"Around the World in 2000 Pictures"

This is what I found this morning.

I love it, hope you will too !

"Tairyo Bata (Big Catch Flag)"

There was a shop called "Yuzen" on 6th Street in the East Village in '80s.   
It was a small Japanese Antique Shop specializing in Kimonos, located in the middle of New York's Indian Restaurant block.  Many of these Indian Restaurants are still on that same block serving good Indian food, but that shop is long gone.
Jonathan and I visited that shop many times before and after Indian Dinners.  
And we found more than a few Very Colorful Japanese Antique Flags.
Before they closed their doors, they had a huge sale.  And that was a great time for us to buy those Japanese Fisherman's Flags called "Tairyo-Bata".  
We didn't know what we can use them for.  But Jonathan loved the very graphic nature of cotton flags so much, he felt that he must have them, specially with closing sale prices.  So we ended up buying every one they had.
"Tairyo-Bata" are originally flown by fishing boats to signify a large catch. They can tell their families from far away on the ocean that they have had a Big Catch by raising those flags.  Today they are used as a decorative flags on vessels as well as for festivals and events.  
In Wikipedia, it literally translates as " Big Catch Flag", each rectangular flag bears an intricate design specific to the company or boat, typically involving bright colors and ocean motifs.  
Many of these flags can be still seen in the coastal communities of Japan.  

 This is a picture Jonathan found by internet. 

This is not what I was expected to see.

But this one gives us some idea what fishing boat looks like, 

when they have the "Big Catch"

Normally fisherman do not have this many "Tairyo-Bata"  

This fisherman must have had much good luck in the past.

Doesn't this picture makes you smile ?

Those flags come with in many sizes, and designs.  Most of them have Japanese caricatures, which are names of boats and fisherman.  They are always dyed bright happy colors.  After all, they have message of "Big Catch", that means they have great news to come home with....
Many years later I decoded to make Drapes and Bed Spread and Pillow Covers from "Tairyo-Bata".  Some of them we kept as they were, so we can use them as table cloths, or wrapping cushions.
When you feel cold in your bedroom or when you get "Winter Blues", you need to have something bright in your home, especially in the cold winter mornings after the holidays.  
I sometime put out those Drapes and Bed Spread made from "Taryo-Bata" in January or February till Spring's arrival.
When I'm not ready to get up nor ready to start my day, I need to have some push beside the coffee.  Colorful surroundings gives me that cheerful push !  

Believe it or not, this floor to ceiling drape is made from one "Tairyo-bata"

I hung this colorful drape over a wider simple white drape. 

Some of those cushions are simply wrapped with "Tairyo-Bata"

Others are put into covers I made with "Tairyo-Bata"

Some colors faded a little, after all they are more than 25 years old.

But as I use, they get softer and lovelier !

This Bed Spread is made from 2 Medium size "Tairyo-Bata"

And it trimmed with Printed Cotton I found in NYC.

Under sleeping pillows, I have shams made with another "Tairyo-Bata"

Happy colors bring me many happy dreams in the Winter Nights !

Even on very cold winter morning, 

when sunlight hit those very bright colors on the "Tairyo-Bata" 

some how it makes me feel Spring is almost here !

"A Natural Fridge"

We had the first snow storm of the season passing though New York City yesterday.  Even though we had very early snow in October, it was a fluke. Compared with last winter, we are having mild one so far.  
Last year at this time, we were so tired of the snow, but this year people are even enjoying the white stuff coming down from sky.
It started after midnight, we went to bed with no sight of it, then wake up with white winter wonder land.
It was Saturday morning, time to go to the farmers' market.   "Are they there ?" questioning myself on the way to Union Square.  But as I getting close to the square I was starting to see people with vegetables in their bags.  
In the winter time, selection we can get at the market is a poor choice.  But I still go there almost every Saturday even  just for Fuji Apples, Peruvian Purple Potatoes, and my beloved Watermelon Radishes.  Some people go there to get Fresh Caught Fish from Long Island or Organic Chickens and Eggs.  Some may go there for Breads and Sweets.  And you still can find jar goods like home-made preserves and pickles.
Snow continued to falling down till around noon.  Much of the produce was covered with snow. It was a very cold morning and the extra chill from snow coverage on the tables made every thing almost like reaching things in a freezer. 

This is the only hot spot.

 Shoppers didn't mind stopping and chatting and tasting samples.

