For those moments between housework and childcare, or during a telework lunch break. TOJIKITONYA's individual-sized round donabe (earthenware pot) makes for an easy, delicious lunch.

From commuting to remote work, from after-work drinks to shortened restaurant hours due to regulations—we've come to realize that the things we once took for granted in daily life were not so ordinary after all, and this has made us look at our everyday lives anew. Precisely because we now have time to think things through slowly, we can carefully consider each item before choosing it, gradually bringing in only those things we feel are truly "the one." I believe it's this kind of careful selection that colors our lives and updates them to be more convenient and rich.

▶︎ Why not update your cookware? 

This February's pickup feature is Recommended Cookware for When a Little Extra Effort Isn't a Bother. By updating your cookware and putting in just a bit of extra effort, why not try making dishes that taste like something from a restaurant or a traditional ryotei, using the same ingredients you always have? Time at home can be both fun to cook and delicious to eat. Throughout the month of February, we'll be introducing cookware that has been beloved in kitchens for generations, yet somehow feels fresh when brought into our convenient modern lives.

▶︎ The lunch-for-one problem that arises when spending more time at home.

With more time spent working from home, a topic that came up among our staff was the problem of "not having the leeway to make a proper lunch for yourself every day." Some of our staff live with family, and others live alone, but both groups say they've never quite found the ideal solution to the question of what to do about lunch.

This isn't just an issue for people like our staff who now eat at home more often due to remote work—it applies just as much to parents who spend the day at home with their children, university students living alone, or people working night shifts. Especially for those who are busy during the day, whether because they can't take their eyes off their kids or because their lunch break is fixed to a certain time, there's a lot to think about besides just their own meal, so they naturally want to save time. It's nice to have a dish that can be quickly prepared and just as quickly cleaned up during the lunch hour.

When you really can't manage, eating out or ordering delivery is always an option, but doing that every day takes a toll on the household budget, and after all, you still want to treat yourself to something delicious and healthy. This time, we'd like to introduce an individual-sized donabe that makes both "quick meals at home" and "healthy home cooking" possible, and that makes mealtime just a little more enjoyable.

▶︎ A Recommendation for Individual-Sized Donabe: Maruwa Donabe Hitori-yo

The item we're featuring this time is TOJIKITONYA's Maruwa Donabe Hitori-yo. It's a small but genuinely well-made donabe that's easy to use even by yourself.

Even though it's a traditional-style donabe, it has a charm that hasn't faded with time. The first time I saw it, it reminded me of the rice porridge my mother used to make for me when I had a cold. I remember feeling a little happy, despite being sick, to have a feast served in my very own special vessel. Perhaps the appeal of using a donabe even by yourself lies in that sense of being "something special."

This donabe is just the right size for a solo lunch during the day. You can use it to heat up leftover stew or soup from the night before, or make ozoya (rice porridge) with leftover dashi. If you make udon or instant ramen in it, you get the atmosphere of a proper nabe dish while the pot doubles as the serving bowl, meaning less washing up. You could even prepare rice the night before in anticipation of a busy afternoon, then simply reheat it at lunchtime. Filling the pot to about eighty percent capacity gives you roughly 300 to 350ml, so it also works well as a mini donburi bowl for dishes like katsudon or oyakodon.

Bring It to the Dinner Table Too

While this feature focuses on lunch, this donabe is just as useful at dinnertime. As a mini nabe pot, it can go straight from the stove to the table for serving.

Households with families typically start out by buying a donabe sized for three or four people, meant for cooking nabe dishes together. But when the whole family isn't gathered, that pot has no role to play. And the fewer people there are to eat a meal, the more you tend to want to keep the cooking simple. Once children reach their teenage years, or one parent starts coming home late at night due to a demanding job, the family members who are home want something easy, like a small nabe dish or soup. But a large donabe is too big and unwieldy for that—which is why having a somewhat smaller size means one or two people can share and enjoy it together. Besides that, it can also serve as a mini pot for dishes like yudofu (simmered tofu) or simmered vegetables, brought to the table for everyone to help themselves from. It can even be used to cook a bit of extra rice when you're running short. Depending on how you use it, it's the kind of item that can become like a trusted companion, staying with you for years to come.

▶︎ "Metodome" Is Needed Before First Use

This TOJIKITONYA Maruwa Donabe Hitori-yo is made using Iga-yaki (Iga ware) pottery. Iga-yaki has strong heat resistance, making it ideal for pots used directly over an open flame, and it offers both the dignified look characteristic of pottery and excellent heat retention. Because the clay has a fairly coarse, open texture, it requires periodic "metodome" (pore-sealing) treatment, and it's the kind of donabe you gradually develop a relationship with over time, taking care to watch for water leakage or absorbed odors.

Now, let's go ahead and begin the metodome process.

① Check for cracks or noticeable scratches

First, once you've unpacked the donabe, check it for any cracks or noticeable scratches. If there happens to be damage before you even start using it, water can seep in through that spot and cause leaks, or the heat from cooking could cause it to break—leading to unexpected problems. It's reassuring to inspect it with your own eyes before adding any water or ingredients.

② Wash it with water and dry it thoroughly

Wash it with water and dry it thoroughly. Give the donabe (earthenware pot) a gentle wash, as if you were bringing water to it and breathing life into it as a vessel. It's also important to resist the urge to start using it right away, and instead let it dry completely. If moisture remains inside at this stage, the pot may crack when placed over heat. Be especially careful if the bottom is unglazed, bisque-fired ware. Touch the bottom to confirm that all the moisture has fully dried.

③ Fill the pot to 80% capacity with water and bring it to a boil with katakuriko (potato starch) or wheat flour

*The pot shown in the image is the Iga clay round donabe, four-person size.

