Foodie in Peril

"Mangiare per vivere e non vivere per mangiare." 

Eat to live and not live to eat. 

I'm addicted to Italian and Asian cuisines. Luckily for me, we're moving to Okinawa where I can learn to make authentic sushi and other Japanese dishes. I've had a Japanese cookbook since before I was first married more than 15 years ago but I've never implemented it. Too scared! Though I love to eat just about anything. Even those tiny baby octopi in jaew-sriracha sauce...NOM! I've eaten an entire appetizer of these all by myself. Grossed my mom out at our wedding reception which was held at a local Japanese restaurant, Tokyo. My 4-yo niece ate the heads and I ate the bodies. *evil aunt grin* If I wasn't already a chubby bunny, I would have eaten the entire 100 sushi boat too! I'm always excited when my kids try something new and end up liking it, especially exotic (to us) flavors. My oldest has found he really likes sushi, with favorites being Tiger or Dragon rolls. His American tummy can't quite handle sashimi, though he doesn't mind the flavors. The youngest likes eel, teriyaki yakisoba and they both really like my grilled shark. (I'll have another post soon on some of our recipes.)

Mushrooms, red onion, pears,
yellow/red peppers, carrots and celery

Unluckily for me, I'm really, really hoping there might be a deli on the island carrying cappacuolo, salami in wine, prosciutto, mozzarella balls and flatbread. Because I'm seriously hooked on them. Nearly every day for lunch, since I work from home, I have these with some veggies or fruit. Dip them in EVOO with my homemade crushed spices and I'm in heaven! And I could watch the hell out of Giada De Laurentiis. She never ceases to amaze me at how simple the dishes seem to be, even those which use lots of ingredients. One of our favorites around here is just a simple puttanesca of grilled veggies over tortellini with sweet Italian sausage. The kids ask for it at least once a week. Or we'll throw shrimp and scallops in it instead of sausage.

See, I KNOW there's a BX at Kadena AB. I KNOW we can get all kinds of fresh veggies and seafood out the wazoo. What I'm not sure of is whether they'll have some of the usual staples we have here that grace our pantry. I may need to stock up and mail myself some at Christmas!

Anyone who's lived over there is welcome to comment below. What are your experiences at Kadena like with food?