My mother is a fan of the popular book ‘Japanese Women Don’t Get Old — Or Fat Either’. Although I have yet to read it, I would think it’s quite an interesting read mostly because I consume quite a lot of Japanese food and I absolutely adore the cuisine. As most of you already know, I hardly have time to cook or bake of late due to an office job (which seems to be sapping more and more of my life energy and murdering my precious brain cells second by second) which I am highly unaccustomed to. Sitting around all day at a desk is really soul-sapping and too inactive a lifestyle!
Today, sitting at a desk without a LAN point (meaning zero internet connection and therefore zero access to research), without any assignments — I was at my lowest point. Not to mention, my tummy wasn’t feeling too well and I felt awfully lethargic and confined. In other words, I was in a lot of pain. Thankfully, I was able to leave 2 hours earlier than usual to come back to the comforts of home and to the smell of mum’s cooking. Despite not having anything to do all day, I was still strangely knackered when I stepped through the front door so it was a great joy to be able to have homecooked food prepared by none other than my own mother.
I’ve been in Singapore for about 3 weeks now and have been plagued by discomfort in the tummy quite a bit. After discussing this with Mum and Abby, it seems it boiled down to my inability to adapt to the type of milk found here. And since I take quite a lot of diary products daily, my body can’t seem to adjust as quick as it should or recover quick enough. I am currently now off diary for about a week. It seems quite a difficult task — no cereal with milk in the mornings, no milk in tea or coffee, no cheese on crackers, no yoghurts. It’s going to be very tough!
It is now a mind over matter type of situation. I am gutted; but I desperately want to get well soon so I can get back on track with my yoghurts and cheeses and milk with cereal! I can’t do without them for long. I suspect withdrawal symptoms will start to show if I stay away from them for too long.
Anyway, Mum’s solution to my upset tummy was the Japanese Power Breakfast from the book I mentioned above. Ironic I know. But it was quite the dinner. I could hardly finish everything in my bowl and it did ease the bubbly tummy a little. The meal was followed by my sister Abby’s Amazing Ginger Tea which also did make everything so much better. I feel so much more relaxed and albeit, in a lot less pain.
I don’t know exactly the recipe for the 2 dishes in this post but they’re pretty simple to get the hang of I reckon. Abby’s Ginger Tea requires a handful of fresh pandan leaves, weaved and secured together; some maple syrup; about 5 strips of fresh ginger, thinly sliced; a teaspoon of vanilla essence and about 700ml of water. Place everything in a heavy-based saucepan and bring it to a boil, then simmer and adjust ingredients to taste. This will delight the senses with its wonderful aroma. The ginger is beautiful in clearing the system of excess gas and detoxing in general.
Mum’s version of the Power Breakfast is tofu, beans, boiled egg, cherry tomatoes and spring onions on rice with Japanese sweet potatoes in miso soup. It is quite like a watery Teochew porridge which I really love because I prefer having a bite to the rice in my porridge rather than the creamy thick congee you usually find in Cantonese restaurants and eateries. Prepare all the ingredients in a large rice bowl and ladle hot soup over it till all the rice is covered.
It’s a simple, beautiful dish. The egg and miso come together quite well and the vegetables make the whole dish taste so crisp and clean, non-greasy and easy on the stomach. Full of the ‘good stuff’ and in no way lacking in taste, this bowl of awesome deliciousness has left me craving for more and hoping to replicate this some time soon by myself — for myself! 
Yet again, despite my awful pictures (taken in the evening when I’m absolutely shattered with hands shakey from hunger and tiredness), Mum has beaten me in her culinary creations. I am determined to make something mind-blowing this weekend. We’ll see how that goes. Hopefully, my stomach’s settled down for good by then too.
Sorry about your gastrointestinal problems, Diva
I hope it gets better soon. Don’t worry about your photograph, it looks great! My mom loves sweet potatoes too, hmmm… Can’t wait to see your next post!
Sorry about your tummy troubles! I’d have a hard time skipping dairy as well. Cereal with milk is part of my morning!
This power breakfast looks delicious. There’s nothing better than a mom’s homemade cooking.
What a lovely meal. Nice color combination.
manggy: i’m so gutted!! but thank you for your kind words. i’m sure a week off diary will put me right
yea, totally love sweet potatoes. the orange and yellow (japanese) ones are amazing. but have you tried the purple ones? i can’t seem to find them around anymore but my gramma used to make them in a ginger sweet soup..oh man. those were the days!!!
sharon: yes me too! it’s such a great challenge not to reach for the box of cereal…i settled for PBJ though. somehow i feel PB comes under diary but haha..screw tht.
helene: yes it is isn’t it…mum’s a colour-combo food presentation geek.
xx
Oh, I think that this pictures are nice. And, I would love to eat this for breakfast. Much better than cold cereal…
Oh Diva girl, so sorry about your tummy problem. Hope you get better soon and resume eating the yummy yummies that will be good for your tummy:))
This power dish is giving me a lot of power just by looking at it. It looks so delicious! What is that star like thing with the swirl in the middle? it looks so pretty. or did i miss it in the post?> I am getting blind. Hugs
hey farida!! thanks for your kind words. I will indeed get well ASAP!
That pink and white swirly thing is Japanese fishcake, also known as Kamoboko.
It is made from white fish, which is filleted, pounded into a paste, mixed with a starch and molded into a variety of shapes. It can be steamed, deep fried, barbecued or poached.
