Emily's report

On July 16th we had a Baker Baker Chopstick Case Maker event, held at my home in Toyama. This was a combined event to create delicious wood-burning oven baked food in an earth friendly stove, and to also create chopstick/spoon holders to be sold or distributed to those who shun the waribashi world, and want to do their part to keep unnecessary gomi out of the monstrous landfills or incinerators. I'm glad to say, despite few participants, it was a great success!

I built the oven back in April and it has come to fantastic use ever since. It has seen bread go from, um, something made from flour, to WOW this is BREAD!! And it has been a happy heater of various sweets, lasagna, and hopefully in the future much much more. This time around, here was the menu:

• Calzone
• Lasagna
• Bread
  (actually, we didn't eat this. They were omiyage for my neighbors and friends and landlady!)
• Banana Bread
• Salad.

I'm happy to say all the ingredients for everything except the banana bread was 80% local from my town and 90% organic. Other than the (non-organic) lasagna noodles and organic pasta sauce, everything came from within Japan. So, in other words, oishikatta yo! (By the way, anyone know where to get organic lasagna noodles?)

The chopstick-case making had to wait until the morning, because after baking we decided to hit the onsen. There were only two of us, and one being a sewing novice, we didn't get too many made due to prior engagements having been planned. However, imagine the satisfaction of Chay making his very first home-made chopstick sack! What's cool about making your own is that you can adjust the size to your favorite hashi or spoon, fork, knife, what have you. The case is soft so you never have to worry about it cracking or not taking shape. In other words, benri desu!

I hope to hold this kind of event in the future. If you have curiosity and want to come, let me know and we'll set something up. There are nice places to hike, camp, stay at mine, beaches to chill at, clean up, stoke a bon-fire, play drums by the river. If it's something involving earth-loving fun I'm game anytime!

Acknowledgments

Contributed by Emily Reynolds, Aug 2005