The Guests Are Here!​—Is Dinner Ready?

By Awake! correspondent in Japan

HAVING friends over for dinner is always a special pleasure for me. Many days later I can still recall the stimulating conversation and the feeling of an evening well spent. Of course, my guests’ praise and appreciation for the meal also add to my satisfaction.

I had often felt I would love to entertain more. But the thought of all the cooking and baking in a hot kitchen and all the time involved made me hesitate. Then the Bible proverb, “Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love than a manger-fed bull and hatred along with it,” started me thinking and looking until I discovered the Japanese dish chicken mizutaki. Not only is it easy to prepare; it is also nutritious, delicious and distinctive. What more can I ask for?​—Proverbs 15:17.

One special appeal of this meal, I must admit, is that there is very little to do in the way of preparation. I just have to prepare the chicken broth, cut up the vegetables, make the sauce and wait for the company to arrive. You see, the meal is actually cooked in front of my guests while we eat.

Preparing the broth is quite simple. In a pot I put two and a half pounds (about one kilogram) of chicken thighs and breasts cut into small pieces, washed and dried. To that I add five quarts (about five liters) of water. This is brought to a boil over high heat and then allowed to simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, and the scum is removed. The chicken pieces along with enough stock are then transferred into an earthenware casserole until it is about three quarters full. The casserole is set atop a hot plate right on the dinner table.a The remainder of the stock is held for use later.

You can use almost any vegetable. Here is one combination that I like: Chinese cabbage, spinach and green onions cut into two-inch (50-mm) strips. I also include carrots, cut into quarter-inch (6-mm) slices, and some mushrooms. All of these are arranged on a platter and put on the table beside the casserole.

What makes mizutaki different is the tangy sauce. My favorite sauce is made by squeezing three lemons and adding to the juice an equal amount of soy sauce. Some garnishes for the sauce are: green onions finely chopped, grated daikon (radish) with chili peppers, and thin slices of the lemon rind. A little of the sauce is put in a bowl for each guest.

When I hear my guests arriving, I turn on the hot plate so that by the time everyone comes to the table the broth is bubbling away. Selecting a little of everything from my vegetable platter, I put them into the casserole. When the broth comes to a boil again, everyone helps himself, taking some of the vegetables and chicken into his bowl with the sauce in it. More vegetables and more broth can be added to the casserole as the meal progresses.

Here in Japan we use our own chopsticks to take vegetables and pieces of meat out of the steaming casserole. Ladles and strainer spoons can be provided for the uninitiated or less adventurous. We eat slowly and enjoy one another’s company at this leisurely but nutritious meal.

What about the dessert? What would go with this kind of meal? It is best to do it the Japanese way​—a bowl of seasonal fresh fruit. In the spring we have strawberries, loquats and melons. When summer comes along, it is the time for oranges, cherries and watermelons. As fall draws near we can expect peaches, grapes, apples, pears and persimmons. Winter brings the delicious mikan (tangerine). So all year round we have something suitable for a scrumptious dessert.

This lighthearted and tasty meal has another not inconsiderable virtue​—it does not leave me with a sink full of pots, pans and dishes to do. So I can truly say with my guests, “It has been a delightful evening.”

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Decline in Gourmet Delicacy

Frogs’ legs are a unique French delicacy. But for how much longer? European frogs have declined in numbers and frogs’ legs are now flown in from India and neighboring countries. But there are growing demands for the trade to stop. Why? To begin with, the depletion of predatory frogs from the paddy fields has coincided with a rise in the number of malaria mosquitoes, and insecticides have added to the cost of food production. What of the frogs? Reports indicate that many are caught at night, stuffed into bags and transported, sometimes hundreds of miles, to centers where, while still alive, their legs are cut off and the carcasses tossed aside. Conservationists are hoping that gourmets will no longer have the appetite for the long hind legs when they learn about this.