Curry in a Hurry

On a recent trip to Japan, I visited Heimin Kaneko at his tiny Tokyo apartment. I knew Kaneko from his popular blog about Japanese curry. Redolent of cumin and dozens of other spices, sweetened with fruit or honey, and made with myriad combinations of meat, fish, and vegetables, it's a dish that inspires dedication—even obsession—in Japan. Kaneko made far more than he or I could eat. So, as it simmered, he put out a call to his 5,890 Twitter followers: Who wants curry for dinner? Minutes later, the doorbell started ringing, as people—some friends, some strangers—showed up. Kaneko's retro-style curry was chockful of tender root vegetables, plump shrimp, and savory beef. We ladled it over white rice and dug in, the moment perfectly capturing what this food—so satisfying and easy to share—is all about.