日報

Ever since I started YouTube,
I've begun to look at "myself cooking" more objectively.

I'd never seen myself on video before,
so at first, I was very embarrassed.
But despite the embarrassment,
by getting to know myself,
I started noticing unconscious habits
and things I should improve,
and even thought about wanting to have nicer nails.
I realized that knowing oneself is very important for growth.

I had a similar experience in the past.
At my previous job, I ended up participating in a karaoke competition
as part of a duet.
My partner, who was serious about singing gospel in their private life,
suggested we practice.
We went to karaoke, recorded ourselves singing a duet,
and then watched the video for a debriefing.
It was the first time I'd ever heard myself sing,
and well, it was awful.

Compared to how I thought I sounded when singing in the bath,
I believed I was much better,
but the reality was very cruel.

However, after three hours of singing the same song repeatedly,
watching the recording, reflecting, and improving,
a grueling karaoke practice session,
I clearly saw myself improving.
My own videos, which were incredibly embarrassing at first,
stopped bothering me after about the tenth time,
and if anything, I started correcting myself,
like "Oh, that harmony isn't quite right."

Because of such experiences,
I know that recognizing my shortcomings
accelerates improvement,
but even so, I still don't really want to watch myself,
so I'm not keen on doing it actively.

The Japanese are said to have an excellent sense of color.
The abundance of nature throughout the four seasons,
and the wealth of visual information,
are believed to cultivate this sense of color.

Apparently, there are also more ways to describe colors than in other languages,
and indeed, I've noticed that even for the color blue,
there are many different names for subtle variations.
Does an increase in recognition lead to an increase in expression?

Hearing about this sense of color,
I realized that by experiencing many different things,
one's sensibility in that area is refined, and expression becomes richer.

This means that regarding cooking, tableware, and cooking utensils,
by experiencing many different things, trying them out, and cooking with them,
and then reflecting on and expressing the results of what was eaten,
one's sensibility can be refined.

I was thinking about this in the morning,
while eating a curry bun.
I wondered how I would describe the taste of this curry bun, and this was the result:
"It's a delicious bun that tastes like curry!
It's not very spicy."

My sensibilities are still quite unrefined, it seems.

The "Ladle Bench," recently released as an original kikkake product.
As the name suggests, it was created as a temporary stand for ladles and other cooking utensils during cooking.

Originally, scraps of wood left over from making a flowerbed were used as coasters and pot holders. Since they could be used in various situations, we thought it would be good to commercialize them.

At kikkake's kitchen, the Ladle Bench is, of course, used as a temporary rest for ladles, but it's also used in many other situations, so please allow me to introduce them.

・Temporary rest for cooking utensils
　The most intended use.
　As a stand for ladles, cooking chopsticks, spatulas, etc., when you're using them during cooking and just want to set them down somewhere for a moment.

・Pot holder
　As a pot holder when you want to move a pot away from the stove.
　The size of the "Ladle Bench" is quite perfect for this.

・Coaster
　Just right for placing a cup.
　Since it's rectangular, you can also put snacks on it.

・Cutlery rest
　Its slender shape is surprisingly convenient.
　Chopsticks, spoons, forks, knives – everything fits.

・Drying rack
　As a temporary stand for drying large plates or colanders.
　It's convenient when large dishes or cooking utensils can't fit in the dish rack.

・Steamer stand
　After washing a steamer, I thought it would be hard to dry if I just laid it flat, and wished I could lean it at an angle. That's when the Ladle Bench came in very handy.

・Vase mat
　Since many were made during the product's conceptualization stage, some well-used "Ladle Benches" have retired from the kitchen and are now used as drip trays for vases.

These were some of the common uses.
About five of them are kept within reach in the kitchen, and they are valued as easy-to-use cooking tools.

A friend gave me a lot of chestnuts, so I made chestnut rice and stir-fried chestnuts. They were big chestnuts and tough to peel, but cooking with a sense of autumn was a lot of fun.

I feel like I enjoy experiencing the seasons more and more each year, but why do I think "experiencing the seasons is fun" in the first place? Maybe it's because feeling change makes me feel alive, or maybe I'm just happy to have reached autumn healthy and well again this year.

I've met autumn dozens of times, but it's strange how I feel a fresh excitement every time I meet it again after a year.

Considering the joy I feel at the change of seasons, I wonder if age plays a role. When you're young, you and your surroundings are changing so much that you live each day without even noticing the changes in the seasons. But as you get older, those changes settle down, and maybe you become more sensitive to external changes. Does that mean people crave change?

While thinking I don't really know, I enjoyed the delicious chestnut rice, feeling autumn in every bite. Autumn ingredients are the best!

I bought a bamboo steamer.
I'd always wanted one for steaming food, but I could never quite bring myself to buy it. I think buying it was the right decision.

First of all, the atmosphere is great. Just watching the steam rise from the bamboo basket makes the food seem more delicious.

I immediately tried making steamed eggs instead of boiled eggs, and the steamed eggs seemed chewier and tastier.

Next, speaking of steaming, pork buns came to mind. And speaking of pork buns, I thought of 551 Horai. I searched to see if they were sold in Tokyo, and while 551 Horai wasn't available, I found a shop in Ebisu run by relatives of the founder. I went and bought some, steamed them, and they were delicious. They seemed fluffier and tastier than microwaved pork buns.

I felt that both the steamed eggs and pork buns tasted better when made in the steamer. But then I wondered if that was really true. I hadn't made both boiled eggs and microwaved pork buns to compare them side-by-side, so it felt like I was just saying it because of the atmosphere.

However, I also strongly felt that was perfectly fine. The steam rising from the steamer, the unique texture of the bamboo craftsmanship, the effort of boiling water from scratch.

Using a beautiful and slightly fussy cooking tool gives the food a different kind of deliciousness and enjoyment than usual. That's why I get excited when I encounter a new cooking tool.

Ramen, such an enticing word.
If someone asked me what my favorite food was, I'd always say ramen, that's how much I love it.

When I was eating it the most, I think I was having it about 8 times a week.
When I wanted to diet, all I had to do was stop eating ramen, and I'd lose weight instantly, that's how much I was eating.

As time passed and I got older, it started to sit heavy in my stomach after eating it, and coincidentally, I started getting serious about cooking, which led to a period where the frequency of my ramen consumption dropped so much I couldn't even remember the last time I had it.

Yes, but recently, I've started eating it again.
When I eat it again, it's still delicious!
What is it about ramen that's so appealing?
First, the simplicity is great. A single-dish meal is the best.

Each ramen shop has a different concept:
Some shops aren't pretty but their taste is second to none.
Some shops have a wonderful ambiance and visually appealing ramen.
Some shops offer innovative, unique flavors with an edgy feel.
Regardless, it's so enjoyable to receive a bowl of ramen, made with time and effort, embodying the feelings of the shop owner.

I've tried making ramen myself from scratch, including the soup,
but making dashi from scratch for just one bowl is simply not cost-effective,
and somehow I always feel that ramen tastes better when eaten at a shop,
so lately I haven't been making it much, preferring to go out to eat it instead.

So, I feel like I've gained a little weight.
I know I should cut back, but I just can't stop eating ramen!