Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda: Struggling with Cooking is Tough. Japan’s Fastest Halloween Party!

The most spirited “Halloween party” of the year

In mid-September, I hosted a Halloween party at my home. It’s an annual event that I put the most effort into throughout the year. The reason is the members who participate. Along with regulars like Kayoko Okubo, Akira Tsuchida, and Eiji Kotoge, this year we had Eiichi Shibata from Untouchable and Yu Sawa from Haraiti. It’s a battle for the Himura family—whether or not we can make it a party they’ll genuinely enjoy.

To cut to the chase, it was a huge success. Everyone left with smiles, and later talked about how much fun it was on their radio shows. My husband and I listened to their praises, sat up a little straighter, and exchanged, “That’s great, isn’t it?” But getting to that point wasn’t easy.

This year, the main dish was okonomiyaki. I wanted to choose something I could make even though I’m not good at cooking, so I decided on a menu that could be cooked on a hot plate. The problem, though, is that I had never made okonomiyaki before. My husband told me, “Just mix okonomiyaki flour with cabbage, squid, shrimp, and tenkasu (tempura crumbs) cut into bite-sized pieces.”

The day before, I went shopping. First, shrimp. I picked up some frozen shrimp that had already been shelled, but then I thought, “Wait a minute, these shrimp are big. Will they become tough and slippery if I cut them? Will they get soggy after being thawed?” I asked the store staff, and they recommended boiled shrimp, so I went with that option.

Next, squid. Right next to the boiled shrimp were boiled squid, but I didn’t recognize the type of squid. As I searched around, I found one labeled “Yari ika” (spear squid). I knew that one! But it was still in its whole form. I couldn’t handle that so I asked a staff member, “Can I use that boiled squid for okonomiyaki?” They replied, “Yes, it’s softer than the spear squid.” Following their advice, I added it to my basket.

Then, it was time for tenkasu. I was surprised by the variety. There were options with squid tempura, shrimp tempura, and just regular tenkasu. After pondering for a while, I decided against the shrimp-flavored one because it seemed a bit overpowering. I didn’t want my guests to think, “Did the Himura family scrimp on the party?” So, I chose the slightly pricier option with squid tempura, which was less bold in flavor but still noticeable.

Finally, okonomiyaki flour. The sheer number of options threw me off. My husband had told me that adding yam would make it fluffy, so I reached for the “yam flour,” but then I wondered, “Does powdered yam really turn fluffy again?” Unsure, I decided against it. Instead, I opted for simple flour and planned to grate fresh yam. The back of the package listed a recipe for two servings, but with seven guests and extra servings in mind, I bought five bags.

 

I can’t sleep because I’m anxious to succeed.

After returning home, I immediately began preparing. But when I started cutting the ingredients, I thought, “Hmm? How big is a bite-size piece?” I got confused. When I was single, I thought bite-size meant around 2 cm, but after getting married, my husband once told me, “Since your body size is different from mine, that’s too small!” From that, I learned that “bite-size” is subjective, and it depends on the person. So, I thought, “Who should I base it on this time!?” After much deliberation, I decided to cut everything into various sizes. As a result, the pieces looked uneven. In the end, it looked like I hadn’t thought about it at all, and I felt disappointed.

Perhaps because of that, that night I lost confidence about whether the party would be a success. I became nervous and couldn’t sleep until around 3 a.m.

Then came the day of the party. As soon as I walked into the room, holding the five bags of okonomiyaki flour and dramatically saying “Ta-da!!” Tsuchida-san immediately asked, “How many are you planning to make?” I smiled and replied, “10 servings?” But he pointed to the front of the bag and said, “No, no, no!” There it was written: “For 10 servings.” When I checked the back of the package, it said, “Instructions for 2 servings.” I had mistakenly assumed one bag was for two servings and ended up buying enough flour for 50 servings. Naturally, we couldn’t finish it, and by the end of the night, four unopened bags of okonomiyaki flour remained.

This autumn, okonomiyaki has appeared on the Himura family’s table multiple times. Now, I can make it quickly, and I no longer hesitate at the supermarket. I’ve taken another step up the ladder of culinary knowledge.

His first book, which compiles this series “Where is the Royal Road? is now on sale to great acclaim!

Ai Kanda / Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from the Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics at Gakushuin University, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003. She left NHK in 2012 and became a freelance announcer. Since then, she has mainly worked on variety shows, and is currently a regular main MC on the daytime show “Poka Poka” (Fuji TV).

 

From the November 1-8, 2024 issue of “FRIDAY