Thank you, COSMOS! (COSMOS, ありがとうよ！)

Seriously. That super-market is a wonder among wonders.

Not only did it provide my absolutely spectacular and inspiring lunch today, it also let me know that there are young and attractive men wandering the streets of Matsusaka.

...admittedly, they may all be married with children.

At the same time, though, it's a good thought to have.

Also, another man who appeared to be young and attractive through two layers of tinted windows turned to watch me go by on the drive home, so that's nice.

...admittedly, it may have been more "oh god gaijin!" than "check out that babe!," but I like to think that with my black hair and sunglasses, it's rather difficult to tell my race when I'm driving.... ergo, I can trick myself into believing the latter with a very reasonable amount of persuasion.

And although I write after my trip on Thursday, this will be my Saturday post. Because I can do that, and goodness gracious when I can write a post so far in advance, why not!

Anyway, as you may have guessed by the tags, I've decided to share my amazing lunch with you. Because, along with being simple, delicious and (I think) healthy, it is a dish you can make easily in either Japan OR America-land! How cool is that.

Edo's Spectacular Tuna Salad

Software:
Green-Leaf Lettuce
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Canned Tuna (one small/medium can)
Black Olives
Lemon Juice

Hardware:
Salad Bowl
Small Bowl (for mixing dressing)
Fork (for eating and tossing; save dishes!)
Spoon

Notice how I didn't put any amounts up there, aside from the tuna. That's really because this is another one of those "taste" recipes. You need to either (a) experiment, (b) taste test, or (c) have a really good idea of how much of each of these flavors you generally like in a dish.

...look, I said it was simple, not that it was necessarily easy.

Tear up enough lettuce to either fill your salad bowl, or make what you think will be enough to fill you up for the meal ahead. You want a good amount, as it's sort of the only vegetable going into this salad, oddly enough.

Drain your tuna (I used the kind packed in oil, but water is fine too) and fork it on top of your lettuce, trying to separate it as much as possible.

If you, like me, love the flavor of balsamic, put equal amounts of balsamic and olive oil into your dressing bowl (I used about a teaspoon each) and mix well to get something of an emulsion going on. Don't worry if it's not too uniform; it will still taste just fine. Pour your dressing on top of your lettuce and tuna, and toss well to coat.

Slice up your olives, and toss a handful or so on; this is really up to you, and you can even leave them out if you, like my mom, are just not that into olives. You could also try adding capers, but man, capers are expensive, and I'm saving them for pasta.

Finally, after that's all tossed together, squeeze some lemon juice on top; I used half a lemon's worth, but I really like lemon. Of course, you can use the kind from a bottle, but... you know it just won't be as good.

Toss one more time for good measure.

 And voila! You have Edo's spectacular tuna salad, excellent alongside some nice french bread (which I had, thank you again, Cosmos) for a light lunch. Eat while watching a mid-day Japanese talk show for the full experience.

...a mid-day Japanese talk-show featuring Mizushima Hiro et al, or the cast of BECK.

Which I must see.

Because oh my goodness.

Two posts in a row of fan-tarded-ness... I should probably start cutting back.

This is Edo, signing out with a stomach full of salad and a mind full of beautiful Japanese men.

PS- For those of you interested, I have found something hip and happening to do in Matsusaka! Huzzah!

I... am going out this Saturday evening. All oshare-d up in my own rather punk-ish fashion and ready to dance my hiney off.

Hopefully all my dreams will be fulfilled and this will be the start of my new and exciting social life in Mie!

Wish me luck!