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Opening Moments: Japanese-Style Hors D’oeuvres
Walk into a Japanese bar and, inevitably, you’ll be served a tasty little morsel to tide you over until your drink is served. Known by a variety of names—o-tsumami, o-toshi, sake no sakana—these appetizing hors d’oeuvres are derived from the first course of kaiseki (Japan’s haute cuisine), known as hassun. They take the form of small, taster-sized servings in attractive ceramic bowls or plates, and are a delight to behold and consume.

Dedicated drinkers, the cognoscenti of o-tsumami, are sometimes known as hidari kiki (left-handed) or sato (“party of the left”). These terms owe their origin to a Chinese classic on manners, Li Chi. According to this volume, said to be the origin of Japanese ideas on table settings, soy sauce and food should be served on the right side of a diner, and all liquor on the left. Thus the left hand is used to hold a glass, and to prefer the left came to mean to enjoy drinking.

Half the fun of food, for both guest and cook, is the pleasurable anticipation—what ingredients will be used, and how will they be prepared? When creating o-tsumami you can really let your creativity run wild. Just about any food can be used, as long as it is pleasing to look at and delicious. It should encourage the appetite and the thirst, so the flavors and seasonings are usually bold.

Here are some guidelines for popular and easily made o-tsumami combinations. These dishes can be prepared in advance and served cold or at room temperature, or thrown together quickly as your guests arrive, using whatever you have on hand. Increasingly o-tsumami are often a curious blend of multicultural cooking; a combination of East-West flavors is neither unusual nor looked down upon. Try some of these variations at your next party.

Fried Wonton Salad:
- Cut uncooked wonton skins into triangles and fry them until golden-brown.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Thinly slice two Japanese (or European or hothouse) cucumbers and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Let sit until you are ready to use. Rinse lightly prior to adding to dish.
- Peel and shred some fresh ginger and mix with the cucumber.
- Make a dressing from 1 cup rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons white sugar, 1 tablespoon light-colored soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Combine the wonton skins, vegetables and dressing as needed to make a salad.
Steamed Clams in Sake:
- Saute small fresh clams in the in sesame oil for a minute or two.
- Pour good quality sake (or dry white wine) over them, cover, and steam over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened up and the clams are cooked. You may also add a splash of soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste if desired.
- Discard any unopened shells.
- Serve hot or at room temperature, topped with minced green onions and or shredded fresh ginger.
Kaiware Radish Sprouts or Watercress Rolled in Ham:
- Blend 1 tablespoon butter with ¼ teaspoon prepared wasabi horseradish until creamy.
- Take four slices of boneless ham (cooked or raw, such as Italian prosciutto) and spread evenly with the butter mixture.
- Place some kaiware sprouts or watercress in the center and roll up the ham slices.
Grilled Japanese Mushrooms:
- Lightly salt (for best results, use sea or kosher salt) shiitake, shimeji, or other fresh mushrooms, and grill until done. Alternatively, brush lightly with soy sauce instead of salt. You can also try grated fresh ginger over soy sauce-flavored mushrooms for another layer of flavor.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Green Asparagus Kimpira:
- Trim 12 stalks of asparagus, slice diagonally, and stir-fry in neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
- Make a sauce with 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and sake, pour it over the asparagus, and cook until the asparagus is crunchy. Seeded, dried red chili pepper may be added if desired, but remove it after cooking.
- As a garnish, sprinkle the cooked asparagus with toasted white sesame seeds.
Japanese-style Roast Beef:
- Quickly sear boneless beef (such as rump roast or a top or bottom round roast), cut it into thin slices, and serve with a pungent dipping sauce of soy sauce, minced garlic, and scallions.
- Garnish with shredded fresh shiso (perilla) leaves and kaiware radish sprouts.
My recipes may include affiliate links, so without costing you anything extra, I’ll earn a small percentage of the sales if you purchase these items through these links. Thank you for supporting Thanks for the Meal!

Leave a note in the comments section and let me know if you made any of these recipes and how it turned out!

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Eating Japanese Food While Maintaining Ketosis

Following a ketogenic diet is a great way to lose weight, but can you eat Japanese food on keto? The answer may surprise you, but YES! Eating keto, otherwise known as a low-carb-high-fat diet, is beneficial for a number of reasons, but a big part of it is eating in such a way that allows you to still enjoy many of your favorite foods.

