Cooking in Japan

I don't usually cook here in Japan. I often enjoyed cooking in America, but it's just not something I do much of here. My kitchen is small and not well-stocked. If I have an opportunity to eat with a friend, I will take it anytime! Plus, it's just more fun to eat out!

Today, however, I decided to get back on the old cooking bandwagon (at least for lunches). I went through one of the cookbooks I brought with me and found a few recipes I could make here (anything with tortillas is out...this saddens me). I picked up the ingredients for Chickpea Curry and am going to try to make it tonight after church. I also found almost all the ingredients for Wassail (woohoo). I just can't find whole cloves. It's really funny to shop in Japan, because in some ways the process feels upside down. Ingredients that were difficult to find at home are plentiful here, and vice versa. I do have to say that cabbage was plentiful today. One could purchase a giant bag of six cabbages. Why anyone would want six large cabbages, I know not, but there they were.

OK, I have my cooking music on and I'm ready!

...nine songs later... Here it is! OK, so it's not a culinary masterpiece. As Bert says in the movie Mary Poppins, "Still better then a finger in the eye, ain't they?"

Also, I would like to report that I believe I have figured out the mischievous rice cooker at last! Look out, world!

Another thing I am super excited about is my new tea kettle. It is kind of similar to the one I had back home. I think my new one is slightly larger, though. Of course, my kitchen is much smaller, so maybe it just looks bigger in proportion to the kitchen. Who knows!

Well, I need to go see what I can do about cleaning this apartment. If I am successful, I will have had a very domestic day - cleaning, laundering, and cooking! Aaand going to the coffee shop, studying some Japanese, shopping, and going to church. It's been a pretty busy day!

Wish me luck with the cleaning (I need it)!