Atarimae no Zeitaku.

あたりまえのぜひたく。

80 chapters

9 volumes

2014 – present

Spend just a little time on ingredients, tools, and seasonings—that's all it takes. This comic essay by a gourmet manga artist shows how delicious everyday life can be. The first comic essay from the creator of the popular gourmet series "Osen" (over 1 million copies sold). Shota Kikuchi has spent more than 15 years exploring the essence of cooking through his manga centered on a restaurant proprietress. Naturally, he has a deep passion for cooking, along with abundant skill and knowledge. Daily, he loves alcohol and enjoys chatting with guests while preparing the food he puts great effort into—there's no way his private life isn't delicious. The characters in this story are Shota Kikuchi himself, also known as "Shota Maeschoro." He is the father who supports the family. And the mother, whose cooking skills match her husband's, is a super housewife who can whip up a meal in an instant using whatever is in the refrigerator. The editor in charge is a greedy person fully immersed in the "Kikuchi family." The editor is a bit of a nuisance, always bothering Maeschoro under the guise of searching for ideas for his works. He sometimes annoys her, sometimes makes her angry, and is selfish. Yet the Kikuchi family's variety of food and drinks silences such people in an instant. Though not expensive by any means, the exquisite dishes are made with lots of love and care, focusing on seasonality and production areas. Everyone always ends up in a good mood by the end. Also not to be missed are meals for just the two of them, "mom and dad." They warm the heart. "Exquisite curry soba" made with homemade mentsuyu and frozen soba, "open horse mackerel" prepared one after another with a freshly sharpened knife, "Imonoko soup" with melt-in-the-mouth taro he dug himself in his parents' field, a "full course" using every part of seasonal daikon radish, "charcoal barbecue" grilling chunks of pork on a charcoal grill, and "super delicious breakfast" without any expensive ingredients. Alcohol is plentiful too: Heartland, Yebisu beer, hot sake, cold sake, and white wine. Kikuchiya's original gin cocktail with freshly squeezed fruit juice is also a must. A mouth-watering comic essay packed with many of the menu items we had at Kikuchi-ya. This book is sure to make you think, "I think I'll try cooking something tonight."

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