Anyone who loves sushi knows that you’re only ever one artfully made tuna roll away from a better mood, and the same can be said for good Japanese food in general. While you might think that a sushi restaurant isn’t the most ideal place to eat when you’re counting carbs…prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Japanese cuisine, while it has a few carby pitfalls, is full of dishes that focus on simply prepared fish and vegetables designed to let the food speak for itself.

If you’re not already familiar with Japanese food culture, then you will almost certainly have some questions about the various fruits, vegetables, sauces, and preparations that you will be experiencing and that’s fine. The goal here is to familiarize yourself somewhat so you can make better informed food choices that are not only delicious, but also allow you to sample some of the best techniques that Japanese cooking offers. Of course all of this was written keeping in mind that you want to maintain ketosis while eating delicious food and not stressing about the type of restaurant that you’re at; Japanese food is more than just sushi, after all!

The Wonderful World of Osechi: Japanese New Year’s Recipes

New Year’s is one of the best times in Japan, at least for eating and relaxing. Get Lucy’s Osechi cookbook, full of recipes that are fast to make, easy, and quite delicious for your New Year celebrations (along with the history and traditions and little tidbits Lucy always includes). Get the book!

Makes a great gift too! Did you know on the Amazon page there’s an option to give it as a gift?

Keto Japanese Food

Japanese Keto Appetizers

While tenpura is a mainstay in Japanese restaurants in the US, there’s are plenty of non-fried starters you can enjoy instead.

Miso soup is a thin, broth-based soup made with fermented soybean paste. It has a very unique flavor, with a high degree of umami while still being light and refreshing. Often it’s simply populated with cubes of tofu and some vegetables like cabbage. This is a delicious and often cheap start to a meal that’s keto-friendly. It’s worth noting too that if you’re avoiding soy but don’t have a good reason to (like allergies) other than word-of-mouth that it’s somehow bad for you, then stop avoiding it. Soy is healthy and a good source of protein, and it’s reasonably low in carbs.

Oshinko vegetables are essentially pickles and often includes daikon, lotus root, seaweed, and burdock. Daikon is a type of radish, burdock is similar to artichoke, lotus root is its own thing altogether, but delicious and still low carb friendly.

Edamame isn’t super low carb, but again most people avoid it because of some odd aversion to soy. In small amounts, edamame fresh from the lightly salted pod is a delicious way to whet your appetite.

Grilled vegetables are another way to enjoy an appetizer in a new way without overloading on sugar or carbs.

While you can’t enjoy the many splendors of sushi in all its forms, you can still enjoy the flavors and freshness by eating sashimi. Sashimi is essentially the same cuts of fish your sushi chef has available for rolls or maki, served with the same familiar additions as sushi – pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce – just without the rice. The best part of sashimi is the fact that because you don’t have the nori or rice to cover up imperfections, you will likely get the best cuts they have available.

Depending on where you are, most Japanese restaurants specialize in both sushi and hibachi. Hibachi grills are incredible both for the delicious food cooked right in front of you, but also because of the beautiful knifework and performance art that goes into the cooking. Dazzling displays of cutting, flipping, and searing are the visual appetizers to a main course of grilled meat or fish and Japanese vegetables. Just ask for your chef to hold the rice and you can stay keto friendly very easily at a hibachi.

Even if you don’t have a hibachi at your restaurant of choice, you can still likely get whatever meat they have offered in other dishes grilled simply to your liking and it never hurts to ask.

Shabu-Shabu is an interesting course that consists of very thin slices of beef and vegetables that are served with a very hot bowl of broth that you actually cook yourself at the table. Because of how hot the broth is and how thinly the food is cut, it takes just a minute or less to cook perfectly. I’ve got to be honest – it’s also really fun!

Negamaki is a delicious alternative to other sugary dishes, being that it’s simply grilled beef wrapped around green onions or sometimes asparagus, served with soy sauce. While I’ve had it both as an appetizer and as a meal, I think you could get it as either.

Things to avoid

Of course like any restaurant there will be a number of things that won’t work well with your keto lifestyle, the most obvious of these being rice and noodles. There are some other things to avoid though, and it might require you to speak with your server or chef to determine what might be lurking in the dishes you have your eye on.

