Memorial Day Menu Items: Japanese Themed

Memorial Day in America is just upon on and it is just about time to get our barbecues ready and menus planned for the large event. Although it is day set aside in America every last Monday in May to commemorate the United States men and women who have died in military service or have served in war. Since my family goes to INDY 500 each year on Memorial Day, we celebrate the festivities on the Saturday before Monday.

Our yearly festivities kick off with (celebrating Decoration Day) decorating the graves of my ancestors graves located in our small city cemetery. After a short prayer, my family returns to the family estate to begin other celebrations. This includes enormous amounts of mouth-watering food.

This year, my husband and I are taking my Japanese history into account and have planned a small menu for family and friends. This is the portion of our menu this year to add to the other family members' items.

1. Appetizers/Desserts: Seeing that Memorial Day is part of a celebration of America, my family loves to kick off the food buffet with fresh fruits and nuts that are grown in America. Each year there are always freshly cut watermelon, strawberries, and melons and so on. On the Japanese side of the menu we are planning on making "Sweet Soybeans" which are a traditional side dish/appetizer in Japan.

Sweet Soybean Recipe:
2 cups dry soybeans
2 cups sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
*Soak the soybeans in a large sealable container overnight to soften. Next day, bring the soybeans and soaking water to a boil. Skim the top of the pot as needed. Simmer for at least one hour or until soybeans are soft enough to place a fork through easily. Stir in the sugar and simmer for another 30 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the soy sauce. Cool completely and place in a resealable container for up to two weeks. They can be eaten cold or warm on Memorial Day.

2. Main Menu Items: Since my family is quite large, and everyone makes at least one menu item my husband and I tend not to go overboard on our cooking. This year we are planning "Japanese Ginger Pork Wraps" and "Seasoned Spinach".

Japanese Ginger Pork Wraps: (Good for 2 people; multiply to appropriate amount for your family)
6oz Thinly Sliced Pork (about 2 port chops)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Dash of freshly ground pepper
Olive Oil Spray
Large lettuce leafs to use as wraps
*Place all the ingredients, minus the spray olive oil in a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour (in our case until we get back from the cemetery). Take out the pork slices and place on the fired-up grill. The slices only take less than five minutes in total to grill. Place grilled meat on a paper towel lined plate and serve alongside lettuce. To eat: place a few slices of pork into a lettuce wrap and eat. This can be eaten warm or cold - equally delicious!

Seasoned Spinach:(Good for 2 people; multiply to appropriate amount for your family)
6oz spinach
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds, ground to almost a powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
*Blanch the spinach in a bowl on top the stove. Drain spinach well and squeeze until most of the moisture is taken out. Mix the other ingredients together with the spinach in a medium size bowl. This has a slightly sweet flavor so even children will love it!