Osechi Photos and Brief Life Update (Patreon)

Hello, Everyone ⛄️

Oof! Lots to say and catch up on. I think I'll do that while I'm settled in at J's house in Hokkaido. For the moment life is chaotic-whackadoodle-moment-to-moment-horror-rollercoaster-ride and then there's the news, which is just devastating. So since I wasn't able to make a video for the last episode, I'll share some photos of what all the dishes look like here, just as a little culinary escape.

I'm going to try and go in the same order as the show.

Here's a basic (nice!) osechi setup. In the jūbako with all the trimmings.

Below are some konbu maki/rolled kelp (also the kohaku namasu, interestingly separated into different containers).Something I didn't mention on the episode, is that the konbu maki are tied with kanpyo (lengths of dried gourd).

Do all your food tying with kanpyo. It's fun, easy, and edible.

Kuromame/black beans

Sweet and super yummy.

Below are red and white kamaboko. Here is how you cut it off the little piece of wood its stuck to. There's a joke and I know I'm not remembering it correctly but it's something about a not-very-smart person who thinks kamaboko is the name of a fish that has a wooden back.

Something like that.

Tai/sea bream

A close up of tazukuri/candied anchovies...homemade so you can almost feel the stickiness

I didn't know that the ones that are sold in the stores are also called Tazukuri (making the fields).

Never fun when someone on the Shinkansen opens up a bag of these...or dried squid. Perfectly good to eat, yummy and all, but the smell can really fill up a train car.

Next, some datemaki. Rolled egg with fish paste. I have a friend who makes ONE osechi dish every year (buys the rest in the supermarket) and I think that's a brilliant idea to get to know the culture.

She made this one year and said it was so good.

Namasu or kohaku (red and white) namasu.

This below one is from Cooking with Dog and she added persimmon! Very interesting.

Kazunoko/herring roe

Here you have your shrimp, you have your konbu maki, you have your namasu and those yellow things bottom right are the kazunoko.

No, thank you. 😄

Renkon/lotus root!

And the dessert part of osechi: kurikinto. Mashed sweet potatoes, perhaps some shiro-an(white sweet bean paste) and chestnuts!

Not done yet!

Here's the kind of flyers you see everywhere. This one is Chinese Osechi. Looks good!

Here's a "western" Osechi. Never seen in my life, but looks interesting.

Some ozoni variations.

Mmmm...

Okay, that's about enough photos for today. Quick update, I'm going to try and be out of this house by the end of January, sooner if I can manage it. Lots of friends offering to help me move things. But I might just do a back and forth run all day long (longer?) while he's still in the States and hire someone to get the big things (desks, tables, bookshelves, bed) later. Since everything will be shut down until mid January anyway. I bought over 90% of everything in the house, so it's a lot (*´Д｀*)

The really painful part is that the first half of the book is due on February 1st. I'm not on schedule, BUT the stories I'm writing I am absolutely loving. I'm halfway done with a gashadokuro story that makes me cry recounting the story arc. After Christmas there will be nothing but moving and writing. I'm really not sure if I can get a podcast up like I'd planned.

I got some special and exciting news to share, too. I'll post that after I'm in Hokkaido. Finally, some good news💕.

I'll keep trying to send telepathic messages to the crows to follow me to the new house. I'll be in Yaizu again. Which I love.

Oh! Did I tell you? Buddy the Crow disappeared for a week or more. I was worried, but with everything going on I thought maybe I wasn't paying attention. Then after a particularly wretched moment in a day, I heard him! I ran upstairs and he was back, but with a messed up leg. Hopping and barely using his left leg. You know, my left leg is my bad DVT leg, too. Just sayin'. It's kinda like we're twins or twin souls. I don't know. I wonder if he got into a scuffle with some hawks though.

Allrighty, I'm ganbatte-imasu. I hope everyone is hanging there, too. I miss posting here and hope to do more while at J's place. I hope you don't mind.

Lotsa XOXO,

terrie

Buddy with his bad leg. Can't really tell here, though.