Food-blogging is quite popular these days; I figured I'd give it a shot. Here in Japan I decided it'd be a nice change to make a "western" dish. The problem was that the ingredients had to be hunted down from a few different grocery stores. Also, I did not know what ingredients I needed. Oh, and I don't think I'd made chili before. I did not have a recipe either. However, having eaten chili in the past, I calculated that not all odds were against me. And so begins the tale of my delicious chili full of unimaginable flavor.
I laid out all my ingredients. Visibility is key to cooking. And that is bacon, ground beef and chicken breast next to the chopped onion. Meat is another key to cooking. Meat has flavor.
The important thing about vegetables is that they look nice, as that is their only role as food. Mushrooms are not a vegetable, did you know that? That green thing is a winter melon. I'm unsure if it is a vegetable.
Use your instincts when adding garlic, then double it. Garlic is magical; scientists have yet to define exactly what it is or where it comes from. Its mysterious nature is sure to improve nearly any dish.
The pretty vegetables get chopped. To do this, you will need a sharp knife and some basic hand-eye coordination. Slice quickly to avoid letting flavors seep away.
Ask your Mom or Dad to open the canned tomatoes, as this can be very dangerous. Carefully pour contents into a medium sized "stove-top safe" pot.
Get beans. Be sure to measure them out in a cup to allow for a pretty picture.
Throw everything gracefully into the pot. Add some salt, pepper, tabasco, and pretty much whatever you have in your cabinet.
Meat should always be cooked separately. The reason for this is because I didn't have a big enough pot.
Gratuitous closeup of the vegetables simmering to perfection. If you lean in close, the mushrooms should make slight whisper when they are ready and the flavors have nicely mended together. It will sound like
this.
You are now ready to combine the meat with the chili. Be proud. Now put the heat setting on low for an hour or four. Dinner has never been so delicious!
This is a suggested serving. Straight chili with a humble handful of grated cheese. The aromatic grape juice, as suggested by my Sommelier, perfectly complemented the flavors of the chili.
Another more illustrious design.
Bunny ears.
Where could it be? Hello?
Run!
Kablamo!
I laid out all my ingredients. Visibility is key to cooking. And that is bacon, ground beef and chicken breast next to the chopped onion. Meat is another key to cooking. Meat has flavor.
The important thing about vegetables is that they look nice, as that is their only role as food. Mushrooms are not a vegetable, did you know that? That green thing is a winter melon. I'm unsure if it is a vegetable.
Use your instincts when adding garlic, then double it. Garlic is magical; scientists have yet to define exactly what it is or where it comes from. Its mysterious nature is sure to improve nearly any dish.
The pretty vegetables get chopped. To do this, you will need a sharp knife and some basic hand-eye coordination. Slice quickly to avoid letting flavors seep away.
Ask your Mom or Dad to open the canned tomatoes, as this can be very dangerous. Carefully pour contents into a medium sized "stove-top safe" pot.
Get beans. Be sure to measure them out in a cup to allow for a pretty picture.
Throw everything gracefully into the pot. Add some salt, pepper, tabasco, and pretty much whatever you have in your cabinet.
Meat should always be cooked separately. The reason for this is because I didn't have a big enough pot.
Gratuitous closeup of the vegetables simmering to perfection. If you lean in close, the mushrooms should make slight whisper when they are ready and the flavors have nicely mended together. It will sound like this.
You are now ready to combine the meat with the chili. Be proud. Now put the heat setting on low for an hour or four. Dinner has never been so delicious!
This is a suggested serving. Straight chili with a humble handful of grated cheese. The aromatic grape juice, as suggested by my Sommelier, perfectly complemented the flavors of the chili.
Another more illustrious design.
Bunny ears.
I ventured to an Izakaya called "Warawara" which translates to "Laugh Laugh." And there I had the best dish I've had so far in Japan. The crudely translated menu read "hot and heavy noodle" in English. The Kanji literally read: "Spicy Udon from Hell." It was so incredible; I can't wait to go back and actually take a picture of it. Though I'm likely to return more than once.
Ana and I were invited by Yuka to go play some music in a studio. I bought some drum sticks and guitar picks, jotted down some quick drumming cues on the Japanese sheet music while listening to the track, and then we rocked out for the morning. Yuka is a local teacher who, for my first meal in Japan, cooked up a glorious "roll your own sushi" feast several weeks ago. Needless to say, she's pretty awesome.
This is a epic pen-nib (calligraphy style) that I picked up at a little art store. It's a hand!
