Monthly Archives: September 2012

cooking again

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When I moved here, I decided I was going to really commit to observing Sunday as a religious day of rest, per my religion. In New York, I wasn’t super, well, religious about this. But I know I’m a happier person when I actually make Sunday a break from the every day. Plus, I figured it would be good to have one day when I wasn’t eating out. And so, after the first week (I am realistic in my goals…I arrived on Saturday at 5 pm), I have been very committed to this. This meant I was actually going to have to cook again…at least if I was going to eat real food.

The first thing I did was figure out how to use my Japanese rice maker that has no English on it anywhere. And while we’re on the topic of rice, can we just all acknowledge that Japanese rice is better? I know most of you haven’t actually had rice in Japan, but I’m telling you, it’s amazing. So good, in fact, that I’ll be hauling a two-kilo bag home for my sister in November because she likes rice even more than I do. Moving on…

I figured out the rice and just started with something basic. I absolutely love to bake, but cooking is a whole different ball game. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it, but it’s more about speed than precision and I was made just the opposite. Even when I’m making savory things, everything I’m good at is something you put together and bake (swiss cheese chicken, leg of lamb, lasagna, Thanksgiving turkey…yes, my repertoire is weird) or something that requires people to cook their own food (fondue, raclette, paninis), so actual cooking without a recipe…not my strength.

Well, apparently, basic was a good place to start because it was delicious.  It might also help that I think the Japanese have much less tolerance for mediocrity (yeah, that’s right, I’m calling most Americans mediocre) when it comes to food. They are definitely quality over quantity.

So, this was a good start. But then, a couple of weeks ago, I was at my friend Holly’s house for dinner and she had made tonkatsu (this delicious breaded pork amazingness that I’d had one at a restaurant) using chicken instead of pork and it was so good. As good as the restaurant’s, in fact (you know, if the pork had been chicken…). And Holly also informed me, by showing it to me, that you can purchase tonkatsu sauce in the grocery store. It is available in the US, as well.  
Restaurant version

Well, that inspired me to branch out a little and try a fancier stir fry. It turned out quite nicely (I used squash instead of carrot and overcooked that slightly, but otherwise, it was delicious). That’s what I struggle with the most…getting all of the components of a meal hot, cooked, and ready at the same time. Baking is soooooo much easier.

And then I was at Holly’s again, to babysit while she and her husband went out on a date (maybe their first one sans baby since moving to Japan?), and she had made another delicious meal. This time it was gyudon, this super yummy beef on rice thing (bottom right) along with no-bake cookies (and they had a DDP for me, which is not an easy thing to find in this country, a cute baby, and Hulu Plus–if you want me to babysit for you, it doesn’t require much to make me happy).

Side note – I kind of love Mindy Kaling’s new show.
I know the gyudon may not be much to look at, but let me assure you it was unbelievable. I might have considered licking the frying pan. I didn’t, although I’m sure none of you would have been surprised if I had with only a baby to witness it. In any case, this convinced me to do two things. The first? To attempt making tonkatsu (it seemed easier than gyudon). The second? To buy a Japanese cook book. 

So, on Saturday while out and about with another friend, Erika, we found a bookstore and she, being Japanese, helped me find a really good cookbook. We went to a huge store in this lovely part of town, had dessert (it has a restaurant in it), and then wandered over to the cookbook section and found a few books in English. I’m super excited to try so many of the recipes. Unfortunately, the only recipe not in the book I chose was gyudon (it might have been in another book by the same woman and I might have taken pictures of the recipe…it makes me feel better to know I found almost the same one online when I got home that night).

And on Sunday, I made tonkatsu using pork. I didn’t follow the recipe in the book (here’s one from the Food Network if you want to try it). I just did what Holly did and it was incredible. Hot and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The only difference between this and the restaurant in terms of the cooking was that I pan fried, while traditionally it’s deep fried. My Japanese teacher, Sawaki-sensie, also informed me that it is typically served with cabbage. Next time. That said, it was still so delicious and how delectable does it look on a bed of oh-so-delicious sticky?

The best part about this goal to not go out to eat on Sundays (or shop, etc, etc) is that this cooking thing is now spilling over into my weekday life, too. Part of it is that some night’s I’m just so exhausted that the thought of having to use my brain enough to try and order food in Japanese is too much to handle. But the other part is that I’m not so overwhelmed by it anymore. Oh, and knowing that, if I leave my dishes in the sink all week (rinsed, of course), on Friday the cleaning lady will do them. Yeah, my life is pretty awesome. Now, don’t you wish you lived here so I could invite you over for dinner?

learning japanese

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Japanese lessons…

When I found out I was moving to Japan, I was a little nervous about the language. In fact, even when I found out moving to Japan was an option, I was nervous about the language. People like to tell you that it’s not necessary. They like to tell you that everyone in Tokyo speaks English. People lie!

