LOCCA

2014 益子 春の陶器市
Mashiko Toukiichi (Spring Pottery Fair in Mashiko)

2014.04.29

秋葉原から高速バスに乗り、益子 春の陶器市に行って来た。
田んぼには水が入り、新緑が目にまぶしい。
城内坂をはじめ、沢山のテントが立ち並ぶ。
直接作家さんとお話できるのも、楽しみのひとつだ。
陶磁器だけでなく地元農産物や特産品の販売も行われる。
全てを半日では見きれないので、はずせない作家さんのテントを中心に足早にあちこちを回る。
初めての人は、城内坂で地図が配られているので活用すると良いだろう。
I went to Mashiko Toukiichi (Tochigi pref.) by using an expressway bus. You can take this bus from Akihabara station in Tokyo.
The rice field filled with water, and the fresh green is dazzling.
There are many shops or tents selling potteries and you can talk with artists or local potters directly.
There are also freshly-harvested vegetables grown in Mashiko and some other regional goodies.
I look around several places at a quick pace mainly in potters.

     
Jonaizaka area
城内坂からずぅーっと奥に向かって、左右にテントが並ぶ。テントだけではなく、お店も沢山！
屋台など食べ物も所狭しと売られていて、食べ歩きも楽しい。

LOCCAで取扱いさせていただいている作家さん達のテントなど
 
展示にもセンスがひかる寺村光輔さんのテント
Kousuke Teramura

  
田代倫章さん Toshifumi Tashiro

遺跡広場 Iseki Hiroba

益子駅前　帰る頃になって青空が・・
Mashiko station

「さっき採って来たばかりだよ」と地元の方が売っていた山椒。1パック200円！
Fresh young leaf of the Japanese pepper tree. Only 200 yen for each!

山椒味噌に。I made “sansho-miso”.

今週末の益子は、晴れてまずまずの天気予報。連休の後半にどこへ行こうか考え中の方にも是非おすすめしたい場所である。

「益子　春の陶器市」
開催期間　2014年4月26日（土）～5月6日（火）
開催場所：町内各所（城内坂、サヤド地区中心）
開催時間：9：00～17：00

Spring Pottery Fair in Mashiko
Date : April 26(Sat.) – May 6, 2014 (Tue.)
Place : At many places in Mashiko (mainly in Jonaizaka and Sayado area)
Time : 9:00 – 17:00

ミントソース Mint sauce

2014.04.24

先日、Zちゃんと食事をした際、ミントティー以外でミントの使い道を訊かれた。
鉢植えのミントが元気よく育っているらしい。ミントはじゃんじゃん増えるからね。
そこで簡単に作ることが出来、応用範囲も広いミントソースを紹介したい。イギリスではラム肉にミントソースがつきものであるが、ラム肉以外にも・・・ってことで、チキンサラダ。

ナッツを混ぜているので、ぽったりしたソースです。
It’s a very thick sauce with nut and olive oil.

＜チキンサラダ ミントソースの作り方＞２人分くらい
鶏胸肉　１枚
マデラ酒　大さじ１
椎茸４枚
にんにく１片
葉野菜　何でも　春キャベツ、ロメインレタス、ブロッコリー、アスパラガスなどなど

＜ミントソース＞
ナッツ（何でもよい）　大さじ１〜２
ミントの葉　一つかみ（飾り用に少し取っておく）
塩・胡椒　適量
酢　小さじ１
オリーブオイル　大さじ１
① 胸肉は観音開きに包丁を入れ、火の通りが均一になるようにしておく
塩・こしょうを適宜ふっておく
②フライパンにニンニクの薄切りを弱火で色がつくまで炒め、取り出しておく（後でトッピングに使う）
③２のフライパンで椎茸をこんがり炒める
④３に胸肉を投入、マデラ酒をふりかけ蓋をして蒸し焼きにする

⑤フードプロセッサーにソースの材料を全て入れ、滑らかになるまで混ぜる。＊フードプロセッサーが無い場合はすり鉢で。包丁で細かく刻んでもOK。

⑥肉に火が通ったら、薄く切っておく。
⑦生で食べられる野菜はちぎり、火を通すものは茹でるなどしておく
⑧皿に野菜と胸肉、椎茸を盛り、ミントソースを適宜かけ、にんにくとミントを散らす
＊オープンサンドにしたり、クラッカーに塗ったり、ジェノベーゼのようにパスタと和えても。
  
