I am quite happy with the fact that I spent my early youth being bitter and angry at the world for reasons I now find completely abject. My old notebooks evidently say I should go through the “wild child” phase since it was de riguer. The pursuant of that misread goal was a fool’s errand. I couldn’t help it; I just did what adults suggested I should. I didn’t meet anyone whose advice best served its purpose until I was way into my last year in college. She was a professor. We accidentally spent a short walk one afternoon and she offered me words that resounded loud and clear within me. That unintended suggestion allowed in ending poring over unnecessary habits. I am and always will be grateful.
I am quite happy because I now spend most of my time doing things that I truly enjoy and believe in. I am no longer plagued with unrealized dreams, misplaced “life quotes” and irrational leanings. I’ve now reconciled with who I really am as a person. I truly am comfortable with how I became the person that I am.
It is true that I’ve knowingly let go of opportunities that might’ve turned my life around. I’ve made choices that wasted more than five years of my life that could’ve been spent elsewhere. Whatever happened, it was my decision and regrets have no place in it. Even if that decision lead to a declared misfortune and disappointment, like I said regret has no place in it. It might not have been an equal trade but it made into a person who obtained an unshakable faith in how beautiful life truly is.
These thoughts were running through my mind as the pedicab driver braved his way through the floody streets on our way home. A floody street in the rural (very rural) area is not a pleasing sight. I was deposited in the front gate a good 8 meters away from the front door. I surprisingly got to the door fairly dry but decided to shower anyways. After I got settled I decided that I’d be making Soboro don the next day.
I’ve mentioned before (in this site) that I watch NHK World regularly. One of the shows that I watch is Your Japanese Kitchen with Harumi Kurihara-san. This episode is a repeat and since I’ve been seeing a lot of Donburi all over TV, anime and manga that I can no longer resist the urge to make one.
I’ve read a post in No Recipes by Chef Matsumoto where the cooking method was different. What I wanted was an explanation of what Soboro don actually is so I turned to Google search to find out why.
The one I made is completely different. The closest resemblance that it has in both Chef Matsumoto and Chef Harumi Kurihara is that the topping looks crumbly.
Darkened Tuna Soboro don
1 cup freshly steamed white rice
1/2 cup tuna (I used the canned variety in brine)
2 med eggs
1 bunch green onions
salt
pepper
Cook the eggs. Heat a thin layer of oil in a pan over medium low. Break the eggs into a small bowl , season with salt and pepper (this is my preferred method when I scramble eggs). Pour the eggs into the pan and keep on scrambling with a fork or whisk or cooking chopsticks as they cook. Toss the eggs on a small plate and set aside.
Prepare the tuna. In a pan, heat a thin layer of oil. Once hot, place the tuna and repeatedly scramble the flakes into crumb like pieces with a fork or cooking chopsticks. Since I used a canned tuna I decided to stir fry it and brown it as I desired. Toss the cooked tuna in a small bowl and set aside.
Chop a bunch of green onions. Set aside
Assemble the Sobodo don. In a bowl, scoop enough freshly steamed rice almost to the brim. Fill top half of the bowl with the eggs. Fill the other half with the tuna. Line the middle part with the chopped green onions. Done.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
Pork Cutlet Bento
6 pcs pork tocino
3 string beans
cornstarch
salt and pepper
For the string beans:
Remove the tops and ends of each string beans. In a small pan, heat a thin layer of oil over medium-low. Once hot quickly stir fry the string beans, season with salt and pepper then add a spoonful of water, cover with a drop lid for a minute. Check for doneness, and then set aside.
For the pork cutlets:
Slice the pork tocino cutlets into at least 1″x.5″ pieces. Sprinkle cornstarch over the cutlets then carefully coat each piece with the cornstarch. Make sure that each piece is coated with cornstarh evenly yet thinly. Heat enough oil in a pan to deep fry the pork cutlets set aside.
Please excuse my poorly executed “berry”. I am new to this type of bento making. I shall work harder and hopefully amaze you.
Also here’s some omurice:
