The story behind my very first recipe book
It’s been a while since the last time I posted in English. I have been busy with a lot of brainstorming, planning, groaning in frustration and some new activities and projects. There are many happy things, too! One of them is my new podcast show, “Meg for Life Songbook.” In this show, I talk about my favorite music with my memories attached to it. It’s mainly in the Japanese language, so if you are learning Japanese and love music, the show is for you.
Podcast「Meg for Life Songbook 〜オンガクのオモイデ〜」☝︎（available on Anchor・Spotify・Apple Podcasts・Google Podcasts and Amazon Podcast .）
The other is my just-launched recipe book. Over the past couple of years, my friend Koharu and I have been working on our first recipe book entitled "Homemade Sushi: Made with Love” - a book created by two Japanese mothers. We are both family-focused mothers and share the same values. During one of our casual conversations, the idea of a sushi book came to mind. Remembering that many of my non-Japanese friends in the US loved the sushi my husband and I used to prepare at home with them. Before us, they never thought about making sushi at home themselves. We started the project before COVID-19 happened and are so excited to announce that the book was finally launched on October 22 on amazon.com.
"Homemade Sushi: Made with Love” is filled with simple and cute sushi recipes, and is perfect for sushi beginners. This is sushi that you can make easily and enjoy casually with your loved ones. With beautiful visuals, it’s perfect for a holiday gift or as a table book. The formats available are digital (Kindle), paperback and hardcover.
I am so excited and grateful that the book is listed as a #1 New Release in Japanese Cooking, Food and Wine at the time of writing this blog! Looking back, there were times I wondered why I was writing this book or if I should. It was a fun process but frustrating at the same time. I started writing the book when my son was still in kindergarten and my father’s health wasn't too bad. My son is in third grade now and my father is gone. I feel that this book is a fruit of my life as a stay-home mom / daughter. My life’s new chapter started in 2015 when I quit my career in New York City and moved to Japan to focus on my family - to be near my elder parents with my son. While I felt grateful for being able to follow my heart and for having a wonderful husband who supported me so much, I was constantly looking for an opportunity to get involved and contribute to society. This book allowed me to do that, at my own pace and still have my family as my first priority.
This book is the first of the Japan Mommy (@japan.mommy) projects through which Koharu and I would love to connect with mommies from across the globe! Oh, and the fathers too, because my husband played a big part in this production. We will introduce the Japanese lifestyle and talk about family matters on YouTube, too. We are excited that now we have a platform to promote good, healthy family life from a Japanese mother’s view.
