A few more recipies, some explanations, and I'll be done except for the
various questions that I need.

Doesn't anyone have any from the series?

***

A Son's Duty.

A fan fiction based on Takahashi Rumiko's Manga series, Ranma 1/2.

Saotome Ranma, Saotome Genma, Saotome Nodoka, Tendo Akane, Tendo Soun,
Tendo Kasumi, Tendo Nabiki, Tendo Ranko, Kuonji Ukyou, Hibiki Ryouga,
P-chan, Shampoo, Mousse, Kunou Tatewaki, Kunou Kodachi, Kurenai Tsubasa,
Tofu Sensei and Hinako Sensei are copyright 1987, 1997 by Takahashi
Rumiko. 

Publishing rights:

Japan:		Shogakukan Inc. Tokyo
Hong Kong:	Jademan (Holdings) Ltd.
North America:	Viz Inc.

Chapter Seven:


The Deities knew how long this particular question had been coming,
especially given all the small coincidences and comments that had been
made over the last few months.  Still, no one could actually prepare for
it, nor could one prepare for the reactions and consequences that would
occur because of it.  For the three young people to whom the question had
a direct meaning, it could well mean a tragic ending. 

Turning around, Ukyou, Akane, and Ranko looked at Saotome Nodoka, nervous
about what might happen.  In all of their efforts to keep the truth from
people, they had never guessed this would happen, at least not so soon. 
If they couldn't deflect Nodoka's inquiries, then Ranko would have to
commit Sepuku. 

Nodoka for her part was now quite aware of how nervous the three of them
were about her question.  It hadn't made sense that the youth who was out
cold on the ground was calling Ranko by her sons name, and she had
intended the question to ask how well the boy was.  The reactions of
Akane, Ranko, and her suitor, Ukyou said that there was more here than met
the eye.  Walking up to the three of them, she held out the Bento boxes. 
"Here Ranko-chan, you forgot these this morning." 

Ranko looked flustered and mechanically took the Bento, her nervous and
slightly scared eyes never leaving Nodoka's face.  There was so much that
she wanted to tell her mother, so much that she wished she had the nerve
to do, but she couldn't stand the thought of breaking her mothers heart. 
It wasn't the shadow of Sepuku that kept Ranko from telling her mother who
she really was, it was the fear of the pain that confession would cause
that kept her silent.  "Th-Thank you, Auntie Saotome.  I-I should have
looked for them before I left the house." 

Nodoka looked at the young girl who she considered her daughter.  For the
first time in her life, she started recalling the comments people had
made, from Nabiki at the dinner table, to sales people when she had taken
the girl shopping.  Except for the hair, Ranko really did look a lot like
she had at the girls age.  She began to wonder if it was natural or
something that the young girl had deliberately done.  "Ranko-chan, would
you like to talk about what is bothering you?" 

Akane noticed that Ranko was unable to say a word, and knowing her
tendency to stick her foot in her mouth or say the wrong thing when
flustered, she decided that it was time to let Nodoka in on a few things
while defusing the situation at the same time.  It would have to be done
carefully, one word out of place and Ranma would die.  Despite everything
she admitted to in public, she really did like Ranma as a friend, if not
as a fiancee.  "Ukyou-kun, I think you'd better take Ranko to class.  You
know what will happen if she's late again." 

Ukyou looked at Akane, and quickly got the idea.  Lightly resting his hand
on Ranma's elbow, he led the shocked young woman towards the school.  It
was not going to be easy to break her out of this, especially since her
eyes showed a lot of fear.  Of what he couldn't be certain and his fiancee
had never been afraid before.  Ranko being afraid of anything was so far
outside of her normal behavior that it had become unimaginable. 

For the first time in his life, he would have to be the one who was brave
for Ranma, not the other way around. 

