(Note: Jou writes in cursive. Sorry about not having an awesome template!)
To
Hyūga ShigureI received your message, and I'm honestly surprised that you sent me one. Not that there is anything wrong with it, I mean. I heard that you passed as well, but I wasn't surprised. Anyone who has seen how well you performed, especially in the final matches, would have had no doubts. But I decided to hold off on becoming a Chuunin, just for a little. Although I passed, my scores weren't exactly the best, ya know? The exams have given me a lot to reflect on and I want to be sure that I'm truly ready before I accept my promotion. Some people tell me that I'm overthinking things, but maybe that just runs in the family.
I'm really glad that you gave the Donburi a try. I never even thought of a Spicy Tuna version, but it's certainly something I'm going to have to try out perhaps for my next dish! I've, unfortunately, not been able to cook as much as I used to, since I've been trying to focus more on my training, but it hasn't stopped me from stockpiling more recipes whenever I get the chance. The soba we cooked was so good. I cooked some more when I made it back to the village, but it just didn't feel the same. Perhaps it was only because it didn't have twice the effort put into it as before? Still, it was really good so I decided to see what other versions I could cook up, and ended up making a Soba salad using summer vegetables.
It's chilled soba noodles that I topped with miso flavored meat sauce mixed with some aubergine and okra with spring onions and fresh tomato.
Here's an ingredient list if you would like to try as well!
-Water for boiling
-2 portions of dry soba noodles
-3 Okra
-1 medium aubergine
-1 medium tomato
-100g / 3 1/2 oz Minced meat
-2 Drizzles sesame oil (one for garnish and the other for cooking)
-1 1/2 Soy sauce
-2 tbsp Mirin
-1 tbsp Miso paste
-2 tbsp Chopped spring onion to garnish
Of course, how much you add is up to you! This is just what I've worked with.
Hopefully, by the time I hear from you again I will have prepared and tried out that Donburi, but right now I can already tell you that I have a few things in mind about what I could add to the dish. I will also be looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that soba, my friend!
Sincerely,
Himishi Jou