I can see clearly now

When I want dessert, it isn't always a craving for something heavy and rich or even chocolaty.  Light, simple desserts can be found easily in Japan.  One of the classics is a simple plain gelatin made from seaweed that is served with a sweet syrup. 

This dessert is called agar.  I've had it several times before, and I love it.  It can be dressed up or left alone.  It doesn't matter to me.  Sometimes canned fruit or sweetened red bean paste (a ball of it on the side) or even soft serve is added, sometimes only a simple sweet syrup is drizzled on it.  A person could eat it plain, but then it isn't really dessert, is it?

Instead of purchasing agar, we decided to make it from scratch.  When we went to Shikinejima, we bought some of the red algae required to make agar.  The seaweed came in a big, dry clump in a plastic bag.  Making it was really quite simple.

We washed it thoroughly and prepared 2 liters of boiling water on the stove.

Once it was boiling, we added 1 tsp of vinegar along with the seaweed.  The vinegar helps the seaweed to break down and release the gelatin.  We let it simmer for 30 minutes. 

The liquid needed to be strained through paper towels to ensure none of the little seaweed bits went into the gelatin.  The instructions said to squeeze the seaweed, but it was too hot at first and once the liquid cooled it quickly jells.  So, we just did the best we could with a spatula.

We poured the liquid into a square pan and let it sit until it was firm.  One nice thing about agar is that it doesn't require refrigeration.  It jells at room temperature.  Of course, if you want it to jell quicker a cool fridge always helps.

We made the agar around 4:30 and ate it after dinner at 7:00 with the help of the fridge.  I'm sure it would have been fine regardless.  But when you have an impending bedtime for a 5 year old, you don't mess around with "maybe it will be fine." 

To serve it, we chose eat it with just a drizzle of kuromitsu on top.  Kuromitsu is a sugar syrup that is very popular in Japan.  The name literally means "black honey." It is similar to molasses or maple syrup, but thinner and milder.  It adds a gentle sweetness to the otherwise very plain agar.

Making agar from scratch was fun.  It was almost like a science experiment for our son (which if you really think about it, all cooking is science).  Taking something from the sea and transforming it into something so vastly different was entertaining for all of us.  

At one point my husband chuckled to himself that sometimes our family is more Japanese than most Japanese families.  Agar can be purchased in powder form and quickly blended together in less than a minute before cooling.  I would guess that even though most families have made agar in their home, the majority of them have never made it from the seaweed. 

No matter how it is made, it is a lovely light dessert that is very popular in Japan. 

A good book

To say that I love children's book and reading with my son would be to put it mildly.  We read together a lot.  When we moved, I knew we were not going get rid of his library that we had built over the years.  It was the one thing that I didn't make my son go through and get rid of anything (except a couple baby books that we gave to friends).  I knew from experience that English books in Japan can be very expensive, so we brought them all.

Children's books aren't just my thing.  My son loves to have people read to him.  Sometimes, I catch him "reading" to himself and it sets my heart a flutter.

Before our son was born, we knew we would raise him to be bilingual.  It was and is very important to us that he can speak, read, write, and function in both English and Japanese.  One of the things we have done to support this priority is to spend time reading to him in both languages.  In fact, my husband and I have even purchased several of the same books over the years.  One copy in English and a second copy in Japanese.  Rarely do we find books that are in both languages.

We recently stumbled across a children's book author that self publishes beautiful books in both Japanese and English.  Dabiz (David) Molinero and Junko Matsuoka have created several books with text in both languages.  The artwork is bright, vibrant, and full of fun details.  Dabiz, the artist, is originally from Spain, but now lives in Osaka with his wife Junko, the author, is originally from Japan.

We met Dabiz at the Lohas Festa and bought two of his books, "Sunflower Seeds" and "Secret Island".  He not only inscribed the books for our son, he also created beautiful artwork inside the cover.

Dabiz was a pleasure to meet and chat with.  But even more so, we have enjoyed the stories of Galli, Pepe, and Makina.  My son can bring them to either myself or my husband to read to him.  He loves to find the little grasshopper, Pinpin, on every page. 

I wish more books came in two languages.  It can be so interesting for the kids to see the side by side text, hearing the same information but in two forms.  I also love hearing my husband read the stories that I know so well in Japanese, because the other language has different intonation and emphasis than English.  Our son really gets to hear the subtle differences between the two.  It is so great for his language development.

Japanese tapas

I like to go out for dinner on Friday nights.  It is the end of the week.  I am tired.  I don't have to worry about making bentos for the next day.  It just all adds up to a good reason to have someone else cook and clean up.

After a lovely day including Japanese class for me, school for my son, baking zucchini muffins for friends (which they loved), and playing at the park (it was actually a beautiful day); I wanted to take it easy and dine out. 

