Opera "Rigoletto" and Sushi for the Dinner

On March 27, it was the last Opera in this season for Mary and Hiroko.  The opera played that day was “Rigoletto” by Verdi.  It was one of the famous, mystified and terrified ending opera.  Mary and Hiroko enjoyed the opera.  Please read Hiroko’s thought about the ultimate “love” mentioned below.

Hiroko didn’t want to cook the dinner, so the dinner that night was bought at “Yokozuna” restaurant.

This is the entrance of the sushi-restaurant, called “Yokozuna”

This is reception/payment register area, and inside inertia design of Osumo-san and Geisha.

Sushi-maker (Itamae)

He was Mongolian Sumo wrestler until three years ago in Japan, and opened this “Yokozuna” sushi restaurant three month ago nearby Hiroko’s house.  “Yokozuna” means a grand champion sumo wrestler.

This is sushidane (row fish for sushi) case.

These sushi, named “Sumo” and “Ozeki’ was purchased.

Dan-san and Hiroko liked these Sushi and made them satisfy their hunger the night.

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Hiroko’s thought about ultimate “Love”

Rigoletto is a hunchback and serves as the Duke’s court jester.  His only one daughter, Gilda was raped by the Duke.  Regoletto hired assassin to kill the Duke.  Gilda was singing how much she loved the Duke, so Rigoletto showed her how unfaithful man the Duke is, and asked her to move from this town, so prepared herself by wearing man’s clothes.  Gilda found out the father’s plot of killing the Duke.  Only way to save the Duke is someone has to die for his place.  Gilda took the place to die for the Duke.  Rigoletto came back to pay to the assassin, and received the body in the sack.  Regoletto who was trying to open the sack to recognize the body, heard the Duke’s cheerful singing

The scene makes us think so many things.

To die for someone for love, the love is one of the great loves.  However, Bible said anyone will be able to die for his/her loved one, good friends, lovers, etc. but no one would die for his/her enemies.

One who is the main character of the “Shiokari-Toge” written by Ayako Miura is one of the person who die for his enemy.  There would be many faithful people who died for his/her enemies.

Jesus Christ who is the Son of God showed us the ultimate love for us with his death on the cross for our sin. 

There would be no problems, no tears, no ill talking of each others, no suing among the Christian communities, if all the Christians practice the love of Christ Jesus.

I Corinthians 13:4-7  This is the Christ Love Christians should be practice.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

B-Day Dinner in March

Whose B-day is in March?  It is One of our only nephew Steven’s B-day, which was celebrated on March 16.  St. Patrick Day Celebration Day is the day before.  The water of Chicago River and the Fountain in the City Hall Square were died in green.  Many are eating Corned Beef to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick brought Christianity; whosoever believes the Lord Jesus Christ have everlasting life in heaven with Christ, to the Ireland.  People have the feast on the day to celebrate St. Patrick with pork meat in Ireland.  It is said that the corned beef is not eaten at the country of Ireland.  Immigrants from Ireland to the America would like to have same celebration in America, but all the pork meat was very expensive, but beef was very inexpensive.  All the immigrants tried to make the beef meat tastier with many different seasoning, and finally came out with the delicious beef meat called corned beef.

Our nephew Steven and all others would like to eat Corned Beef for his B-Day dinner.

Cooking directions are always printed on the bag of Corned Beef, but here is how Hiroko cooked.

Baked Corned Beef

Steven’s mother told Hiroko baked Corned Beef are much tastier.  Hiroko has never baked any kind of Corned Beef before.  Good Luck!

5 lbs. Corned Beef in a ceramic coated baking pan with cover

Take Corned Beef out from the plastic bag

Place the Corned Beef covered already with seasoning in the baking pan fat side up, and covered

Bake the Corned Beef at 350 degree for 20 minutes per pound

NOTE:  No baking pan with cover, wrap the Corned Beef with cooking foil thoroughly.

Done!

Corned Beef cooked in the Water

5 lbs and 8 lbs, 2 bags Corned Beef

Take Corned Beef out from the plastic bag

Wash the seasoning on the Corned Beef off

Place the Corned Beef, fat side up, in the big cooking pan, with dried seasoning comes with Corned Beef

(If no seasoning including in the bag, it is O.K. without)

Put the water in the pan and cover the Corned Beef

Cook the Corned Beef till boil, and reduce the heat, and simmer the Corned Beef for one hour per pound or until poke the Corned Beef with a fork easily

Done!

Cabbage and Potatoes

Have to have cabbage and potatoes with Corned Beef

Cook these cabbage and potatoes in the sauce that cooked Corned Beef

Steven’s mother cooked cabbage and potatoes while the Corned Beef baked in the oven

Hiroko forgot to take the photos while they were eating.  Everyone loved the both Corned Beef and other foods.  Amanda mentioned Baked Corned Beef was little bit salty.

Other foods

Pork Chops

Baked fried chicken

No photos, but there are salad recipe from Charles K.

