The Food Diary of Miss Maid (メイドさんは食べるだけ)

Huh?

Was it always this yellow here?

I remember it being greener...

Take a closer look.

A closer look?

That's rice, you know.

This is rice?!

Really?

YUP, THAT'S RIGHT

Yup, that's right!

Come to think of it, someone gave me some new rice that I'm soaking right now.

Let's cook it when we get home.

Hooray!

So that yellow stuff turns into this?

There's a lot that goes into it, but it's always made with care.

All right. Now we add some rice and water into the clay pot.

Without measuring?!

I rely on my intuition honed over the years.

Chyun!

Start with about 500 milliliters of water for two cups of rice,

although you can adjust this to your taste.

Of course, intuition honed over the years helps too!

Huh? But wait...

We're not using a rice cooker?

We're using a clay pot today.

This delicious rice needs to be cooked a different way than usual.

Could you move that to the stove?

Sure!

Careful now.

Next, place a wet cloth over it...

This helps seal it better.

Does it look that funny to you?

It's like a twisted headband!

Put it on medium heat.

Listen to the sound carefully.

The sound?

SIMMER

BUBBLE

BUBBLE

It sounds different!

Okay, it's boiling.

Turn it down to low and simmer for fifteen minutes.

And now, we wait.

Let's have the rest of the plum juice.

Hooray!

SIMMER

BUBBLE

SIMMER

BUBBLE

After fifteen minutes, cut the heat and let it sit for another ten.

Okay!

By the way, Suzume,

do you know the song with tips for cooking rice?

Yes! I think I read it in a book somewhere.

It's like a spell, right? Um...

Elohim, Essaim... Elohim, Essaim... Elohim, Essaim... Elohim, Essaim...

Hold on, what are you trying to summon?

Huh?

Go back, chyun!

It goes like this. "First gently, then rapidly..."

"Don't lift the lid even if the baby cries."

Oh, so it does sound like a spell.

Well, that's how you cook rice in an iron pot,

so it doesn't really apply this time.

Grandma...

FIRST GENTLY, THEN RAPIDLY WHEN IT SIZZLES AND BOILS OVER, PULL BACK THE FIRE BURN A HANDFUL OF STRAW DON'T LIFT THE LID EVEN IF THE BABY CRIES

Chyun!

This song is said to have existed in the Edo period.

"First gently" means you start on low heat.

And "then rapidly" means you crank the heat after a while.

Once it's boiling vigorously, you cut it back again.

Then add a handful of straw to return it to high heat.

To finish off, let it sit for a while.

And make sure you don't take the lid off, no matter what!

Chyun!

All right, let's open it.

Wow! It's pure white!

Beautiful, isn't it?

All right, fluff it up!

Be gentle so you don't mash it.

Oh? It feels like there are some hard bits...

Ah, you noticed.

Let me show you.

Here you go.

What? I get to taste it?!

The first taste is a cook's privilege.

Let's give it a try!

Amid the fluffy sweetness of the rice, there's a fragrant, crispy crunch!

That's the scorched rice.

That was the hard part you felt earlier.

It's the ultimate reward for cooking rice in a clay pot.

Each grain is perfectly distinct, and the flavor and aroma are wonderful!

It came out great.

I'm back.

Hey, I smell freshly cooked rice.

But I'm curious...

What's the main dish?

Completely forgot.

But why?

This white rice is delicious all by itself!

Is summer...

really gone?

All right! Let's get started!

First, I'd like to thank you all for coming.

What's about to start, exactly?

Everyone! Have you noticed your walks have gotten more pleasant lately?

I guess we'll see what happens.

I-It has gotten cooler, hasn't it?

It's not hot anymore, so I can go outside without minding what time it is.

Totally!

You can hear the fall insects at night too, right?

It's fun to see the gradual change in products offered at the store too.

Huh? Not sure what to make of that face...

What are you trying to express?

It's autumn and it feels really nice...

But now I'm torn between my excitement for autumn

and my sadness over summer ending.

I feel like I'm stuck between them like a sandwich!

AUTUMN

SUMMER

That sounds tough.

I wanted to make something summery

to wrap up all these feelings...

Something delicious, no matter what you put in it!

That's right!

I'm going to make a farewell to summer curry!

Farewell to summer curry?

I was expecting something special, but this is just your typical curry.

The ingredients are special!

I already did the shopping!

Well...

Don't you think three's a bit of a crowd in this kitchen?

You're right...

Well, I'm going to help.

Since I don't trust you...

You can go ahead and relax over there!

Seriously?

Seriously...

NOTHING HERE

Nothing here.

Sorry to keep you waiting!

Here's the farewell to summer curry!

TOMATO, OKRA, CORN, EGGPLANT, ZUCCHINI, EDAMAME

Chyun!

Curry originated in India,

but Japanese curry is actually the British-style curry

that traveled from India to the UK,

then to Japan in the Meiji era!

Oh, I see!

It's all summer veggies!

So we're eating everything up before the season ends.

Thanks!

BA-DUMP BA-DUMP BA-DUMP

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.

Now then, let's eat!

It's delicious!

What a relief!

Nothing beats curry made for you!

The colors of the veggies are beautiful!

I see you sauteed them and added them on top.

Oh, I know! I brought beer from home earlier.

Huh?

And some water...

Here's your water.

Wait, hold on!

Let's eat together!

You made it feel so natural that I was just going along!

I got into maid mode for some reason.

Same with me.

That was hardcore!

It's fun being able to taste different flavors in one dish.

The acidity from the tomato is delightful.

The subtle curry kick makes the veggies seem sweeter.

It's really nice.

I taste summer!

You're really savoring it.

Well, autumn's got lots to offer too.

Let's enjoy it.

Yes!

Goodbye, summer!

Oh? Is this beer a seasonal autumn release?

It is!

I've never seen that before!

This is supposed to be a farewell party for summer, but autumn snuck in.

Well, think of it like this. We're saying goodbye to summer and hello to autumn.

THAT WAS DELICIOUS!

Next on Grandma's errand list...

I just have to stop by the pharmacy and...

Stone-roasted sweet potatoes!