Ika no nitsuke (calamari in reduced soy sauce broth)

i suggested we have some “mama's ika” -- meaning, my mom's kind of calamari dish

I knew he was expecting me to cook it, so I emailed him the recipe so he can make it.

The recipe is pretty straightforward. Cut calamari, put seasonings (sake, mirin, brown sugar, soy sauce), cook for a while, remove calamari, reduce broth, return calamari to broth, and it’s done. Tom seemed quite comfortable with the ingredients and process.

Yet, measuring is still tricky for him.

1 tsp or 1 tbsp is supposed to be measured “on the level,” meaning the top is flat.
When I pointed out that what he scooped from the brown sugar jar was more than 1 tbsp since it was a huge mound, Tom had a creative solution: he compressed it to make the top flat.
Wow, I’d never seen anyone do that. While I was a bit impressed with his unconventional problem-solving, I told him to measure it again.

I’m so glad to be able to help Tom with his repertoire expansion.