Cooking With Richard

I quite liked this song, particularly the shika. They definitely need more shika though …

It’s our white duck / mallard couple. I wonder if they will have spotted ducklings?

Edit: N-sama said the male duck was ugly .. mooo

Unfuckingbelievable …

Previously …

Fish! A Japanese obsession (UK only).

I made bread:

and combined that with pigs …

BBC Four Japan season: Japan in Colour: The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn.

A documentary about Japan in 1900-1920.

To those who know what comes after, looking at these photographs gives terrible premonition of what is to come.

And they are reshowing the Secret Wilderness show:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00jhxhf/Secret_Wilderness_Japan_Episode_1/

This worked out rather well. Cooking time was 14 hours at 100C (according to the oven, but the real temperature would have been lower). The noodles were an excellent complement to the pork. Crackling didn’t crackle much, even though I tried cooking it separately. Altogether, a success.

Recipe from here. It was better the next day after it had congealed slightly in the fridge.

I’m cooking it for 16 hours overnight … Previous attempt …

Today to the Mosquito Aircraft Museum / De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre in Hertfordshire.

Chipmunk, similar to the ones I used to fly in AEF:

Comet 4 interior:

De Havilland Gyron engine:

Vampire trainer jet (one of two at the museum which are both very well preserved):

Mosquito, built and used during World War II:

Top gun … is it Tom Cruise?

For Aya:

Previously …

Click for short video explaining each word …

バックシャン

へそで茶を沸かす

ゲジゲジ眉毛

丙午

ずるずる

駆け込み乗車

くすくす

過労死

かわいい

浮気の虫

どうも

間

歯の浮くお世辞

雑音

虫の息

濡れ落ち葉

おもてなしの心

We love this documentary on Japanese snow monkeys on BBC iPlayer (until April, UK only):

Dr. Takayo Soma studying monkeys:

This is #13 in the series. #14 in the series about sustainable farming/gardening is also well worth watching.

Previously #1 | Previously #2 | Previously #3

Owwww. I went to the dentist today and I’m going to have them out on April 6th …

BBC Four are having a Japan season soon, starting on Sat 14th March. However good luck finding anything about this on their website which is basically useless. Andrew Graham Dixon’s programme on Samurai looks interesting.

Update

Here is the URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/japan/

Shiitake mushroom plugs:

I need to find some recently cut logs. The logs need to be less than 3 weeks old, so the log I had in mind for this won’t work. There’s actually some blokes on the other side of the canal with chainsaws cutting back the trees at the moment, but to get to them I’d have to cross two canals which is a bit difficult carrying a large log. I have until December to find a log though. In the meantime, the mushroom spores are kept in my fridge.

Previously …

Couldn’t quite get this into one photo …

I basically made this up. The sauce is cooking sake, oranges, sugar, a little cream, salt and pepper. It’s rather tasty!

Here …

Thanks to morisobako and f-yayoi for finding BENINGTON (BENKYOSHIMASU) LORDSHIP gardens …

Benington Lordship Gardens (looks much bigger in the photo than it does in real life) ..

M-kun’s dinkle?

The best bit was the CHICKEN TOILET. N-sama wouldn’t go do OSHINKO because of the chickens by the toilet. Eh tou.