fun at the market

This morning we woke up and journeyed out to our area's largest Asian market. Przemek and Tadzio ate bao and admired the enormous paper dragons and live crabs while I desperately scanned the aisles for mirin, bonito flakes, and other ingredients.

To be honest, shopping at this market is always a bit tricky. I have to study the packaging and store labeling until I finally give in and accept that I can't identify the item that I'm holding, much less know how to cook it. Today it was the giant kelp that stumped me. I wandered all over the store looking for something giant and kelp-like, only to finally ask for help and be directed to a tiny package of small green threads labeled "konbu."

There is some comfort in having friends that have had the same problem in reverse. I used to love to tease my friend Fengxi about the time she returned from our local grocery store with jars of baby food for us to cook with dinner.

It's just difficult all around.

Images via flickr