Tenpura, though lightly fried and crispy, it still a flour batter and so should be avoided. Even a small piece of tenpura vegetable can have upwards of 8g of carbs and that’s just not doable on a keto diet.

Most sauces that go beyond simply soy sauce – like teriyaki for instance – are going to be sugar or corn- syrup based and absolutely not compliant with a keto meal.

As sad as it makes me, seaweed salad is often quite sugary, despite being delicious. You can typically get a small green salad with Japanese dressing on the side so any added sugar is negligible, or again just opt for grilled or pickled vegetables to be safe.

Potstickers, called gyoza, are delicious but of course are made with a type of flour that is filled with carbs. Best to avoid them.

I remember avoiding going out to eat with my friends when I first started keto if they were going to a place where I simply couldn’t imagine eating low carb. Outside of a pizzeria or pasta house, however, you can adapt almost any cuisine to a low carb lifestyle, Japanese included.

Meshiagare!

Author Bio

Tony is a HealthyWage winner father of two who enjoys finding ways to turn his favorite carby foods into keto recipes (like his infamous air fryer steak bites and keto chicken tenders!) Be sure to check him out on Pinterest!

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I’m buying mine from Abe Books now in an effort to support smaller businesses. They have new and used options and harder to find books, including all of my favorite Japanese cookbooks! You can support Thanks for the Meal by clicking on this banner to buy your books.

Arigatou Gozaimasu / ありがとうございますいます –Lucy
Bamboo Shoot, Chicken and Fried Tofu Mixed Rice Recipe
We know spring is here when fresh bamboo shoots start popping up from the ground. In keeping with the traditional Japanese concept of enjoying food during its peak season, why not try this tasty and easy version of bamboo rice to celebrate spring, the season of renewal. I know I am ready for spring….aren’t you?!

My very first blog posting two years ago was a bamboo shoot recipe, and so is today’s. This is one of my favorite mixed rice recipes. And if you can’t buy fresh bamboo shoots, this can still be delicious using precooked peeled and or canned bamboo shoots.
Bamboo Shoot, Chicken, and Fried Tofu Rice

Lucy Seligman

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Servings 4

Ingredients

1 piece of abura-age (fried tofu)
7 ozs. fresh*, precooked peeled or canned bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
3 ½ ozs. chicken breast, skinned and cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup dashi (fish stock)
3 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce, or to taste
4 tablespoons sake
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups Japanese white rice, washed and drained
1 piece of kelp, wiped with a damp cloth
To garnish:
Dried seaweed, cut into thin strips

Instructions

Before starting, immerse the fried tofu in hot water for 10 minutes to get rid of the oil. Squeeze out excess water and slice into strips. If using canned bamboo shoots, boil for a minute or two and then rinse.
Sauté the cubed chicken and fried tofu in oil. Add the sliced bamboo shoots, dashi stock, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sake. Cook until all the liquid evaporates, roughly 10 minutes. Set aside.
Place the rice in an electric rice cooker or large saucepan. Add the remaining soy sauce and sake, and salt. Place the piece of kelp on top. Add water and cook according to rice cooker directions or, if using a saucepan, until the water is fully absorbed. When the rice is done, remove kelp, add the chicken and vegetables and stir well. Cover and let sit a further 10 minutes before serving.
Place in rice bowls and top with a generous amount of dried seaweed. Serve immediately. Clam soup makes a nice accompaniment.

Notes
*If using canned or precooked peeled bamboo shoots, drain and rinse them thoroughly in cold water before preparation. If the shoots are fresh, cut off the hard bottom part and boil them in their husks – water left over from washing rice or rice bran is best for this – with a dried red pepper for about one and a half hours to remove bitterness. Let cool, then peel off the husks. Wash well in cold water and continue with recipe preparation.

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Japanese Inspired Cocktails

Corina Seligman, my niece, is back again as a guest blogger, offering up some amazing Japanese Inspired Cocktails! I call her my secret Sake goddess!

Here are some of my favorite classic cocktail formulas reimagined using ingredients like Shiso, Japanese beer, Japanese pear, Japanese Whisky, Yuzu, Japanese black honey and Matcha tea.

