ママの“家事負担”を軽減 料理の“作り置き”代行サービス…時間や心に余裕がないとき 「頼る勇気」を出して乗り切る (23/06/20 19:30)

Housework while raising children is tough. Meal preparation, in particular, is a huge burden. How can we reduce that burden? One solution is a meal prep service. Nozomi Aoyagi works as a visiting chef. She visits homes upon request and handles everything from buying ingredients to cooking. On this day, the request was from a mother of three children, ages 5 to 10. The cost of ingredients was 5,000 yen, and she cooked 10 prep dishes. First up is a dish using chicken breast. Nozomi Aoyagi, visiting chef: "Everything is so expensive these days, so I use chicken breast. I pierce it with a fork and soak it in seasoning to make it tender." Chicken breast is relatively easy to buy. It tends to be tough, but with a little extra effort, it can be made even more tender. Traveling chef Nozomi Aoyagi: "I rub it in with sugar. Adding sugar dehydrates it and makes it moist." While the chicken is resting, I start working on the side dish. One popular dish is soft-boiled broccoli. I simmer it in consommé. Traveling chef Nozomi Aoyagi: "Simmering broccoli in consommé removes the green flavor, making it easier for children to eat." Nozomi's travelling chef recipes are known for their veggie-packed recipes. They're full of ideas for making dishes that children will enjoy. I slice the carrots with a slicer and then julienne them. Traveling chef Nozomi Aoyagi: "I cut the vegetables into small pieces to make them easier for children to eat. Kiriboshi daikon radish won't eat the Japanese-style flavor, so I make it into a salad." Recommended ingredients, whose prices have remained relatively stable amid the recent surge in prices, include kiriboshi daikon radish and pea sprouts. Using tuna and mayonnaise for a mellow flavor makes them easier for children to eat. They also use cumin, a spice that children may not be familiar with. Visiting Chef Aoyagi Nozomi: "Even conversations like, 'What's that smell?' are part of food education. It's not all about what kids eat. I include adult enjoyment in the menu. All moms are hard workers, so they don't cook for themselves." Nozomi worked at a fishmonger's shop in Sapporo and other areas for six years. She always includes fish dishes on the menu, hoping to encourage her children to eat more fish. On this day, she prepared seared bonito in a sweet and sour pork style. Finally, she cooked the chicken breast that had been left to rest. She also put some thought into the way she cut it so that children can chew it well. Visiting Chef Aoyagi Nozomi: "The trick is to cut it into large, flat pieces. It doesn't take a huge opening in the mouth, but it's big enough that it's too big to eat in one bite. It helps children practice chewing instead of swallowing whole." By coating the meat with potato starch before baking, it becomes moist and soft. Ten dishes are ready. Customer: "They look delicious again today." Customer: "I'm definitely going to eat a lot of this!" The fee for a visiting chef is 12,500 yen for three hours, in addition to the cost of ingredients. Transportation costs are charged separately. Customer: "I don't really like cooking, and I'm not very good at it. Just having this service gives me peace of mind. I tend to think I have to do everything myself, but I'm touched that there's someone who is so happy to do the cooking that I consider a burden. So why not ask someone who likes it? It would be better for both of us." Nozomi herself is a mother of two boys, ages 5 and 2. She is using her experience raising children to find ways to help busy mothers. Calling Chef Nozomi Aoyagi: "Don't push yourself, but ask for help where you can. If you don't want to rely on others, think about ways to make things easier for yourself, change your perspective, and find various methods that suit you." There's also a place that can help ease the burden of cooking: Cafe Voices in Sapporo's Higashi Ward. Staff: "Welcome." Customer: "Can I borrow a bed?" With a spacious kids' space on the second floor, this cafe is friendly to mothers. Customer: "A friend told me I could bring my child here." Customer: "They provide cribs, so I can bring my small child, which is very convenient." Customer: "I'm really grateful that I can let my child play here." This cafe was designed and decorated by a housing company. Café Voices Manager, Misaki Kojima: "The concept is to enjoy a stylish meal at a cafe, just like relaxing at home." Kids' plates and adult menu items are served at different times so mothers can enjoy their meals at their leisure. Their dishes, packed with fresh vegetables, are popular, and they also have a wide selection of takeout options. Cafe Voices Manager Kojima Misaki: "Many people find it a hassle to make salads at home, as it requires chopping a lot of vegetables. We aim to offer dishes that are difficult to make at home. We also have curry and pasta, so those who don't want to prepare a meal can order takeout and serve it straight to the table." Don't have ...