2010, let us be happy

The new year is upon us, a bit sooner in Japan than back home. According to the folks I've met here, New Year's and Christmas are somewhat reversed from the Western style in traditions. Christmas is for partying and New Year's is for family. (Of course, I've heard Christmas here is also for KFC and Love Hotels, and any quick search online will find just that).

New Year's is also for going to the local shrines, so the Rabbi and I took a trip down the street to watch everyone line up so they start 2010 with an offering. Rather low-key.

So, it wasn't a big to-do, but I did make a special dinner for the two of us.
First up was boiled daikon in a miso-lemon sauce, some tandoori roasted vegetables and sea bass cooked in caramel sauce:

And for dessert, we had the traditional mochi and red beans, but rounded that out with a banana pudding made with coconut biscuits:

I got the general recipe for the pudding from my dear old friend Susan. I say "dear old friend" as Susan is someone I went to college with and then maybe saw a handful of times, but then not again for almost 20 years. Then facebook came upon us. And now I'm back in touch with so many folks as well as keeping in touch with my peeps in NYC. Ironically, Susan has been living in Holland for the past several years, but I didn't find that out until I left my job at the Dutch company. So many missed opportunities. But also now new ones to be in touch and share our lives.

In many ways 2009 had some of the best and worst moments of my life. It will definitely be one I remember. (1997? M'eh, not so much.) 2010 now offers a whole new slate of the unknown for me. But I'm glad so many of my friends have reappeared in my life, whether to offer recipes or share their own adventures. 2009 was about giving up a lot of my life, but I should also try to remember that I gained quite a bit, too.

May this next year be all it should be for all of us. The Rebbetzin has spoken!