As the two of them walked away, Nodoka looked at the young girl she
considered her daughter, her heart actually beating a little bit faster
than normal.  For such a long time, Nodoka had assumed that Ranko's
actions were only because she missed her mother, and that in some way, she
filled that role for the young girl.  There were so many things that had
happened, the number of times that Ranko had come to her just to be with
her.  She turned towards Akane, noticing that she was looking at the two
departing youngsters with undisguised concern and worry, "What is wrong
with her Akane-chan?  Has something happened to my daughter?" 

Akane started at that, "Y-your daughter. Auntie Saotome?" 

Nodoka smiled, "My apologies Akane-chan, but I consider your cousin to be
as my daughter.  I had not meant to offend you or make you uncomfortable." 

Akane relaxed a bit, "I'm the one who is sorry Auntie.  It's just that
Ranko hasn't had a mother since she was five, and she might as well not
have had a father, considering all that he did to her and the pain it's
caused.  I just don't want to see her being hurt anymore." 

Nodoka nodded slightly, "I think I understand, but what is wrong with her,
and why was she so startled when I ask why that boy had mistaken her for
my son?" 

Akane sighed, "I guess we should take a little walk, Auntie.  It's not an
easy story to tell, and you'll need some time to understand it." 

Walking alongside the young girl, Nodoka pondered that statement.  From
the sounds of it, there was more wrong than was apparent at the surface. 
"Is it really that bad or hurtful for her Akane?" 

The black haired girl nodded, "Unfortunately.  You see, when Ranko arrived
here, she was sort of wild, not having lived in a very civilized setting
thanks to her father.  In many ways, she had been raised as a boy, even to
the point of thinking that she was a boy.  Being female was not the most
pleasant thing for her, and not having a mother was even harder.  The only
companion that she had was Mr. Panda." 

Nodoka sighed, "I figured that much out.  That Panda is rather cute, and
very well trained, but it couldn't have gotten that way without someone
spending a lot of time with it.  Given how much Ranko plays with it, I
figured that she was the one who thought it how to read and write." 

Akane stifled a giggle at that comment.  Apparently Uncle Saotome's signs
were something that Auntie considered an amusing trick that Ranko had
thought him.  If anything, Ranma would like to stuff those magic signs
that he got from Tofu-Sensei down his throat.  "Well, it's more than that
with that Panda, but getting back to the point, Ranma arrived not too long
after that, and Ranko immediately noticed how similar their names were, as
well as how much they looked alike." 

Gesturing to a park bench, she continued, "To make a long story short,
Ranko started to imitate Ranma's style of talking, dress, and actions,
taking to the martial arts as if there was no tomorrow.  It's rare to see
her in a dress or anything except for outfits that make her almost a twin
for Ranma.  To make it simple, the school allowed her to register under
the same name." 

Nodoka looked startled, "Do you mean that she likes my son that much?  Is
that why the two of you fight so often?  Is it because she wants to marry
Ranma?" 

Akane giggled out loud at that.  "No, she doesn't want to marry Ranma. 
She admires him, acts like him, and in a way want to be him.  Sometimes
they're almost indistinguishable from one another, which, in a way, is why
it's so hard on her when you visit.  Ranko knows how much Ranma would like
to see and know you, but is always being pulled away by Uncle Saotome on
training trips, and she also knows how hard it is on you.  It's one of the
reasons that Ranko tries to act so nice when you're around, so you don't
get hurt." 

Nodoka frowned, "That isn't very healthy for her.  She should act like
herself, not as though she's someone else, weather it be faking how she is
for me, or acting as though she's my son.  Ranko should be her own
person." 

Akane shrugged, "True, but as far as Ranko is concerned, she is just
another version of Ranma.  Maybe I should tell you of all the things that
she has done while using Ranma's name so that you can get a better idea of
her personality." 