＊Plates(except sandwich): By Kousuke Teramura (Mashiko ware)

~Chicken Salad with Mint sauce~
(Serves 2)
One chicken breast half
1 tbsp. Madeira wine

4 shiitake mushroom
One clove of garlic (cut garlic into slices)
Any kinds of vegetables for this salad (cabbage, romaine lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, etc.)
<Mint sauce>
1-2 tbsp. Nut (any kind of nut :D)
A handful of mint leaves (keep some of them for topping)
1/2 tsp. salt and pinch of pepper
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil

① Make a cut in chicken and flatten out. Season with salt and pepper.
② Heat the extra oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, and remove it from the pan when its aroma is released and turns golden brown.
③ Add shiitake mushroom to the pan② and brown them.
④ Add chicken to ③ and fry them. Throw in the Madeira wine, covering with a lid as quickly as you can to keep the steam in. Leave them to steam until cooked.
⑥ Cut the cooked chicken into slices.
⑦ Put the ingredients for the mint sauce in a food processor and pulse until well-blended – mixing in the order listed above.

Tear the salad leaves, wash and drain. Cook vegetables in boiling water if need.
⑧ Arrange the salad leaves or other vegetables and shiitake mushroom on a plate, place the sliced chicken on top and dress with the mint sauce, sprinkle with mint leaves, crashed garlic and freshly ground black pepper.
＊ Mint sauce can be use for cracker, pasta or chicken sandwich.

小鍋仕立て　Chilly spring..

2014.04.21

４月も中旬だというのに、肌寒い東京である。
日中は雨がしとしと降っていた。
夕方近所のスーパーに買い物に行くと、店員と客が今日の天気について話していたのだが、「雪が降りそうな寒さだ」と言ったのには驚いた。
そんなには、寒くないぞ。決して。

小さな土鍋ですき焼きを作る。生姜をたっぷり入れて。
焼き豆腐も良いが、厚揚げも合うのである。
真夏には食べたいと思わないだろうから、肌寒いのも・・まあ、いいか。

It is the middle of April, but bit chilly in Tokyo..
I went to the supermarket today and I was so surprised that a store staff said, “it was the cold day and it seemed to snow”.
No…it was not so “cold”.
Anyway, I made a mini-sukiyaki with a lot of ginger in it. I love “atsuage” (deep-fried tofu) in sukiyaki!
Chilly is not bad to eat hot food like sukiyaki. I wouldn’t think that I want to eat them in midsummer, though.

春の旬菜鍋　Spring “nabe”

2014.04.15

近所のソメイヨシノは散り、通り沿いに咲いているハナミズキが咲き始めた。
この頃になると桜前線はだいぶ北上していることだろう。
さて、外も随分暖かくなってきたとはいえ、まだまだ朝夕は冷える。
春も感じつつ、身体も温めたい。こんな鍋はいかがだろう。
   

春の新緑を思わせる、目にも鮮やかなしゃぶしゃぶ！
濃い目にとった出汁に塩、酒、お醤油で薄く味を付ける。
具材は筍、生ワカメ、ホワイトセロリ、三つ葉、木の芽、イナダ。
旬の筍は茹でたものを穂先は縦に薄くスライス、袴は食べやすく薄い銀杏切りに。
新物のワカメは水に戻しざく切りにしておく。
野菜も水に浸けてぱりっとさせ、ざくざくと切っておく。
今日はお買い得だったイナダを薄切りに。これらをさっと出汁でしゃぶしゃぶして食べる。
木の芽を放つとふわっと香りが立ち、口の中に春が広がる。お好みで七味や柚子胡椒など添えて。
副菜には野ぜりの白和えと、なすと春ゴボウの煮物。
食べ物から季節を感じるって、好きです。

Spring is here on the table!
You can find many seasonal foods at the super market now in Tokyo.
I love bamboo shoot! I preparerd “Spring shabu-shabu nabe (a pot dish)” for the dinner with my friend.
Another seasonal ingredient, “inada” (yellow tail) and various seasonal vegetables cooked in a brass pot.
I think any seasonal ingredients in your country will be OK for this nabe.
I used bamboo shoot, wakame seaweed, white-celery, Japanese honewort, Japanese pepper leaves and sliced yellow tail.
Sprinkle shichimi togarashi (a mixture of red cayenne pepper) or add yuzu pepper if you like.
Enjoy the spring with delicious seasonal foods!

