Sunday, February 20, 2011

It's a Japanese Party

Last night we had Sister-In-Law, Brother-in-Law, nephews, Robert, and Laura over for dinner.

I love when it's them, because for the most part, they'll go along with any crazy food idea I have. 

Like, they'll actually try it.

Without complaining.

Last night it was Japanese food.

Ugh.

My mouth is already watering just writing about it.

A couple of weeks ago, Sister-in-Law jokingly said that we should get a takoyaki grill.

Instead of going through the expense, I told her we'd do okonomiyaki and thanks to friend, Lisa, I was able to find all the right stuff.

I made the okonomiyaki all wrong - it didn't even look right.

My batter was too thin.

My cabbage was cut too big.

Basically, it was a big, fat, mess.

I am refusing to take any blame because the measurements were all metric - as if any red-blooded American knows how much 120mL of water is. 

Plus, the instructions were written in Japanese, and while I speak the language somewhat, I continue to be very nearly illiterate.

But OH-EM-GEE, when I put it the okonomiyaki my mouth, it didn't even matter.

Because it tasted like...home.

And deliciousness.

Like, it was soooooo good, I didn't even care if anyone else tried it, liked it, wanted more.

With that plus the honest-to-goodness homemade yakisoba (which I didn't mess up), I was in heaven.

Even though it wasn't pretty, here's what we ended up with (my profound apologies to all those Hiroshima-ites for wrecking one of their regional cuisines):


Oh, and wait just a second, is that Kyupi mayonnaise?  As in, I just walked down to the Japanese grocery store and picked up some mayo?  Why yes, yes it is.  UGH.  I tried to get a picture of the little nakey baby on the front, but my camera wasn't having it.


And the best news?  I have leftovers.

Many thanks to those who came to experience this culinary triumph...or whatever it was.

And if you wish to experience more of Japan (and by that, I mean taiko), put this on your calendars.

I'll totally be there.

As if you didn't have enough reasons to go already.

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