Chapter 31 A Meal Request
Momohana... Momohana?
Um, Momohana?
Oh!
I'm sorry! Yes, Momoko Sister?
What's the matter? Aren’t you hungry?
Yes, I am, but…
I've never been to a place like this, so I'm nervous.
I'm glad I invited you.
Thank you, sir.
It's her first time to dine out with a customer.
Thank you for inviting me.
On occasion regular customers treat a familiar geiko or maiko to dine out.
They pay for the time spent, as well as the meal.
Order anything you'd like.
Thank you.
It's done in the gentlemanly spirit
to give the girls a break from their busy daily schedules with a nice meal.
I'll have...
Foie Gras
Oyster Confit
Beef Rossini
I have no idea know what these are...
Or if I want to eat them...
I’m lost. What do I want to eat?
Oh! Macaroni...
I'm not very hungry, so just a few à la carte items.
Yes, sir, in small portions.
I'll have the prix fixe menu.
Yes, ma'am.
I’ll have this with the special sauce…
And you, Momohana?
I...
I would like the same as Momoko Sister, please.
Why that look?
Weren't you treated to dinner at a fancy restaurant?
It was fancy.
It wasn't good?
No, it was good.
Was it?
You don’t know?
What did I eat tonight?
You should go to bed.
Don’t be so surprised.
I didn't expect a dinner request this early in the morning.
I'm lucky to have a kitchen that hears my dinner request.
Sorry to disturb you.
Macaroni Gratin Chicken thighs and creamy mushroom sauce. Macaroni al dente.
Let's eat!
You’re in a great mood.
I feel happy right now.
The happiness of cooking what someone wants to eat.
I don't get it, but being happy is good. Right, Momohana?
It really is.
Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
Sumire
And Kiyo's
Dish of the Day
Today's menu was macaroni gratin requested by Sumire.
The golden top of a perfectly browned gratin is so appetizing.
The savory smell of cheese, macaroni al dente...
I love taking big, piping-hot bites.
Macaroni gratin is delicious.
Today, it's my turn to share a bit of food knowledge.
"Macaroni is a type of pasta."
"Spaghetti, another type, has a story about a famous lie."
Spaghetti?
How about some macaroni trivia?
Ah, I can't hear you. Can't hear anything!
Kiyo, you shouldn't have.
She couldn’t find trivia on macaroni.
Oops.
So... it's my turn to share a bit of food knowledge.
"Macaroni is a type of pasta."
"Spaghetti, another type, has a story about a famous lie."
A famous lie about spaghetti?
"On April Fool's Day, 1957, a British TV show hoaxed its viewers."
"It was reported that spaghetti is grown on spaghetti trees."
"Fake footage of farmers harvesting spaghetti hanging from trees was shown."
"The announcer said, 'A great spaghetti harvest is expected this year.'"
How could anyone believe such a lie about harvesting spaghetti from trees?
You would think so!
But since it was a serious show, many people thought it was true.
Tons of viewers called the station asking how to grow spaghetti trees.
I see... I guess you can't blindly accept everything as truth.
How did the TV station answer?
"Plant spaghetti in a can of tomato sauce and hope it grows."
Was apparently their answer.
Their answer was so witty.
I think I have a can of tomato sauce around here...
You're not serious, Kiyo?
Chapter 32 Maiko Sisters Giving Their All
No, no, Momohana, right hand on top.
I'm sorry!
Try again.
There, lower your backside.
I'm home.
Wrong again.
Repeating a mistake means not enough practice.
Above all else, practice.
I'm home.
You're late, Momohana.
It's long past lunch.
Yes, I stayed late to practice.
Now let’s hear from our reporter onsite.
Hello! I'm in front of Kyoto City Hall.
The brass band and cheering groups are standing by.
Many runners are coming through now!
Huh? Is that…
Momoko Sister!?
Why!?
She's blowing kisses!
Wow, there's a crowd growing around her.
She winked again!
Momoko Sister!
A maiko’s updo is with her own hair, whereas a geiko wears a wig.
This allows a geiko more flexibility to do things when not working.
Should I go cheer her on?
I made the same mistake again.
How nice...
Momoko Sister gets to be a geiko without struggling like me.
Huh? Sumire!
You're home! I saved you lunch.
Thanks, but I'm not hungry now.
I made a mistake in dance today.
And I just saw Momoko Sister running the marathon on TV.
That's right!
I was going to cheer her on!
This is the finish line.
Is she blowing more kisses?
Momoko Sister looked serious.
Momoko Sister?
Oh, Momohana?
How did you find me when I didn't tell anyone?
Well, of course, you stood out.
Stood out?
You came to cheer me on?
Yes...
This is a gift from Kiyo.
Who's Kiyo?
She's our House cook.
Kiyo’s Bento Box Fried pork, omelet, seasoned vegetables and rice with seaweed.
I'm so glad you brought food for me, because I'm going to entertain.
