Dumplings rather than flowers? Not for Mei-Shun and Professor S. They met at 飯田橋 Station at noon, strolled toward an Italian restaurant to enjoy good salads, pizzas and pastas. After lunch, they planned to walk down 神楽坂 slope to reach 小石川後楽園 yet shared an taxi under severe sunlight. Pretty irises and hydrangeas were at the beginning of blossom. This nicely cared garden made them almost forget time.
Mei-Shun met Shin at one of their favorite restaurants in Shinagawa for lunch after hair treatment. Served dishes did not feature seasonal ingredients like 初鰹=hatsu-gatsuo, year’s first bonito while desserts were changed from normal 善哉=zenzai, sweetened red bean soup with rice cake to 餡蜜=anmitsu, agar jelly with fruits, syrup and red bean paste.
Would you see what flower it is? It is broccoli, gave us tasty buds all though March, ending in such a lovely shape. Oh, here comes our garden cat. Hi, honey, thanks for your good job. You look staying among flowers at night these days, Shin told Mei-Shun the other day. Does that mean you decided to play the role of Fuku-chan, who sleeps next to Black Tea rose?
Yes, mom’s ohagi season has come. Mei-Shun would like to visit her, yet Shin’s hay disease shows the worst symptom, prevents them from doing so. And his preference is actually on another making of anko(=sweetened red bean paste) and mochi(=rice cake). Half-beaten rice ball plays the role of filling while anko of coating in ohagi. When they exchange each part, we would have 大福, daifuku, loved by everybody.
It all depends what a horsey likes as treats. Rachel likes bananas, quite rare for them. Madoka-chan, Maria, Seika, Applause and Treasure all love carrots and apples while 菊丸 and Pink Diamond prefer brown sugar. Regarding the latter, Mei-Shun once asked if they suffer decayed teeth, heard that they could. Our club employs a French dentists who visits every six months to check up horsey mouths.
Mei-Shun loves 鳩サブレー. It is popular sablé made in 鎌倉, reminds her of high school days — she made an excursion to there with several classmates in the first grade. Thank you so much, Professor K. Mei-Shun worked at a research institute as his secretary years ago. Really a gentleman and ideal boss, he once gave her a translation job. It continues to date, supports her stage performance every year.
Here is 治部椀=jibu-wan, simmered vegetables, duck meat and 簾麩=sudare-fu, wheat gluten cake shaped like a bamboo blind dressed with thick starchy sauce served in a soup bowl. This is one of favorite dishes for Shin and Mei-Shun at a restaurant in Shinagawa, while reminds the latter of a cooking book she bought in preparation for marriage. It featured 治部煮 among ABCs of Japanese cuisine.
Here you are, mom, on behalf of dad. Mei-Shun’s mother has a chronic dizziness. Meeting once a month is their fixed rule, with latest visit planned on February 14th. However, a symptom interrupted and forced them to postpone the appointment. Well, you have learned how to treat yourself, look fine today. That makes your younger daughter feel relieved and happy. Let’s talk about the cute bird the latter saw the other day.
Mom-in-law recently gave up her driver’s license. That means she got off from our chauffeur list. Mei-Shun, who enjoyed good German beer and wine tonight, therefore employed 代行さん= daiko-san meaning substitute drivers for the first time. She does not want anyone other than family members to drive her own car, while mom-in-law’s is now free and looks lonely. Why don’t she utilize him? This idea worked well with kind staffs, reasonable price and safe coming home.
… on lunar calendar it is today. We have been able to see the moon early in the morning, becoming thinner and thinner. It was impossible to find her high in eastern sky, even with Shin’s good eyesight. We miss her a lot while Mei-Shun is a bit happy thanks to the bathroom scale: she lost one sac of sugar. Has she been paralleled with the moon in shape? Then she has to be very careful not to do so from today! Anyway, shall we have a little tea party on ささらがた and 冨貴寄?
meishunkikunoe 