B-Day Cake – Amanda bought Steven’s favorite Lemon Roll from Swedish Bakery.  It was very tasty, but becomes very expensive

Post these two recipes on the Hiroko’s recipe blog http://oishiikai.wordpress.com

March 17, Sunday

Steven’s B-Day dinner was held on Saturday, March 16, and the following day, Church Visitation Group visited our friend in his rehabilitation center, and encourage to eat his lunch.  Of course we sang Hymns and prayed for his fast recovery

John and his family

 Visitation Group Members

We are very happy to see John had eaten all his lunch at last.

For One Month, Life

Hiroko didn’t post her articles for one month.  Where had the time fly?  It is the middle of March.

Many things have been going on in her life.  First, it made Hiroko very shock.  Hiroko’s blood pressure had been very high for two months.  Hiroko should go to see her doctor right away, she didn’t go because she couldn’t believe her blood pressure were so high.  Taking her blood pressure for two months twice or three times a day, finally, Hiroko went to see her doctor.  Her doctor told her that it is called the old age high blood pressure that only the upper pressure goes up 150 to 170.  It was exactly that had happened on her blood pressure.  For this kind of high blood pressure there is no medicine to take care.

It passed about one month since Hiroko’s doctor explained the reason of her high blood pressure.  Now, Hiroko’s blood pressure is not high at all.  Hiroko might not want anyone to call her old age, so Hiroko was trying to fight with the word.  Well, it is not true.  Hiroko has been taking Japanese remedies for high blood pressure and cholesterol, because Hiroko’s doctor found her cholesterol was 20 degree higher than two years ago.  She may have to take a medicine for it.

Here are the recipes of the Japanese Remedies for:

(These recipes will be posted on Hiroko's recipe blog: http://oishiikai.wordpress.com)

High Blood Pressure

Soak 10 to 15 cloves of garlic in 3 cups of rice or apple vinegar.

Let stand them for 10 days to wait for the garlic extract melt into the vinegar

Drink 1 Tbsp of vinegar each morning and evening, and eat garlic sometimes

Cholesterol

Roast 3 cups dried soy beans, and soak them in 2 cups, or cover the soy beans, with rice of apple vinegar.  Wait for 2-3 days or until the soy beans are soft.  Eat 10 each of the vinegared soy beans twice a day.

Hiroko put soy beans and garlic both in the rice vinegar.  Hiroko thinks the soy beans make the foods in her intestines moving.

Hiroko’s heart was troubled with one thing which might have affected her blood pressure.  She received New Year greeting from several people, to whom Hiroko didn’t write her greeting.  The beginning of March Hiroko finally wrote thank you reply and New Year greeting to them.  It made her heart at peace.

Well, here is another depressing Chicago’s weather report in March. 

It was snowed.  It is usual Chicago weather in 2013. 

Many are asking the Lord for snow to solve the problem of draught in Chicago.  God answered the prayer.  It is better to give thanks to the Lord and praise the Lord’s name for answer to our prayer.

These photos were taken by Hiroko in March 2012, and posted to her blog in 2012, titled “Crazy Chicago’s March Weather 2012.”  

The Weather Report in the photo said it was 70 to 80 degree around this time, and many, many flowers were blooming, and very warm.  How different March 2013!

On Saturday in February, the B-day of Richard, Elsa’s boy-friend, was celebrated with his favorite foods, pork-cutlets/curry and Sukiyaki.

Amanda baked rum cake for Richard.  It was very delicious cake.  Thanks, Amanda!

Hippy Birthday, Richard!

Lisa brought spring in Hiroko’s house on that day.  The name of the flower is Begonia.  It has been blooming well.

This is Konnyaku Potato.  Hopefully the flower will be blooming.  Doesn’t it make you feel like spring is here?

Thinking about the blood pressure, Hiroko will be trying to post her articles twice a month.  Hiroko needs to be relaxed and enjoy writing article for blogs.

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My brother’s word encouraged Hiroko to write this article..  He told Hiroko that he doesn’t understand the “LOVE.”  Of course, Hiroko has to think about his question.

Here is Hiroko’s thought of “Love.”

The most famous Bible verse John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believers in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

What is this God’s love? 

He loves the world, Hiroko, with his life to the death.  Jesus showed His love on the cross to sinners.  With His death the human being who believes His love will be saved.  God’s love is equal to death.

Well, what is our love toward Jesus?

The trust, obedience, faithfulness of His words is our love for God.

How we show our love to God in our daily lives?  Hiroko’s thought is that we trust and obey His words in the Bible, and His audio and non-audio words in our ears and heart.

How do we show our love to one another?

In I Corinthian 13:4-7 “love” is explained: “⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Based on this explanation we discussed how we live our Lord Jesus’ commandment “Love one another,” and our Church has been learning how to love one another in “Veritas” program.  The first of all “Veritas” means “truth” – talking truth to one another.  This is the first step of practicing “Love one another.”

How are we talking truth each others?

-Talking truth each other are that if you get hurt from someone, then, you should go to the person to tell “I got hurt from our words.”

-If you feel you make hurt someone, then, go to someone to say I’m sorry.

What do you think to practice these teaching in your daily life?

Our church is still learning how to love one another with this program.  This is interesting teaching, but the many people express it is hard to practice.