Foood?

2/21/2019

So, one of my followers (kidding, what followers? It was an “anonymous” message from my best friend) asked me to talk about food–what I’ve been eating, what I cook at home.

Well uh, to be honest I don’t know if what I eat is all that exciting…and to be fair, since arriving here I’ve had mega sensitive-stomach issues so most of my meals are pretty boring. Paired with that I also really don’t know how to cook, have very few cooking supplies, and am legit always working so the meals I typically eat are on-the-go and aren’t that exciting.

I can’t eat cheese here (had pizza once and never again, the cramps 😖) and apparently chips and snacks are out of the question (I don’t know what’s in them all but the severe stomach pain has me traumatized). I’m not too sure, but if the food seems overly processed it doesn’t seem to sit well with me.

On weekdays when I’m at work I’ll usually just buy a rice ball or a bento from 7/11 and call it good, thus contributing to the lack of interesting food I’ve been eating.

I’ve only just started cooking a week or so ago, now that I’ve finally gotten my first paycheck, visited IKEA and own some decent cooking tools–but even that has had setbacks…

Namely, the fact that my stovetop is an induction heat cooker (which uses a magnet system to heat your pot but nothing else) and the frying pan I bought doesn’t work on it (since it’s made of aluminum and thus, not magnetic). I ended up giving my pan away to my co-teacher, Scott, who will probably never use it since he’s lived here a year already without cooking supplies. Sigh.

At least the pot I bought works, though frying an egg in a pot feels wrong on some level, especially without vegetable oil or another non-stick cooking agent. Still, I can’t complain when IH cooking is actually the best. Water boils crazy fast, it’s super safe since it doesn’t heat anything but your pot, and if you want to lower the heat it happens instantaneously, giving you a lot more control. Plus if you remove your pot from the surface, it senses it and turns off after a minute or so.

These days I experiment with various flavors of ramen (of which there is no shortage, and the packs are crazy cheap) my favorite being Yakisoba (fried noodles). I usually throw an egg in for a little more substance and will add veggies as well as soon as I find a frying pan that works. My pot can only fry so much at a time.

My phone typically perches on the shelf above, usually playing “The Daily Show” or Trixie Mattel and Katya’s YouTube show “UNHhhh”.

The kitchen space itself is a work in progress.

Stuffed in the upper shelves are various cereals (Japan uses bags instead of boxes, and good luck finding your favorite sweetie puffs here. Cereal here is pretty much all granola-based pro-health food, unless you buy the few kids’ brands) along with ramen packs, bread, instant coffees and teas and a tiny vial of off-brand honey that cost like $5 (the normal brands in regular sizes are between $11-17 and honestly how much am I going to consume?). Same situation for peanut butter, though there is plenty of jam to choose from (just not grape jelly, never grape jelly).

Below the top shelves I’ve set my medicine and other odd ends. There is a medicine cabinet in the washroom but it is consistently too humid in there for me to comfortably store anything.

The wire racks were an easy and cheap buy at the dollar store, and I adore them. When I own more than 1 mug I intend to hang them all there.

In terms of dishes, I pretty much only have 1 or 2 of everything to cut down on washing (I am forced to do my dishes or not have any at all) and to save space. The only cabinets I have are under the sink–but I do have a floor-to-ceiling shoe closet by the front door which I’m using for linens and towels as well, but could spare some shelves for pantry use if need be.

My fridge stays pretty empty except for the store-bought smoothies I’m experimenting with (the banana carrot one was actually terrible, but apple berry was good. All the names are in Japanese so I’m just speculating from what fruits and veggies are pictured 🤣) along with water bottles and usually a box or two of pickled radish that I enjoy with dinner most nights.

Japanese people typically grocery shop every day instead of just periodically the way Americans do, so it’s normal to keep just a day or two’s worth of food in the house at a time.

I don’t have the space to do much else so I’ve taken up stopping by the store on the way home from work most nights to pick up fresh food. Namely I’m buying eggs (you can buy them in 4-packs here!) and my beloved pickled radishes.

Now I’ll just post pictures of any interesting-looking meals I’ve had while eating out. Most of these I had with my friend Liz, some alone and some at random cafés with my co-teacher Sarah. I’ll include drinks as well because why not.

Here is a sweetened milk tea with berries from Tully’s Coffee, Liz and I’s favorite chain café in Japan.

Good old fashion lattes from Graphic Coffee(?) with Sarah. She caught me being basic.

From the same café–

Valentines Chocolates. Sarah’s pistachio flavored ones were actually amazing.

Chicken katsudon and tonkatsu over rice with cold soba noodles. Liz and I actually came back here the next week, it was cheap and fantastic.

Before the meal we ordered chilled tomatoes. Bless

Pork curry at my favorite jazz bar. Bonus, Takaya-san and his crew playing an extra song for me (since I had to work and came late, so I missed the main show). Seriously so great.

This little place Liz and I found in Enoshima that served some eclectic, random foods from around the world. I went home and wanted to die, but it was worth it.

A salad with fries (heh) at a random café.

My favorite so far, veggie curry soup from CoCoCurry.

Yokohama with Liz–gyoza, rice, and melon soda. Later we found a Granny Smith’s and got some apple custard pie a la mode (with cranberry sauce!!)

Galaxy themed chocolates for Valentines Day. I didn’t buy these, though they were fascinating.

Something of an Italian restaurant. Salad and shrimp!

Have a bonus–just a little focusless shot of lunch break with my staff mates. It shows neither their faces nor the food but I enjoyed the snapshot in time, and that feeling when the whole offices closes for an hour and we can all feel comfortable.

*Edit 2/24/19*

Finally got a frying pan and figured I’d add some more pictures.