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sake, shochu and sushi
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Tuesday is basically the day when my better half (I’d better say not my worse, or Rubber Slippers in Italy will clobber me!) is preparing me a solid rice-based bento. She tries to keep it both balanced and hearty as it is a long day until dinner.
So she concocted three “nigiri/rice balls” of steamed rice mixed with finely chopped Japanese green cucumber pickles topped with pitted “umeboshi/pickled Japanese plums” of the sweet variety, or I shall end with too much salt, as it was accompanied by French pickles/cornichons, home-made red turnip pickles and Kyoto-style “shibazuke/pickled cucumbers”. “Pickled Cucumbers” uber alles, as you can see!
The fare to accompany the rice consisted of “kara-age”/deep-fried chicken. This is one dish whose secret my wife has always steadfastly refused to reveal. The only thing I know is that it involves a two-step frying process… Lettuce and plum-tomato grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, a medium soft boiled egg and some potato and broad bean salad. I was given a few “mikan”/mandarines for dessert and needed vitamin C.
By the way, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce a lady from the States who lived quite a few years in Japan before going back home and devising a professional Bento Website called Lunch in a Box! You will find all you need to know there to prepare lunch for your own and loved ones!
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 
Dear Rowena!
Greetings!
Thank you so much for your comments!
I will do my best to coaz Mitsuko into revealing her secrets!
As for mixing nigiri with all kinds of pickles, seaweed, etc. is very home-style food!
Cgeers,
Robert-Giles
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I love the nigiri…never had them where the rice was mixed with chopped cucumber.
As far as referring to your worse or rather, BETTER half ;-), all would be easily forgiven if you managed to coax her into sharing her secret tips for making kara-age. Anything is possible, no? 😉
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Boil the broad beans for a couple of minutes in salted water, drain them and hold them under a running tap so that the cold water stops the cooking. This will aslo help the beans keep their colour. Peel them.
Boil the potatoes. Once cooled down, peel them, add some butter and crush them to the wanted consistency, season with salt and pepper, mix in the broad beans. If you do not use them at once, keep the whole in a Tupperwear, or in a bowl covered with cellophane paper.
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Any more information about the broad bean salad?
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