A Bit of Comfort on a Rainy Day

Before I get to my topic, can I just say, I am so glad it is Friday evening. I am exhausted. My students were quite wound up after the 3 day weekend and then 2 days of rainy day scheduling (indoor recess...) I have been enjoying quiet and calm at home this evening.

Now that I have that off my chest, I am going to share a bit of what I think of as comfort food. It may seem funny to you. I am a Scots - Portuguese California native that finds everyday Japanese food to be comfort food. I lived in Japan for 2 years while in my mid-twenties. And yet I find myself at times thinking "when I was growing up in Japan." I suppose in some ways I did. I learned a great deal about myself while I was there. I love the culture, the people and the landscape.

Tonight, while wandering the grocery store aisles, I decided to make Okonomiyaki. It is a regional food found in cafes and train stations. It is a savory cabbage pancake. So I grabbed a coleslaw mix (shredded green and purple cabbage, with carrots) and a bell pepper. I had the rest of the stuff needed at home. Typically the mixture included shrimp or thin slices of meat such as ham/bacon. I am not a huge fish fan, so I dug through the fridge at home to add some tasty ingredients of my own. There was crumbled bacon, diced bell pepper, a bit of grated ginger and chopped garlic, and some cubed fresh mozzarella.

Oishii desu! (Delicious) I haven't made this in awhile but have to remember it is quite quick and simple. And YUMMY!

Here is the website I used for the recipe. I used regular flour, no starch additive. It was fine. Make sure not to over mix though. I was making only one for myself, I did cut the batch in half and it was perfect. Love the variations on this page.

I like it with the sauce they recommend.

Easy Okonomi Sauce Recipe:
Mix 3 tbs of ketchup, with 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, with 1 tsp of Soy Sauce. 

(Taken from Okonomiyaki World site)

On an artistic note, I sent out my first Etegami. I found some watercolor postcards in my stash of art supplies. I painted another umbrella and sent it off with a quick note to my mother in law. It is definitely winter and wet where she is outside Seattle. So a bit of color should bring a smile to her face.