*If the names of the drinks sound funny it’s because my other signature touch is to name cocktails after songs. Kampai!

Japanese Cocktail Recipes

My recipes may include affiliate links, so without costing you anything extra, I’ll earn a small percentage of the sales if you purchase these items through these links. Thank you for your support!

REMEMBER THE DJS

Ingredients:

2 ozs dark, aged rum (I suggest Zacapa or Flor de Cana)

.75 oz unsweetened strawberry puree, strained

.5 oz fresh lemon juice

Shiso Leaf

.5 oz Shiso*-infused Orgeat (almond-flavored syrup)

Garnish: Shiso leaf

Method:

Put all ingredients together in a tumbler with ice. Shake hard. Double strain and serve on the rocks in a bucket glass (the same as a highball glass.) Garnish with a shiso leaf along the side of the glass.

*Shiso is a Japanese herb in the mint family. You can find this in most Asian supermarkets.

To make Shiso-infused Orgeat– Use a high-quality Orgeat, add 8 fresh shiso leaves per cup and leave covered for 48 hours before removing the leaves.

LIFE ON MARS

Ingredients:

1.75 ozs Japanese Whisky (I suggest Mars Iwai)

1 oz fresh lemon juice

.75 oz candied orange peel syrup

2 dashes orange bitters

Coedo Shiro* beer float

Garnish: Orange peel

Method:

Put all ingredients together except beer in a tumbler with ice. Shake hard. Strain and pour over a large ice block into a bucket glass. Add beer float. Garnish with an orange peel.

*Coedo Shiro – Coedo is my favorite Japanese beer brand. Shiro, meaning white, is the Japanese version of Hefeweizen.

To make Candied Orange Peel Syrup – Bring 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add the peels of 2 large oranges and simmer until the peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Remove orange peels and save the liquid.

Need books?

I’m buying mine from Abe Books now in an effort to support smaller businesses. They have new and used options and harder to find books, including all of my favorite Japanese cookbooks! You can support Thanks for the Meal by clicking on this banner to buy your books.

Arigatou Gozaimasu / ありがとうございますいます –Lucy

PLAYER’S BALL

Ingredients:

1.75 ozs Gin (I suggest Nolet’s)

1.25 ozs Japanese pear (nashi) puree

.25 oz lemon juice

2 dashes lemon bitters

Brut Cava (or Prosecco) float

Garnish: Grapefruit peel and freshly grated Nutmeg

Method:

Put all ingredients together except Cava in a tumbler with ice. Shake hard. Double strain and pour into a chilled coupe (rounded stemmed cocktail glass) glass. Fill the rest of the glass with a Brut Cava float. Garnish with Grapefruit peel and freshly grated Nutmeg.

To make Japanese Pear puree – Peel and quarter pear. Gently cook in saucepan with two parts water, one part sugar, covered until soft, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then blend until smooth.

JAPANESE BREAKFAST

Ingredients:

2 ozs Japanese Whisky (I suggest Nikka Coffey Grain)

.75 oz Yuzu juice*

1 oz Kuromitsu**

Garnish: Shiso leaf

*Yuzu is a traditional aromatic Japanese citrus. While distinct from other citrus fruit, it’s somewhat akin to a cross between grapefruit and tangerine.

**Kuromitsu is a Japanese sugar syrup, literally “black honey.” It is similar to molasses, but thinner and milder.

Method:

Put all ingredients together in a tumbler with ice. Shake hard. Strain and serve on the rocks in a bucket glass. Garnish with a shiso leaf along the side of the glass.

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MATCHA SOUR

Ingredients:

2 ozs Matcha*-infused Vodka (I suggest Hanger One)

.75 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

.75 oz simple syrup

1 egg white from a small to medium egg

*Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed Japanese green tea leaves.

Garnish: Candied Ginger

Method:

Put all ingredients except egg white together in a tumbler with ice. Shake hard. Strain out the ice, add egg white and one single ice cube to “dry shake” until frothy. Double strain and serve in a coup glass. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.

Make Matcha-infused Vodka:

Mix 1 teaspoon of matcha powder with 8 ozs vodka in a mason jar, shake vigorously. Let sit overnight or longer for desired strength. Then strain through a cheesecloth or coffee filter to remove tea particles.

