Sharing American Fare

I had a hankering for biscuits and gravy.  It is something that I enjoy as a special treat from time to time.  I love it.  Ever since enjoying a Japan-ified version at Eggs, a restaurant in Ikebukuro, I've been craving the real deal.

This dish is not something you can easily find in Japan.  I get a laugh every time I see biscuits and gravy listed as an "American food that no one appreciates except Americans."  In fact, gravy in general isn't common here.  You don't even see mashed potatoes with gravy.  This is a crying shame, if you ask me.  Luckily, it is very easy to make from scratch.

One of the key ingredients in biscuits and gravy is sausage.  Unfortunately, breakfast sausage isn't a thing here.  I've never seen it in the store, not even in import shops.  So, when we visited the states last May, I brought back a jar of sausage seasoning (yay for Penzey's!).  Problem solved.

The other difficult ingredient to find here is buttermilk.  But that is super easy to remedy by adding a small amount of lemon juice to milk (1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of milk).  Leave it on the counter for a couple minutes and you have sour milk, which is a great substitute.

On Sunday, my son and I whipped up a batch.  And it was, in fact, divine.  As I took my first bite, I found myself closing my eyes and relishing the fabulous flavors for a minute or two.  I was so excited that I texted a friend who studied in the US many years ago to boast about my breakfast.  She quickly replied that she missed eating biscuits and gravy, but had never learned to make it.

Well, I could easily remedy that gap in knowledge.  I invited her over to teach her how to make the gluttonous breakfast.

While our boys were at school, she came over ready to learn.  We whipped them up in no time flat.  It only takes 30 minutes from start to finish.  We then sat down to a scrumptious lunch.  I felt so spoiled having it twice in one week!

She was surprised with just how easy it was to make it.  I even sent her home with some of the sausage seasoning (I'm not going to use a whole jar before it goes stale, so I might as well share).

I even converted the recipe for her into Japanese measurements!

As I was teaching her, I felt so wonderful.  My stepmom (who taught me how to cook) was a wonderful teacher for me.  And I use her lessons daily!  Although I get to teach my son on a regular basis, it was nice to share my knowledge with someone else.  I am often in a kitchen by myself these days.  I, honestly, prefer sharing the space and working together to create meals.

So, in a way, I was able to satiate multiple forms of appetites today - a culinary craving, a teachable moment, and a shared kitchen.  Such a joyous day.