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[unlucky7]

Who: Ginia and friends
When: 5/16 through 5/21
Where: Various locations on the Near and Far Shore
What: Ebisu has a festival on the 21st, Ginia calls on some friends to help with preparations. [Prayer Chain 17]

Prompts in the comments

Comments

[myblueskies]

"It's alright, miss Ginia! I like helping it's lots of fun!" He couldn't wait for the festival! He bet it was going to be such a good one because Ginia had been working so hard on it! Ebisu was going to be so happy he was sure!

"Fish recipes are really fun and there's so many!" It was a good job Ginia had collected so many books! And that it was such a big table!

"Are they making it for all the people who come to the festival?"

[unlucky7]

There certainly is a good variety to work with. Such is the territory when your nation is an island. It'll make picking up ingredients easier too given all the fish markets they can go to.

Ginia considers Romeo's question as she opens a cookbook, a pad of sticky notes nearby. This was for his family, but there's no reason they couldn't introduce a recipe to sell at the festival too. Brings the community together, helps out fishers, it all works out.

"Why don't we look for a few recipes? Ones the family can enjoy and ones easy to cook for a larger crowd?"

[myblueskies]

"Well if it's for lots of people fish soup would be good because you can make lots and lots!"

Romeo started flicking through the books, cook books were a bit tricky to read and so pages without pictures of what the food was got skipped entirely unless there were words that he understood. Recipes for the family and for a larger crowd.

For the family they could cook anything! There were so many choices it was going to be very difficult to chose just one. He grabbed some sticky notes off the pad and began sticking them in pages that looked like they might work, just like Elfnein did when she was doing a big research project.

"Are they good cooks?" Because that made a difference, if they were just learning it was best to pick something simple that would still be really yummy!

[unlucky7]

Soup! Easy to make in large quantities, serve, and heat up. Easy to start prep and simmering over night to have ready for the festival the next day. Ginia writes down a note to look at fish broths for bases and seafood soups. Perhaps they can add udon or ramen too.

Ginia pauses at Romeo's question. It's a very good one to consider.

"I don't know. I think they can cook?" Between him, his wife, and his older children, there has to be someone capable. "Maybe we should look for easier recipes just in case?"

[myblueskies]

"Okay!" He moves some books to the side until he finds one that he knows. "This is one that has easier recipes in it! Me and Elfnein use it a lot because it's not too tricky!"

He began flicking through it and adding sticky lables as he found ones that looked tasty.

The problem was they all looked tasty. "Salmon." That's fish. "Soboro! That looks yummy!"

[unlucky7]

That sounds like a cookbook Ginia should borrow for her own purposes sometime, but that's a matter for another day. She looks over at the book as he points out a recipe, glancing over it. Flaked salmon, perfect for over rice or shaping into onigiri. Simple, and something they could all make together. Ginia adds it to her list as she considers the recipe.

"Do you think salmon onigiri would be popular to serve at the festival too?"

[myblueskies]

"It would be yummy and it's easier to eat than soup so you wouldn't need lots of bowls to wash up!"

That might be important if there's lots of people! "Or some of the grilled fish on sticks! I saw that at the festival we all went to." He waved his hand, it was some time ago. But they had been tasty.

"It might be fun for them to make those as a family as well because there's lots of jobs that everyone can do to work in a team!"

[unlucky7]

Onigiri has the advantage of being simpler and easier to make than soup and the easier cleanup and distribution is a boon, but would it be memorable at a festival?

"I imagine grilled fish will be there since it's common and Ebisu is a god of fishermen." But there are all sorts of fish (and other sea life) to grill so the variety is plentiful. Salmon, mackerel, tuna...

"Red sea bream. Of course." The fast signing is more for own sake. She grins as she realizes the obvious answer, slowing down her signs to explain to Romeo. "Ebisu is often depicted with red sea bream. Serving that as soup or onigiri or any other dish would be special for the festival and the family."

[myblueskies]

The first time she signs it is too fast for him to read it at all but luckily she slowed down and explained it to him. "Red sea bream!" He flicked through a few pages.

"It says here that grilled Red Sea Bream and rice is a lucky dish and people eat it lots at New Year but if the family make it it might bring them luck that the festival all goes well!"

[unlucky7]

"It's also the fish taiyaki is based off." That's also an option, exploring different taiyaki fillings. Maybe not in savory flavors, but unique sweet flavors could be good, especially if they take advantage of seasonal flavors and local specialties.

"Have you tried taikyaki yet?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo shook his head. He had tried so many different things in the heavens but he can't remember trying anything called taiyaki! There's so much interesting food that he thinks he could eat something new every day forever and never run out of new exciting things he'd never eaten before!

"No I've never tried it yet, is it yummy?"

