daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
A couple of days ago I mentioned that pizza is one of our comfort foods. Well, tonight we had another favorite – Japanese curry! This one was a classic mix of beef, carrots, and potatoes. I think there’s enough left for two more family meals, which is always a win. It’s the best!
Tonight I went big and made an extra-large batch of Spam Fried Rice. Since we don’t own a giant wok (which would have been ideal), I had to split it up and cook with two pans. The rice ended up a little crispy in spots from overcooking, but the kids still gave it two thumbs up and said it was delicious!
We rounded out the meal with gyoza and broccoli. Gyoza and fried rice are a classic combo, and then the broccoli added the greens.
FYI, we used the Japanese Fried Rice (Yakimeshi) recipe from Just One Cookbook. It’s so easy to substitute a protein, in this case, almost a full container of Spam (cubed).
Our son cooked up a big batch of spicy chicken the other day, and we had lots of leftovers. Tonight Mariko used some to make oyakodon for us. Our son asked, “Is it Papa’s birthday today?” since I usually request oyakodon for my birthday dinner. I was so happy he remembered!
Tonight Mariko taught me how to make my favorite dish: okonomiyaki. It was such a fun experience! There are many ways to make okonomiyaki, but tonight’s version started with a crepe-like batter fried on the griddle, then layered with seasoning, cabbage, pork, yakisoba, egg, and a mix of sauces. It turned out delicious! Next time, I’d like to try mixing the cabbage directly into the batter. I’m already looking forward to our next okonomiyaki night.
Tonight we attended a saké and cheese pairing event at Komé Sushi Kitchen, and it turned out to be such an eye-opening experience. I had no idea how well saké could complement different types of cheese! Each pairing brought out unique flavors and textures I wouldn’t have expected. I also realized how little I actually know about cheese, which has definitely sparked my curiosity. I’d love to dive deeper into it, so I’m thinking about signing up for a class or two at Antonelli’s sometime soon.
After the event, we decided to stick around for some sushi and other Japanese dishes. Everything we tried was fresh, beautifully prepared, and seriously delicious. A fun and flavorful night all around!