Corina Seligman has been in the hospitality industry for 17 years working behind every kind of bar possible between the Bay Area and New York City. In 2014 she found her passion in sake when she worked at Ozumo Oakland, which housed the largest sake selection in the East Bay. Eventually she was promoted to bar and hospitality manager and continued to deepen her knowledge under the supervision of the company’s director of sake. This experience brought her to the attention of Empire Merchants liquor distributors in New York City where she was hired as the company’s first and only sake specialist where she worked exclusively with the Joto Sake portfolio for a year. Her passion is in sharing her love for sake and Japanese cocktail ingredients with American consumers, showing that they can be enjoyed with all types of cuisine and in a variety of settings. She has been bartending for almost two decades now and have probably created at least 100 original cocktail recipes. Given her background as a sake specialist and experience with Japanese cuisine, the most fun she has had behind the bar is when she uses Japanese ingredients.

Leave a note in the comments section and let me know which of these Japanese inspired cocktails you plan to try first!
Yuzu-Meyer Lemon Poundcake
I love all things citrus, and for the past year or so, I have been very captivated (okay obsessed) by yuzu (Japanese citron), which has such a delectable and aromatic citrus bouquet. Both the peel (fresh or dried) and juice can be used. It is used as a condiment in savory dishes such as nabemonos, or zoni soups at New Year’s. Grated yuzu peel can be added to miso to make sauces, and as you can see in this posting, can also be used in baking.

I had the urge recently to bake this Yuzu-Meyer Lemon Poundcake, an old recipe of mine that I updated to fit my more citrus-based taste buds!

My recipes may include affiliate links, so without costing you anything extra, I’ll earn a small percentage of the sales if you purchase these items through these links. Thank you for your support!

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Yuzu-Meyer Lemon Poundcake

Lucy Seligman

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Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

2-3 tbsps grated fresh yuzu (Japanese citron) peel or meyer lemon peel
1 cup + 5 tbsps white sugar
5 tbsps Yuzu juice
2-1/4 cups all-purpose white flour
1-1/2 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in 1 cup sugar. Stir in fresh yuzu or meyer lemon peel.
Blend beaten eggs with milk, add sour cream and combine with dry ingredients until just mixed. Combine lightly with walnuts.
Pour into a buttered and floured loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean–roughly 1-1/4 hours.
Boil yuzu juice and 5 tablespoons sugar for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Pour this mixture evenly over the hot cake, then cool thoroughly.

Notes
I replaced the grated yuzu peel with Meyer lemon peel as I couldn’t find fresh yuzu, and used pure Yuzu juice. Yuzu juice is readily available online and at local Japanese markets. If you are lucky enough to find both fresh yuzu and juice, by all means use them!

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Leave a note in the comments section if you make this dish or use yuzu in any dish!
The Japanese Pantry

The Japanese Pantry is dedicated to bringing the best quality artisanal Japanese ingredients that we have found in our travels in Japan to professional and recreational cooks in North America.”

That’s The Japanese Pantry’s motto (started in 2015). And of course, I wanted to know more about this intriguing company! I found them a number of months ago on Facebook and was thrilled to see that they are also based in San Francisco like me! So, I met with Chris Bonomo, one of the Co-Founders at their local warehouse for a behind the scenes sneak peak of their operation. Greg Dunmore, the other Co-Founder and former chef/owner of Nojo, was in Japan on a sourcing trip (which is always a good sign to me!)

Although it was the first time we had met, we immediately started talking about how we fell in love with Japan, our families and kids, and recent and or upcoming trips to Japan. Chris then led me on a 2 hour taste test of soy sauces, sesame oils, sesame pastes, vinegars and spices. He was extraordinary, erudite, knowledgeable and so passionate about Japan and all of what they have to offer, especially food-wise. My taste buds just exploded with each taste, over and over. It was so much fun and I learned so much!

Posts may include affiliate links, so without costing you anything extra, I (Lucy) will earn a small percentage of the sales if you purchase these items through these links. Thank you for your support!

I have been using, cooking, and serving two products from The Japanese Pantry especially for the past few months;

Yugeta Shoyu Smoked Soy Sauce (it has now replaced regular soy sauce as a dipping sauce for sashimi in my kitchen). The smokiness comes from using cherry wood and is not overwhelming at all, instead it just adds another subtle layer of umami to whatever dish you are using it in.

