Happy New Year -- Good Luck Noodles, mochi and more

I haven't eaten Good Luck soba for 17 years. Not since I was living on a small communal farm outside of Obihiro, Japan. Of course, there it was 10 below zero without the wind chill factor and, oh yeah, did I mention no central heating. But it didn't matter because we spent the day pounding a huge vat of sweet rice with a wooden mallet the size of my thigh.

It was one of the best days I had in Japan. I can still taste the roasted mochi, crackling on the outside, the soft center burning hot against my tongue while my cheeks froze.

Today, I got my chance to celebrate New Year's Japanese style again.

Ryoko Usami hosted a New Year's food exchange at her house in Voorheesville and invited me to come and take pictures. I can't think of a better way to spend a cold winter's day than slurping noodles with a group of women who understand that they really do taste better if you make a bunch of noise while you suck them down. I even got to try out my very rusty Japanese.

New Year's in Japan is celebrates with lots of small dishes of specialty foods. Instead of preparing all the necessary dishes at home, a group of friends decided to each bring one dish to Ryoko-san's house. This way every person could fill a container with a little bit of all the different New Year's delicacies and take them home for the evening's feast.

The kabocha brought back memories of life on the Japanese farm. As the food ran low toward the end of winter we ate the thick, orange squash every day. Even when it got a bit moldy. Kabocha and rice, kabocha and miso, kabocha and rice. I couldn't eat it for years after I got back to the states, but now I love it again, both for the taste and the memories. Isn't it funny how things change over time.

This winter stew was beautiful to look at and to taste. It had taro in it, which is one of those love/hate vegetables. (I love it, but I can't get my family to eat it.) It is kind of like a potato crossed with okra. I know, I know, but it is wonderful, especially in the winter.

Ahhh, sushi. Yum!

Food wasn't the only tradition at the party. Many of the women had arrived early so they could watch The 58th Red and White Year-end Song Festival on Ryoko's satellite TV. Many of them have watched the singing contest every year since they were children.

I met Atsuko Denn through our sons' judo class. She was kind enough to introduce me to Ryoko and invite me to the party.

Here's the group with their exchange table.