Eleven past four
I leap into the pool reflecting
the deep summer green
And alone
in the water soaked up the warmth of the midday sun
me and my shadow
toe to toe
be in touch in the witness of the drifting underwater rainbow
My arms spread
I flow through the embracing fluid
that hugs every inch of my skin, my hair, my soul
we are in each other’s arms
soul to soul
A fallen leaf hanging there
there in the water
I move closer and catch it
and lift it up to the surface
and there
you can hear the chirping birds and feel the mellow sun
and beautifully pose against the cloudless blue sky
again
A bumble bee with the color of the fallen leaf
lingers by the pool to be with other leaves surrendered to the ground
From water I rise to a benevolence quartette sung
by birds, cicadas, wind and ruffling trees
between intervals of silence in water
Being in water is introspective
Contemplating how it keeps time
memory of rain and cloud
the history of humankind
and our collective life
四時十一分
我大步踏入一湖映照盛夏的綠之中
獨自浸泡在盛載烈日餘溫的池水
與我的影子
腳尖碰腳尖
讓水底下的漂流彩虹都看見
我雙臂張開
順水流動
任其摟緊我每吋皮膚、髮絲、靈魂
我們抱着彼此
觸碰彼此的心神
那兒一片落葉
一片懸在水裡的落葉
我游向它，抓住它
拿起它，掀起它上水面
在水面
你至少能聽鳥鳴，能感受溫柔的日
能再一次在無雲晴空下
美麗如初
一隻顏色儼如落葉的黃蜂
在池邊與躺卧地上的落葉間遊蕩
我自水底下探出頭來
聽見蟲與鳥、風與樹的協奏曲
填補水裡靜謐的間場
在水裡每游一趟都是一場內省
默想水如何記住時間的流逝
雲與雨的記憶
人類的過去
以及共同的生命
Cold Soba & Marinated Shishito Pepper
Ingredients:
Shishito peppers 100g
Garlic 10 cloves
Drinking water 200ml
Japanese soy sauce 50ml
Sugar 1 tablespoon
Sake 1 tablespoon
Soba noodle A handful
Ice bowl:
– Two bowls of different sizes
– Ceramic pie weights or any other weight
– Leaves
– Drinking water
To make the ice bowl:
Place the smaller bowl into the large one and insert the leaves between the bowls. Place the pie weights into the smaller bowl and fill in water between the two bowls to buoy the small bowl. Adjust the positions of the leaves before placing the bowls into the freezer. To detach the ice bowl from the bowls, place the large bowl in room temperature water for a short while and then you can remove it easily from the bowls. Do not immerse the bowls into water.
Steps:
- Wash and dry the shishito peppers. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Pour water, sugar, sake and 30ml of soy sauce into a small saucepan and melt the sugar. Taste the sauce and add the remaining soy sauce to your liking. Bring it to a boil and let cool slightly.
- Grill the shishito pepper and garlic on a rack over medium heat. Grill the shishito peppers until the skin is slightly charred and the garlic golden. You can also roast them in the oven. Place the food in a container.
- Pour the soy sauce marinade into the container. Put the container into the fridge when it’s completely cool. Let it marinate for a day or two.
- Cook the soba noodle as instructed on the packaging. Put the cooked noodle into iced water, let cool and then drain. Place the cold noodles in the ice bowl.
- Take a few pieces of shishito peppers out and pair with more pickled condiments if you wish. Ladle some soy sauce marinade into a bowl as a dipping sauce for the soba noodle.
冷蕎麥麵與醬油漬小青椒
材料：
日本小青椒 100克
蒜頭 10瓣
食水 200毫升
醬油 50毫升
糖 1湯匙
清酒 1湯匙
蕎麥麵 一束
冰碗：
– 兩個不同大小的圓碗
– 焗批餅用的陶珠或其他重物
– 葉子
– 食水
冰碗製作：
小碗放在大碗內，在碗與碗之間放入葉子。在小碗內放陶珠，沿碗邊注入水，讓小碗浮起。調整好葉子的位置，便可把碗放到冰格裡。冰碗成型後，將大碗浸在常溫水裡一會兒，便可輕易取出冰碗。注意不要讓水流入碗內。
做法：
- 小青椒洗淨抹乾，蒜頭去衣。
- 將食水、糖、清酒及30毫升醬油混合，在小鍋裡加熱至糖溶化，按口味加入餘下醬油。煮沸後稍稍放涼。
- 小青椒和蒜頭置烤網上以中火烤，小青椒烤至微微焦黑，蒜頭則烤至金黃即可。以焗爐烤亦可。烤好後放在器皿內。
- 醬油醃料倒入器皿內，完全放涼後，放入雪櫃醃漬一至兩天。
- 蕎麥麵按包裝指示煮熟，放到冰水裡冷卻，瀝水後放在冰碗裡。
- 夾出漬好的小青椒，也可配搭其他配菜。另取小碗盛起少許醃漬小青椒的醬油，作為蕎麥麵的沾醬。
Jo Liu
It’s raining outside, crisp and bleak. Three chubby sparrows took shelter on my balcony and I gave them the baguette bits left on my breakfast plate but they flew away. I stayed in, played Damien Rice on vinyl and made apple crumble. Repeat.
Instagram: foodialoguehk