Okay, not really. The truth is, you don’t have to speak Japanese, but not speaking it definitely limits you. Which, if you’re a tourist, is just fine. Big deal if you can’t try 25 new restaurants or figure out whether you’re buying shampoo or condition. And so what if you have to use a little creative sign-language over the course of the week or so you’re here.

Well, I am not here a week. And I’m not the type to be okay not understanding or being understood. Not only that, but I love languages and I love reading and the thought of not being able to have some clue of what the words all around me are saying on subways, on menus, on street signs, on billboards, etc, etc, was not a happy one. And so, even before I knew I was moving here, I started to look into learning Japanese. To say it was overwhelming would be a complete understatement!

So, here’s your 60 second lesson in Japanese. There are two syllabaries (like the roman alphabet, only much longer), hiragana and katakana. Together these are called kana. The two syllabaries cover the same exact syllables, only one is used for Japanese words (hiragana) and the other is used for foreign words (katakana): words like “cleaning”, only when written in katakana it’s “kuriningu”. It’s pretty fantastic.

And then there are the kanji: Chinese characters adopted by the Japanese. There are over 6,000 kanji characters. School children are expected to know 1,006 (the basics) by the sixth grade. End lesson.

Can you imagine? Yeah. Me neither. But I’m trying. Really hard.

Friday night flash cards and pizza…

I am proud to say that I have both syllabaries memorized now and I’ve begun the basic kanji. While I don’t know how many I’ll be able to memorize, even having some sort of sense of what they mean is proving extremely helpful. What’s more challenging, though, is that there isn’t just one pronunciation or use for each kanji. Depending on how one kanji is being used, it’s pronunciation will change. I know, pretty awesome, right? Especially when you’re trying to learn it as a 30-something and when there are really no words (at least not full Japanese words) that have a latin or germanic base.

It is challenging. So, I use apps on my iPhone, flash cards, books, and then my semi-weekly Japanese lessons. And then I try to speak it whenever I can.

With all of that, it seems to be coming along. Slowly. Very slowly. The problem is I don’t have to speak it. I just want to. But because I’m not forced to, it requires a lot of self-discipline and it is EXHAUSTING. It is paying off, though. Yesterday, I was able to describe my family and my new bike to my Japanese teacher and then she sent me an email written in kana and I could read AND understand the entire thing. And that felt AMAZING! Maybe if I stay here long enough, I’ll actually start to get it. Wouldn’t that be exciting?!

じてんしゃの しゃしん ありがとう！   クロエさん の じてんしゃ は かわいい です。
じゃまた

Kind of awesome that I can read that, right? And I love that my teacher is so impressed! (I’m so praise driven, it’s kind of sick.) Now, if only I could speak as well as I’m reading…then we’d really be getting somewhere. (Did I mention patience is not a virtue I possess?)

adventures in bike riding

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I bought a bike! Yesterday, I went with a friend to a little bike shop in her neighborhood and found the cutest bike ever (already fully loaded) for much less than my bike in NYC. I’m in love with it! Unfortunately, yesterday, the weather did not want to cooperate, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from taking this beauty (I’m open to naming suggestions) for a spin.

I was going to head over to the Imperial Palace so I could actually see the grounds and take some photos. I know I work across the street, but it’s still way to hot and humid during the day to wander around on a work day when I need to look at least semi-presentable. So, I headed out with my backpack wrapped in plastic sitting in my oh-so-cute basket and the spirit of adventure in my heart.

As I discovered in New York, having a bike allows you to see the city in a whole new light. And in Tokyo, it’s even nicer because you can ride on the sidewalks, so you’re in much less fear for your life. And as I started out on my ride yesterday, I was so excited to see parts of town I’d never seen before, having only passed through them underground. Well, that excitement was short lived as it started to rain. I decided to keep going (me and rain…) because I’m incredibly stubborn and didn’t really care about what I looked like.

At one point, it was raining hard enough that I did take a little break under an awning, but I got tired of waiting (me and patience…). As I got closer to the palace, I realized I had taken a wrong turn and, as I was attempting to turn around on the very slick, tiled sidewalk (not sure whose idea that was…), my tire slipped. I didn’t fall or anything–shockingly–but it did cause me to look at my tire only to discover it was totally flat.

This was not the tiled sidewalk…it was still raining too hard to take a picture at that moment.

At this point, I was about four miles from my apartment and five miles from the bike shop and in Tokyo (unlike NYC) you can’t take your bike on the subway. It made for a very long afternoon. I’m sure I could have found a closer bike shop to fix it, but since I’d JUST purchased it, I wanted that bike shop to fix it for free. Which they did, after I took the five mile walk with the bike back to it. Stubborn to a fault.

All of that said, I’m still in love with my bike and so excited to start to really get to know Tokyo above ground (as it cools off). I’m also very happy that I am the person I am and that I see things like this as just another adventure. One of my favorites things about my life is how many great things have happened along the way that I couldn’t have planned for.