There are several restaurants near our local train station.  Since we didn't want to be out too late (son's bedtime), we decided to go to the izakaya.  An izakaya is a restaurant with only small dishes of food, similar to tapas.  I love going to these places with friends because you get little bites of so many different types of food.

I also like that many of these restaurants in Japan have enclosed booths.  The little rooms allow for privacy and a more relaxed atmosphere.

Tonight, my husband ordered for us, which is pretty normal for us these days.  He picked several dishes he thought we would enjoy. 

We started with a salad called "colorful tofu salad."  It was a green salad with tofu, tomatoes, peppers, thinly shredded yuba (tofu skin) that was dyed various colors, and topped with sesame dressing.  It was big enough to share between the three of us.

Then came our egg dishes.  My husband knows how much our son loves tamagoyaki - a rolled omelet.  It is served with grated daikon radish.  He also ordered one of my favorites - marinated quail eggs.  The eggs are hard boiled and then soaked for days in a savory broth.

The stuffed eggplant was a very surprising treat.  It was almost like gratin inside an eggplant!  It was creamy, cheesy, and filled with goodness.  It was rather rich, so it was another great dish to share.  Just a couple bites was all we needed.

We ended our meal with a small nabe - soup that is cooked at the table.  The chanko nabe had pieces of chicken, chicken meatballs, and some vegetables.  The light flavorful broth was a much desired contrast to the heavy eggplant. 

Going to an izakaya is a great option for people who aren't sure what they want.  There is typically also a lot of fried food options, we just didn't want that tonight. 

Here comes the rain

Between seasons, there always seems to be a period of rain.  We are currently immersed in the short rainy period.  I am so, so happy to be done with the humidity and heat.  As the weather transitioned from heat to wet, we had a lot of thunderstorms.  It was a rough transition. 

For the last two weeks, I have walked my son to school in the rain pretty much every day.  He doesn't mind since he loves to jump in puddles and doesn't care if he gets wet.  We walk through a park on the way to school each day.  There is a little rice patty that one of the elementary schools use to show the students the lifecycle of rice.  It was cut and hung to dry last week, just like we did in Roppongi Hills.  Since it has been raining every day, the rice has not been able to dry.  So, the students have covered the rice in plastic to keep it out of the rain. 

With all the rain, mushrooms are making an appearance everywhere.  Matsutake, a prized mushroom in Japan, has begun to be sold in stores.  People go crazy for this complex and flavorful mushroom.  Their flavor profile is usually described as spicy, intense, and sometimes compared to cinnamon. Luckily a little goes a long way, because this mushroom is expensive.  We saw a giftset of 4 mushrooms and 4 sudachi (a small citrus) on sale for ¥30,000 ($265). 

Matsutake are sometimes given as gifts to very important business clients or perhaps really special friends.  I have been told they symbolize fertility and happiness. 

I am looking forward to autumn actually arriving.  The colors of the trees are truly breathtaking here and the weather tends to be pretty mild - sunny, yet cool.  We just have to get through the soggy part first.

Learning to cook

Cooking is a happy pastime for me.  I often take classes to learn new things in the kitchen.  So, when I was invited to join a co-op cooking class (promoting the ingredients you can purchase through the co-op), I decided to join.  My friend asked me repeatedly "it's in Japanese, is that ok?" 

Shortly after marrying my husband, we made dinner with his mom.  She did not speak English and always talked to me like I knew what she was saying.  She did this in the kitchen, as well.  My husband, busy with his own task, was not translating.  But he quickly noticed that I was doing everything she asked me to do.  With a surprised look on his face, he said "how do you know what she is saying?  You are doing everything she is asking!"  I calmly replied "because I am a woman."  It was my way of saying I know my way around a kitchen and she wasn't asking me to do anything out of the ordinary.  There is cabbage that needs to be cut.  When she told me to cut the cabbage, she pointed to it.  I can easily figure out that was what she wanted me to do.

Attending a cooking class, for me, does not intimidate me.  The class was going to make a cake and some muffins.  I wasn't worried about being a burden or not understanding what was going on.

I rode my bike to the class that was held at a community center.  It was a fairly old building and the teaching kitchen was in the basement.  I entered the room to find about 20 students getting ready for the class.  Everyone brought their own aprons and head scarfs to wear while cooking.  After paying (just ¥100/$1!!!) and washing my hands, I sat down at the front of the class where the instructor went over the recipes we were going to make. 

She made some tofu panna cotta that was then poured into individual containers and put into the fridge to chill.  Next, she showed us how to make a flourless chocolate ganache cake.  It was also made with tofu.  After her demonstration, we broke up into smaller groups at the kitchen islands and made the cake.  I have baked many cakes in my day and this one followed the natural order of cake baking.  Everyone pitched in to do different jobs to prepare the cake.  Once they were in the ovens, and the dishes were washed, we headed back to the front of the class for another walk through.

