so on.

I wanted to share my miso dressing recipe with you - a real Japanese style came from my Mom. :)

Miso dressing (for 2 people)

- 3 table spoons miso (I like white miso. You can use red, but I think white tastes better than red for dressing)
- 3 table spoons soy sauce
- 3 table spoons sugar (I use either agave nectar or stevia instead. If you use stevia, you need to adjust the amount, because a tiny bit of it  makes it really really sweet)
- 2 table spoons vinegar (You can use Japanese vinegar, if you can get it from the Japanese super market, but it doesn't have to be. I use apple cider vinegar)
- some water to adjust it to your taste
- sesame seed (optional)

Many people try to cut down oil/ fat nowadays. I'm not one of these people, but this dressing is naturally oil/ fat free (unless you chose to use a bit of sesame. You can also add some flax seed oil or olive oil, if you would like. I add a tea spoonful of grounded flax seed) and it tastes great! Try it and let me know how you like it. :)

Happy eating. :)

I made a scallop salad! It was DELICIOUS!! :)

Achieving a goal

I love sports- both playing and watching. I don't do much nowadays, but I still love them. My favorite is absolutely tennis. I played it from the age 12 to 22 myself. I follow men's tennis in particular. It is so speedy, energetic and exciting!

There is so much to learn from sports - persistence, the importance of a team work, concentration, the ability to stay in present. etc. 

Yesterday, I was watching the French Open tennis men's final (I'm a BIG fan of Rafael Nadal. :) He is a fighter! He never gives up and has full of life, and I love it!). It was an incredible game as usual - the matches between Nadal and Federer always are. So many miracle shots from both players! They made the entire crowd all over the world go, "Ohhh!!!" "Ahhh!!!" Just incredible!!!

Now what most people tend to forget is the fact that they both practiced 1,000 + hours to make the one miracle shot!

This society promotes as if working hard or trying hard to achieve something or to get better at something is "uncool." Is it really? I don't think so. In fact, I think it is a beautiful thing. :)

I used to think, "Oh, I wish I could do this" or "I could do that," but then thought, "Well, I don't have the talent."

Talent? What is talent?

I've learned that we can make up for most of what is called "talent" by a lot of practice. By practicing a lot, one can get better at doing most anything. :)

When I was in an elementary school, we played this sport called "dodge ball." At that time, I just couldn't catch the fast ball coming toward me, so my only solution was to avoid it. Soon other kids realized I couldn't catch the ball, so I became the target!

One day, I was sick and tired of the pain from being hit by the ball (obviously, they did a really good job hitting me!), I decided, "That's it! I'm going to be able to catch a ball, no matter how fast." And every day after school, I practiced catching a ball. I just went to a underground parking lot. I stood petty close to the wall, hit the ball really hard to it and practiced catching the ball bounced back at me. And as I got better at it, I shorten the distance between the wall and myself little by little. I did it EVERY DAY.

In less than a week, the distance between the wall and me was so close. I still hit the ball VERY hard to the wall, the ball bounced back SO hard at me and I was still able to catch it. Now I was confident. :)

My debut as "new me" was just fantastic! :) Since the point, I was one of the strongest players in our dodge ball game! I felt great on the fact that I overcame something and became great at it.

So I know this theory is true. :)

Hope you can also overcome whatever barriers that you have in order to achieve your goal and achieve it. :)


Have a great day!

I was a TOTAL sport girl - was NOT a girly girl at all - whether it was good or bad! ;) 

Little Tokyo

I went to Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles today. I needed to go there to get in touch with a few of the Japanese translation agencies.

This really is "little Tokyo." There is a section of "Japan" in the middle of Los Angeles. Right next to Little Tokyo,  there is China town.

When I was little, I learned about the US at school. My teacher said this country is called "a Melting Pot," because it has people from so many different places, and they gather and create a country together. It is so true and I love it.

In Little Tokyo, I saw an European looking guy playing the traditional Japanese musical instrument, "Shamisen." What a combination! I thought it was really nice.

People are people. They are no different because of where they are from, or what language they speak. They all have people they love and care about, they want to be happy and have fun.

I love this country - the "United" States of America. :)

Good night.

Introduction

Hi! I'm starting my blog here and wanted to introduce myself. :)

My name is Tomoko Kato. I come from a unique multi-cultural background: I was born and raised in Japan and currently live in Los Angeles. I'm an artist doing modelling and acting. I LOVE art and aesthetics. I'm also a professional translator/ interpreter (English/ Japanese). I like translating things with a touch of artistic flavor.

My goal is to enhance quality of people's lives spiritually and emotionally by expanding their communication and by adding something aesthetic in their lives. It is my wish to bring about such things in you through my blog. :)

Thank you so much for reading. I'll see you soon again.