Nodoka smiled at Akane.  She knew that this girl dearly loved her cousin,
but didn't want to let it show.  All the Tendo girls, except for Kasumi,
had grown up without the proper influence of an older female it seemed,
and they had as much trouble expressing their true feelings as most men. 
She instinctively knew that this was a way for Akane to show her love for
both Ranko and Ranma, and in a way that was only an explanation of a
problem for Nodoka's sake.  "I would be pleased if you would do so.  I
have not seen my son in ten years, and I would like to get to know my
daughter until I do meet him." 

***

Ukyou looked over at Ranko as he led her into the building.  They were
getting some strange looks from a few of the students, but not that many. 
Given how many things happened around the small group of martial artist in
the school, it wasn't that unusual for something to happen.  Especially to
Ranma. 

"Come on Ranko, it isn't that bad.  I'm sure that Akane will explain it to
Saotome-san."  Ukyou said quietly, trying to raise the red headed girls
spirits, "After all, what is the worst that can happen?" 

Ranko's voice started to come up in small spurts... 
"Sepuku...Father...I....Mother....Don't want...." 

Ukyou sighed and started to rub at one of his temples as he led Ranma to
their class room.  Was it really worth going through all of this to make
sure that he wasn't engaged against his will?  Wincing a bit, he suddenly
thought about how Ranma felt when it came to his multiple engagements,
none of which he had asked for.  Ever since that letter arrived, he had
been thinking about who he really was, and which half of him was the
facade. 

*Damn it!  Now I'm starting to understand what he...she goes through.  I'm
faking an engagement to a girl, who really happens to be the guy I'm
engaged to because in society I happen to be a guy.  To top it off, now I
have two fiancees, one of whom I want, and had promised to me years ago,
and another one made without my knowledge.* He started grumbling to
himself, his mouth forming into a thin, straight line as he realized that
somehow he had been placed in an uncomfortably familiar position.  At
least nothing else could go wrong today. 

Of course, some of the girls noticed what Ranma was wearing and what she
was carrying when she came into class.  Still rather stunned over what
happened that morning she began answering questions, and soon the entire
class was buzzing with the gossip.  When Ukyou found out about the Bento
that Ranma had made to feed him at lunch, and figured out that there would
be a huge crowd of observers somewhere around them, he put both hands to
his head and started to rub it. 

It was definitely going to be one of those particularly nasty days where
nothing seemed to go right.

***

Authors Notes: 

Bento

Bento, or the traditional lunch box that you see being carried to work or
to school has it's origins far back in Japanese history. 

Samurai, who were and are the warriors, or knights, of Japan used to
travel quite a bit when examining the territory, making rounds, going to
war, or on a mission for their lord or lady.  They traveled many places,
near and far and almost always needed to carry a ready supply of food with
them.  Many times, there were not enough horses for most Samurai as a
horse is a very expensive animal to keep, especially in a country with
such limited resources.  Samurai had to travel on foot, and using a carry
bag was inconvenient, awkward, clumsy, and a detriment in many cases as
things could not be kept dry in a lot of cases. 

Instead of sack, Samurai carried what were known as travel boxes, a single
portable cabinet that had many drawers and chambers designed to make
things easier on the traveling soldier.  The box provided a way to put
something on the ground or in the snow with less risk to the contents, and
the design was a lot less awkward to carry, enabling many to be able to
fight with one on their backs.  The fact that it was lacquered made the
box somewhat waterproof. 

No one has ever been able to prove when this happened, or who made the
change, but as Samurai traveled, and they had little time or amenities in
carrying out their duties to their lord and their people, little time was
made for a meal in between the morning and evening.  For some time, the
Samurai had developed a trick of pretending that enabled them to tell
themselves that they were actually full and in no need of food.  This
worked quite well for a while, but a person without nourishment tends to
make mistakes.  That is how someone decided to remake the top of a travel
box to hold a smaller box in which a Samurai could pack extra food cooked
in the morning so that they could eat quickly and without stopping to
prepare a meal. 