This time, we were making banana muffins.  The recipe was very similar to recipes I have made at home time and time again.  I didn't think it was anything special until one of my friends mentioned that she had never made muffins before, so she was really excited to make them.  Muffins are practically a staple for me.  It is such a great thing to make with kids because they are pretty forgiving and it is easy to add fruit and vegetables inside without much hassle.  But then I realized since she doesn't own an oven, how would she have made them?  They were a new and exciting thing for her to make.  As we made the muffins, she asked if I had made them before.  When I said I had as well as many other kinds, she wanted to know more.  Soon we were discussing all the different kinds of muffins I used to make on a regular basis.  When I brought up zucchini muffins, everyone was very interested.  They had never heard of such a thing. 

We finished getting our muffins into the mini tins and into the oven despite all our chatting.  After cleaning the kitchens once again, we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labor.  Everything turned out so nicely.  In true Japanese style, nothing was extremely sweet.  It was all well balanced, slightly sweet, but very flavorful. 

I am so glad I didn't let a potential language barrier hold me back from enjoying this fun class.  It was a nice time hanging out with other moms, doing something we all enjoy.  I was even able to bring some treats home for my boys - which they enjoyed as much as I did.

Now I have a mission to make some muffins for my friends.  Especially zucchini muffins!

Rabbit in the moon

In Japanese folklore, the old man in the moon came down to earth.  He wanted to find the kindest animal within a group of animal friends.  He asked for food from the three animals.  Two found him food, but when the rabbit came up empty handed he offered himself as food.  The man found it to be the most kind, so he took the rabbit back to the moon with him.  They say if you look in the moon, you can see the rabbit there, shining brightly.

Rabbit pounding mochi on the moon.

Photo courtesy of jadeturtlerecords.blogspot.com

Every September or October, Japanese people celebrate Tsukimi to remember the story of the rabbit in the moon.  They watch the moon (if the sky is clear) and eat a special dango - sweet red bean paste wrapped with mochi.  The dango is arranged in a tower. 

We celebrated it last year by going up to the top of Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills.  This year, we celebrated the "right way" with the special dango.  The dango we purchased included one yellow one that we placed on top of the tower.  My son was so happy because the yellow dango did not have red bean paste in it.  We also decorated our house with susuki, frons of Japanese pampas grass or silver grass. It is believed that the grass will protect the house from evil.

People also enjoy chestnuts, pumpkin, soba and udon. We ate chicken soup, because I have a couple of people with colds in my house.  So, we ate our soup and then enjoyed dango, despite the rainy night. 

Since my son has been learning about the traditional folklore at school, he was extra excited to enjoy the holiday.  Even though life can be hard living here, when I see my son getting really excited about Japanese traditions, it make it all worth it.  He is learning so much and I think that is truly wonderful.

Fish for dinner

I love the basement of Japanese department stores.  They are a food paradise for the very rich.  Everything is beautiful and elegant and delectable for both the eyes and mouth.  Even Kit Kat displays are top of the line in department stores.  Any chance I get to peruse these food displays I do!

Seibu, one of the major department stores all across Japan, is always filled with delightful things to check out.  So, when we have time and are near one (the department store in Hikarigaoka isn't very fancy), I always ask to go in.  I'm like a kid in a candy store - looking wide-eyed at everything and wishing calories didn't add up so quickly.

In my most recent exploration of Seibu, there was a tuna in the fish department.  Not just pieces of tuna for sale, but an entire fish.  Tuna is a huge fish and are always eye catching.  My son stopped in his tracks to see the big fish.  People were beginning to gather and there was a buzz in the air.  We were told they were going to butcher the fish shortly.  We quickly decided to hang around to see the demonstration.

An employee approached my husband and asked what he thought the fish weighed.  He guessed 53.4 kilograms.  Since I'm still trying to figure out pounds versus kilograms, I guessed 59.6 kilograms.  As soon as they announced the weight, my husband smirked.  He was right.  Only off by .1 kilogram.  Everyone politely clapped as he was notified he won one of the tuna collars and some Asian pears. 

The butcher then began to cut the tuna.  He started with removing the tail and fins.  Then he removed the head.  With every cut, my son turned around and reported what was going on.  He was especially enthralled with the head and the diameter of the body.  It is not every day one sees a whole tuna and he wanted to take it all in.

Once the sides were removed, he asked if he could take a photo. 

With the removal of various parts, the staff would play jan ken pon (rock paper scissors) to raffle off the other half of the collar, the scrapings around the bones, and the eye balls (which my husband says is used to make a gelatinous broth). 

The side pieces were handed to another employee, who then cut it into smaller pieces.  People quickly started purchasing the freshly cut tuna.  We joined them and bought a lovely chunk to eat raw for dinner.

It was chaotic and fun.  We eat a lot of fish and it was great to be able to see how a fish is processed.  It is definitely something you don't usually see in the grocery store in the US. 

