Sometimes it’s hard to modernize traditional dishes successfully, but this is a good example of it. Even though this isn’t a typical chirashi, it manages to keep the essence and spirit of the original dish. I picked this recipe only because the ingredients were accessible, so I was surprised at how much I liked it. This dish would go well with miso soup and a simple nimono (stewed or braised dish). I hope you have a chance to make it!

Tuna Chirashi with Snow Peas | Tsuna Soboro to Kinusaya no Chirashizushi
Adapted from きょうの料理ビギナーズ（2010年３月号）
Makes 2 servings

15 snow peas
1 can solid tuna packed in oil, drained
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. shoyu
pinch of salt
pinch of finely ground pepper
14 oz. sushi rice (recipe below)

Blanch the snow peas by cooking in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, then shock them in a bowl of ice water. Drain well and pat dry with a paper towel. Trim ends and cut diagonally into 1/2″ pieces.

In a small pan, cook the tuna over medium heat. With the back of a wooden spoon, break up the pieces of tuna into small flakes. Add the curry powder, shoyu, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined and then turn the heat off and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the sushi rice (you can use the bowl you were using to mix and cool the vinegared rice) and the tuna. Mix until well incorporated, then add the snow peas and fold in.

Sushi Rice
14 oz. cooked short-grain rice
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 2/3 tsp. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt

Heat the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pan over low heat and whisk until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Put the hot rice in a large bowl. Take the rice scoop and hold it over the bowl with the flat side parallel to the counter. Slowly pour the vinegar mixture onto the scoop and rotate around so the vinegar mixture pours evenly around the rice. Mix the rice quickly to combine, then fan the rice to cool. Don’t mix the rice too much at this point, otherwise the rice will become mushy. I mixed the rice a total of 2-3 times when fanning, just to make sure the rice was completely cool. When you mix, do it in a folding/cutting motion, being careful not to crush the rice. The rice is ready once it has completely cooled.

You can see in the photo below that this was supposed to be like a crispy rice pancake cut into neat wedges. But, you can judge how things went when I tried this at home. Disaster. I tried it a couple of times, but my version was not holding together. Maybe the variety of rice I’m using isn’t sticky enough? In any case, I’m not going to dwell on my shortcomings, but embrace them!

If we overlook the difficulty of flipping this baby in the skillet, the recipe uses simple ingredients and is easy to prepare. The combination of miso, sake, and mirin creates a complex flavor that is punctuated with the soft leeks. I recommend eating this right away as it doesn’t reheat well.

Crispy Miso Rice with Leeks | Negimiso iri Okoge Gohan
Adapted from きょうの料理ビギナーズ（2010年３月号）
Makes 2 servings

1 1/2 cups cooked short-grain rice
1 large egg
1/2 leek
2 Tbsp. miso
1 tsp. sake
1 tsp. mirin
canola oil

Trim the leek and cut in half lengthwise. Slice leeks crosswise in 1/4 inch thick half moons. Place in a bowl, rise with water, and dry with towels or spin dry.

In a large bowl, combine miso, sake, and mirin and whisk until smooth. Add the egg and whisk until well mixed. Add rice and mix well with a rice paddle or spatula. Finally, add leeks and fold into the rice mixture.

Heat a 1 tsp. of oil in a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the rice mixture, shape into a round disc, and flatten with a rice paddle. Keep pressing the rice and cook for about 3 minutes.

Flip as best you can by placing a plate over the skillet and flipping the rice onto the plate. (I wasn’t very successful at this, but do the best you can!) Add 1 tsp. of oil to the skillet, then slide the rice back onto the skillet to cook the other side. Again, press the rice and cook for 3 minutes.

If you’ve managed to keep the rice in a pancake shape, bravo! Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 6 wedges. If not, take my lead and don’t sweat it. Serve it up like that’s how it’s suppose to be—it might not look as pretty, but it’ll taste the same.

Instead of being light and airy, mine were dense, tough, and more cake-like. I kicked myself because I know better than to deviate from directions on a first try. I was frustrated and disappointed because after tasting one, the rest went straight into the garbage. I’ll spare you my disastrous attempt and pass on the instructions as they were sent to me. With my confidence shaken, I’ll need some time to recover before giving these a fair shot. You’re smarter than I am and for you, I’m positive these will be everything my mom says they were!

My aunt, who lives in Japan, made this after hearing my mom rave about it but quickly decided it was not worth the effort. Apparently in Japan, tofu donuts are not so novel and all donut shops carry them!

1 pkg (150g) Morinaga Hot Cake Mix
150g med. firm (momen) tofu
2 tsp sugar
oil for deep frying (new oil is better—I used brown rice oil)

Mash tofu with your fingers or pass the tofu through a sieve and into a medium bowl. Add the sugar and cake mix to the tofu and quickly mix well with a rubber spatula. It may look dry at first, but after mixing it’ll be fine.

Shape the dough as you like. I shaped them into balls, but you can also make ring donuts and donut holes. Heat oil to 300 to 320 degrees and deep fry donuts until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar or dip in chocolate and serve.

But before I get into that, I have to mention I’ve fallen into a slump. I was home alone, which means I usually revert to eating like a college student. Mac and cheese with a squeeze of sriracha, instant ramen topped with kimchee, and rice with fried egg drizzled with shoyu… you get the idea. Since the most rewarding part of cooking is sharing the meal with others, the process of cooking now felt laborious. Without mouths to feed, my motivation dissipated.

