Long time no eat!

After a long visit to Minnesota, we returned to Colorado and hosted a very short visit from my aunt, uncle and cousin.  It had been about 5 years since I last got to see my cousin, so I was very excited for the chance to catch up with her.

Despite having always lived in different states, my cousin and I are very close.  We don't see each other often.  We don't call or write e-mails or use Facebook to keep in touch.  However, whenever we do get the chance to see each other we have a great time.

Last night, while our parents were chatting in the living room, my cousin and I enjoyed chatting and making dinner together.  I had picked up some ingredients at an Asian market in a big city on the way home from Minnesota, so we made a LOT of Japanese food:
-tofu (with ginger & soy sauce or with taberu rayu)
-chicken & leek skewers
-sauteed spinach & natto
-potstickers
-burdock root, eringi mushrooms, carrots, onions, & chicken boiled in broth
-tea-on-rice with pickled plum & seaweed
-roll cake with fresh fruit

My folks & aunt & uncle drank wine, but my cousin and I drank potato spirits on the rocks.  I was so happy!  This was my first time to enjoy a Japanese dinner since leaving Japan.  Of course, my cousin and I didn't cook things as well as my friends back in Japan can cook them.  However, just smelling the dashi and seeing the natto's slimy strings made me feel like I was back in Japan.  Then, drinking the potato spirits made me feel like I felt when I was in Japan (Hey, heyyy, kampaaai!!!).

It was also really great to hear my family say how great the food was. It was their first time to eat burdock root and natto; I'm glad I got the chance to share some of my favorite Japanese food with them.  My uncle said, "It's nice to be introduced to new dishes, something other than the usual teriyaki & tempura."

My cousin's family left this morning.  It was such a short trip, but we'll remember last night's dinner for a long time.