Minestrone -one of my favourite things to make-

Ingredients;

Cabbage, Eringi Mushroom, Paprika, Potatoes, Potatoes, Onion, Egg Plants, Carrots, Celery, Panchetta, Garlic, Chili, Canned Tomatoes, Consomme Cubes, White Wine, Water, Olive Oil, Laurel leaves.

(Chili here is not to make the soup spicy, it is just to give a little accent.)


You can basically use any kinds of vegetable except onions and celery. Having said that, I wouldn't use Shitake or Shimeji mushroom as I feel the flavour is too strong.

1) Stir fry all the diced vegetables in order (onions- bacon- celery- carrots and potatoes...) with garlic and chili olive oil and add white wine.
2) Boil 1) for a little to get the alcohol out then add enough to have the ingredients soaked.
3) Add some salt and let it boil again then take out the scum.
3) Add crushed canned tomatoes with consomme cubes and Laurel leaves.
4) leave it for about 15-20 mins and salt and pepper to taste.

I usually cook Minestrone the night before eating to allow the ingredients blend right in with the soup.

Add Parmesan cheese before eating and ready!

Cooking time: approx. 1hour

(depending on how much vegetables you use)

As I usually use many kinds of vegetables and takes a while to finish choppinp.

While I chopping, I think of flavour that each ingredient could give to the soup so it is a little tiring but also my favourite part ;)

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With leftovers

Fresh Tomatoes, Chicken Thigh, New Potatoes, Onions,

Garlic, Chili, White Wine, Dried Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Salt and Pepper.

Approx. Cooking time: 30 minutes

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Relation between architecture and cooking

Apparently many people knew about this. I didn't.
For those who didn't either:


architecture et nourriture from oskar alegria on Vimeo.

It was one of the best of my recent discoveries.

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Food Education

On the 1st April, my friends and I went watch a film called Food, Inc in Shibuya district.
In Japan, we have this special discount days for cinemas, which are every Wednesday for ladies (don't ask me why) and 1st day of every months for everyone. It usually costs JPY 1,800 per person though, on those dates, you can watch a film at JPY 1,000.

Anyway, this film is a documentary directed by Robert Kenner who lifts the veil on American food industry exposing the highly mechanised underbelly that's been hidden away.
It was divided into chapters dedicated to points along the commercial food chain and started off with showing inside American super market with a phrase " There are no seasons in American super market." You know, you can kind of guess what to expect now.

After 10 minutes I kind of started regretting about watching this film specially when they were showing how they make their chickens to grow faster and fatter so that they can make more money out of one chicken more efficiently. I even thought I might end up becoming a vegetarian after finishing this film (it obviously did not happen, thankfully.) It's difficult when finding out you could be unintentionally supporting some unreasonable factors that you don't appreciate and there is not much you can do about it, but on the other hand, I agree that every consumer has a right to know what we are actually eating and we should have more interests towards this.

The film leads you to the end showing the difference with organic farms and how they fight against the law etc.
At the very last minute, they talk about what the viewers can do for themselves and the world such as eat organic, do not eat junk food and pay more attentions to what contains your food that you are buying. I mean, seriously? I'm sure we all knew about it. Maybe it's only me to think that this checklists was nothing new to me and depressingly little after being given everything we've just seen. This film left me with powerless feeling and some frustration.

However, speaking of knowing what you are putting into your mouth, I have recently finding out that not every school in every country teaches their children food and cooking properly and this shocked me hard. I know my parents are really big food lovers and this doesn't happen to every child, though I was taught how to use knives, how to grow some vegetable and rice, to cook basic meals, to clean the kitchen properly and how nice it is to cook for somebody at the stage of primary school. I never thought that this was the special education and I strongly believe that it must not be. What is the point of learning science and all that complicated subjects (don't get me wrong, I do think it is important although I was never good at it.) if you don't know what you're actually eating for your lunch and what makes your body?

Oh well, this is far off the subject but I have to admit that I did not regret watching this film although it didn't become one of my favourites. It still gave me a good opportunity to think over the whole food industry again and nice discussions with my friends over many beers with Thai food on that night.

Oh, for that dinner,
Did I eat chicken?
YES.

Was it organic?
didn't even think about it.

Was it tasty?
YES, and that's all it matters to me.

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THAT has become THIS.

My OBENTO.

PRAY FOR JAPAN, EAT JAPAN

Dinner Tonight.

NIku-Jaga, Japanese Omelet with Carrot, Cabbage and Tofu Miso Soup and Millet Rice.

too many thoughts..

Have watched Foood Inc. tonight.

too many thoughts and too many drinks...,
what is to be involved..

Maybe I shouldn't be fooling around people if I was engaged or not?

April fool.

Drunken fool.

don't think I'm clever enough to consider such issues although I would like to.
All I care after all is what can I  cook to make you smile.

When I get sobered up, will talk about the film in detail.