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Amasake is a traditional Japanese product made by fermenting sweet brown rice into a thick liquid. It is a creamy, quickly digested beverage used by athletes after a workout or as a sweetener in cooking or baking. For a healthy dessert, prepare amasake pudding (see recipe below) or heat up amasake diluted with water and serve as a warm after dinner drink. Amasake is mildly sweet and is considered a healing food for people with hypoglycemia.

Amasake Pudding

2 cups organic amasake
2-6 teaspoons organic kudzu (dissolved in cold water)
2-3 teaspoons spring or filtered water (for dissolving kudzu)
1 pinch of unrefined sea salt, SI brand recommended
Zest of one small organic lemon
Organic lemon sliced (for garnish)

Directions:
Dissolve the kudzu in the water. Place the amasake and diluted kudzu in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to avoid lumping. Reduce the flame to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes. (Be careful that the amasake does not stick and burn with a flame that is too high.) Add lemon zest. Remove pudding from heat and pour into individual serving dishes. Garnish with a slice of lemon. Allow to set before serving.
Variations:
Garnish with a few raisins or chopped, roasted nuts.
Omit the kudzu and serve the amasake as a warm drink with or without the lemon.

Here at Casa we are expanding the variety of beverage options in the restaurant. One addition that we are now offering is Sweet Vegetable Drink which we are selling for $3 a jar. Sweet Vegetable Drink is a healing beverage that was developed to help offset the effects of chicken, eggs, and cheese consumption, leading to hypoglycemia (chronic low blood sugar), a condition that affects about 75 - 80% of everyone in modern society.

Sweet Vegetable Drink is good for softening tightness caused by heavy animal food consumption and for relaxing the body and muscles. It is especially beneficial for softening the pancreas and helping to stabilize blood sugar levels. A small cup may be taken daily or every other day, especially in the mid to late afternoon. It will satisfy the desire for a sweet taste and help reduce cravings for simple sugars and other stronger sweets.

1/2 cup finely chopped organic onions
1/2 cup finely chopped organic carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped organic cabbage
1/2 cup finely chopped organic sweet winter squash
4 - 8 cups spring or filtered water

Directions
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil, add chopped vegetables, and allow to boil, uncovered, for 2 - 3 minutes. Reduce flame to low, cover, and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. (No seasoning is used in this recipe.)

Strain the vegetables from the broth and discard the vegetables. Drink the broth, either hot or at room temperature. Sweet Vegetable Drink may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but it should be warmed again or allowed to return to room temperature before drinking.

Variations
* Substitute daikon and lotus root for carrots and squash.

Notes
Drink 1 cup midmorning, put the second in a thermos and drink it mid-afternoon or evening. For maximum results, it is best to drink this remedy for 30 consecutive days, then 4 times per week for an additional 30 consecutive days.