Once a Year ― 2010/11/20
Sitting(sleeping, to be more precise) in my kitchen cupboard are plates that appear on our dinning table only once a year.
This 33cm-wide plate is designed to serve Pacific saury, an autumn fish famous for its fatty flesh and long torso (body?).
To be honest, I slightly regret having bought this plate.
When I found this, I thought I would use this plate not only
for serving fish, but also as a snack plate by lining up sushi, or some
nibbles. But after a while I realised I was not Harumi Kurihara: I don’t do
such showy sophisticated presentation of food unless I have special
guests— once in a blue moon. In other words, I am a work-shy housewife.
And, I completely forgot Pacific saury was not very popular in Fukuoka, they are caught mainly in colder seas, probably Kanto region and northward.
As a result, I have to encourage myself to buy Pacific saury in order to use this plate so that I don’t have to blame myself for wasting money.
Note on Pacific saury: Unlike other fishes, you don’t always have to gut them before cooking. In fact, their guts are highly valued among fish connoisseurs. I just haven’t developed my taste buds to that extent, which is why the belly of the fish in the picture was emptied.
Smoking Healthily? ― 2010/11/22
JPY288 at a local chemist
This is sold as an OTC cough medicine, but I guess many people use this as a substitute for ‘real’ cigarettes because of the lower price. The real ones cost more than JPY400 now (nearly 150% hike whereas our consumer prices have been going down for that past 18 months).
I determined not to give in the hike, or the stop-smoking craze, but the cost for nicotine directly hit my wallet. I must cut back the spending for cigarettes for the sake of second-hand books and canned coffee. Electric tobacco, which is claimed to be useful to smoke less, may be an option. But it would make me look even more air-headed, manipulated by a fad, if I smoked it outside my home.
Then, I came across this product, cheaper and look not as ridiculous as electric varieties, still containing some nicotine and tar.
In fact, the label instructs not to use this if you are a non-smoker or underage.
And, it warns that you can’t use this for stop-smoking purpose. However, it has recommended dose and claims effects on cough and sputum (would you like to smoke when your are coughing, by the way?). Very ambiguous—is this product a poison, or a medicine?
Under the Motorway ― 2010/11/24
But, I haven't seen anyone relax here...the surface is too hard to sit on?
Park Keeper ― 2010/11/26
At the entrance to nearly every park, there are these gate-like structures.
They are set in order to keep out those who are not allowed to enter the park. You have to walk along meandering path created by these structures
which block your way to the park if you are on motorbike, with a big dog, or in a wheal chair.
They prevent me to get in the park, too. It’s not just once I and my bike got caught in this obstructer, though bicycles are allowed in.
Do I have a twisted mind to think that even parks refuse me because I haven’t paid enough tax? The City Hall doesn’t seem to count cigarette tax I pay to them (around JPY6/ a cigarette).
Mukago ― 2010/11/27
They are not caterpillars in hibernation.
They are lateral buds of yam appearing in late autumn.
I wouldn’t say they are particularly delicious, or rather, they taste quite bland.
They are the food that gives a sense of season.
I feel as if I had a keen sense of seasonal food when I have
them boiled in salty water, or cooked with rice.
Gyoza Roll ― 2010/11/28
The temperature became as low as 4 Celsius.
It’s oden time!
From radish and boiled eggs to beef sinew, nearly everything that endure long cooking (longer than three hours in my household) can get in your oden pot. But, if you ask me whether there are any local oden ingredients in Fukuoka, I would mention ‘gyoza roll’ first of all.
The gyoza roll is basically minced meat wrapped with a layer of thin flour skin (this is basically what the gyoza is) and ground white fish, which is then deep-fried.
Interestingly, it is said that the gyoza roll is available only in northern parts of Kyushu Island (including Fukuoka), limited areas of Tokyo, and some parts of north-eastern Japan (very remote from each other). I don’t know why.
Unlike other oden ingredients, most of which become more delicious the day after they are cooked, gyoza rolls will lose their shape if you cook them too long. I personally think 10 minutes is long enough.
Today's Cat ― 2010/11/30
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