BASEL Sweets

http://www.basel.co.jp/brasserie.html

Basel or less often used Basle; German: Basel pronounced; French: Bâle; Italian: Basilea; Romansh: Basilea) is Switzerland's third most populous city (behind Zürich and Geneva) with about 195,000 inhabitants.  Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany. In 2011, the Basel agglomeration was the third largest in Switzerland with a population of 500,600 in 74 municipalities in Switzerland and an additional 53 in neighboring countries (municipal count as of 2000).  The tri-national Basel metropolitan area has around 830,000 inhabitants in 226 municipalities.

Located in northwest Switzerland on the river Rhine, Basel functions as a major industrial centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The Basel region, culturally extending into German Baden-Württemberg and French Alsace, reflects the heritage of its three states in the modern Latin name: "Regio TriRhena". It has the oldest university of the Swiss Confederation (1460).

The official language of Basel is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.

Basel is among the most important cultural centres of Switzerland. The city comprises a large number of theatres and many museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the world's oldest art collection accessible to the public. In addition, the Theater Basel was chosen in 1999 as the best stage for German-language performances and in 2009 & 2010 as "Opera of the Year" by German Opera Magazine "Opernwelt".

Lunch with two sons at Hegi-Soba noodels restaurant

http://www.hegisoba.com/

What makes these noodles unique is using top-quality buckwheat and funori seaweed as a bonding agent. The noodles, always cooked al dente and smooth, are served one mouthful at a time on a special plate called a hegi.

そばには地方により独特なものがあり、新潟には個性豊かな「へぎそば」があります。これは、海藻をつなぎにした、とても健康的かつ珍しいおそばです。越後そば弥彦にお越しの際には、池に泳ぐ新潟生まれの錦鯉や、新潟の船大工がこしらえた水車をご覧になりながら、「へぎそば」「新潟産のもち豚」をはじめ、心を込めた料理をお召し上がりいただき、ご多忙な日常とは違ったひとときをお過しいただければと思います。

Dorayaki, A bean‐jam pancake as Today's Sweet

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33262885

http://www.non-gmoreport.com/

http://www.nongmoproject.org/

http://shizuokagourmet.com/japanese-cake-dorayaki-basic-recipe/

What is Non-GMO ?

Non-GMO means non-genetically modified. GMOs (genetically modified organisms), are novel organisms created in a laboratory using genetic modification/engineering techniques. Scientists and consumer and environmental groups have cited many health and environmental risks with foods containing GMOs. As a result of the risks, many people in the United States and around the world are demanding “non-GMO” foods.

What are genetically modified foods ?

In genetic modification (or engineering) of food plants, scientists remove one or more genes from the DNA of another organism, such as a bacterium, virus, animal, or plant and “recombine” them into the DNA of the plant they want to alter. By adding these new genes, genetic engineers hope the plant will express the traits associated with the genes. For example, genetic engineers have transferred genes from a bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt into the DNA of corn. Bt genes express a protein that kills insects, and transferring the genes allows the corn to produce its own pesticide.

Black beans salty Rice cake stuffed with Sweet bean jam and Blueberry ice cream as Today's Sweets

http://www.mebukiya.co.jp/

It was hot today, too. Wonderful blueberry ice cream that can be made from either fresh or frozen blueberries. Great summer-time treat ! Daifukumochi, or Daifuku,is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans. Both are my favorite.

I got a new passport today

http://www.dhs.gov/e-passports

http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/passport/ic.html

I finally got e-Passport today as I had gotten it in Jan 2006 last time.

An e-Passport contains an electronic chip. The chip holds the same information that is printed on the passport's data page: the holder's name, date of birth, and other biographic information. An e-Passport also contains a biometric identifier. Each country requires that the chip contain a digital photograph of the holder. All e-Passports issued by Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries and Each country has security features to prevent the unauthorized reading or "skimming" of data stored on the e-Passport chip.