Solo lunch at home is usually composed of leftovers remade into something else. Sometime it’s just a matter of re-heating the food, sometime it goes experimental by trying something new and don’t care much if it turns out good or bad because it’s just a Solo lunch !

家での独り飯はほぼ残り物で作っている。昨日の残り物をただ温めただけの場合も有るし、残り物を利用し、何か別の物を作ってしまう場合だってある。失敗しても気にしない実験室。だって独り飯だもん。

Cooking daily from day to night means it’s a on going process, not like preparing something special like Christmas or any kind of parties, which the process is carefully planned and ends in a couple of day (including the preparations). Daily cooking is smartly taking in seasonal produce and making it work 1 to 3 days, each days overlapping with something new to please your appetite and curiosity.

私にとって日々の家庭料理は終わりなきプロセスで、何か特別なもの、たとえばクリスマスとかパーティー料理の様に２〜３日で終わるような物では無い（準備期間を含め）。日々の料理って、その時の旬な食材を賢く取り入れつつ飽きさせない様に工夫し、２〜３日持たせつつ、お惣菜を入れ替えて、緩く、緩く組み立てて行くって事。

I’ve decided to make notes to the ones I took pictures of by blogging it time to time. Taking these picture was not planned. It all happened coincidently. The lighting was maybe good, the selection of tableware was worth to note or the food was just good.

なんて事の無い地味な事柄なんだけど、ここにて記録して置こうとふと思った。写真はこれをと決めた訳では無く、たまたま日中の光が綺麗だったり、選んだ食器が好みだったり、ただ単に美味しかったから撮影したものばかり。

Aug 9: Cabbage and anchovy pasta

I had a small portion of cabbage and pasta and wanted to use it up so this is what I made. In a sauce pan I cooked 2 anchovy fillet, 1 thinly sliced garlic & red pepper with olive oil. When the ingredients starts to sizzle lower the heat and cook them a little bit more (but do not brown them) and turn the heat off and set it aside. Boil the pasta with salt and just a minute before it is cooked, add the cabbage and finish cooking the pasta. When the pasta is cooked, drain them and add it to the pan with the anchovy and garlic and cook them together. (You can add some boiling water to emulsify the sauce). Place the pasta on the place and drizzle extra olive oil and enjoy.

キャベツは丸のまま買って来て、ちょっとづつ使うのですが、最後のちょっとが残ってて、二人分には少ない。パントリーをカサカサしてたら、一人前のパスタを発見。お掃除感覚でキャベツとアンチョビーのパスタを作る。鍋にお湯を沸かし、塩を入れておく。プライパンにアンチョビー二本、ニンニンのみじん切りと唐辛子をオリーブオイルで炒める。アンチョビーは細かくして、ニンニクの香りが立って来たら火から下ろしておく。パスタを茹でて、茹であかり１分前にキャベツを入れて一緒に仕上げる。パスタが茹で上がったら、水気を切り（この時、茹で汁をちょっととっておく）アンチョビーとニンニクが入っているフライパンに投入。良く炒め、茹で汁を少々いれ、油を乳化させる。味を見る。（茹でる時にパスタにしっかり塩分を含ませておけば、アンチョビーの塩分だけで十分、必要ならば塩を少し足す）器に盛り付けて、オリーブオイルを回しかけていただく。

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Aug 29: Soba and Tamago-yaki

I remember that I had a busy helping my bro for 3-4days. This meal, for lunch the next day, when everything was signed sealed and delivered, I found out that had nothing left in my fridge (because I didn’t had time to cook while helping out my bro). I looked through my pantry and found 1 servings of soba noodles so I just boiled them. I had soba sauce (not just for soba but for extra help when I have no time to make Japanese broth) and some wasabi. My partner’s mom got some sushi for us last night and had some rolled eggs left so that went well with this simple soba lunch combo.

この数日前からバンコクから来た夫のアテンドで朝から出かける。夕飯も外食だったり、遅めの昼食で夕食抜きとか不規則。弟が帰った後、もちろん作りおき、残り物など無く、パントリーで蕎麦発見。昨夜寿司のお弁当など買って来てくれた母がくれた卵焼きと頂き。蕎麦つゆはあまり使わないが、忙しい時にパパッと出汁が取れる故、たまーに冷蔵庫に入っている。

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Aug 31: Luroufan (Minced pork rice)

I made a large batch of Luroufan and had that for lunch.