I’ve used Osaka-based Tsujita’s Yuzu Shichimi Togarashi (Yuzu Japanese Seven Spice Mixture) with hints of dried yuzu (Japanese citron) as a condiment for a variety of noodle dishes and also added it to a cucumber salad, mixed with Sesame dressing to add another layer of heat and spice at a recent dinner party. And this morning, I sprinkled it on an avocado. Yum! Per Chris’s suggestion, I am keeping it in the freezer to preserve freshness.

On a side note, as we were winding up our taste test, I mentioned how much I love the flavor and seductive aroma of yuzu (Japanese citron). And wondered where does Chris like to shop for yuzu products? He recommended Nijiya Market in San Francisco, Berkeley Bowl and Tokyo Fish, both in Berkeley and Umami Mart in Oakland, which has a whole page on their website dedicated to yuzu products. He also introduced me Choya’s Yuzu Soda, sold at Tokyo Fish and other markets, which is delicious! More about yuzu in my next blog posting.

If you’re like me (and like Chris and Greg) and want a source for artisanal Japanese ingredients in North America (because you know we can’t just hop over to Japan every few weeks to do our shopping) I find the Japanese Pantry to be an excellent online choice with high quality ingredients. You can even learn about the producers they source their products from.

Here are a few highlights from their offerings: specialty kits such as a sesame kit are for sale, as well as Okinawan brown sugar, a gorgeous Japanese mortar and pestle and an extensive array of soy sauces, vinegars, sesame products, seaweed, spices and so on are sold on their website (even gift cards for that hard to buy from person).

I have to admit that I like to troll through the product offerings on their website every week or so to learn more about the products and producers and to see what else is new, and to check out their recipes. Let me know if you try any of their products and what you think.

The Japanese Pantry LLC
www.TheJapanesePantry.com

Photos © copyright The Japanese Pantry.

Where do you like to shop for Japanese ingredients? Leave me a comment below!

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Salad Dressing Recipes
I love salads and of course, Japanese salad dressings!

Salad dressings play a large role in any Japanese culinary repertoire. The composition of salads and dressings are an area of great versatility and creativity in Japanese cuisine. If your pantry is equipped with a couple of Japanese standards, you too can whip up or pound up in a mortar and pestle a tasty dressing very quickly.

Japanese Salad Dressing Recipes

Japanese dressings come in various guises – basic, aemono (dressed) and sunomono (vinegared). Generally, aemono dressings tend to be thicker, often including miso, egg yolks, pounded sesame seeds, nuts and even tofu. Have all ingredients cooled before combining for any Japanese style dressing.

Aemono – Dressed Salads can be used for raw or cooked, and then cooled vegetables, poultry or fish that are mixed with dressing and served in small individual portions. It is also good with parboiled green vegetables, including cabbage, green beans or spinach.

Goma-ae (Sesame Dressing) Recipe
Goma-ae (Sesame dressing)

Lucy Seligman

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Course Salad
Cuisine Japanese

Ingredients

4 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white sugar or mirin (sweet sake)
1 to 2 tablespoons dashi fish stock, cooled*
Garnish: Optional, Choose one
toasted white sesame seeds, to taste
katsuobushi, to taste

Instructions

Grind sesame seeds until flaky.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Combine with preferred salad ingredients and serve in individual portions. If desired, garnish with additional toasted white sesame seeds and or katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).

Notes
*Follow directions on dashi container for how to make stock.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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With the New Year comes Osechi!!

What is Osechi?

Osechi is Japanese food made to celebrate the coming new year. Anyone who has spent any time with me, especially towards the end of December knows that I celebrate Japanese New Year’s and Osechi very seriously! I don’t like New Year’s Eve, but New Year’s Day, enjoying Osechi is my type of holiday celebration!

No matter where I am, whether in Japan, or the States, you will find me at the best local Japanese market with a long shopping list in the last few days of December, ready to shop. My love of mochi (pounded rice cakes), an integral ingredient, is perhaps only equaled to my obsession with Matcha!

The Wonderful World of Osechi: Japanese New Year’s Recipes

New Year’s is one of the best times in Japan, at least for eating and relaxing. Get Lucy’s Osechi cookbook, full of recipes that are fast to make, easy, and quite delicious for your New Year celebrations (along with the history and traditions and little tidbits Lucy always includes). Get the book!

