Mother's Day Sushi

       On Mother's Day we had planned to take Oba-chan to a sushi restaurant.  Unfortunately, she attended a memorial service and had eaten far too much during lunch, which caused her to opt out of the dinner.  Nonetheless, Ryoko was able to go and we all had a good time.  Luckily, on my way home from work I had picked up carnations for Oba-chan and Ryoko; so we could still show both of them our appreciation for all that they do.
       The restaurant was of a type that I have never seen in the United States.  I hear that there are a few to be found in California, but I have never seen them myself.  The restaurant does not have any wait staff, only cooks, hosts, and bussers (cleaners).  The sushi is put on plates that are then put on a track which winds past each table, given diners the opportunity to take and eat it.  A recent innovation are the covers that pop up when you lift the plate, giving the food a bit more protection.  I think that this style of presentation requires a fastidious population, one that is very clean; and I would not trust my fellow Americans to not sneeze on the food.

                     Check out the video!

       I could tell that the wasabi was real because it did not have that neon green look that American wasabi has.  I think that in the States, wasabi is just normal horseradish and green food coloring.  The sushi is not the best, Ryoko calls it the MacDonalds of sushi.  Irregardless, I ate a lot of shrimp sashimi with as much wasabi as I could stand (which is not much).  They also had Tempura and hamburger sushi, just in case you don't like fish.  The next photo is of the place setting where I ate my dinner.  You can see the wasabi, soy sauce dispensers, and the chute where you slide your plate when you are done with it.  You are charged 100 yen for each plate, and when you reach 5 plates you get a chance to win a prize.  We gave all of our plates to Yuta and during the dinner he won 2 prizes, you can see a yellow one on the right border of the picture below.

Is This Still Coffee?

       I think that true love shows best when you are stressed and separated from the object of your affection.  There is significant truth to the adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"; and I have found that this is true not only of people, but foods as well.  Because of this tendency I have grown increasingly enamored of BACON and to a lesser extent cheese and coffee while here in Japan.  I have already explained my BACON and cheese dilemma, and will not bore you with rehashing the tales, but coffee has so far been unremarked upon.  This is a story of just how far I will stoop to get my caffeine fix. . .
       I love coffee.  I know others that love it more than I do, but that does not diminish the intensity with which I miss a good old American brew.  Ever since I was a waiter at the Orange Plaza Diner I have loved a good cup of Joe.  I actually enjoyed free coffee there and I asked one of the cooks to pick a day and count how many cups I drank.  When I found out that I had consumed 9 cups, it actually scared me a little and caused me to cut back.  But the steeped bean had already become deeply embedded in my psyche, and I actually found myself feeling withdrawal during that time.  Recent studies have found that coffee protects the retina of diabetics, and so may have prevented me from going blind; but there is still the "too much of a good thing" side of the issue.  I have since found that 2 cups a day are sufficient and on the days where I have no coffee, I do not feel badly.  I take this to mean that I have found a good compromise with my craving.
       When I first started coming to Japan, I discovered that coffee can be found here, just not the variety that I am accustomed to.  Green tea rules the land and coffee is roughly Vice Presidential in its powers.  Not Cheney level, but more Quayle like in its influence.  I have had occasion to get coffee from Starbucks and I thought it was decent if not stellar in quality.  When I started at Berlitz, I found that a tall cup from Starbucks was a great way to start my morning and they even had an American Blend!  I bought this "coffee" until one day I observed how they made it.  I had assumed that it was brewed; but no, they start with a squirt of syrup and then add hot water!  This is a blasphemous, and most terrible abomination!!  I then decided that I would only order from the menu propped up next to the register, hoping that this coffee would always be freshly brewed.  I have not yet forgiven them though. . .
       At home in Japan I have tried over cup strainers, french presses, and even instant coffees.  The cup strainers were too weak, as is the french press; and both are a pain to clean.  I am therefore left with instant coffee to slake my cravings.  I know what you are thinking "how can a real coffee drinker stoop to such a level as to accept instant?".  Well, the technology surrounding instant coffee must have improved over the years.  I remember my first taste of it years ago as being very nasty.  This stuff is actually pretty good, and I love coffee enough that I am willing to overlook its flaws in Japan.
     The other day I was shopping and thinking about how the existence of a new element had been
confirmed.  The new element has an atomic mass of 117 and I found this product on the shelf and just had to buy it.  My first thought was "Taste number 117! What a coincidence, I bet it tastes pretty good too after 116 previous experimental tastes!"  It then dawned on me that I was looking forward to drinking this instant coffee and I experienced a little cognitive dissonance.  Am I still a coffee lover?  Is this really coffee?  What would Sir Isaac Newton think?  Did he know coffee?  The dude did a lot of science, just think of what he could have accomplished with a nice arabica helping him out!
       While I miss many aspects of my life in America, I have to confess that friends and family are most definitely missed the most.  If you agree and want to show it, please follow this blog or drop a comment in the section below reserved for just that purpose.

Takenoko!

       Today, Ryoko, her cousin Sachiko-san, and I went to the bamboo forest to the East of the farm and harvested bamboo shoots or "Takenoko".  Ryoko demonstrated the procedure using a special spade called a "Daruma Kuwa".  Essentially you dig down about a foot and then chop the takenoko off at the root.  This is then taken and the core is cooked and eaten.  I noticed that the fresh cut bamboo smelled exactly like corn when you are husking an ear; which makes sense considering both bamboo and corn are monocotyledons.  As I was working on the fourth shoot, the spade's head came off, I had to replace it and the wedge that holds it to the beechwood handle.  It was hard work, but fun and interesting as well.  Here are some images for you to enjoy. . .

Forest with Bamboo Trees

Daruma Kuwa

Takenoko