昨日久しぶりに魯肉飯を作る。何冊かある台湾系の料理本を見比べ、これかなぁと思いつつ作ってみる。美味しいし、夕飯２回、昼ご飯（私の独り飯）２回分楽した。

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Sept 27: Peanut congee

It’s end of September in Japan and fresh peanut is in season! Chiba, (were Narita Int. Airport is located) is famous of peanut. You can get them in anyways, roasted, buttered, salty or sweet but the best to enjoy them is the fresh ones! Just wash off the dirt and boiled it for about 40 min in salted water ( for 1L add 1 Tbs of salt) and when it’s done, turn the heat off and leave them in hot water for 5 more min. Drain them and enjoy them.

Last yr, when I was going through my fridge I found some of these boil peanut leftovers. I added them to my hot rice congee and loved it so much. The sweetness and the softness of the hot rice vs the nutty crunchy but soft different kind of sweetness peanut in one mouth was just so addictive.

あぁ、今年も落花生の季節が来た事を喜びつつ、茹でて味わう。もちろん残る訳なので、今年もお粥に茹でた落花生を入れて一緒にいただく。口の中に甘いふわふわしたお粥に、落花生のほっくりした甘味の味わいにうっとり。私はこう言うシンプルな物が好きなのかも。

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Oct 1 : Peanut congee with leftovers

Yes, again. This is how much I love peanut congee. This time I added some assorted pickles (Umeboshi, Korean pickled plum marinated in gochujang and miso, pickled daikon radish, pickled spaghetti squash in Sake lees (Hakkaisan sake to be accurate), Mentaiko (egg roes). I had some Thai pickles (Mustard leaf) so I stir fried it with egg (used sesame oil to fry and seasoned with soysauce). Every single thing in these are leftover or just some preservative stored in my fridge (or in room temp).

この日も再び落花生入りのお粥、冷蔵庫に入っている惣菜などを。梅干、沢庵、明太子、糸瓜の粕漬け、韓国風カリカリ梅をコチュジャンと味噌で漬けた物、別の皿にはタイの高菜漬けを卵で炒めたもの。タイの高菜漬けはちょっと酸味が強かったので、胡麻油でしっかり炒めて、醤油で味を整えました。

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Oct 7: Beef tomato stew with Chinese spices

To be honest I am not satisfied with this dish at all, everything was too strong so I will have to find a better recipe . For lunch I dilute the soup with water and added thick Thai rice noodle and it wasn’t that bad.

牛スネ肉とトマトの中華風煮物。初めて作って見たのですが、味が強く感じ納得行きませんでした。（多分香辛料が多すぎ）前日はレシピ通りきしめんといただいたのですが、翌日はタイの太麺（米麺）で、スープを水で薄めて頂きました。２日目、３日目に味が落ち着いて来た感じ。このお料理、本来は好きなはずなので、別のレシピを探して再チャレンジしてみようと思います。（トマト抜きの普通の牛スネにするかも）

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Oct 10: Leftover with rice

The appearance of the meal completely changes with tablewares. I placed all the leftover into small plates arranged in a Japanese Inn style. (Yes, those meals when you get to eat staying in Japanese Inns)

In the round salad plate, stir fried carrot and burdock, stir fried konnyaku (arum root made into jelly like blocks), and stir fried Chinese mustard pickles with egg. In small plates, simmered pumpkin in dashi broth, Korean water kimchi, tofu and minced pork soup and rice with a slice of daikon pickles. Each portion was small but the presentation made it such a satisfying meal!

独り飯でも器を工夫すると一気にワクワクします。ぜ〜んぶ残り物ですが、楽しい。牛蒡と人参のきんぴら、蒟蒻のきんぴら、中華高菜漬けと卵の炒め物、カボチャの煮物、水キムチ、豆腐にミンチを挟んだザーサイ入りスープにご飯。写真を改めて眺めていると、やっぱり自炊は楽しい。（笑）