Summer Eats

Summer continues.
I'd forgotten how hot it was. I've dropped 10 pounds since summer started, the incessant heat killing my appetite.

When I do cook, I try to do so at night, when the heat in the aparement is not as intense. I've been cooking a ton of diakon lately. I went to the cheap farmers market near me and, in the corner, found a bag of four diakon on sale for 100yen. What a deal! I've discovered how great diakon is: they are big, cheap, made mostly of water, and take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. The only trouble is grading them. I liked graded diakon the best, but it takes FOREVER. What I would do for a food processor. So far I've made diakon and onion chicken, diakon and onion "tacos" (the "taco shell" was actually tofu skin, but the taco seasoning was from home), and diakon and onion pancakes.

They sound the same, but they taste very different.

My other farmer's market favorite at the moment is corn. It's about only 80yen per head if I buy it fresh. However, since I'm cheap and don't notice much of a difference in taste, I always wait for them to put out bags of the less-fresh stuff, usually about 3 heads for 100yen. Sure, it's carbs, but it just feels so healthy to knaw away at the cob. Sometimes it's all I will eat for dinner, so I think the carbs are probably a good thing.

I also finally got around to looking up the kanji for "firm tofu". There are a million different kinds at the store, so I usually just buy what is cheap, but man, after trying the firm tofu... I ate the whole block, plain, with just some wasabi flakes, and it was just about the best thing I've had in months (talk about a cheap meal! It's only about 50 yen a block). I felt super guilty for eating the whole thing afterwards, but it was so good... I will have to hide half of it away next time so I am not tempted.

The two other recent food staples in my life are Calipse and azuki ice cream bars. Calipse is this watery milk-based drink that is quite unlike anything I've found outside Japan. It's refreshing and I only buy the zero calorie stuff, so it feels pretty guilt free. Of course I always have Pepsi NEX on hand, but a little variety is nice. The Asuki bars, also very Japanese, are my daily indulgence. Made from red beans, it is cool and sweet, but low fat and low calorie. Having cold food around is absolutely essential in this heat, so I don't feel much guilt about it.

I always have celery on hand too, of course. Yuki thinks it's funny. I get the feeling that celery is not a popular food for Japanese. I love it because it is sweet, but I think that is the kiss of death around here.

Normally, all this talk of food would doubtless make me hungry. However, the air conditioning is broken in the office (and they don't seem inclined to get it fixed) so it is sweltering in here. Actually, that is why this was the perfect time to write this entry; as they say, never go to the grocery store hungry.

Cheers,

sweaty Baer