Makes a great gift too! Did you know on the Amazon page there’s an option to give it as a gift?

The Wonderful World of Osechi: Japanese New Year’s Recipes

The Wonderful World of Osechi is a selection of my favorite Osechi recipes. I love all these recipes and love making them every year, but perhaps my favorite section is on Zoni; a regional soup with pounded rice cakes (mochi), chicken or fish, and vegetables. I love the regional versatility of it, and deciding which one to make each year is fun! I’m still pondering which one to make this year, but this Hokkaido version is always a winner in my house.

For me, Japanese New Year’s always starts on December 31^st, when I make a big bowl of Toshikoshi Soba (year’s-passing soba), which is supposed to be the last food to touch your lips on New Year’s Eve, and to promote good health and luck in the coming year. I usually use dried soba, but last year I was fortunate enough to find fresh soba at a shop in San Francisco’s Japantown.

The one New Year’s tradition called Omisoka that I will admit I miss very much every year since I live in the States is opening any window at midnight to enjoy hearing all the Buddhist temples in Japan, when 108 bells are rung. This is to symbolize the expulsion of human hardship, a sort of purification so to speak, and is called Joya-nokane. I just love the sound, and to me it also symbolizes the passing of the old year into the new year.

By then, all my shopping is done, and most of my cooking and preparations have been completed, so that when January 1^st dawns, all I have to do is to make whatever regional Zoni soup (rice cake soup) I chose to enjoy, and embrace the tradition of consuming delicious food and being with family for the next day or two. It really doesn’t matter what your nationality is, we can all learn from these Japanese traditions in that if we take the time to plan ahead a bit, we’ll have all the more time later to spend the holiday as one should – enjoying the company of friends and family!

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Have you celebrated the new year with osechi before?

I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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Kaminari Dofu aka Thunder Tofu
Let’s face it, tofu can be bland, but also quite versatile in any number of Japanese dishes. That’s why I am always looking for innovative ways to make it more tasty and interesting. Used as a foundation for a recipe, it can take on very assertive flavors. Kaminari Dofu (aka Thunder Tofu) is no exception. This is one of my all-time favorite tofu recipes.

It is my adaptation of a recipe from the Edo Period (1603-1868), adapted from a recipe of Kyoiku-shashin-sho’s “Tofu Hyakuchin.” Kaminari (translated as thunder) Dofu is called that because of the PARI PARI sound when you saute tofu in oil, as tofu contains a lot of water. When you make this dish, listen for this!

What is tofu (bean curd) made of?

It is pressed soybean milk and which is then fermented so that they coagulate into curds, similar to cheese. The curds are pressed into molds which are then allowed to drain, encouraging the curds to stick together. It has a high protein content.

There are number of Japanese tofu varieties, based on its level of firmness.

Soft Tofu (Kinudofu):
Soft (or silken) tofu is fresh tofu with a smooth, custard-like consistency.

Regular (Firm) Tofu:
Firm tofu has a much sturdier, drier texture than soft tofu. As a result, it stands up better to cooking. It is available in a number of varieties, ranging from soft to extra firm. Momentofu – The second firmest tofu has a medium consistency. It can also be known as regular, coarse, spongy, cotton, or wool tofu. Yakitofu is lightly grilled and as a result is the firmest.

Deep Fried Tofu (Aburaage and Atsuage):
There are several varieties of deep fried tofu common to Japanese cuisine: Aburaage and Atsuage are the most common.

Freeze Dried Tofu (Koyadofu):
Koyadofu is freeze dried tofu. It has a spongy texture that absorbs whatever sauce, nabe or soup it is placed in.

When I lived in Tokyo, I took a cooking class where we made fresh tofu. I can remember the taste to this day. I’ve noticed that in recent years at many high-end Japanese restaurants here in the States, house made tofu is often offered. Try it! I have loved it every time it has been available. You can often find fresh tofu at Japanese markets as well and well worth the search. Add some freshly made Japanese rice, a bowl of miso soup, and you have a very tasty, easy, quick and delicious meat-free meal!

