Maybe THAT'S why they're always sick.
You need to make CHICKEN Udon for them.

The Russian Flu strikes again. 'Tis the season for it.

Wishing them well, Bashcraft.

At the very least your trying right.

Hope they don't get the flu, man...I just got over a bout of the viral head flu and it was officially 3 of the worst days of my life.

at least you can boil water. some people don't even get that far.

Or your home is build on a old cadmium dumpsite.

It's the japanese equivalent to old indian bone yard in america. Not so spooky but more toxic.

I can't toast bread! I'm the worst cook on this planet. This christmas just gone i helped make the christmas dinner and the whole of my family had food poisoning!

Or even worse, an ancient Indian Cadmium dumpsite. The Grudge meets Poltergeist meets Little Big Man?

Families with school-age children are always battling various viruses, especially this time of year.
Look at the bright side, though, at least little Bash is going to build up some good immunity!

try learning tonkatsu or chicken katsu. i read up on how to make these a few years ago and glad i did. i mean, you can't go wrong with fried breaded meats.

the secret's in the panko. and the deep frying, of course!

On getting sick all the time.

this may sound a bit sick, but...

Check the Ph of your urin! If it's acidic you will be eating too much sugar and an acidic body is more susceptible to infections and illness.

Try eating alkaline foods for a month and cut down on sugar intake.

My trainer made me do this, and it made a massive difference to my general health. I used to have a permanent cold and other unmentionable things, but they soon went on the new diet!

Amen!

I got all excited about news of the upcoming continuation of the Street Fighter 2 comic when I saw the title :(

Just go get some fruit. Doesn't need cooking, and you can blend it to make it easier to digest. And oranges prevent scurvy!

@tkshredder: nah, panko/mochiko isn't the secret--it's rather obvious. The secret to killer katsu is in the WASH!

hope the lady and son are on the up and up again real soon :)

@Father ColdCuts: you make a good point. but you can also just check the PH of your saliva. just don't eat or drink anything for 30 minutes and your saliva acidity is more telling than your urine's acidity. I shouldn't have to tell people who live in Japan this, but Ume heals all!!!

@rainofwalrus [XBL]: please elaborate. i mean, i always wash my stuff, but never thought about it being a problem. Though! If we are dealing with germs / avoiding getting sick, i would have to agree that the wash is essential.

or i'm just really missing what you were getting at.

Ash -

You should learn how to make okayu. I don't think it could be that difficult, it's basically just overcooked rice. That's the traditional remedy for sick people in Japan; kinda surprised your wife didn't ask for it.

@proghuman: all flu is viral. You don't really have to say that.

Udon...made it plenty of times. Cooking Mama helps me when I mess it up.

@rainofwalrus [XBL]: ok ok! thats where i've been going wrong!

whenever i get cold, i tried to get convinient store oden...

makes me feel good....if i can make it to the store....

@jslay012:

Exactly, it's probably mini-Bash that's getting the family sick.

You need to learn how to make some okinomiyaki Bash! Or maybe some takoyaki. I love making those.

@badasscat:

+1 on the okayu. I didn't think of that. Make sure to use some chicken and some veggies too!!!

@rainofwalrus [XBL]:

Ume = tasty
Umeboshi = barf city

@Father ColdCuts: it's got a lot to do with all the kidney/liver variables that can skew the PH of your urine. plus, Saliva is readily available and comes close to real-time PH levels, while urine is often "old" by comparison.

@tkshredder:
Katsu Wash is the egg/water/salt mixture that turns the panko/mochiko into batter. The ratio is the key to success, experiment. Some katsu-pros swear by milk, while some pros add sugar and mustard seed. Sky is the limit. I like a 1/1 ratio: Water to Eggyolk. Pinch of salt... But that's rather pedestrian as far as katsu-washes go.

on topic, when I get sick it's Mango/Ume smoothies, peppermint tea, and frosted shredded wheat w/ skim milk.

The smoothies and tea scrub your guts, and the shredded wheat... well, lets just say it drains the tub.

two most important things your body needs when you're sick: fresh liquid intake and rapid discharge of toxins (sweat, vommit, phlegm, poop).

@Father ColdCuts: I used to have a permanent cold and other unmentionable things

You can mention them here. We're all family.

@rainofwalrus [XBL]:

Haha. You said poop.

I was under the impression, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that the Japanese people genetically have a weaker immune system, for a couple reasons:

1.) Prolonged isolation of the Japanese nation to the outside world.
2.) A culture that holds cleanliness at a high standard.

These factors therefore contributed to little exposure to disease, or prevention thereof, much in contrast to the European people, who've come into contact with a number of mutations of the cold, flu, not to mention the Bubonic plague, and have built up immunities to many illnesses.

Udon can be difficult! You have to make sure you don't overcook it so the center is still firm. You know. "Koshi ga aru". And the broth has to be almost too thin for western tastes. Has to be...subtle... ^^

Hope they get better soon. Some nasty colds going around Japan or at least Tokyo last month...

@JohnnytheFuture: or americans, who are filthy buggers and we have used that to our advantage *coughdiseasedblanketspreadingcough*

@JohnnytheFuture: It's not just Japan. [see: forthcoming link]

@dead_red_eyes: you, my friend, can eat poop! [see: forthcoming link]

wait for it...

[www.slate.com]

@rainofwalrus [XBL]: Yea,a ctually here in mexico the public health deparment warned people that the hit sauce of the standar street tacos are ultra-super-dangeours to you, and yea they discover that the sauce had ecoli and many other bacterias but they discover something else, that mexicans had a very strong resistance to stomach disease, and thats because the average mexican eat on the street a lot of times in his live (i did eat a lot not very clean food when i was in highschool and nothing happened to me) and that creates a higher resistance to many bacteria, so that article has some truth in what is says, ultra clean its not exactly healthy but too much dirt also is bad, is a matter of balance ...

@TOCATL: excellent point. new studies are finding that those roasted crickets in Mexico City are loaded with complex proteins and antioxidants you wont get anywhere else. So eat more poop *and* bugs. Viva La Raza!

@rainofwalrus [XBL]: Sadly most mexicans think that the ancient meals are bad and that buying everything you eat at costco is good, and those are the ones that with time get sick a lot...

@TOCATL: Suddenly my 1 minute rule off floor, seem like child's play.

@goldwings: well it depends in how clean is your floor, i think they tested that in "mythbusters" ...

@goldwings: lol. there's more going on in the air than there is on the floor... It's why we put things in jars.

uh... Brian, you still live in Japan right? Buy a rice cooker that can also be used as a steamer (pretty common feature). Then buy those bamboo sheets, and you have all the tools you need for maki-sushi! You can also buy frozen buns that are steamer-friendly.

I was gonna say, seems like someone in your family is sick at least once a week.

sheesh. bashcraft, your suppose to make rice congee when people are sick! It's the tradition! like chicken soup!

your bound to have one of those modern rice cookers, they can make anything.

Just throw in the rice, chicken stock, meat, water and set it to congee, then before serving sprinkle freshly chopped spring onion.

seriously bashcraft, that's just like boiling, but the smart way.

:)

@Onizuka-GTO: Actually no you can make udon also. My gf did that for me sometimes also, or the other way around too.

@Witzbold:

So you and Onizuka-GTO throw all the needed ingredients AT ONCE in your rice cooker?

...yikes!

This is not better than Mama would have done it.

@"KE": agreed. congee, start to finish, should be made in a cast-iron dutch-oven.

@"KE":

You've obviously not experienced the wonders of those new-fangled electronic rice cookers. Sure beats having to do it the old way.