Gradually, this developed into a many layered, finely designed and
lacquered Bento boxes of the Edo period of history.  These elaborate
boxes, some the size of a five year old child, were filled with many
treats which the nobles others used to go on picnics, outings, and
gatherings of importance.  it was during this period that Bento boxes
started to be used approximately once a week for the sake of getting air. 

Gradually, the size of the Bento shrunk again as it became convenient to
use the boxes to carry food to and from work and school settings.  These
days, Bento boxes are still carried, but not as often as one would think
as the influx of the western sandwiches have caught the imagination of the
younger generation.  Young women still make various types of Bento to
carry to show how well they can prepare their food for their boyfriends
and fiancees. 

The basic Bento box is separated into two or three chambers with one
chamber taking up at least half the box.  It is in here that rice, usually
Sushi rice, is placed.  This is because of the importance that rice has in
Japanese culture.  The other chambers usually hold other items, such as
rice balls containing a pickled plum, or various types of Sushi. 

For travelers, the place they are likely to experience Bento boxes is on
trains, the so called Eki-ben that is familiar in many regions.  Each
station makes their own specialty and many people travel on trains just to
experience the different types, flavours, presentations, and aroma's of
Bento from around the country.  The presentation of the food inside the
box is at least as, if not more, important than the taste of the food. 

Although the elaborate boxes are not used much today, you can still see
them on Saturday afternoons or Sundays as people go to the parks. 


Amazu Shoga

Amazu Shoga, or sweet pickled ginger is the thin, pink ginger that is
served as a taste clearer at meals, usually with various Sushi's. 

To get a proper tasting Amazu Shoga, you have to start with a proper
shoga.  In other words it cannot be dried in any way, shape, or form.  For
all Japanese dishes it is imperative fresh shoga is used. 

You can find fresh shoga almost anywhere you go and it can be recognized
by having large knobs, being firm, not soft when pressed, and has a
smooth, unblemished, and unshriveled skin.  The best shoga is that which
has a skin that is light in colour, and has a distinctive green smell of
living items.  If refrigerated properly, fresh shoga can last for two
weeks. 

To prepare , you need to make the sweetening sauce, which consists of one
(1) cup of golden rice vinegar, twelve (12) tablespoons of sugar, one (1) 
teaspoon of salt, and one (1) tablespoon of Mirin.  Do not mix over the
heat, and stir until all granules of sugar and salt are dissolved.  Set
aside in a cool place. 

Peel shoga carefully in no shorter than 3 cm, and no longer that 5 cm
lengths.  Finely slice lengthwise in extremely thin cuts.  You have to be
able to see through it clearly for it to be properly made.  As my sister
once said, "Amazu Shoga is not properly made if it does not allow one to
define a scene.", which meant that it should be thin enough to see things
clearly through it.  Imagine slices about the thickness of 15 pound bond
paper and you have it right. 

In a small saucepan, bring two cups of water to a hard boil, and add one
half (1/2) teaspoon of salt to it.  Add the slices of ginger and let boil
for one minute after which you remove and quickly drain it.  It is
important for the ginger to remain relatively warm or hot at this stage. 

Place the ginger into the marinating sauce, and let sit undisturbed for at
least an hour.  It can be served at this time, but taste best twenty four
(24) hours after being made.  Although it keeps well for seven to twelve
days if kept in the juice, the best flavour only last on the first to
second day after being made.  This ginger is prepared at the same time a
meal is being made, and is left to stay to the corresponding meal on the
following day. 

To serve, drain it very well and apply in a small mound in the centre of a
plate, or to the side in a complementary manner. 

Each piece is meant to clear the delicate flavours of the food it has been
served with, and only one slice at a time should be eaten.  It freshens
the tongue for the slight expressions that each piece of food has, and for
someone who loves sushi's, is used after taking each piece.  It is
therefore important that while serving this does not touch any other piece
of food. 


Fukujin Zuke

The Deities of Good Fortune, known to the west as The Seven Lucky Gods,
are honoured traditionally with this dish which had been served in the
Tokyo area for as long as people can remember. 

