Breakfast, June 16, 2011

There are two leftovers, only a small amount each, in the fridge. Satoimo baby taro root from last night and zucchini with bonito flakes from two days ago. They can be put on the same plate, but taste-wise, they are not in good balance. If I can add one more, and put three items on one plate, it should be okay. And, Tom was complaining last night that there were too many plates. Aha, less plates for Tom's happiness. I'm so nice.

• Steamed rice with shiso furikake purple perilla leaf topping
• Atsuage, hakusai to chingensai no tamagotoji / deep-fried tofu, napa cabbage, baby bok choy with eggs
• Satoimo no nikkorogashi / baby taro root in soy sauce broth
• Zukkiini no okakaae / zucchini with bonito flakes
• Karifurawaa no shami itame / cauliflower with shami and tobanjan

I bought one pack too many atsuage deep-fried tofu at Uwajimaya the other day. It happens, as the nearest shop that carries my favorite atsuage is Central Market in Poulsbo, 1.5 hours away from home. But because of my silly greed, we have been eating one piece of atsuage every day, these days. It's fun to eat favorite food but not after several consecutive days. To fulfill today's quota, a soupy dish with atsuage, hakusai cabbage, chingensai baby bok choy and egg replaces our usual miso soup. Hakusai gives a sweet taste to the soup, and egg poured over other ingredients works as a gentle blanket. It became like a dish for sick persons. Calming if positively put, and boring in another light.

The third item to go on the plate should not be soggy to prevent blending flavors of individual items. A small Chinese dish with cauliflower seasoned with shami and tobanjan would be good, contrasting enough without overpowering. An easy choice. Maybe too easy... Oh, well.

The photo shows what I eat. Tom gets 20-30% more of each item. His plate was a bit overloaded with food. Surprisingly, there was no food debris on his tray after breakfast. Is this because his chopsticks skill is improving or that food on the plate was solid enough to easily pick up?