Meet RJ, aka Chef Hammes

To end our fun day with Miho and her family, RJ was invited to help cook dinner. He was so excited! Why, you ask? Because Miho has a gas stove. (For those of you who don't know, RJ received the movie Ratatouille for Christmas. Ever since then he has been fascinated with cooking on a gas stove. Grandma Leister even picked out a gas stove for her new cabin just to make RJ happy (not really, but it sounded good)). When Miho heard that RJ wanted to cook on a gas stove, she asked him to come to her house to cook.



First, RJ and Akiko prepared bacon and cheese wrapped asparagus.




He was so careful in his work.


Then RJ got to cook them.


Here he is using cooking chopsticks to remove the finished product from the hot pan.


He is so good with chopsticks!!


He then took a break to enjoy some Japanese cherries that one of Miho's neighbors gave them. They are very small and a bit tart, but yummy just the same.



Miho then went on to prepare tankatsu (similar to bread crumb battered) pork and chicken. RJ was able to help with the prep work, but I had to tell him he could not do that cooking (It is a pan of hot oil that you cook it in). He took it ok, seeing how he got to stay in the kitchen and talk with Miho. He loves talking with her. She practices her English with him and then he learns a few new Japanese words.


Once dinner was served, Mitch asked RJ to stand by his dinner creation. I guess he was too hungry to smile.


Look at all that food! And Miho says she cooks like this every night for her and her kids (her husband works in another part of Japan and only comes home once a month)


RJ's creation. Everything was delicious!! Thanks Miho for making RJ's night! He loved every minute of it.