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Kaminari Dofu

Lucy Seligman

5 from 1 vote

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Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 blocks momen (cotton) tofu
4 tablespoons Japanese sesame oil
4 tablespoons Soy sauce or to taste
grated Daikon radish to taste, drain off excess water
1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped
Togarashi (dried red pepper) or cayenne pepper to taste
Wasabi horseradish to taste

Instructions

Place the tofu between 2 plates and leave for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain off the excess water, and mash the tofu between your fingers. Wrap in a clean towel (or cheesecloth) and firmly press out as much remaining water as you can.
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the unwrapped tofu and stir quickly. Add soy sauce and continue cooking over high heat for a few minutes.
To serve, place the tofu mixture in bowls, topped with grated daikon, sprinkle with green onions and togarashi. Put a dab of wasabi in the center and serve piping hot. You can also serve this family style, in a large bowl.

Notes
Have all your ingredients prepped and prepared as this dish needs to be served piping hot.

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Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki
Ask anyone about sukiyaki, and most will nod knowledgeably and say, “Ah, yes, a famous Japanese dish.” Mention Uosuki, though, and even most Japanese will react with a blank look. Uosuki is a form of fish sukiyaki, a famous regional dish from the Osaka area that originated on fishing boats in the Inland Sea. Fresh catch was quickly cut up and added to a nabe (iron pot) of simmering stock that was sweet and salty (amakara); the stock was said to hide the fishy smell. Vegetables were also thrown in the pot, and a beaten egg was used as a dipping sauce. At the very end, udon noodles were added instead of rice.

Maruman Honke, an Osaka restaurant that opened in 1862, claims to be the only establishment to offer authentic uosuki. Located in the theater district until World War II, Maruman Honke became a favorite post-performance hangout for theatergoers. The restaurant’s huge communal room was raucous, convivial place where friends and strangers alike shared the large tables.

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Today the restaurant is in a different area, and has the standard setup of a counter, tables, and small rooms for private parties. The uosuki hasn’t changed, though.

Here is my version of uosuki. I use a variety of ultrafresh fish and other seafood – oysters and squid, for example – for a more complex taste. Vary the vegetables as desired: Chinese cabbage, shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), daikon radish, and various Japanese mushrooms all blend in well. The addition of sansho pepper into the marinade for the fish also adds an elegant and additional subtle layer of flavor to this dish.

For extra authenticity, try making Uosuki or Beef Sukiyaki (recipe) in a cast-iron sukiyaki pan.

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Uosuki: Fish Sukiyaki

Lucy Seligman

No ratings yet

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Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 lb to 2 ¼ lb assorted white-meat fish fillets, such as sea bream, yellowtail, or cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined, with tail left intact
4 hamaguri clams, soaked in cold water for about an hour to cleanse them, then drained and rinsed
3 cups cold dashi fish stock
1/2 teaspoon sansho pepper
1 ½ blocks grilled tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and a crisscross incision made on the caps
7 oz. negi (Japanese leeks), cut diagonally into 1-inch slices* Use white part only
1 large bunch of mitsuba, trefoil, slightly stemmed, washed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
½ lb shirataki (noodles made from devil’s tongue jelly), parboiled for 2 to 3 minutes, then drained and cut into thirds
10 ½ oz dried udon noodles, slightly undercooked, drained and then rinsed in cold water
Cold water as needed
Sauce:
¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin (sweet sake)
¾ cup cold dashi stock
Dipping sauce:
4 to 8 eggs

Instructions

Marinate the fish and shellfish in the cold dashi-sansho mixture in a shallow container for one hour in the refrigerator before cooking. Drain and place the marinated seafood in a serving bowl.
Arrange the rest of the ingredients on a serving platter and place the platter on the dining table. Put all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves and it’s hot. Adjust the taste as desired, adding more sugar or mirin for a sweeter taste, or more soy sauce for a saltier taste.
Pour half the sauce into the sukiyaki pan (or cast-iron pan), and then place the pan over a heating source and bring to a boil. Start adding a little of each ingredient to the pot and let cook over high heat until done. Dip each morsel into beaten egg and eat immediately. Continue adding the ingredients and sauce as needed. Add noodles to the pot toward the end of the meal, cooking only to reheat and eat.
If the sauce becomes too thick, add cold water as needed to thin it out.

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