Hot pot is such a staple and popular winter menu in Japan.   I don’t think I can survive any winter without this.  It’s warm, delicious, easy, fun and versatile.   It’s basically a pot of hot broth (it can be fish, vegetable or any meat stock) and you put any ingredients from vegetables, seafood, meat, rice, noodle…completely up to you and your family’s preference.  It is cooked on the table and you add ingredients as you eat.  It brings all the family together at the table and the best part…..easy clean up!  Today, I used chicken and bonito stock and the ingredients were shiitake mushroom, oyster mushroom, nappa cabbage, chicken, salmon and tofu.  I like ponzu for dipping sauce, but some likes sesame based sauce which is much more richer.  I think I’ll do this for tomorrow’s kids’ cooking class.  I’ll tell them I’m really a witch and this is a special iron pot for making portions….hee, hee!

I took my son to see a 3D movie Cloudy with a chance of meatball” at a theater near Union Square.  The movie was really funny and cute, but boy, that was expensive……one adult and one child came up to be almost $30!   I promised myself to live modestly today.  When the movie ended, I didn’t stop at DSW (shoe discount store)nor Felines’ Basement…but I just could not pass the farmer’s market.   I told my son, “just a peak” and then I found a fish store.  They had this amazing fresh flounder….how can I not buy this beauty?  I ended up buying flounder, shrimp, salmon and sea scallop….talk about poor willpower.  I’ll try the budgeting from tomorrow.  Tonight, we feast!