Once you've confirmed it's thoroughly dry, fill the pot to 80% capacity with water, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of katakuriko or wheat flour, mix, and heat over low flame. The starch contained in these ingredients becomes a "binder" that seals the pores of the clay.

③ Heat over low flame and turn off as soon as it boils

*The pot shown in the image is the Iga clay round donabe, four-person size.

Heat over low flame and bring to a boil. Leave the lid off and heat slowly to prevent boiling over. As soon as it boils, turn off the heat immediately and let the pot cool.

④ Wait for it to cool

Let the pot cool naturally. Leave it as is for a full day and night.

⑤ Wash with water and dry thoroughly

Once the pot has completely cooled, discard the contents and wash it with water. Just as with the first washing, take the time needed to dry it completely, until all moisture is gone.

That completes the "mejime" (pore-sealing) process for the marurin donabe, one-person size. This extra step of mejime may seem like a bit of a hassle, but through this care, breath is brought into the fired clay vessel, transforming it into a tool for everyday living—a process that deepens our attachment to the things we own.

▶︎ Why Iga clay pots are so good

Because of the unique properties of its clay, Igayaki donabe hold a great deal of air within them. This means that when placed over heat, the entire pot warms slowly and gradually, carrying heat all the way through to the center of the ingredients. This brings out the natural flavor of the ingredients, making the dish taste even better. It's an adorable donabe that develops more character the more you use it—a piece we hope you'll enjoy caring for as much as cooking with.

Clay that holds air has the property of retaining heat, so it transfers warmth to the ingredients slowly and keeps the food warm for a while even after it's taken off the heat.

▶︎ A peek into an easy, delicious, and healthy donabe lifestyle

Here we introduce dishes actually made by a staff member working from home, who has started using the marurin donabe, one-person size. Even though the recipes are truly simple, having such a lovely donabe seems to make mealtime feel richer and more enjoyable.

>>The one used this time / Marurin nabe, one-person size (clear glaze, white)

The staff member's favorite is this white type. She says she chose white because she loved the pinkish, hagi-colored hue of the natural clay that's characteristic of this Iga clay donabe. It's even favored by long-established ryotei restaurants in Kyoto, and its natural, tasteful expression is truly wonderful.

■ Donabe bibimbap you can prepare ahead of time

Staff member: I had bibimbap made in the donabe for lunch. Since it was a Monday and I knew work would get busy, I prepared all the ingredients except the raw egg the day before. When lunchtime came, I just cracked in the egg, mixed it, and heated it up. I enjoyed it all by myself, with a nice crispy okoge (crust) forming at the bottom too. You can prepare it ahead, and there's hardly any washing up afterward, so it's really easy.

■ Remembering the yudofu lunch I had on a trip to Kyoto

Staff member: I still can't forget how delicious the yudofu (simmered tofu) lunch was when I visited Kyoto on a solo trip. Since traveling isn't possible right now, I made yudofu for lunch to bring back that feeling of being there. The day before, I just prepared the dashi broth, then made the yudofu along with some plain rice and small portions of leftover side dishes from the previous night's dinner. Leftovers alone can feel a bit sad, but making a separate dish like this makes lunchtime something to look forward to. It also seems like a good option for days after you've eaten or had a bit too much to drink.

■ Soup made with leftover vegetables and meat

Staff member: That day, I simmered together the vegetables and mushrooms left over in the fridge along with some gyoza I'd made too many of and frozen earlier. It comes together quickly, so it's handy on busy days too.

Beyond that, this pot has also been useful for standard dishes like "solo hot pot," "rice porridge or udon in the donabe," and "small batches of simmered dishes," as well as for baking bread or making pudding. This one-person donabe really comes in handy whenever you want to make "just a little."

▶︎ Pros and cons discovered through actually using the one-person donabe

Having actually started using the one-person donabe, here are some things I've noticed.

■ Pro: A handle-less pot that works better at the table than expected, serving as both a personal bowl and a large serving dish

When used by one person, it works as an individual bowl; when shared among several people, it works as a large serving dish. You can't really put a pot with handles on the table, but a pot this size doesn't get in the way as much as you'd expect, even on a compact dining table. It's also nice to cook a simmered dish in the pot and serve it right at the table while still warm. Everyone can help themselves to as much as they like, and if there's any left over, you can just put it in a container—meaning less washing up.

■ Pro: Simple, low-effort cooking is exactly where a Japanese-style pot shines

Cooking with a donabe (Japanese clay pot) always felt like it would be a lot of trouble, but after actually using this one, I started to think that "donabe are exactly what I want to use for simple, low-effort cooking". Even a dish that's just simmered until done looks properly put together as a single serving of food. It's light enough for a woman to hold with one hand, so cleaning up afterward wasn't much of a burden either.

■Advantage: The heat retention of Iga clay works in your favor

I was surprised by how well it retains heat. Even by the time I'd finished making and eating a single-serving meal, the pot itself was still hot. For instance, if a coworker calls or a child starts fussing right as you finish cooking, the pot cools down so slowly that you don't need to reheat it each time. This is a pot I'd especially recommend to people with busy schedules.

■Disadvantage: Requires memedome (pore-sealing) treatment

Because of the nature of Iga clay, this pot requires a pore-sealing process called memedome. However, cooking dishes that use wheat flour, potato starch, or rice can serve as a substitute for this process, so in the beginning it's a good idea to make okayu (rice porridge) or zosui (rice soup) every so often.

■Disadvantage: You'll need a trivet if serving it directly at the table

When eating a meal, you can't place the pot directly on the table, so you'll need a trivet. Our staff member uses her own personal straw trivet (small size).

▶︎Item featured this time: Maruwa Donabe, single-serving size