Fuki is a rhubarb-like wild plant in Japan, with big leaves and a thick stem.
Some people go out in spring fuki gathering, and bring it home to cook.
The other day I saw an old man out behind our house under the subway line collecting fuki and by way of something to chat about on Sunday lunchtime, I mentioned this to Okaasan and we chatted a bit about edible plants.
Wednesday she came back clutching a large bunch of the stuff from the supermarket.
Talk about a food...and there's a big chance that Okaasan will have the topic in her mind the next time she is in a shop, and decide to buy it.
So, yesterday Yujiro was home all day and he encouraged Okaasan to DO something with the fuki. I spent my day asking students how to prepare and cook it in case Okaasan lost interest in her purchase and WE ended up having to do something with it.
But Okaasan seems to have managed to start at least. The cut fuki stems are soaking in vinegar and water in the kitchen at the moment....Okaasan went and peered into the pan a few times last night and asked: "did I add vinegar?" several times.
It's good - we hope she will do things in the kitchen more, as long as she doesn't waste too much food or burn the house down. Once upon a time Okaasan was an excellent cook and it must be good for her to do some kind of activity in the kitchen. And who knows - we may even get some food out of her efforts!
But there are limits....just now as I was making tea in the kitchen I glanced into Okaasan's room at the TV weather news.
On the carpet, between the TV and the table...I can see a newspaper wrapped package of something. It looks suspiciously like MORE fuki!!!
How do you get a topic OUT of Okaasan's mind once it is there????!!!
* Okaasan and Yujiro didn't go to the hospital on Wednesday for free health checks. We had the kittens, my knee injection and hours of trash TV recordings to watch...so decided to leave it to another week.
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