Huh!? After a full marathon!?
Of course.
I run to build stamina, so I can give my all entertaining.
Let's eat and do our best.
There were two stacked boxes with the same meal.
Isn’t one for you?
I'm ready to practice dance again!
Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
Sumire
And Kiyo's
Dish of the Day
Kiyo made a bento box for Momoko Sister who ran a full marathon today.
How amazing to finish a full marathon!
She even went on to entertain right afterwards.
Only she could.
Momoko Sister ate the bento clean.
Must have been delicious.
Homemade bento with omelet, fried food and seasoned vegetables...
I like these simple, comforting foods.
These are favorites you always find in bento.
Yes, and speaking of favorites...
Fried chicken, meat balls, ground beef steak, fried shrimp...
And minced chicken on rice.
The savory and sweet chicken goes so well with rice.
All brown foods...
It says, "A bento with five colors makes for a well-balanced meal."
"White rice, brown from meat or fried foods..."
"green and red vegetables plus yellow eggs."
"Or the white and brown can be something black."
I've heard that, too.
Ingredients of the five colors will naturally lead to a nutritious meal.
"Japanese cuisine follows a rule of five..."
"Five flavors."
Sweet / Salty / Sour / Bitter / Spicy
"Five colors."
"Five preparation methods."
Raw / Simmered / Grilled / Steamed / Fried
"These are important in well-balanced Japanese cooking."
"The five colors come from China’s Five Phases theory."
"White, black, yellow, red, and blue or green."
I see. So...
A bento shouldn't be just brown with meat. It needs colorful vegetables.
What are bento vegetable favorites?
Burdock root, dried daikon radish, simmered potatoes...
Oh no, all brown!
Green beans, broccoli or cherry tomatoes are bento favorites.
Yes! My bento always had cherry tomatoes and broccoli!
Seems like bento food favorites...
make sense for a colorful, nutritionally balanced meal.
There's meaning behind things that become favorites.
Chapter 33 Kiyo, Same as Always
It's so cold...
It really is, Yuki.
This House is always very cold.
Momoko, hello!
Here's a hot-water bottle.
Thanks, Maru.
Mother and everyone are out now.
I came to talk to you today, Koro.
Here.
Thanks.
Thank you.
No, thank you.
Please wait a bit and I'll make some coffee.
Oh, that sounds nice. Thanks.
Not at all.
You're the girl who’s the House cook?
The one who came from Aomori with Momohana?
Yes.
The pound cake was delicious. You made it, Chiro?
Yes, for everyone's snack.
I'm sorry. May I start preparing dinner?
Oh, Pero. I'll head home then.
Won't you stay and eat with us, Momoko?
Everyone will be home soon.
You're making...?
Pork soup.
I'm in!
You’re lovely.
Pork Soup Hearty pork miso soup packed with root vegetables, konjac, taro, and Welsh onions.
Please try some.
Some pork, too. I love meat.
Sure.
It's not enough.
More flavor?
No, I'd like more soup.
Will you tell me your name?
It's Kiyo.
Kiyo.
Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
Sumire
And Kiyo's
Dish of the Day
Packed with ingredients and filling, this dish is simple and nutritious.
Pork soup, a classic!
Around Kansai, it’s called differently.
Yours was delicious.
The miso flavor and aroma go well with the pork.
Vegetables add a simple tastiness, too.
Why are the vegetables in pork soup so delicious?
Shall we look up pork soup?
"Pork soup is made by simmering pork and vegetables with miso."
"The ingredients differ depending on the region and who makes it."
"Pork belly, burdock root, carrots..."
"Welsh onion, konjac, and taro are common."
Another well-known soup with many ingredients is kenchin.
How is it different from pork soup?
"A monk made kenchin soup at Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura."
"Kenchoji soup came to be pronounced kenchin."
"Originating at a Buddhist temple,"
"the broth is taken from kelp and mushrooms, not meat or fish."
I see. Pork is not found in kenchin soup.
"Pork soup is eaten all over Japan."
"It was introduced at the end of the nineteenth century."
"Until then, it was not customary to eat beef or pork in Japan."
But boar meat hot pot has existed since the olden days.
Isn't that the origin?
That's one theory, and also...
"Someone put pork in kenchin."
"It was eaten by Hokkaido's militia ."
"A rearranged version of Yamagata's soup."
"Or it comes from a regional soup in Kagoshima."
So many theories!
Pork soup is a classic winter soup.
I crave it on cold days, because it warms my body.
Me, too. My grandma made it for me often on cold days.
All the vegetables make it very healthy.
Yup!
One bowl gives you all the good nutrition from the vegetables.
The ultimate miso soup!
Try having pork soup on a cold day to warm your body and spirit.
With plenty of meat.
Yes!
Dumplings for a Day Off Sumire’s Day Off (Part One) Sumire’s Day Off (Part Two)
Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
Tune in again next time!
Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House