Blanket of red coming to life

A single flower is very beautiful.  It is delicate and interesting.  Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, specializes in taking single flowers and displaying them in striking simplicity.  But where we went today was not about the beauty of a single flower.  We went to see a blanket of red blooms come to life.

In the 1970's the town of Hidaka acquired an area called Kinchakuda.  The Koma River winds around this area in almost a purse like shape.  In order to make the area next to the river into a park, people cleared the ground of bushes, bamboo, and weeds.  In the place of these plants red spider lilies began to bloom in huge numbers.  It is believed that the lily bulbs came to the area in a flood and took root.  Since the bulbs split and produce more and more flowers over the years, it has continued to grow in numbers every year.  It is estimated that the area now has over 5 million red spider lilies in bloom around the fall equinox.

This morning we were out the door and headed to the train station before 8 am.  Our journey to Hidaka would take an hour and a half, so we wanted to get an early start.  After a bit of train hopping, we made it to Koma Station, along with hundreds and hundreds of other people.  I couldn't believe the sea of people walking together for the sole purpose of seeing the beautiful flowers.  It was as if the destination was calling to people to come and see the flowers.

Upon arrival, we were in awe of all the red flowers.  Just like the sunflowers we saw in August, we couldn't get over the sea of flowers.  The blooms wove around the trees, filling large spaces, in and out of the shade.  The park was lovely.  With the flowers on the upper bank and the river down below, I found it to be very relaxing.  Despite all the other people that were also viewing the flowers, it was a calm atmosphere. 

One thing that struck me was the lack of scent.  I am used to lilies that smell very strongly, but red spider lilies do not have a strong scent.

For the Japanese, red spider lilies symbolize loss, longing, abandonment, and lost memories.  They are also a flower that represents the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  A flower with such powerful meanings, they are often used in funerals.  While most westerners would probably be saddened by a flower with such sad meanings, the Japanese are drawn to it.  Death is a part of life and there is beauty at every stage. 

So as we say goodbye to the summer, we celebrate the end with viewing striking red flowers blanketing the dark of shadows and light of the day.

Grow it up, chop it down

It still boggles my mind that we moved to Japan over a year ago!  Although it has felt like eternity, it has also flown by.  At this time, we are started to think about various activities we have done this past year.  Do we repeat favorite activities, or do we seek out new adventures.  It is always a question.  I firmly believe that if you are bored in Tokyo it is your own fault.  There is ALWAYS something to do.

Today was the first time we attended the same annual event.  Throughout this past year, we have participated in the various aspects of growing rice on top of a building in Roppongi Hills.  We helped to plant, harvest, and make mochi with grown on the rooftop.  When my husband asked if we wanted to go to the harvest again, we debated the pros and cons of the event.  Since the only con was that we had already done it once, we decided to go again.  Our son really enjoyed tying the rice and thrashing it.  He didn't get to cut any last year due to the rain from the previous night.  What finally ended the debate was the knowledge that we would be harvesting the rice we helped to plant in the spring.  I love it when things come full circle.

Unfortunately, it rained today.  I thought they would cancel the entire event.  Instead they handed out ponchos to attendees and proceeded as planned. 

My son spend a lot of time catching and playing with frogs from the rice field.  He loves nature and playing with little creatures is part of that adoration. 

Although it was raining off and on, the coordinators allowed the kids to cut a small amount of rice from the bank of the rice field.  He patiently waited his turn to use the knife to hack at the long grass.  Once through, a little victorious "ah, ha!" escaped from his lips.  Then he proudly showed us the fruits of his labor.  He proceeded to repeat the same actions as last year - bundling the rice, hanging it to dry, and thrashing previously dried rice.

Even though we have enjoyed being in this garden several time, I had never noticed what type of tree was growing in the center of the garden.  It turns out there is a large persimmon tree there.  Persimmons, or kaki (ka-key), are a very popular fruit in Japan.  It is a symbol of fall.  Kaki are eaten when firm and dark orange in color.  These were not ready to eat, but still beautiful to look at. 

Each time we participate in one of these rice events, I think about how important rice is to Japanese culture.  My husband would happily eat rice three times a day and never tire of it.  I don't have that kind of dedication to any food.  There is a lot of food I would love to eat regularly (cheese, bread, pickles to name a few), but I wouldn't want them every day for the rest of my life!  I like diversity in my diet.  For carbohydrates, our family rotates between rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread.  When we were in the states, we ate a lot of ancient grains as well like quinoa, farro, and amaranth.  But those are very hard to find here.  It is rice, rice, rice all the time.

We didn't mind repeating a favorite activity from last year.  We added to the experience with additional activities and opened our eyes a bit further to see additional beauty in our surroundings.  And, most importantly, my son had a great time with both the frogs and the rice.