Unagi(eel) is a misterious kind of fish, not to mention its appearance, its ecology is still unkown. Dad spent his adolescence in Tokyo area, and he used to catch eels in rice paddies. It was during the WWII, and kids' play was somehow linked with gaining foods. He remembers watching his mother clean and fillet the long-shaped slimy fish in a matter of seconds. My husband also has the experience of catching a kind of eels in a river, although his was only for pleasure. He also remembers how skillfully his grandma cleaned and cut the snake-like fish. Both of my men must have been very impressed with the scene. Today, what can I do if any of my playful family members happened to catch an eel in a river? Once, animals were killed and cooked in a stream of work in our home kitchen. I feel so ignorant.
Today's nekoben:
Hitsuma-bushi (rice cooked with grilled eel)
boiled burdock, carrot, lotus root, chicken meet
steamed chinese cabbage
Dessert: orange
