日報

While creating YouTube content, I had the opportunity to produce a promotional video, what you might call a sponsored video, which was one of my goals.

CORNES & CO.,LTD., a distributor of PEUGEOT kitchenware, approached me about showcasing Peugeot's spice mills.

I was aware of Peugeot's spice mills because they are well-known, but I never expected to be offered such an opportunity. I was deeply humbled and very happy. No, I was extremely happy!

After borrowing various Peugeot spice mills and trying them out, I reaffirmed something: pepper is about aroma, and salt is about texture.

Freshly ground pepper truly has a different aroma, so grinding pepper towards the end of cooking adds a wonderful scent and is excellent for eliminating unpleasant odors. The perception also changes depending on the coarseness, so I felt that a mill with adjustable coarseness is excellent for expanding culinary possibilities.

As for salt, the texture is very pleasant. Because I use rock salt, the taste becomes milder, and as a result of being able to grind it finely, I can strongly taste the saltiness with a small amount, which I believe also enhances sweetness and umami.

In particular, the salt ground with the new product "Maestro Z" can be ground incredibly finely and looks elegant. When I had tempura with that salt, it was a perfect match.

Finally, this is just my personal satisfaction, but when I cook with a cool spice mill, I feel like I can make something delicious, and it tastes delicious!

Since it's my latest video, if you haven't seen it yet, I would be delighted if you could watch it.

While shredding cabbage, I accidentally cut my hand. I've hurt myself cooking many times before, but what made this particularly embarrassing was that I was in the zone, shredding cabbage at a good pace, and just as I thought, "My shredding skills are pretty pro," I got a bit too cocky.

I ended up doing something pretty lame, getting overconfident and then cutting myself, which left me feeling a bit down.

It's not just cooking, but whenever I start something new and begin to improve, I feel like the biggest mistakes happen right when I start to get a bit too confident.

When I first start something and get a little better, I immediately think, "Could I actually have a talent for this?" I wonder if it's just me who thinks that.

Then I stumble big time and get discouraged, but if I keep going, I truly start to get better. However, by that point, I don't really get cocky anymore. In fact, more often than not, I start to realize there are always people better than me, even more so than when I was only halfway decent, and I lose some confidence.

I'm most overconfident when I don't know my own limits. Feeling a bit dejected, thinking "I still have a long way to go," I put a band-aid on my hand.

Even though I was more upset about this than the injury itself, I'm doing well.

There are many things that make us feel the seasons, but for me, the scent of osmanthus is what really signals autumn. If I'm walking and I smell osmanthus, I automatically declare it autumn.

The other day, I stopped by a park and smelled osmanthus, so I went deeper into the park and found a spot where there were osmanthus trees everywhere.

I didn't have the impression that osmanthus trees were planted in such large numbers, so it was striking, but as for the scent, it was just too much.

I strongly felt that balance is important. The faint scent of osmanthus makes me feel autumn, but the overwhelming scent of osmanthus lacked any seasonal charm and felt a bit cloying.

Just like with wasabi in sushi or sansho pepper on unagi, if you add too much, it can just become an irritating smell. As I learned that balance is important for both scent and flavor, I quickly escaped from the osmanthus forest.

I went into an Asian restaurant I happened upon.

From the outside, it was clearly an elaborately designed Asian restaurant. It was a place where you could eat dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and the menu had dishes from various countries like Nasi Goreng, pho, and tom yum goong. I wanted to try everything, but after much deliberation, I decided on Nasi Goreng.

The Nasi Goreng that came out looked exactly like the Nasi Goreng I ate in Indonesia. It tasted very good too.

While it was delicious, regarding the taste, I felt it was adjusted to suit Japanese palates rather than being the same as local flavors. More like soy sauce than fish sauce, for example.

I wasn't entirely without the feeling that I wanted to eat authentic flavors, but this time, I felt this was very good.

It's natural to feel that things tasted in the local climate and environment, like a beer bought as a souvenir from a hot country that tastes watery when drunk in Japan, are different when experienced in Japan, including the atmosphere.

Given that, how should Nasi Goreng be made in Japan to be delicious when eaten by Japanese people in Japan's climate and atmosphere?

The Nasi Goreng I ate then seemed to have been made with such considerations in mind, and I felt it was a very good dish.

When I was a kid, I loved salted squid guts (ika no shiokara), dried shredded squid (surume), and beef jerky.
It was fun to sneak bites from my parents, and my dad often told me, "You're going to be a heavy drinker when you grow up." I feel like he said it about 100 times, but it was probably closer to 12.

As an adult, I'm far from being a heavy drinker; I became an adult who enjoys alcohol in moderation.

However, I still love salted squid guts, dried shredded squid, and beef jerky, and I generally like most foods that are said to pair well with alcohol, such as prosciutto, salami, edamame, fried chicken, and tofu. Perhaps I just always liked rich-flavored foods since I was a child.

"When you become an adult, let's go drinking together." I feel like he said this about 200 times, but in reality, it was probably about 9. Although I didn't become a heavy drinker, I do want to go drinking with my dad someday.

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.