Sunday 13 March 2011

Smoked Mackerrel + Veg Rice "Takikomi Gohan"

After the chicken battle in our modern diet and trade concerns, it's the turn on fishing industry discussed heatedly in media. (though this has been the issue for decades).As a Japanese national, I can't live without fish.. I've spent 1.5 years being Pescatorian but couldn't live without seafood, even after some stomach problems with shellfish..

My beloved mackerel is safe, still I hope, and this is one of the rare fish (along with salmon) that can tastes better in Europe (Northern) than in my native Japan.
So here it is, my recipe for the year,

Japanese "Takikomi Gohan" Smoked Mackerrel and vegetables

Takikomi means "Steamed" or "Stewed" and Gohan means "Rice" or in general, meals.
It's like Risotto, you can cook with variety of different ingredients.
If you have a rice cooker, it's super easy. If you don't, you can cook in a thick sauce pan but make sure you follow the stage of the flame, full to begin then shimmer once boiled with a lid on tightly as possible throughout the shimmer. (very important! don't peek in to check often, or at all!)

Ingredients:
1 packet of Smoked Mackerrel 
Bamboo shoots diced/sliced
Carrot diced
Spring onion chopped (to garnish)
Rice (Sushi rice)
Water 1.5 times of rice
Sesame oil 1 tbl spoon
Soy sauce 2 tbl spoon
Dashi powder 1tbl spoon (if liquid 2 tbl spoon)

(Rice Cooker version)
1: Put all ingredients except spring onion into the rice cooker, switch on, that's it, just wait till it's cooked, and stir well. (pic 1)
2: Garnish with chopped spring onion when serving.
pic 1

(Pan version)
1: Put all ingredients except spring onion into the pan.
2: Bring to boil for 5 min
3: Turn the flame to shimmer and put a lid on, leave to gently shimmer for further 20 min.
4: Check if the water has all evaporated, then stir well.
5: Garnish with chopped spring onion when serving.

KRAAK FESTIVAL 2011

So finally I made it to Kraak Festival in Belgium this year, 5th March 2011 in Aalst.
It was small scale than I expected, of about 200-300 people in a modern art gallery building Netwerk, of 3 storeys 5 rooms, 12 acts all-dayer festival.
We got there just on time at 2pm to catch my most-expected-to-see band, France from well..France (why!!) I could not catch their unofficial second "drunken" session as we had to leave to catch a train back to Kortjik, but they completely caught my full attention and blasted away in 40 minutes set of Psych-drone piece, very very hypnotic. I'd never seen a Hurdy-Gurdy before, but apparently they way they play isn't what it normally is expected to(!) but I loved the sound and action so much. Photos are the day-time "sober" session, then video is their "drunken" session, added powerful noise, I wish I could've seen this too.. I can't wait to catch them again, very bright hidden gem of my taste at the moment.

France
France




I missed Bryce Beverlin while I was carried away with €1.5 Hoegaarden beers in the bar..so can't say anything about him.. Thomas Bloch's performance was more of a cultural lecture on strange instruments, those we all hear in films, special effect sound, it was very interesting to see how the sound was made and everyone was like keen student to his seminar. A very lovely show in between experimental gigs to relax and ponder.
Arthur Doyle and Steve Noble had a special improv session in the studio space. Doyle himself had such an aura round him that people were so keen to follow every voice/sound/move he made, while Noble's drumming was very powerful/stable to improv Doyle's sound. Later on we saw Doyle smoking away in a bar alone and noone had a gut to tell him off the smoking! but this is Belgium, in a very modern liberal place, this was a lovely scene to catch and be a small part to symbolize the festival's atmosphere.
Arthur Doyle and Steve Noble

Bridget Hayden's set was very dreamy and intimate. I saw her play as a part of Vibracathedral Orchestra before, and now she's signed to Kraak, she's pursuing more into the droney soundscape. It reminded me of Grouper, haunting echo of delayed pedal and guitar which captivates my mind while listening visually.

Mother of Fire was a band from USA, amongst my friends, we had split opinion about their music, I liked them though the singing had some strange/uneasy effect in their rather industrial/a bit goth sound. I haven't seen many bands I can't quite decide what I think or categorize or compare to, which I took it as a good thing. They will be a bit of talk of the topic soon enough if not already for some people in music, so I have to keep my eyes to catch them again.
Mother of Fire
Mother of Fire

Twinsistermoon was a lofi folk duo on 2 guitars and pedals, bowed bass from France. very sweet folk music. Singer Mehdi Amaziane (probably Iranian blood?) has very sweet girly voice and as much as I'd love to watch them play, I would really want to close my eyes and have my mind drawn in the music they take me to. He's part of Natural Snow Buildings, which is more psych-folk/post rock that I am getting into. Very very beautiful!

The venue is such a great building with many rooms within for so much potentials (I'd like a party there!) festival friendly and greatly organized with lovely audience I had very great time.
While I wasn't keen on Call Back The Giants, I explored the exhibition space on the top floor where I found myself in pitch dark exhibition room of gradual limited light being projected, a smell of weed, some naughty voice filled the darkest room, it reminded me of James Turell's light installation I experienced in Naoshima Japan. I used this tranquil dark opportunity to breathe in all this festival experiences.
I shall come back next year also! It was such a (almost hidden gem) festival for music lovers to find good artists to dig into.