日報

In my previous job, I had the opportunity to go to a very high-end sushi restaurant.
It was so long ago that I don't remember how old I was, but it was when I was much younger.
It was a counter-only restaurant, and naturally, there were no prices written anywhere, nor were there any menu items on the wall.

Since it was a meal I didn't have to pay for myself, I didn't have to worry about the cost, but even so, it was such a proper sushi restaurant that it made me quite nervous.

From familiar ingredients to ones I'd never heard of, everything was incredibly delicious and impressive. I particularly disliked sea urchin until then, but this one was so good it jumped into my top 3 most delicious foods I've ever eaten in my life.

Another thing that impressed me was the aroma of the wasabi. It was completely different from any wasabi I'd had before, with a pungent aroma that went straight up my nose. It wasn't unbearably spicy, but it had a good kick to it, and the perfect flavor was pleasant and felt good.

I even found myself doing that thing you often see in dramas and manga, where you close your eyes and tilt your head up slightly because something is so delicious. I feel like it was the first time I truly appreciated flavor.

Then, the morning after, I ate a McDonald's Egg McMuffin, and just because of the previous day's experience, after putting it in my mouth and experiencing the aroma through my nose, it felt just a little bit more delicious than usual.

It was an interesting experience that I remember well: after eating incredibly delicious sushi, I started eating my regular meals more slowly and began to notice the aromas through my nose, which made everything taste a little more delicious than usual.

When I'm too busy and forget to savor my food, I remember that experience and try to eat a little more slowly, making sure to appreciate the aroma as well.

When it comes to washing dishes and cooking utensils in the kitchen, I imagine everyone has their own method, but mine is to first rinse everything with a paper towel and then use a sponge.

I try to avoid getting the sponge dirty, so I use a paper towel to wash off most of the grime before using the sponge. Unless there's heavy grease, I can usually rinse off most of it with just a paper towel, without even using detergent, which is great because it keeps the sponge from getting too dirty.

I dislike leaving dirty dishes to dry and making them harder to wash later, so I resist the urge to relax after meals and wash everything right away.

I wash quickly because I want to make it as easy as possible since I have to do it anyway. You might think that washing too quickly when guests are over could be interpreted as a hint for them to leave, but I think it's probably fine. Because I really do wash everything immediately!

I'm so quick at washing that I'm giving off more of a "I want to wash quickly" vibe than a "please leave soon" vibe, so I'm hoping people just think it's my personality. Believing that, I'll continue to wash immediately from now on!

We are currently developing a variety of original kikkake products.
kikkake started as an online store related to daily life.
Cooking will remain at the core, but I believe it's good to have a variety of items as long as they are necessities around the home.

We are currently undergoing a lot of trial and error with the hope of creating stylish and fun-to-use items that are essential for daily life, such as cooking utensils, placemats, towels, clothes pegs, shopping bags, and more. So please look forward to them.

If you have any requests or ideas for products you'd like to see, based on your experience with kikkake's online store or YouTube, we would be very happy if you could let us know via email or YouTube comments.

The ajillo I had at a nearby bistro was delicious, so I asked the staff how to make it, and they said to add soy sauce and Ajinomoto.

I was surprised that soy sauce, a representative Japanese seasoning, and an umami seasoning were the secret ingredients in a Western dish like ajillo.

Ajillo isn't a very difficult dish, as it's usually delicious if you just put your favorite ingredients in olive oil. On the other hand, I also think it's difficult to make it stand out. So, as I ate, I thought that restaurants that can make such delicious ajillo are amazing.

Everything at this restaurant is delicious, and even though there are only three staff members, there are a lot of customers, yet it doesn't feel crowded. Everyone moves efficiently, making you think they're all very capable. The food comes out incredibly fast.

A good restaurant not only needs delicious food but also excellent operations, pricing, and atmosphere. I was impressed as I ate the delicious ajillo, realizing that they've thought through and achieved all of these elements, which is why it's so delicious and so popular.

I enjoy cooking.
I want to eat something delicious, if I'm going to cook anyway, and it makes me happy when people tell me it's good.
There's also a sense of accomplishment if I can cook in a way that brings out the best in the ingredients.

I imagine people who like cooking probably feel the same way about these things.

Something else that's a bit unusual for me is that I "lose track of time."

To be precise, when I'm cooking, I often realize, "Oh, two hours have already passed," and more time has gone by than I expected.

I don't usually get absorbed in things, so when I'm sautéing onions or something and realize an hour has passed, it makes me a little happy.

Eating is an essential act for living, and cooking to enjoy eating enriches life, so I feel that liking to cook is a very good thing.

I still feel like I can get better, and cooking also makes me feel like I have room to grow and potential, which is another reason I like it.

Allow me to introduce my personal method for shaping onigiri.

I've gone through phases of shaping them firmly and shaping them loosely, but now I use what I call the "hamburger patty" method.

When you knead and shape hamburger meat, you probably clap the patty between your hands to remove air. I think that not only removes air but also helps distribute the density evenly, making for a neater shape. Inspired by that, I started clapping my onigiri.

When you first scoop the rice from the cooker onto your hand, the clumps and density are uneven, making it difficult to shape. However, if you clap it about 10 times to round it out, the density becomes uniform and the shape starts to look neat. From there, a light shaping into a triangle completes it. That's my current onigiri shaping method.

This method reduces the amount of shaping needed to make a triangle, making it feel easier.

This was a new discovery for me, but I wonder what the general consensus is. I'd be embarrassed if it's a common method, but it's easy to shape, so if you have a chance to make onigiri, please give it a try.