Yasuko-san's Home Cooking / Essay - from Peco No.11

Essay - from Peco

No.11 The wind from the hell

I, by a strange chance, participated in a party for having safe and fresh organic vegetables of "Yui natural farm" at the mountain cottage in Mochizuki-cho, Nagano. Mr. Hirochika Yui who loves cat, sake and running mountain, and his wife Kiyoko with a beautiful smile were very charming. The good soil of farm was deep black and like a soft and fluffy carpet. I thought I would try to take care of nature as hard as I could all over again. If people all over the world can eat plentiful good food, I'm sure war never break out... A man will know manners after he can afford clothes and food.

(2002-09-21)

No.12 The sesame oilians

I have a slight confidence in my tempura. One of the secret is sesame oil. Since I read "learn professional technique" in the cooking magazine, I've used sesame oil to deep-fry. Tempura using sesame oil is fried crisp. As the sesame oil is costly, I don't waste even a drop of oil. After cooking, I quickly strain and use up to the last drop such a sauted dishes. The article also said "If you take care that you don't heat too high, the oil will keep good quality." I've been the sesame oilians since. While I'm deep-frying, any business are banned !! I'm sorry, but I can't answer the telephone.

(2002-09-02)

No.13 Koromo-gae

Since the change of the seasons is quite noticeable in Japan, we adapt various interior decoration to the season. In my home we put away the reed blind which is indispensable for Summer life with the coming of a typhoon. A little later, in the autumn festival season, we'll change the rattan mat or the cotton carpet for the woolen carpet. We also change the color of pale beige or blue for deep hues to create warm atmosphere. I'll change the hanging scroll in the alcove for "the worm-eaten persimmon and bird"

(2002-09-14)

No.14 Yui natural farm

(2002-09-21)

No.15 Which is bigger, one or two?

Which is big?

"What is really affluence?" I thought such a thing when I read "Yutakasa toha nanika" by Itsuko Teruoka (Iwanami Shoten).

The following is what Ms. Teruoka experienced in the first-year class of the elementary school in Germany.

Teacher asked "Let's think about the one today. This is the one. Well, give the one in your daily life, please." The pupils all voiced "Yesterday I was scolded one time by my mother." "I changed trains on time on the way to the school." "I was fighting with my brother one time." "The stairs is what the one stand in line."

They continued to give their opinion for one week. Then teacher said "The next is the two. There are various two such as two cats, two pencils, two papers, two persons... Well, which is bigger, one or two?" Because the pupils studied about the one as much as that, Ms. Teruoka thought the pupils answered the two. But one pupil said "I think the one is bigger." Teacher never put on a negative look and the other pupils didn't made fun of him.

"Why do you think so?" teacher said. He answered "The other day, my mother gave my brother and me the big biscuit one by one. My brother ate it at once and then he said me to share my biscuit to him. I unwillingly broke my biscuit into two and gave him one piece. Because two pieces of biscuit were smaller than one biscuit, I think the one was bigger."

After he explained, the teacher brought a globe which was put on the back of the class, and said "The earth is so big, and it is only one thing. But there are many country on the earth. There are various people who has hair of different color. There are a lot of language. There are many way to pray for their god. The earth is only one, but it is so big." Teacher said only these.

It is the real educational goal to awake children to their worth. A child who knows he is the hero of his life as a experience will stand on his own feet when he grow up.

I was reading this with crunching on a rice cracker, and I thought "Well, my independence?"

(2002-09-23)

No.16 Mr. Yoji Yamada's lecture

I listened to a movie director Yoji Yamada's lecure. His honest and shy personality came through in his way of speaking, and the whole audience listened to with nodding quietly. The school refusal which keeps on increasing, the school for handicapped children, the night school and so on... He asked what was "study" and presented a problem from the same point of view as person who wanted to study. "The task of movie director is to watch everything" he said. For instance, property man prepared handmade simmered taro for the scene of meal, he tried to sample it. Such as warm consideration brought about not only good filming, but also good work. I am looking forward to his next work "Tasogare Seibei"

(2002-09-30)

No.17 Cook rice using copper pot

The installment savings of a department store came due and gift certificate was returned as an accumulated dividend. It is my custom to buy what I have been wanting to get using this certificate. This year I bought two repoussÈ copper heavy pots that I have had my eye on. The pots have a diameter of eight" and 9 1/2". Using big one I cooked rice at once. Wash two cups of rice and soak into water for 30 min. Boil over a lower medium flame for 5 min. Take off the lid and mix lightly. When the small hole is opened in the surface (about 2 min), put the lid again and boil over a low flame for 8 min. Put out the flame and steam for 10 min. Steaming and glossy rice! If you sizzle rice over a high flame for 2 min, you can easy to make Okoge (burned rice). The savory of Okoge is just out of this world !!

(2002-10-23)

No.18 The ash

Wakame covered with ash became the talk of the BBS (Japanese version). We sometimes have it in my house, too. The ash is wonder. Though it is "cinders", but it's not refuse. To remove the bitter taste of bracken in spring, using the ash is the best. In this cold season, brazier is active in my living room. The straw ash in its brazier make me feel comfortably warm. After it burned out, it plays various part, so the ash is great. By the way, there is proverb I want to hand down to generation to generation. "The more the rich and the ashtray are accumulated, it becomes dirtier" So, we work hard, play hard and use hard.

(2002-11-30)

No.19 Thank you very much, freezer

Since I watched the photo of the nuclear waste and the scean of the dead trees owing to an abnormally warm winter, I've made up my mind to do what I can do. So I decided to dispose of the small freezer which I've been using without a hitch for nearly twenty years. I told me to "Do the efficiency purchase and use of ingredients", but I needed a little determination. I used the stock little by little and I cleaned and disinfected using alcohol. "Thank you very much" to me and the freezer, and I switched off. "I may possibly need it" I can't discard it yet... But these days I proud my nature-friendly life, and I smile seeing a waver light of candle in the bath.

(2003-07-12)

No.20 Sharpen the knife

I'll sharpen the knife, I must sharpen, but I have no time... I've been thinking for a long time. At last, I sharpened the knife. I calm myself a bit and I sharpen rhythmically shoo shoo shoo. I like this mindlessness time. It's different sharpnessm when I cut my favorite pickles. When I cut the mioga (Japanese ginger), it gets fine crisp. I also cut tomato cleanly, its skin seems to be transparent. It's a time which I feel better and a bit happy.

(2003-07-15)

yasukosannoaji

Essay - from Peco