December 2023
The photo captures the night view around Yokohama Hakkeijima on New Year’s Eve.
Second son and 2-1, who often stay at Grandpa and Grandma’s house every week, had the tradition of spending New Year’s Eve at Second son’s wife’s parents’ home. Therefore, the last photo of 2023 showcases this landscape.
In a year filled with challenges, including Grandma’s dementia, December marked the end of 2023. Despite the difficulties, we welcomed New Year’s Eve with the belief that the coming year would be better.
Year-end Cleanup
The weekends in rural living for December were mostly dedicated to cleaning and repairs (laughs).
Grandma’s field, aside from shipping leeks, had little vegetable activity. Most of the effort went into preparing for the new year. In between, besides the marigolds captured in the neighborhood, there were no other images, resulting in a slightly lonely year-end gallery.
simple and delicious ‘Harihari-zuke.’
I’ve made a simple and delicious ‘Harihari-zuke.’ Using daikon radishes harvested from my parents’ house, 2-1 (substituting for the second son, 2, who is hospitalized due to an injury) crafted this delightful pickled dish.
We employed flavorful, freshly sun-dried daikon radishes to perfect the texture. The pickling solution, made with vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sake, was enhanced with kombu. Finely sliced ginger and red chili were added, and the mixture was left to marinate for half a day to a full day.
Transferred to a storage container, the dish was left to settle for a few days, revealing an irresistible taste that will keep you reaching for your chopsticks. I also recommend trying variations like reusing the pickling solution or attempting a ‘Yuzu Harihari-zuke.’
