Nabe (can you say that right?)

So it started raining a little here in Southern California, and it got a little bit colder. This is nabe (Na – be) weather. I got the little table top stove. You start off with water, but you throw in a big piece of seaweed, which seasons the water. I bought crappy parts of fish (see the bones?), Asian cabbage, mushrooms (different kinds are always nice), shungiku (it’s like a green weed), and chicken meatballs. I’m new to this when I’m in charge running the stove, but I have no idea what I’m doing. After everything’s cooked, you dip it into a bowl of ponzu. Simple as that. $10 worth of groceries can feed a lot. Then imagine with the leftover soup, you throw either rice or udon into it and you have yet another meal. The best part of the meal is that you eat at your own pace, and a meal can comfortably last for an hour or even two if you’re hanging out.