[unlucky7]

Ginia pulls out her phone and pulls up a picture of taiyaki to show Romeo. It's fascinating to think someone came up with the idea of making the treat shaped after red sea bream.

"A batter like pancake batter is poured into a mold. Then sweet fillings like red bean paste is put inside. I've also seen it with custard or chocolate. They're pretty common at festivals. I like them."

[myblueskies]

"They look really yummy!" He would have to try some next time there is a festival! All the food was one of the best parts about festivals!

"They could have those at the festival too! If they are sweet it will make everyone happy!"

[unlucky7]

"I'm pretty sure they will." It's common enough as a festival food Ginia would be surprised to not see it. Especially when the fish is a symbol of Ebisu.

"What kind of filling would you put inside one?"

[myblueskies]

"Um..." That's a tricky question! There's so much to chose from. Red bean paste is probably delicious but so is chocolate! But... What was the other word?

"Custard. Because I never tried that before!"

[unlucky7]

For Romeo's sake, Ginia will make sure there's custard taiyaki at the festival. She leaves a note and looks over the gathered suggestions. Salmon soboro for the family, also onigiri options. Soup and/or onigiri for the festival, red sea bream preferably, but they'll see what they can get. And finally, making sure there's taiyaki and seeing what fruits are in season.

It's a good list to work with. She'll have to get more input from the kitchen staff for the festival as a whole, but shopping for the family seems doable.

"Can you pull up the soboro recipe? I want to write down the ingredients for shopping."

[myblueskies]

"Okay!"

Luckily the sticky notes mean it is easy to find the recipe again! This method really works!

He leans over the book to read out loud for Ginia to write down.

"They need salmon, it says salted salmon but that there's a recipe on the next page to make it salty if you just got normal salmon. Then you need sake and mirin! And rice if they are making it to eat with rice!"

[unlucky7]

Ginia writes down the ingredients (an easy enough list to remember) in her phone, mulling on whether she should buy extra to bring back to the temple. No, it'd be more helpful to see if anyone needs snacks or other supplies picked up from the store.

"If we're going to the store, is there anything you or Elfnein need while we're there?"

[myblueskies]

"I'll go and check the list!"

He grins and dashes off towards the kitchen, sure enough he comes back a few moments later with a list and some money from their food buying jar.

"Just a couple of things!"

[unlucky7]

There's enough time to send a message to her temple and get suggestions on the best places to go to before Romeo returns.

"Ever been to a seafood market before?"

[myblueskies]

A seafood market? Romeo shook his head! He's not been to many markets truthfully. For the most part he and Elfnein relied on the refilling fridge for food and it's just lately, now they have found fun in cooking more complicated things that they have ventured down to the Near Shore for food at all.

"Is that where we are going, miss?"

[unlucky7]

Ginia nods. Instead of explaining it (though it does speak for itself), it feels better to simply let him experience it. After making sure they have everything they need, it's a matter of shrine hopping back to Kyoto. Between that and a quick bus ride, they arrive at a large seafood market in Kyoto.

Inside there are rows of different vendors, all with a variety of tanks and display cases of some of the best seafood Japan has to offer. Fish of all species, shellfish, if it can be fished up in the ocean and eaten, it's here. Some are still alive, others have already been processed down. It's full of people buying and shopping; Ginia lets Romeo roam so he can get a better look, but keeps a close eye on him.

[myblueskies]

Adventures with Ginia are always fun! This time they go on a bus! Then to the seafood market which is just as magical as the name suggested! Romeo wandered, pressing his face close to tanks, standing on tiptoes to look into counters. The crowds are thick and he has the disadvantage of being a shinki, where a group might part to let a curious child through to look at things they can't and don't for a child they don't notice.

But Romeo doesn't seem to mind much, he does glance around a few times, to reassure himself that he can still see Ginia. It's so busy on the Near Shore sometimes he feels like if he got lost he would be lost forever!

"I didn't know there was so much fish in the whole world!"

[unlucky7]

It helps Ginia's tall and easy to spot in the crowd. A few different stands have salmon, but Ginia is content to take her time and look over everything before deciding where to buy from. Her temple wants some too so it's best to find a place she can buy a good amount at a good price.

"This is only a small amount of what's in the ocean." Ginia signs to him. They pause by a tank with a colorful parrotfish. Its scales are almost jewel-like blues and greens, a spectacular sight. It certainly stands out among the more neutral tones of other fish. "This one is a parrotfish."

[myblueskies]

Only a small amount... But he's seen the ocean! It's huge and so it's no surprise there are so many fish!

Good job probably because there are so many people too! He looks into the tank, "Wow!"

That was an amazing fish! "Look at all the colours!"

He sort of wishes he had asked Elfnein to come, she would have liked this colourful fish!