This dish is usually made with seven ingredients, each one denoting one of
the Deities, and it takes several days and careful preparation to make. 
Careful care must be taken at each step of the process as the ideal of
food is to serve the eyes as well as the palate and stomache.  This being
so, only the absolute best of ingredients can and should be used. 

You need one lotus root around six hundred and fifty (650) grams selected
for absolutely unifromness of form and no visible discolourations or
damage on the outside.  Prepare three (3) cups of fresh spring water with
five (5) tablespoons of clear rice vinegar.  Peel the root carefully, and
slice very thinly, placing each slice into the vinegared water
immediately. 

Select three (3) cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly.  Each of
the cucumbers should be an emerald green with absolutely no
discolourations or variance in uniformity of colour. 

One carrot, also treated in the same manner, except that it has been
quartered instead of halved. 

One Daikon, approximately five hundred (500) grams.  It should be selected
for absolute whiteness, peeled, and quartered lengthwise, then thinly
sliced. 

Select three (3) eggplants that are uniformly purple, with no
discolourations, bulges, or other unsightly blemishes on the surface. 
Halve it lengthwise and then slice it very thinly, making a delicate view
that should be transparent. 

A ten (10) centimetre length of kombu that is uniform in colour and width,
carefully julienned. 

Finally you need a small piece of shoga, peeled, sliced very thinly, and
julienned. 

To start this, you must drain the lotus root slices and in a heavily
boiling pot, boil for three (3) to four (4) minutes.  Take out and then
plunge into ice cold water immediately.  Drain it very well. 

In a large bowl, place the lotus root, cucumber, carrot, daikon, and
ginger together and sprinkle with two (2) to three (3) teaspoons of salt. 
Mix together very well, and get the salt coated over all of the
vegetables.  Cover with a descending lid, and place one (1) kilogram on it
for two days. 

Place the eggplant into a bowl and cover with one (1) to two (2) teaspoons
of salt, tossing to coat as well, and then cover with a descending lid as
well.  Add one and a quarter (1.25) kilograms of weight for two days. 

At the end of two days, remove the vegetable mixture and drain, kneading
out remaining water.  Place on a screen and dry in the sun for about four
hours. 

Take the eggplant and drain it at this time, covering in water for an
hour.  Repeat this step and then gently squeeze out the water and set to
dry in the sun for three to four hours. 

For the Zuke mixture, mix one half (1/2) cup of Shoyu, three (3) 
tablespoons of Mirin, one (1) tablespoon of sugar, and three (3) 
tablespoons of water with one (1) teaspoon of clear rice vinegar in a
saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cool the mixture and set aside. 

Separate the sun dried vegetables and mix with the eggplant and kombu in a
bowl.  Add the Zuke mixture and cover with a descending lid with a one (1) 
kilogram weight for four days in a cool, dark, and dry place. 

When the liquid rises above the lid, lightly squeeze the liquid out of the
vegetables, and cook over a low heat for one to two minutes removing any
form that forms.  Cool down. 

Combine the vegetables and liquid in a bowl and repeat the process above
once more. 

After the second process, place the vegetables in a wide mouth jar and
pour the cool liquid over it.  Seal the jar.  The Zuke is ready the next
day and if shaken once a day will last for thirty days if stored in a cold
place. 

It is best served with curry rice, or with strong flavoured or oily foods
such as western fried potatoes. 


Rice

Rice is extremely important to any meal served in Japan.  It is more than
the basic of a meal to which one sits down, but the taste of the rice
DEFINES the meal.  A bad tasting rice ruins the pleasure of the rest of
the food. 

To choose your rice, you need to divide it into two main categories,
Shimmai, which is newly harvested rice that is eaten within three months
of the harvest, and Komai which is eaten after being aged for at least a
year.  In addition, where the rice is grown, which slope of the mountain
it was one, region it was grown, height of the rice paddy, and temperature
conditions all affect the taste.  Rice of the same strain can taste
extremely different due to these differences, and you must read for these
on the package.  No proper rice is sold without all of this information. 

