Last night, I went to my friend's house, where we did hi no yojin. Around New Year's in Japan, groups go around neighborhoods beating wooden sticks and yelling, "hi no yojin," or "watch out for fires!" Apparently this started in the Edo period, when fire was used for heat and the buildings were made of wood. Today, it's done not only to remind people to be careful of the fires they have in their oil heaters, but also to remind them to keep their porch lights lit.
Before we went out to do hi no yojin, however, we had dinner. My friend's mother's food is always inspiring, and I want the recipe for almost everything she's ever made. It's always excellent.
So last night, among other things, she made a daikon-tuna-avocado salad. I'm always looking for new ways to eat avocado, so I was absolutely thrilled with this dish. I made it myself for lunch today, just to see if I could. It's super-simple, and it was delicious. A nice, light lunch.