The Rice Cooker Chronicles: “My Rice Ball World” by Meredith Hodges-Boos
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The Rice Cooker Chronicles is a series of essays by JETs and JET alumni on the theme of cooking/eating and being alone in Japan. The brain-child of JETwit founder Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, Kariya-shi, 1992-94) (and inspired by the book Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant), this series is curated by L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11), the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and translator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa and Discover Kanazawa, ze also writes I’ll Make It Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan.
New submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to Leah at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.
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“My Rice Ball World”
by Meredith Hodges-Boos (ALT, Ehime-ken, 2003-2005). Please visit http://meredithhodgesboos.blog.com/ for more essays on her time in Japan and current literary projects.
I dragged my tired body into the entryway and found just enough energy to pry off my shoes. The door rattled on the track as I slumped into the main room of the house my husband and I shared as Assistant Language Teachers. “I’m home,” I muttered to Greg and I blinked into the bright light of the room. The glare and blare of the used Playstation we’d bought at Hard Off lit up the tatami in a rainbow of colors.
I’ll Make It Myself! – Aka-Zuiki Quick Pickles
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Editor’s Note: I’ll Make It Myself is a blog about food culture and cooking for yourself in Japan by Ishikawa-based JET alum L.M. Zoller. We’re very pleased to share selected posts on JETwit as well.
L.M. Zoller (CIR Ishikawa-ken, Anamizu, 2009-11) is the editor of The Ishikawa JET Kitchen: Cooking in Japan Without a Fight. A writer and translator for The Art of Japan: Kanazawa and Discover Kanazawa, ze also writes I’ll Make it Myself!, a blog about food culture in Japan.
Hello, JETwit! I’m pleased to introduce my food blog I’ll Make it Myself: An Expat Career Woman’s Love Affair with Things Culinary. I cover a wide range of topics on this blog, including Japanese recipes, recipes adapted for Japan, local food culture, and restaurant reviews. A little about me: I’m obsessed with kabocha and oatmeal; I go through cinnamon like a champ; and I’m constantly on the hunt for good microbrews–the darker, the better. Many of my recipes and reviewed restaurants are vegetarian-friendly, and I try to keep things fairly healthy. Today, I’m posting a recent entry about Kaga heirloom vegetables, a recipe for gorgeous, quick, and delicious Japanese-style pickles.
Aka-Zuiki Quick Pickles (Red-Taro-Stem Vinegar Pickles)
Japanese food traditionally includes a lot of tsukemono (漬け物), or pickles. The first thing most Americans will think of when you say pickles is dill (cucumber) pickles that go with sandwiches; however, pickles are any vegetable that has been preserved with brining. Japanese pickles cover a wide range of base ingredients, including carrots, cucumbers, ginger, and plums; as well as a wide variety of pickling styles: salt, miso, vinegar, nuka (rice bran), and more. Some recipes call for the pickling mixture and vegetables (or fruit) to be aged overnight or for several months, but this recipe can be consumed right after cooking!
CLICK HERE to read the full post.
