With all our kids having a day off from school as well as being a bit antsy from being inside so much due to the typhoon, it was a great day for a barbeque. Barbeque means a something quiet different in Japan than it does in the US. It is more like "cooking communally in the park" versus grilling.
We started our barbeque with some ramen for the kids. Each mom brought a small package of chopped vegetables that was added to broth and simmered before adding fresh noodles.
Once the kids had some food in their bellies, we got busy making a smoker. This has become one of my favorite barbeque in the park activities. A wide variety of items were put inside the cardboard box before the smoldering block was put inside. Eggs, scallops, small fish, processed cheese, pickled daikon, chicken, and more were on the menu. The box was wrapped tight with tape and left on a table to smoke for over an hour.
In the meantime, we grilled sanma (mackerel pike), clams, and rice balls over charcoal. We didn't add salt or marinade or anything to the sanma or clams. This fish is delicious on it's own and the clams provide all their own juice. The rice balls had a small amount of soy sauce brushed on them.
After eating our fill, I pulled out an activity. I have tons of leftover felt from making my son's Halloween costume. I brought some of it to the park, along with lots of stickers, and the kids made superhero masks. They had so much fun creating and then playing in their new fantasy. We don't typically do crafts at the park, but it was a huge hit.
The day after typhoon, we needed this happy day at the park. The weather was beautiful and the food was delicious. It was a good day.
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