It's Official: I am a Kitchen Queen Oyomesan.
Yesterday I made kimpira for the first time (it's burdock and carrot with sesame seeds, and a very common food). It was a big success! I also made ozoni (a soup of raddish, carrot and melted rice cake) - AGAIN - a big success!
He looked amazed. I looked smug. Okaasan looked happy and had more soup and finished up the kimpira.
I got out my two Japanese cooking books that long ago someone gave me as a present, but I've never used. And I cut vegetables very carefully. All that was missing was the cute, flowery apron.
Now I have to get on the Internet and find some recipes for yuri - I think it's the corn of a lotus. We've discovered that okaasan has bought 3 of them. All we know about using them is in savory custard, but I don't think I can cook that in our kitchen because we don't have the right little pots and a big enough pot to steam for 3 people at the same time.I don't think I can do the stressful thing of having okaasan in my kitchen cooking again...it would take hours.
We had a quiet, winter holiday kind of a day. Okaasan came in for lunch and dinner, and we ate both meals with her. He supervised a bathtime. He and I watched two horror movies on DVD. At dinner Okaasan was very chatty and happy - telling us about how she'd been twice to Israel etc, and watched an aquaintance run the Honolulu Marathon. She has travelled so much - when we get deep into life with her we tend to forget that this woman has led a full and rich life with many experiences. It makes the memory confusions now so much sadder.
My mind is also playing games with me. Last night I dreamt of cooking Japanese food - I made soup and put soy beans in it, and they got bigger and bigger and almost burst out of the bowl!
Anyway. Today I am out to lunch with an old student. Tomorrow - he has to go back to hospital for his leg check. I have to go to work and the dentist. This winter holiday life of lots of relaxed time is coming to an end. How will we cope in regular routine life?
No comments:
Post a Comment