hey, as long as the Asian Angst is on a downturn

I wish there was a New Orleans equivalent to Uwajimaya. *sighs* There's supposed to be a major Asian market somewhere in the GNO area, isn't there?

I find myself a little more inclined to cook Asian food here than I might be at home -- it's not that I ate all Japanese food growing up, not at all, although people always assumed I did because my mother is Japanese and works at a Japanese restaurant. But I did eat more of it than I really think of. Curry and rice, katsudon, soba, rice and miso at most meals. Satsumas (and I can't think of them as anything other than mekans, even though that just looks wrong written out phonetically, and using hiragana for it is almost as alien; there are so many words I grew up hearing but never seeing) whenever they were in season. But it wasn't a kind of food I learned to make growing up; I made my first pot of rice about a month ago, in my dorm in New Orleans. (Yes. I am an Asian girl who has never made rice before.)

I don't know, maybe it's that lure of trying to stand out from everyone else. "Oh, yes, not only do I cook, but I make sushi for a casual snack, and I brought my own chopsticks. My cupboard is full of rice, soy sauce, Golden Curry, and Japanese tea hand-carried from Japan!" *shrugs* I don't know. It's interesting. It's kind of fun, and it's not like it's a bad thing.

(Also, the always fun conversation: "What's that?" "It's nori." "What's nori?" "It's dried toasted seaweed." "Why don't you just call it seaweed?" "Because it's nori." "But it's seaweed." "It's nori." "But it's seaweed." *stabs with chopsticks*)

(no subject)

One paper down, thirteen more to go! Also I finally got my act together and sent out e-mails to some of the faculty I'd like to have speak for the NSAGA faculty speaker series, as well as an e-mail to the person who coordinates the space I'd like to use. Also my major advisor in the classics department! Tomorrow I get to play Tamora in a scene from Titus Andronicus in front of my Shakespeare class, so hopefully that goes well. I kind of love Tamora, y'all.

In the mean time, I've been staring at Amazon trying to find airtight canisters I could use to put flour, sugar, rice, and so forth in for under $25. This is somewhat hampered by the fact that I honestly can't look at a picture, get the measurements from the website, and actually figure out what size it is. Also I'm not sure if I want one that's glass (clear) or ceramic (opaque). I'd prefer opaque, but the glass is cheaper. (We don't get a lot -- or, uh, any -- natural light in our kitchen, but still... And I'd really prefer to actually see them in person, but that's not so much an option? *sighs* We have them at home, and I'm so much more motivated to cook or bake, just because it's easier, and so much more convenient. I'm also trying to find little jars (airtight, again) that I could keep kosher salt and sugar in so that I can throw in a pinch at a time, but again: hampered by the fact that I'm really bad at visualizing a size, and usually they don't tell you if the opening is large enough for you to stick your fingers into. Wow, that's an awkward sentence out of context. I was thinking maybe half-pint mason jars, but those are screw-on lids, and also: you cannot buy a couple of mason jars; you can usually only buy them in flats. I do not need a flat of mason jars.

Also I want new measuring cups and spoons, because I sincerely dislike mine, but that's sort of minor. And rice bowls! OMG, I don't think I ever considered how convenient rice bowls are, because I usually don't use them, but they're the perfect size for a single serving of rice. We only have soup-size bowls: less convenient if one wants a single serving of rice. And -- um, condiment bowls, I guess? Not necessarily pinch cups, they're larger than that. Small plates or bowls about the size of or slightly larger than the palm of one's hand? I have them at home. I never think about them. AND NOW I WANT THEM. *sigh* Cooking chopsticks, too: one of those things that most people don't use, so they're not very easy to find. And canisters for storing tea in, as I have several large bags of tea that I don't want to open if I can't put them in an easily accessible canister. For most of my teas I use my empty canisters from Rishi Teas, but all of mine are full right now. ...huh. Maybe I should be looking at stainless steel spice jars instead of tea tins: they're cheaper. (Although again, size! Why am I so bad at this? I should go measure one of my canisters and see how they match up.)

Also I would like a broiler pan and a wire cooling rack, and a glass baking dish. Also more time. Ooh, and biscuit cutters, and a larger (possibly another) cutting board. Also a wooden one. *dreamy* Anyway, some of these are easier to get than others.