Ochazuke, how do I love thee...

So when I lived in DC, I grew spoiled by the plethora of non-American (i.e. funky, wonderful, ethnic) food that I could have any time I wanted.  Now that I'm back in the Midwest -- where sushi delivery is but a dream -- I really miss some of my old comfort foods.

Like Ochazuke.  Mmmm...

I scoured websites, and Japanese restaurant menus locally trying to find it.  I failed.  But then, thanks to the local Asian grocery store (and a friend who made the discovery after also embarking on a search following my description of ochazuke)... Voila!  I can make it at home.

And so, a comfort-food dinner was mine tonight.  Of course, I ate it all before taking a picture for the blog (I know, I know -- a rookie's mistake; it won't happen again).

But here is my verbal description/recipe.

Steam some white rice.  Sushi rice is very good.  But the health-conscious me has also done it with sweet brown rice, which was almost as tasty.  Put steamed rice into large bowl.  Add salmon.  Add Wakame Ochazuke seasoning (essentially dried seawood and other magical surprises).  This is a soup.

Soup?  Where is the broth?  Easy, my friends.  Make some green tea.  Add to taste (and I continue adding while eating).  Wasabi can also be used to give it a kick.

Sounds good, eh?  Well, it should.  It IS good.  (I'll take a picture next time).

Spicy. No, Duck! No, spicy!

I really just cannot decide.  I'm working on planning this trip to China, and was just recommended two restaurants.   Peking Duck, Private Kitchen, and Madam Zhu's Kitchen.

I really can't decide.  One specializes in duck and goose dishes.  The other spicy Sichuan region dishes.  Mostly, now I'm just hungry.

Here, be hungry with me:

Fried Spinach with Beancurd and Mushrooms

Egg with Spinach and Crab

Tofu Ice Cream

Duck!

What is the strangest thing you've eaten?

It is a question that people often ask me when they learn of my love of both food and travel.  And let's face it -- I'm not trying to be the next Andrew Zimmern (What?  You don't know him?  Here: Meet Andrew Zimmern). 

The snarky side of me wants to respond with some pan-cultural-love-phrase about how "strange" is a matter of perspective.  Who is to say what "strange" is.  But c'mon.  Let's get real.  We know that some things are universally considered strange.  And, gulp, I admit to not eating many of them.

I've had pizza topped with chicken hearts (rather chewy little morsels - I don't remember much of their taste one way or the other - the texture did me in).  I've eaten camel (sort of like goat - I probably wouldn't eat it by choice again, but it wasn't bad.  And really, there are few meats I'd eat by choice - I just don't love meat).  I really wanted to eat cuy when I lived in Ecuador.  Yeah, cuy.  You don't know what cuy is?

Yeah.  That is cuy.  That also looks remarkably like a pet I had when in pre-school that I'd named "Blossom."  I just couldn't eat Blossom.

I'm currently getting ready for my first trip to Asia.  China, Malaysia, and Thailand.  Unfortuantely, I'm going for work, so I won't have a ton of free time to explore - but I promise to do as much exploration as I can during the time I can squeeze in between meetings.  Markets are best early in the morning and late at night anyway, right?

And hey, I eat adventure.  And I'm sure there is a lot of adventure to eat in Asia!

I Eat Adventure -- or how this website came to be...

I think it is only fair for me to explain how this website came to be.  It will give you some insight into me (or at least into my stomach), and also will help explain how I envision this site.

You should know that I travel a lot, and have a lot of international friends and students.  Today, one of my Korean students took me to lunch as a good bye because she is leaving soon to go home.  She is one of the sweetest people I know - but also someone I don't know well because her English, while not strong, is infinitely better than my Korean.

I do remember her telling me once that she loves pasta though.

We met for lunch, and I asked her where she'd like to go.  She deferred to me, and I suggested pasta.  She said she'd had that yesterday, so we started trying to come up with another idea.

She had none (in retrospect I think she was being polite by defering to me), and I asked if she'd like meat, or fish, or spicy food or not-spicy food -- I was throwing out ideas.  She looked excited, and said "Spicy food!"

I took her to a wrap place where you choose your meat which is grilled on a flatbread, but then there is a huge vegetable bar with all kinds of vegetables/herbs/salsas.  I thought it was perfect because even if she didn't know the English name for one of the toppings, she could see them all, and help herself -- surely she'd recognize things!

I was careful to point out all the spicy food for her (jalapenos, chili sauce, etc.) and she eagerly piled them all onto her flatbread.

We sat down to eat.  Mine was delicious.  She took a bite of hers and then looked at me and said "This is very interesting restaurant.  I will never forget."

Pause.

"My mouth is on fire."

I asked her "Do you like spicy food?"  "No," she replied.

She then repeated "This is very interesting restaurant.  I will never forget.  My mouth is on fire."

Oh dear.  I invited her to an ice cream following lunch with the promise that the ice cream would soothe her mouth (and it did).  While checking out the ice cream flavors, I saw "Turkish Coffee Ice Cream" -- seriously?  Wow.  I had to try it.  I asked for a sample.  Delicious.  I ordered a scoop.

She was incredulous that I would want this kind of ice cream.  I told her it was very good.  She looked at me, quite seriously, and said:   "You eat adventure!"

And so this site was born...

I will try to chronicle the ways that I Eat Adventure.  Feel free to join me on this adventure - and share some of your own!