January
21, 2005 - Parting thoughts (Day 10)
The cuisine is exquisite in Japan and for me there were two choices, sushi or ramen. It’s possible my dining experiences were modified, reflecting someone in particulars palate.
Japan has strengthened Tim and Diana’s marriage. They may attribute this to numerous factors but I know it has something to do with ramen. We all know a few of their “issues,” like the fact that Tim contributes to cooking and shopping for groceries about twice a year. We do appreciate, and love, his annual fish tacos and the bi-yearly cheesecake, but we are well aware of the frustration incurred in living with this life partner who cringes at the thought of cooking without a recipe or dirtying and washing dishes. If you’re Tim Hammer, for ten bucks you buy a box of top-ramen which will see you through to the other side. Fresh ramen, very different from the instant stuff we have in the states, with the addition of mushrooms, (the only affordable fresh vegetable), has transformed my brother into a culinary artist and really, since this is the only package they are able to recognize at the grocery store, I suspect they will be eating ramen for the next year and half.
Before visiting Tim and Diana in Japan I had been a leg-avoiding eater for eleven years. During my eleven days in Japan, I made up for lost time consuming at least two pigs and one cow. My dining options here in Montana have quadrupled.
In Fukiya I enjoyed a bowl of pork udon, a side of pork, and a plate of beef curry in addition to my two pots of tea. You may be thinking, “That’s a lot of food,” and you’re right because it was- the whole menu. In spite of a computerized pocket dictionary, there was confusion. The cook, who was also the hostess and waiter, treated us like royalty giving us complementary post cards in addition to thirty minutes of conversation that was lost on our ignorant ears, so I ate it - all of it.
Natto:
Since Tim and Diana’s first jaunt in Japan, Tim has kept a constant stash of fermented soy beans that smell a lot like trench foot, in their fridge. Here I was and there it was again. Intrigued by the packaging which, like all the snack food packaging in Japan, is downright ingenious, I again attempted natto.
My visit with Tim and Diana in Japan was amazing. I loved every frozen and pork-laden moment of it. Wouldn’t change one blasted detail. Missing this opportunity to sleep on lawn furniture padding under their kitchen table would be foolish. Get your ass over there!!!