They come in all sorts of shapes and patterns, usually in a loaf which you can slice from. Also, you can find rather sickly ones (for kids really) with Minnie Mouse in the middle.
hope that helps! xx
power breakfast, indeed! that’ll get ya through the morning! i hope your belly starts behaving itself soon. it’s no fun when you can’t enjoy your food because your stomach is acting up.
I love the look of this. The fish cake makes the bowl look all that much more gorgeous. Hope you feel better soon! With this sort of cooking from your mom, you’re in good hands at least.
Maybe some aromatherapy could ease the workplace blues?
Failing that, you could create imaginary (and preferably sordid) lives for your colleagues, and then tell us all about it after work
I’m sorry to hear about about the tummy woes, but ginger tea’s an excellent cure so I’m sure you’ll be back in Dairyland pretty soon.
Your mum’s meal has certainly cheered me up!
This breakfast looks awesome. I too am rather adicted to dairy (especially cheese), but what you show here would easily make me give up my morning cereal! Talk about a nice tasty, clean breakfast, packed full of everything you need to start the day.
Out of interest - if you can find it there, try and get some raw milk (from a decent dairy).. Lactase is killed by pasterisation, and that is a really handy enzyme that breaks down lactose in your body.. Generally most peoples problems with milk is lactose based.
That miso soup does look like a hearty meal! It has been too long since I last made miso soup… Sitting around at work with nothing to do and no internet connection is almost like torture.
grace: haha it is indeed a power breakfast! the only thing was that was my dinner..mum thought it best to fill me up with only the ‘good stuff’. what a fab idea it was. really tasted great. not to worry grace. i’ll get back on the track - i can’t stay away from cheese or cakes for long!
cookinpanda: thank you my dear! mothers rule. yes! i do love those fish cakes too. kamoboko was one those psychedelic things i obsessed about qutie a lot as a child.
dee: OH mum would be so glad to hear that
i’ll definitely pass the message on. you’ll certainly make her day. indeed i look forward to the day i step back into the glorious world of Dairy.
dee…you’re a genius. indeed I will create these crazy sordid raunchy affairs, of course they’ll all be made-up and in my mind, but OH i look forward to typing it all out here soon enough!
matt wright: that’s a wonderful idea. although i think the only fresh milk place i know of is a goat’s farm which is very out of the way on the other side of the country. i’ll speak to some people. i’m sure someone will know something but wow. awesome advice matt!
kevin: you don’t say? how reliant we’ve become on the internet. haha. especially when it comes to foodblogging and recipe searching. anyway, miso is a fantastic ingredient and so good for you. it’s no wonder why my mum’s been forcing (well when i say forcing, i don’t mean forcing per se) it down our throats every day. hope you get to make some soon and tell us all abt it
xx
I’d be surprised if you didn’t mention the cure-all drink of choice for Asians (tea). It always seems to work, whether it’s all in the head or for real.
I’m really liking those swirly pink things. They’re called naruto or something right?
I’m so sorry you haven’t been feeling well! But there’s nothing like being taken care of by mom and family when you’re under the weather.
That dish looks beautiful! What a great mom you have! Feel better soon.
That breakfast looks amazing - so colourful and bright and clean and delicious. Hope you’re feeling better soon and that the dairy-free kick helps you out.
I’ve seen that book but had no intention to read it because I read the “French women don’t get fat” and assumed they would be similar. But maybe I’m wrong, thanks for the reminder, I’ll have to get it now.
I really love power breakfasts like these too, it’s my way of kick starting my day! Beautiful pics too!
elle: thank you! i sure am very fortunate.
and definitely will get better soon. the tummy’s been feeling pretty alright today.
laura@hungry and frozen: hey hun. it is very colourful, i have to agree! haha. it’s my mum’s way of cooking. i’m sure a week off should be just enough to set things right.
white on rice couple: i never had any intention and i kinda still don’t have the intention to read either book. somewhere in the back of my head, i think it’s a load of bollocks but as long as yummy food’s on the table, i can’t fault my mum for reading it! lol.
and this definitely has changed my idea of a power breakfast. geeeee.:)
xx
Ahh, hope you’re feeling better. This looks gorgeous though; love the colours and - basically everything in it, actually. I think I need that book XD.
What a colorful and delicious way to start your morning! I wish I could have some for my breaky!
Even if I have POWER breakfast, I still need lunch! :O
I call yours POWER PRETTY breakfast
That is SO beautiful, seriously! The colors are amazing, like a little work of art.
I’m so sorry you’ve been feeling yucky. The thing is, you have to lively a spirit to be caged up in an office - we need to set you FREE, girl. I can completely see how an office would make you cagey. I was talking about valium for the airplane - my bloggess - we need it for your office! Ugh, I hate the office too….I bounce off the walls and look at my watch…
Diva, sorry to hear about your problems I hope you get better. I love the first picture, what a delicious looking breakfast.
omg you’re home! I so miss home! I’m sorry you’re feeling discomfort in the tummy - I hope it’s gone away now.
I was going to ask what the pink swirly things were, but I saw your answer.
What a delicious sounding concoction!
Hope work goes better for you.
oh i wish i had my mom nearby to make me bfast!
Hope you feel better by now! This breakfast is sunshine in a bowl! Love it!
That is quite a novel combination and looks pretty tasty!
Milk is different in SG?
KyotoFoodieのPeko
That looks like a beautiful breakfast! Sorry to hear about the lactose issues - my love for dairy has kept me stable in my personal quest against veganism.
I’ve seen that book and was wondering if it’s any good. I love Japanese food too and was thinking if that book would make me appreciate it more, heh. What do you think? Recommended?