Many things come to mind when I think about Aunt Aiko. Like many people, one of them is food. Almost 30 years ago, she contributed a couple of her prized sushi recipes to a family cookbook. I'm glad she did because both my dad and I have made her chirashi zushi several times. It may seem simple, but it's always popular. I always think of Auntie when making it. In broad strokes, this is how you make it, and why each step reminds me of her.
First step, prepare the dashi, a broth usually made with dried seaweed and fish flakes. Aunt Aiko was definitely a Fujimoto since she enjoyed fishing. When I was young, our families would go fishing at Mammoth Lakes in the summer. Another thing that marked her as a Fujimoto was bowling. Auntie and her sisters would even be their own bowling team.
Next step, make the rice. Mochitsuki has been a Fujimoto family tradition for well over a half-century. Aunt Aiko and Aunt Haru would hold court at the table where the an mochi was made. She was also the person who had that special touch for making okasane, the good luck mochi. Each year, I would give her a blob of the hot, ground rice for her to shape. We would refine the size of the different pieces until they were just right.
Next step, season the rice with rice vinegar, salt, and a bit of sugar, and her instructions say to mix the rice lightly. Auntie's humor was also light (I know, the analogy is a stretch, but go with me here). A long time ago, we were at Roger's house for a family gathering. After dinner, a group of us began working on what would become the family tree. Aunt Aiko had an amazing memory for birthdates, so she was a big help. As we were filling in the tree, we learned that the names we used for our aunts were nicknames. Their full names were Haruko, Toshiko, Teruko, and Yetsuko. Auntie quickly said, "It's not Aiko-ko!" Then she gave that laugh we all know.
Next step, prepare the vegetables. Our family gets together often, and food is a central part of those gatherings. She would be curious as to who brought what, making sure to try something from everyone. As I mentioned earlier, she was known for her sushi. It was such a part of my life that maki, inari, and chirashi zushi are comfort foods for my family.
Next step, assemble all of the ingredients together. Before the past couple of years, I can't think of a family event without Aunt Aiko being there. When I talked with her, she would always ask how other family members were doing. You could also tell how proud she was of her family. Even then, she would pick out a few things to tell me that she thought would be of particular interest to me.
Last step, share the chirashi zushi with everyone and enjoy. Aunt Aiko enjoyed life and did everything she could to bring happiness to everyone else, too.
