It is January 1st, 2009. Grandma is shuffling in the kitchen fussing over my favorite 'ozoni' soup. She mumbles something in Japanese, "...Shiran. My food no taste good this year." She says this every year, with out fail even though we tell her it's just as amazing as last year and the year before. Guests are salivating over the delicacies which completely cover the huge dining table. Seki-han (red-bean mochi rice), octopus with green onion, sesame oil and soy sauce, kamaboku (pink, white and green Japanese fish cakes), lobster, shrimp, kuromame (sweetend black soy beans, dried fish, kuri (chestnut paste), sushi, kazunoko (herring roe), bbq pork, california rolls, potato salad, chicken salad, cucumber kim-chee, green bean casserole, chirashi (sushi rice), kalbi (Korean bbq beef), sesame chicken and ozoni (soup with mochi). Most of the Japanese food prepared by Grandma on New Years Day has special meaning associated with it. I know the beans mean something that has to do with money, I think. I always make sure I eat a couple (I pop it in to my mouth real fast and barely chew... I don't really like the taste). I sneak a small piece of beef off of the edge of a plate while Grandpa smiles warmly at me. "Ara! Dame! Kitanai...Wash your hands!", I hear my Grandmother shout at me from the kitchen. I swear that woman has eyes on the back of her head.
And then there are the dogs. Cassidy (black Lab), Lacy (yellow lab) and Kahea (half fox terrier and half chihuahua) "Lacy! NO!"... "Kahea, get back here!"... "Caaaas! Cassidy..." All three circle the dining room table in hopes of just one fallen morsel of Grandma's home-cooked creations.
I'm feeling quite toasty and very red. I've had about 5 sake shots by this time, 9 p.m. or so, and it's time for something sweet. Mmmm, cookies, King's Hawaiian Passion cake, homemade bundt cake, Aunty's green jello... I start to feel guilty for not knowing how to cook New Year's food like my Grandma, so I pick up my camera and take pictures the pretty food instead.
Kampai! Happy New Year!
Low Tide Sunday (taken with a Canon Digital Elf SD400)
Huntington Beach, Ca. Winter months bring exceptionally low tides.
Mochi (taken with a Canon 20D)
Mochi is also made into a New Year's decoration called kagami mochi (鏡餅, kagami mochi), formed from two round cakes of mochi with a bitter orange (橙, daidai) placed on top. The name daidai is supposed to be auspicious since it means "several generations."
Osechi-Ryori (taken with a Canon 20D)
Osechi-ryōri (御節料理 or お節料理) are traditional Japanese New Year foods.
Last Meal of 2008 (taken with an iPhone)
Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata ramen. My order: Hakata Ramen, extra firm noodle, strong broth, topped with char-siu and spicy miso. An order of gyoza and a seaweed salad accompanied my ramen (gyoza was consumed rapidly prior to this photo being taken).
I miss celebrating shogatsu. ^_^
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ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! :D
erin,
ReplyDeletei enjoyed reading you latest entry, "shogastu". if there isn't one already, someone should come out with a book explaining all symbolism behind the new year's cuisine. every year, there's at least one conversation where people are sharing and sometimes guessing what each food means.
kampai!
Good idea! For a book, I haven't seen one out yet that's done that... SSShhh, be vewy vewy quiet about this one, I may have to pounce on that idea! YAY! Thanks!
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