I guess shoppers are not the only one who wanted to warm up! 

And have some snacks too.

"The New Osechi for New Year"

2011 is over, 2012 has started.  As I do every New Year's Day, I made "OSECHI" for lunch to celebrate the New Year with friends.
"OSECHI" is the traditional food of Japan for New Year.  It is not a dish. it's  a combination of dishes we serve for family and guests for the beginning of the year for a few days.  Every family has their own dishes to call "OSECHI", every family prepared it for days before New Year's Day.
I usually cook for at least 3 days before New Years.  But at the end of last year, I had a very busy week.  Therefore I didn't have too much time for making it.  
I finally had time to go to "Sunrise Mart (Japanese Grocery Store)" on the 30th. 
I had things to do that afternoon.  So I had only one day to cook.  I had to take short cuts, and I decided to do more Western Flavors not just Japanese Favors.
Somehow using the oven for some dishes seems much easier, and could save cooking time from doing everything on the stove top...
In old days, Japanese kitchens did not have ovens, Japanese cooking was all done on stove tops.  "Oven Cooking" is still not a popular way of cooking in Japanese Households.  And many "OSECHI" dishes are made with Root Vegetables, which means it takes a long time to prepare.  So, I had to think what I can do to make a short cut.  At the same time, my friends who I invited for "Osechi Lunch" have been tasting my "OSECHI" for quite some time.  Maybe it was a good idea for me to change it a little, so they still could enjoy having "OSECHI" for New Year's Day.  I also wanted to serve it differently this year.  
No "Imari Plates", No "White Table Cloth" this year. 
I always have a few "New Year's Day Parties" to go to.  Those parties always have great food.  So having "OSECHI" with friends was how I started a very busy tasty day at beginning of The New Year as I do every year....

This is a traditional Oshogatsu Ryori (New Year's Dish).

"Nishime" stewed Mixed Vegetables.

This is the one dish I have to make for "Osechi"

Japanese Deviled Eggs ?

Hard boiled Egg Whites stuffed with 

"Masago(Cod Roe)" and "Tobiko(Flying Fish Roe)"

"Kamaboko (Fish Cake)" & "Datemaki (Egg and White Fish Roll)".

Two commercially made traditional foods for "Osechi"

How you cut & serve them makes the plate original.

New Item for this year.

Quick blanched String Beans wrapped with Prosciutto.

Popped in the oven for a few minutes just before I served.

Two items Yuki brought for the New Year's Day.

Those are her favorites for "Osechi"

"Carrots & Daikon Vinaigrette" & "Stewed Black Beans"

Everybody has their own memories, 

so I always ask her to make whatever she likes to have on that day.

Another new additional for this year's "Osechi".

Crunchy pre-cooked Lotus Roots stuffed with 

Blue Cheese, Miso, Ground-Sesame Mixture.

"Shio Gobo"

Stewed Burdock Root flavored with 

Mirin(sweet rice wine), Sake, Sea-Salt and Toasted Sesame Seeds.

"Kuri Kinton" with a short cut.

I roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes in the oven.

Pre-roasted and shelled Chestnuts mixed into the mashed Sweet Potato.

And, I added Pomegranate-Molasses for some fluty kick !

  

The Meal finished with "Zoni"

We Japanese must have "Zoni" on New Year's Day.
It is a soup with roasted "Mochi (Sticky Rice Cake)" and vegetables and other things.  Again, every family has their own recipe.  My family always makes Soy-Sauce Based Soup with things added to it.  Regularly I put Carrots, Scallions, Shitake, Spinach and Mitsuba.  But this year I did it with Carrots, Leeks, Whole Shiitake, Pea Shoots, and Mitsuba.   And of course some Fish Cakes with red and white design.  
"OSECHI" and "ZONI" are all symbolism for wishing to have a great new year.
The Red & White combination has meaning of happiness, so we try to eat many things mixed with red & white in foods for many occasions thought the year.  But on New Year's Day we see many of those dishes on the table more than any other days.
"Mochi" is a Steamed Sticky Rice, pounded and made into sheets and cut into individual portions.  Usually we eat after roasting them.  It gets almost crunchy outside but inside is very sticky and stretchy.  "Mochi" has meaning of Strength and Endurance.  If you stick with it, eventually it will happen....
Let us hope this New Year will be a Better and Happier Year for everybody !