It seems we are still in the season this year. Such weather may remind Mei-Shun’s generation of 1993, when cool summer affected seriously on rice harvest. We lacked rice so much that our government imported a lot from Thailand. It might have lead to today’s popularity of Thai cuisine in Japan. At that time, however, the fluffy texture of Thai rice was a kind of shock for most of us. On the other hand, もちもち感 =mochi-mochi-kan, a lush mouthfeel of Japanese rice have been well accepted in many countries recently.
good taste
Happy Donuts
StandardSometimes you really crave them, don’t you? Mei-Shun does, maybe because she resembles her late father in favorite foods. He used to bring home a box of assorted donuts after job. Little Mei-Shun was so happy to choose one as a dessert next morning. Now on low-carb diet, she has to refrain from sweets as much as possible. However, when she feels herself out of control, it seems better to eat them a little, replacing other carbohydrates. Breakfast toast for example, as the best candidate for substitution.
Minazuki
StandardHalf of 2016 has already passed. This Japanese confectionery written in 水無月, meaning June, is popular in Kyoto. We have no time to drop in on sweets shops last time, so ordered it from たねや as usual. Shin has made a step into summer diet. Now a competition between him and Mei-Shun starts — winner would have a right to ask him/her to buy his/her favorite food!
Burrata!
StandardHave you ever seen this cute, white creature? Looking like a baby, it is a delicacy of cheese ball filled with strings and cream. An Italian master living in Hokkaido is the only person who has technique to make it in Japan, Shin said. He seems quite right — one of Mei-Shun’s best impressions on that area is amazingly tasty dairy products, followed by potatoes and beer.
Refreshment
StandardWhat is your favorite ice cream flavor? It is chocolate-mint for Mei-Shun. Cup, corn or bar, any type would be welcomed. She recently found a chocolate-coated bar — how gorgeous! As rice seedlings grow up, her weight started to decrease. For a success in control, she must make that great taste once-a-month joy.
After 1Y+3Wks
StandardMei-Shun reserved a beauty salon in Shinagawa again, not to avoid a phone call from Dr. A. Shin’s schedule allowed them to meet there only today.
A 加賀(=Kaga, current Ishikawa Prefecture) cuisine restaurant always guides them into a room called 寿椿, meaning celebrated camellia. A wooden “pheasant” welcomes them as usual, yet his blue feather is all different from normal ones. You are a peacock, aren’t you?
… Woops, no message was recorded on our home phone.
Gorgeous Sakura
StandardThey have 3 breeds of 八重桜 at 乙戸沼 Park. One looks like holding a lot of 桜餅=sakura-mochi, a seasonal Japanese sweet with leaf-flower combination of brown-violet pink. Another has less browned-normal pink while the last one green-delicate shade of light pink as follows.
Ring the Bell
StandardMikan-chan has two watering places; one is a plastic bowl set in her cage, the other is an automatic fountain. The latter has a tank behind, yet the user is better to know time for cleaning. When she tried and walk away, mom has to clean it even if the tank is not empty.
Scent of Arabia
StandardPlease take the most profound gratefulness of Mei-Shun, Professor S. This bottle accommodates a perfume from the Sultanate of Oman, called “tarha” meaning a bride’s veil in Arabic. Three respectful professors of the University of Tsukuba kindly held a birthday party for Mei-Shun last Saturday; January 13th on the lunar calendar. The same restaurant they met last year served two glasses of beer instead of wine.
Joy of Spring
StandardMei-Shun visited a beauty salon in Shinagawa. She enjoyed many plum trees in blossom along Joban Line. And on the way to the saloon, bright pink color jumped into her eyes — it is 河津桜=kawazu-sakura, a cherry breed which blooms in early spring. After the haircut, she met with Shin at a hotel which accommodates one of their favorite Japanese cuisine restaurant.
meishunkikunoe 