The next important ingredient is the water that is being used. 

While most homes will use tap water for convenience sake, water provides
many important highlights to the flavours of the rice.  Each sushi
restaurant that cares about their customers have perfected their own
combinations of water which come from many different parts of Japan. 
Where it is taken, be it from stream, brook, spring, or artesian well, or
if it comes from a distillers, impacts upon the flavour of the rice.  For
rice tasting, 100% pure distilled water is used.  Shipping of this water
is always carried out in a glass container as metal and plastic containers
provide distasteful odours and flavours to the water. 

Basically, Komai is cooked one cup of rice to one cup plus two tablespoons
of water and Shimmai is cooked one cup of rice less two tablespoons of
water.  To little water will make a rice that is dry and hard in the
centre.  Too much water will create more of a sticky rice or rice soup
which is the improper consistency for most meals.  Cooking a proper pot of
rice takes much effort, and even with rice cookers, which have greatly
improved rice cooking, it is still an effort to cook it correctly.  For
the sake of everyone, please use a rice cooker with short grain rice. 

To begin, you wash the rice one hour before you start cooking in a flat
bottom wooden vessel, rubbing all the grains against the bottom and the
sides to remove any remaining bran and polishing compounds that remain on
the rice.  Drain off all the water and add fresh water again, repeat this
step as many times as necessary until the water remains clear.  Drain the
rice and add water allowing it to sit for at least 30 minutes.  All the
water used in this must be the same compound of water that it will be
cooked with. 

Combine the rice and the properly measured amount of water into the cooker
and let the machine do it's job properly.  Do not disturb it, and leave
the pot alone for ten minutes after it has finished cooking. 

One hint, the more rice that is cooked, the better the taste and
consistency of the rice. 

NEVER add butter to the rice. 


Basic Sushi Rice Glazing Mixture. 

Sushi rice is a type of vinegared glazed rice that is slightly sweet and a
little bit sticky.  Virtually every Sushi shop will have it's own recipes
for this, some with major variations, some with only a minor variation. 
Each one is unique to itself and provides comfort to the eater, making
tempting highs and lows that are important to the variety and variation of
Sushi, Sashimi, and Sishimi that is available. 

The basic recipe uses the following for five cups of dry rice. 

Five (5) Tablespoons of white sugar.  Two (2) Teaspoons of salt Two (2)
Tablespoons of Mirin Seven (7) Tablespoons of Pale Gold Rice Vinegar. 

In a small saucepan, place the Mirin and vinegar together.  Slowly stir in
the other ingredients and keep warm.  Do not let the mixture boil. 

To apply the glaze to the rice, you need a round wooden container with
smooth, even sides and bottom.  Wet the bowl well and wipe off any excess
water.  Apply vinegared water, which is water that has three (3) 
tablespoons of vinegar added to it and wipe off any excess.  The water
used must be the same compound used to cook the rice. 

Place the rice into the centre of the bowl or tub.  Allow it to rest for
about ten minutes and then pour one quarter of the vinegar over the centre
of the rice.  With the rice paddle mix the dressing evenly throughout the
rice, and then mound again, adding the rest of the mixture.  Spread the
mixture through the rice evenly and then start waving a fan to cool the
rice as you turn it and continue to even the coating.  This is very
important that the rice cool as you apply the vinegar as it needs to
become a pearly luster which is the glaze settling evenly upon the rice. 
Brush off any rice that sticks to the side once the rice has been evened
out with a cloth with vinegared water.  Let the rice cool to body
temperature to make Sushi's always wetting your hands with vinegared water
before touching it. 

***

Hitomi

Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi@terminal.autobahn.mb.ca
http://204.112.189.3/~hitomi
"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."