“Kinoshita brought over several trays, placing one in front of each of them. Each had soup, a main dish, and--- orange-colored rice? "What is this?" "It's carrot rice! With unlimited second helpings!" Sure enough, the rice was packed full of so many carrots, that's all you could see. Otoha started with the soup, which was a potage with roughly mashed potatoes. Not very showy, yet the wonderful flavor spread throughout her. She let out a deep sigh. Not the type of sigh she'd let out in front of Mr. Tamura, but one of deep satisfaction nonetheless. She next turned to the carrot rice. "Wow... this is delicious," she said as she took a big bite. The sweetness of carrots, the aroma of soy sauce--- what a gentle, delicious flavor the rice had.” SoupRiceCarrotsSavory Book:Dinner at the Night Library Source: Dinner at the Night Library
“In a donburi bowl, on top of the rice, were four or five little fish, and a scattering of sliced scallions. Accompanying this was soup in lacquered bowls. "And this would be...?" "Try it first." Otoha picked up the donburi bowl and put one of the small fish and rice into her mouth. "It's delicious, Mr. Kinoshita. It looks so very simple, but it's amazing." "I just warmed up canned oil sardines in a frying pan, added some soy sauce, and put it and the sardine oil over rice. That's it. The scallions I bought at a convenience store on the way her 'cause it was the only place open. But it works, doesn't it?" "It does. I could eat a ton of this rice." "It's a recipe in an essay by the novelist Yoko Mori. The soup is an egg soup with dried wakame seaweed and eggs.” EggsSoupRiceSardinesCanned FoodsDonburi Book:Dinner at the Night Library Source: Dinner at the Night Library
“It's so tasty it's hard to believe that rice tastes like this with just carrots and fried tofu." "It's healthy too," Tokuda added. "Good for when you're tired," said Tokai. The main dishes were lotus root cooked in soy and chili pepper, and the head and bony parts of yellowtail cooked in soy sauce and sweet sake. Both were mildly seasoned and went well with the rice.” RiceCarrotsHealthy FoodJapanese Cuisine Book:Dinner at the Night Library Source: Dinner at the Night Library