Re: Daigaku Potatoes

Hi, Hamako !
This is Dora.

〉〉〉Wow, thank you.
〉〉〉I'm veery happy to know that
〉〉〉there is a friend who enjoy my story even though my "not good" writing ability!
〉〉ABSOLUTELY, NO "not good" stuff in your words, in your
〉〉writing. I always have to think this every time when I read
〉〉your articles.
〉Ooh-ooh.
〉I'm a pupil who have not much practiced writing
〉and would rather practice it on this board than do it on my own.
〉I think your writing has rules of grammar, and natural.
〉I admire it.
Thank you so much !
However, to say the truth, actually, I'm not the one who is
familiar with English grammar.
I was in the scientific course in my student period,
and English was one of my hardest subject, almost flunking.
But, before several years, with the middle of my thirties,
I became in charge of some projects that I worked with
an American company, then I began to study English again.
Soon, I started to exchange emails between some technical
guys in Chicago, and to make some business trips to the U.S.

You know, these were very awful, but really exciting
experience to me.
At early period, very very slowly I could read through
their emails and writing replies was much more painful.
But I was always caring in writing as that the receiver
should not be going to misunderstand my intent even
though there might be some mistakes in my grammar.

Once I received their replies, I could understand
that they also could understand what I wrote in my
preceding email, and I thanked them for their patience.
Therefore, I could feel joy for my achievement in my work
and in my communication with them.

Recently, after I started extensive reading, there is
less pain in using English, although with my work,
more and more joy is growing in my mind.

And also this chatting, especially with you,
makes me fun !

〉〉At the instant when I saw the title "Digaku Potatoes",
〉〉immediately I had realized what you were saying in your
〉〉article intuitionally...
〉〉"You are again, with a recipe, followed to your ODEN article."
〉fumu, fumu.

〉〉At the same time, I think how the funny expression
〉〉"Daigaku Potatoes" is, half of Japanese and half of English,
〉〉and then many many ideas flooded in my head....
〉〉'How about "College Potatoes" ? Haha...'
〉〉'No, no, Daigakuimo has to be a kind of proper-noun, so
〉〉it could be left exact Japanese expression...'
〉〉'Humm, before it begins, where does the origin of this
〉〉strange Japanese come from ?...'
〉〉Then I asked it Google.
〉〉'Er.., there are several origins..., anyway "Daigaku" might
〉〉mean Tokyo University ! So the expression "University
〉〉Potatoes" or "College Potatoes" would be possible...'
〉〉'At any rate, it must be such a funny mess all around it.'
〉I got you!
〉I expected when readers saw the title they'd got a little confusion and started think with several ideas.

YEAH !
Exactly, at that moment, I was trapped what you had been
expecting !
Your funny phrase "Daigaku Potatoes" just made it.

〉〉So I can eat much portion of vegetables with them, and it
〉〉must be good for my health, I think too.
〉I made a "Chinese soup nabe" for yesterday's supper.
〉First, I made a base soup which contained some sea weeds,
〉sake, mirin, soy sauce, salt, pepper, sesame oil, water
〉and pasted Chinese soup which called "Shan whei" (I don't know its spell) by Cook Do, Ajinomoto.
〉Then took some vegetables and meat like onions, bean sprouts,
〉cabbage, carrots, etc, and pork back ribs.
〉And of course Chinese noodles.
〉My husband and I add red chilli peppers in it.
〉It was so yummy!!!

That's so-called Ramen-Nabe.
It must be delicious, especially with cabbage and sprouts,
I definitely believe...

Today, I made Ton-Shabu.
For the long time, I've believed that Ponzu vinegar is the
best sauce for some kind of ShabuShabu.
But some day, a guy on an article in some cuisine magazine
said.
'Mix rice vinegar and soy sauce at 4 to 1 ratio.'
'It's the best way to feed Ton-Shabu.'
He also said.
'You also can mix Yuzu-Gosho or grated garlic into this
mixed liquid.'
So why not I was going to try it...
Actually, it's extremely delicious !!!
I prefer the grated garlic way.

Today I purchased sliced pork, sprouts, long leek,
Komatsuna, red-piment, Enoki mushroom, chinese-noodle
and of course, garlic.

I can hardly feel guilty if I have garlic today, because
I will be off tomorrow.

First I sank sea weed into the cold water in order to
make them extracting soup.
Long leek (Japanese onion) is sliced into the way
which is called Shiraga-Negi.
Red-piment is also sliced.
Komatsuna is trimmed stem part off.
I boiled the sea weed water and ate them.

After that, I added one portion of soy-sauce-tasted-ramen-soup
into the boiled water which now must contain the essence of all
those things, then sank boilded-chinese-noodle and ate it.
It was so delicious and I'm too full...

〉Have a happy delicious day, Dora!
Thank you, and I wish you'd have it, too!
And all I wish is...

Have a delicious dream, Hamako !

Dora