Artist Interview part-2 (English virsion) Yuko Hiramatsu (potter)

2014.04.10

Interviewed a potter, Yuko Hiramatsu based in Itako city.

Photo with a lovely dog, Jiro-chan

<Profile>
Born in Itako City, Ibaraki prefecture
1995 Graduated from Toho University (Department of Pharmacy)
2004 Graduated from Aichi Prefectural Seto Pottery Senior High School Advanced Course
2005  Win a prize at the Craft Competition in Takaoka
2006  Participated in the “Five Potter Exhibition” at Gallery Yugen (Ginza, Tokyo)
2007  Participated in the “Woman’s Clay Art” at Ginza AC Gallery,
“AKARI Exhibition~Pottery and Picture” （Kashima City, Ibaraki Pref.)
2008  Participated in the “home~Pottery and Picture” (Kashima City, Ibaraki Pref.)
2008～13 Participated in the “Oshaberi na art exhibition” at Gallery Yugen (Ginza, Tokyo)
2008‘10’11‘12  “Pottery・Porcelain Exhibition” at Gallery Yugen (Ginza, Tokyo)

Here is the latest exhibition information which is going to hold from April 14, 2014.
“Pottery・Porcelain・Glass Exhibition” at Gallery Yugen (Ginza, Tokyo)
April 14 (Mon.) – 26(Sat.), 2014
11:00 – 19:00（Until 16:00 on the last day)
Closed on April 20
*Click here for LOCCA Online Store

-Please tell me what made you start pottery.
I attended the tea ceremony lesson when I was in university and interested in pottery. My parents took me to the Pottery Fair in Mashiko and that also made me interested in pottery.
After I graduated from the university, I was working at the hospital as a pharmacist. I heard that my colleague’s friend was teaching pottery and I began to take that class at night. I got into the pottery there!

And what you made you study pottery more?
I am satisfied with my work as a pharmacist but I began to think should I try to learn something new that I’m interested in.
I started to search how can I learn pottery and I found a public school which can be learned pottery from basics.
So I entered Aichi Prefectural Seto Pottery Senior High School Advanced Course and studied pottery for two years.

Did you find easily what you want to make while you were in that school?

No, it was not so easy. I worked through many curriculums at school and went to see many pottery exhibitions there. And I was found what I want to make little by little. Besides, I didn’t know how to make the glaze until I learned the Seger Formula* at school. It was really good to know such a useful thing and easy to understand for me.
*Seger formula…A German ceramist, Hermann Seger, developed Seger formula for the composition of glazes according to the number of different oxides in the glaze in 1886.

Do you remember when did you decide to make porcelain?
I was using porcelain clay at school and I liked to use porcelain staff. I also thought the porcelain suit my personality.

Porcelain clay from Seto
You are making matte series. Could you tell me the process of that?
Mold it with a potter’s wheel and make biscuit firing. After the biscuit firing, roughed the surface with sandpaper. Glaze them and glost firing. It is very important to make the rough surface smooth for theses matte series.

Using sandpaper.

-What kind of things will you care while you are working?
I think that the porcelain has an image making bulk production. So I trying to add a hand-made feel like a pottery.
I do not like too much fancy design. I want to make with mature shape and soft but spindly design.

Glazes on the shelf.

Potter’s wheel by the window.

-It is not quite as simple but is difficult point different from pottery and porcelain in making process?
I have experiences both pottery and porcelain. I think that porcelain will be more difficult to mold because they are really hard and difficult to roll out the clay. Very hard to remain their shape. Especially, it will be hard to planarize the surface of the plate.
Furthermore, pottery’s clay can be reuse after kneading with water. Porcelain’s clay also can be reuse in the ame way but sometime appear bubbles. And those are beyond selling in that case. So there is much loss in porcelain.
-What kind of things would you want to make in the future?
I continuously want to make eating utensils and want to try some colored glaze!

Testing many kinds of glaze using Seger glaze formula.