Host Mothers Cooking

My host mother is a lovely cook. We always eat so much when I am with them but it consists of such healthy foods, a bunch of vegetables and fish! On New Years day, for dinner we had Tai (red sea bream). I really have no idea how she cooked it, as she simply pulled it out of the fridge, so it was cool. It's difficult to eat, but soft and using chopsticks makes it easier but I can definitely see how someone who isn't used to chop sticks could have a lot of trouble!

The following day we ate crab! Cold water crab from Hokkaido (the northern most island). Within two days we ate all of these. Who ever said Japan has tiny portions lied. We first just ate them cold, with a little lemon juice. We had to use scissors to cut into the crab legs. We had crab utensils but it was easier to use chop sticks and scissors!

My host mother also made sukiyaki which is probably my favorite Japanese food ever. It's like a soup, served hot post style. It's on top of a hot plate that keeps it warm, but it is cooked before hand. There are many vegetables and meats in it, usually beef or pork. The soup is soy sauce, sugar and mirin which is a sweet cooking sake (alcohol). It's very sweet tasting! It's good in the winter. Usually you dip the vegetables in raw egg (which is in the little dishes).

So much crab, I think about 20 shoulders each with like, four or five arms on them. They were the best things I've ever eaten, aside from sukiyaki.






Lastly, let me tell you about why the US is not up to my standards. There are no Kotatsu. In Japan most people sit on cushions on the floor around tables. Low tables are super popular and I like the idea. Kotatsu are tables with a heater under them. The blanket is super soft and keeps in the heat. I want to live under this kotatsu.