Cooking a milt of cod and a goosefish's liver.

 It often looks disgusting to have some of traditional Japanese foods like fermented soybeans Natto. But I have to admit they also have other things make people awful. For the past weeks I cooked some of them, and I'd like to introduce about it.

 The first was a milt of cod that is seasoned with salt, boiled, then sserved with vinegar. It was the first time for me to both cooking and eating a milt, and to be honest, I had spent whole my life without any interest in it. I knew we could find it easily in the local supermarkets, especially around this season in winters. But that didn't mean I knew well about it. They're usually cheap if it's imported one, such as $4 for the amount of two people. After coming back to my home from the supermarket with it, on the other hand, I still had no idea how to cook. So I checked some recipes from books I had, and found that I just put some salt on it, wait for 20 minutes (it helps get rid of smell out of it), then dip it in the boiled water for a while. Although it was unique taste and texture, milky and smooth, I fairly like it :)

Another odd food I had at the same time was a liver of goosefish, which usually lives in the bottom of the sea. Many people like eating with pots in cold nights, and they even have a special traditional goosefish restaurant near Tokyo Station. But how can we cook the liver? I also checked the same recipe book I referenced in milt, found that I just put salt as the same way as I did with milt, then steam for a while. (It depends on the amount and size, and I steamed around 20minutes, for the record)

I prefer to it than milt by the way, haha. As many people refer, the taste and texture was like foie gras. But sure, not the same.

After cooking myself, my desire to eat 'the real one' grew rapidly, so I visited a sushi restaurant to have it.

 Sushi style, and,

here it came, fried milt. Apart from too hot at first (my tongue got burn-injured), I like this style more than boiled one.

 I have to admit they were way better than I cooked. Well, it's okay, because I always enjoy to figure out how to cook something I've never had :) Since it's been a while I ate raw fish last time, so I needed to eat much more :D

  crab paste, salmon caviar, and sea urchin. I would drink some sake only if I didn't came by car!

Around the table.

 This was a week I had a variety of drink in many places. Since I had planned to go back to my hometown Nagoya by Shinkansen, or bullet train, I brought a pack of soy milk, spent some comfortable time in the car. There are many kind of taste available, and they also provide some strange flavor like coke and pudding....Well, my preference is Sakura!

 I also had a wonderful rest early morning in a Starbucks located in the suburb of a town. I really liked coming here in the early, handful people sitting, doing nothing in particular, and clerks in the cafe behave much slow and smooth than other situation such as a Sunday's afternoon. I sometimes took a glance at the window while reading books and sending a mail. I'm sure I'll be back in the near future :)

 And of course, it's a great pleasure to have a green tea in my home. Before dawn, with my lunch, I think I drink too much tea recently. The first thing I do when I come back to my home is start boiling water to make a tea. I just can't stop it!! :D

My daily life.

 Cooking, drawing, and relaxing in a cafe... These are the key things to prevent from depression which could easily lead overdosing. Well, I love making something way more than taking enormous amount of medicines and sleep several days.

Fantastic weeks in January.

It was a mid afternoon of early January when I was standing on a platform in Tokyo Station. The sun was on the sky shining the whole city, the temperature hit 10 degree: almost like. As I kept staring at the direction where the bullet train was supposed to run into, I noticed my hands and legs were shaking steadily.

"That's it. This is what we've waited for years."

I thought myself. She and I were finally going to see each other in person within 5 minutes.

 We started mailing back and forth in mid 2012, and because it was so long period of the time, I don't know how many mails we sent each other. Midnight mails, some seriously secret topics I had never told anyone else. As well as E-mail, we shipped foods, letters, small gifts, whatever we thought it would nice to hand it.

I believe we knew each other so much now, despite the fact that we had actually never directly spoken over the phone. 

 As the train arrived and many passengers went out of the door with their luggage. Among them, I found a young woman looking around to seek something, or, someone. Beyond any shadow of a doubt, it's her. A few seconds after that, she recognized me as well, and then we finally hugged and greeted. Although I had imagined the moment of our very first meeting for hundreds times in my mind, it looked as if I was still in the dream. But of course, it was the moment when the dream finally came true.

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 We had discussed what we would do together in Tokyo, and apart from a few things, we did them all:

 Early visit in Tsukiji fish market (we left our home at 4 o'clock),

 Ready to eat? ;) And of course...

 a bowl dish filled with a variety of fish and shell! So cool!

 Since we're both interested in the culture of Japan, we headed to the Kabuki theatre in Ginza to  watch a traditional show, and also,

Here it is, Sumo wrestling match stadium in Ryogoku. It's a story to tell by the way. As Sumo stadiums are gradually famous and popular destination to foreigners, it begins to hard to get the ticket in advance, plus, it usually takes several hundreds dollars for each. Thus, it's not something we can visit daily basis. So, what should we do? 

 We joined a queue for non-reserved tickets in the dawn (again!). It wasn't comfortable to wait for two and a half hours in the cold temperature and strong wind, but we made it after all :)

Of course, we have so many delicious cuisines in the duration of her stay. We found a neat French restaurant in Shibuya, as well as a Japanese Restaurant where we can enjoy puffer fish and shabushabu. Also, we regarded eating home-made meals as important events, and we cooked our soul foods and things we both love.

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 It was a huge pleasure to invite her to me. My apartment can hardly say good as an accommodation, thevertheless, she decided to come. That's one reason why I tried to do my best to make her stay as comfortable as possible. 

 It was lovely weeks we experienced in this months January, and hopefully we will be able to see and have such wonderful days again soon :) From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

ありがとうね！＾＾

The greatest January ever.

 A lot of thanks to you :) I'll post our great weeks soon!