What's on Mee Mind?

OK, so I couldn't help myself. It is day one back in Japan but after 22 trips you would think I might have outgrown sniggering at the unusual and often comical use of English words  - but no. What is actually on my mind? Kyo-yasai (Kyoto Vegetables), Wagashi (Japanese confectionery) and my home for the next few months - Kyoto. Here she is - the view from my balcony - it was a rather dark and chilly morning but the sun started to peek through the clouds over Higashiyama, the Eastern Mountain range about 9am. Manganji, a quiet temple frequented by Kyoto's infamous large black crows is like a friendly neighbour watching over me protectively and I am happy to make his acquaintance again. (yes, it is a he, I am sure of it) 

 The late red autumn leaves still boldly dot the scenery but the now gold Ginko are preparing for landing.

After breakfast with a friend I took myself for a long walk to re-acclimatise. It feels incredibly surreal - I have been back in Australia for 8 months but it seems like I was just here yesterday. Everything is familiar and comfortable. Possibly more home than home.  I love my little pocket of Kyoto - there is something in the air here that makes me float. It is beautiful, friendly, quirky and zen-like - even if the monks zip around on mopeds...

I head over the Kamogawa (literally duck river) into the city to gather some provisions. The sun has burnt off most of  the cloud cover and people are making the most of the weather before it grows cold over the next few weeks. 

I remembered the "ecofarm" market in the "Zest" underground arcades from this time last year and hoped to find it still operating - I was not disappointed. And am happy to note that the err, delightful? if slightly irrelevant Christmas decorations also remain.  And there's nothing tacky about these umbrellas.... sorry did someone say irrelevant?  I just had to share.

Veggies, rice, pickles, eggs and some prepared items from local farmers fill a small underground courtyard providing a handful of Kyoto-ites ( including me!) with super fresh organic produce. Personal photos accompany each item  - leaving no doubt that the farm folk stand proudly by their product! Ebi-imo ( prawn potato - for its curved shape and stripy appearance), Nanohana ( the buddish tips of rape/canola), Daikon in hot pink and purple, Kyoto's famous red carrots, tiny Kyuuri ( cucumbers), feathery Mizuna, large immaculate shiitake and Kaiware ( daikon sprouts) all went in the basket with some eggs with the sunniest yolks you will ever see. 

Returning home along Nijo dori I stumbled across a small store selling Wagashi so naturally purchased a few essentials including some intricately decorated sweet peanut senbei ( rice crackers), Kuri manju (a type of crumbly sweet containing a thick chestnut paste ) and yomogi mochi (the green outside layer is made with glutinous rice and both coloured and mildly flavoured with mugwort - in the centre is anko ( sweet azuki bean paste). The pretty jellies have a modern edge as does the curious pumpkin sweet which turns out to be a small Japanafied version of pumpkin pie - basically a puff pastry pocket filled with pumpkin puree.

I throw together a quick dinner including a few small squares of local wagyu with stir fried shiitake and lotus root and a petit salad of mizuna and sweet kyuri ( Japanese cucumbers - the best cucumbers in the world in my opinion) with goma (sesame) dressing - but not before I gaze once more at the view, this time awash with sunlight,  to remind myself how lucky I am to be here.  Apparently it will dark ol' rainy day tomorrow. Perfectly timed for my morning shiatsu and afternoon gallery view the exhibition of my friend Myong Hee's artwork. 

In my happy place. And yes, I look so natural here (perhaps a little constipated?) bathed in sunlight while I pretend not to take my own photo... 

Paella de Fink

Take one idyllic island setting on an early summer's eve. Add a gorgeous birthday girl, a handful of (ok 70 ish) people and a cargo-wharf full of booze and stir for several hours while dinner is constructed. Sizzling pork belly, chorizo, rabbit, scallops and soffrito. Aromatics in a secret blend. Seafood lightly poached in shellfish stock. Lobsters, yabbies, king prawns, mussels and clams. Hungry. Paella de Fink.

The countdown is on

I have one all-too-short week left in Australia to erase the jottings from my slightly concerning "to do" list. I am already a mess of  emotions and cliches. While there is certainly excitement and anticipation for the journey ahead there is also a sense of obligation, guilt and sadness at leaving my family and friends for 3 months. There's the inevitably self sabotaging expectation of self relating to the outcome of the book.  A kind of sick feeling about getting up at 4am in order to make my flight and a sensation somewhere between fear and ecstasy regarding the unknown experiences that await. 

Seriously. Suck it up Jane and focus.

Teramachi

Gion

Pontocho

All images and text copyright of Jane Lawson

In the kitchen this week...

A small triumph. I have finally finished recipe testing for the new book! uhhh, that's not completely accurate as I do intend to retest a few things from my tiny kitchen in Kyoto but for now it feels good to have completed round one.

Whilst mine were possibly not the neatest Soba (buckwheat) noodles ever kneaded into submission the slippery, mottled grey slurpables tasted pretty damn fine regardless. I'll own the fact that tidiness is not my key strength and shall conveniently buy into the idea that 'creatives' are supposed to be messy -  and that is all that shall be said on the matter. Thank you. My hands are over my ears, eyes shut tight, shaking my head defiantly...

The chawan mushi (steamed savoury custards) were the silkiest batch yet and the Tako no Yawarakani (tender simmered octopus) well and truly lived up to its name. Like a hot splade through butter. My Senbei (rice crackers), although "scrumlicious" according to one source,  varied dramatically in texture from batch to batch and shall remain a work in progress. Dastardly humidity has wreaked havoc on my rice flour causing it to behave somewhat erratically.  If you see me in the street arguing with myself over the disparity between rice flours from Japan, Thailand and China and the curiosities of the various brands within each category in conjunction with certain hideous, anti-baking weather conditions  - take my advice and run for the hills lest you catch the fever.

Deserving a small celebration I managed to sneak in a fab meal at Duke Bistro last night (above Darlo's  Flinders Hotel where (flashback alert) a lifetime ago,  I may have precociously strutted my stuff on the bar in a dance off with local drag queens. Now, of course, I'd be lucky if I managed to hoist myself onto a bar stool - but I digress).  So what do 3 food writers and a flamboyant restaurateur order for snacks - everything on the menu that's what! And if we hadn't asked the handsome young men behind the bar to "just bring us whatever" (shorthand for please concoct me something divine Mr Mixologist) I may have better recall of the meal. What I do know is that the wonderfully quirky Mitchell of Orr and his mate "Limbo" are producing some mighty "good tucker" to quote one of our party. I also have it under good authority that I shall return... and yes, the fried wings with thick n creamy coleslaw milk and hot sauce are as good as everyone says. The tiny radish in dashi butter were sensational in their simplicity and the morcilla with crispy pigs ear should never leave the menu. I want now.

Of course getting out of bed at 6am to make a flight to Melbourne for meetings was a bit of a struggle and a reminder why I shouldn't drink with friends born the decade or so after me - but coffee was my hero.   An over-enthusiastic stream of warm breast milk from seat 25F was not entirely refreshing ( I don't recommend it as a hangover cure)  however it jolted me further into consciousness and a quick afternoon's drenching in an unexpected, torrential downpour took care of much of the residual matter.

After drying off at Cumulus I swung by a friend's place for half a cup of herbal tea on the return leg to the airport and was savaged by newly acquired Persian kitten. Cute but just a little bit evil. Tiny teethmarks are the new ankle-bracelets.  Sleep deprived and inspired by said cat  -tinned tuna on quinoa crackers was about all I could muster for dinner and ... look into my eyes, look into my eyes... 123, now sleep!