But I decided to cook at least one meal for myself during this time alone. I’d been eyeing this curry for a long time, and now that the weather demanded something hearty and warm I made up my mind to make it. I could freeze a portion for later and still the remainder would feed me for days.

The kabocha, green beans, renkon, and eggplant are deep fried before going into the pot. The recipe called for a small portion of sliced beef and a bouillon cube so it’s not a vegetarian recipe, but it could be very easily adapted. The key is to taste along the way and modify as you see fit. I tend to like my curry very spicy and on the watery side. I could’ve used more heat, so I’ll have to remember that for next time.

Vegetable Curry
Adapted from きょうの料理 (June 2000)
Makes 6 generous servings

Like many dishes of this kind, the flavors are better on the second day. The eggplant and tomato will have melted into the curry by this time, so add more to the pot, if you like.

7 oz. kabocha, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 renkon (lotus root), peeled then cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Japanese eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces
10 green beans, cut in half crosswise
1 large tomato, cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 package shimeji mushrooms, trimmed
1/4 lb. beef, sliced thin
1 tsp. ground cumin
ginger, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
bouillon cube
3 1/2 cups water
6.5 oz. curry flakes
2 Tbsp. tonkatsu sauce
canola oil

Start by deep frying the kabocha, eggplant, renkon, and green beans. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry until light brown (the eggplant is quick, so keep a watchful eye!) and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Next, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large pot over low heat. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, and cumin. Cook until fragrant, about a minute. Turn the heat to medium low and add the onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the sliced beef into the pot and cook until no longer red. Add the wine, bouillon cube, and water to the pot and stir. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Carefully ladle out any impurities.

Turn off the heat and add the curry flakes, fried vegetables, tomatoes, shimeji, tonkatsu sauce, and 1 cup of hot water. You could add 1/2 cup at a time, if you like, to get the desired consistency. I tend to add more than enough water, then cook down. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with steamed rice, fukujinzuke, and hard boiled egg.

Don’t be afraid to brown edges on these babies—the crusty texture gives a nice contrast to the sticky innards. See the photo above? It could’ve stayed in the oven a bit longer, so be not afraid! The cake will stay moist. You could also drop a dollop of anko in the center or play around with other mix-ins. They’re only good for 2 days tops, so be sure you have hungry mouths to feed!

Matcha Mochi Cupcakes
Adapted From Otoki
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 (1 lb.) box mochiko
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. matcha
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Spoon batter in a muffin pan lined with baking cups and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

No, something was missing. The recipe was on the right track, but the flavors didn’t come through like I had expected. I was hoping for something close to the American version, but it was nothing like it. But I’m not giving up on it! Maybe next time I’ll take a cue from the Germans and let the hot potatoes soak up some vinegar and shoyu to give it more flavor. Or I’ll use mayonnaise instead of the tofu. Health-wise, cutting out the mayo was a great idea, but who are we kidding? Tofu is never a sufficient substitute for mayo.

Japanese New Potato Salad
Adapted from Japanese Pure and Simple
Makes 4 servings

14 oz. new potatoes, washed and scrubbed
10.5 oz. silken tofu
1/2 Tbsp. sesame paste (or smooth peanut butter)
1 1/2 Tbsp. white miso
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. light shoyu
1 tsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 stalk green onion, chopped

Double up 2 paper towel sheets (or use a kitchen towel) and carefully wrap the tofu. Set in a strainer and let sit for a couple of hours to drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, miso, sugar, shoyu, mirin, vinegar. Add the tofu and with a fork or a whisk, break up the tofu and mix until well incorporated.

Boil the potatoes until a knife easily passes through, about 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain and once cool to touch, peel the skin off with your fingers by pinching the skin and slipping off in pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl and add 5-6 tablespoons of the tofu mixture, sprinkle with green onions and serve.

The tofu mixture is best eaten the day it’s made, but can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also serve this as a dip for vegetables.

And really, I don’t know what I’ve been afraid of because anything baking in the oven will seduce you with the scents that fill the kitchen, even before you take your first chewy bite.

The small proportions make this very manageable and no special equipment is needed. Perfect for a first-time breadmaker! Granted, there is some kneading involved, but the dough is fairly firm and doesn’t make a huge mess. Actually, kneading reminds me of my days studying ceramics and I love the way you can feel the elasticity of the dough change. Doing this convinced me that I don’t need a fancy mixer to handle my dough. I like the old-fashioned way just fine.

The flavor of the matcha is subtle when you eat them hot out of the oven. But it becomes a little more pronounced once they’ve had a chance to cool, with just a hint of sweetness.

Matcha Rolls
Adapted from New Tastes in Green Tea
Makes 8 rolls

2/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 oz. sugar
1/4 oz. (1 packet) dry yeast
7 oz. bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. matcha
2 Tbsp. toasted black sesame seeds

Gently warm the milk in a small pan over a low heat. Add butter and sugar, and stir until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to body temperature.

Add the dry yeast to the pan and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and matcha. Slowly pour in the milk and yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Once incorporated, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and has some elasticity. Shape the dough into a ball, cover lightly with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

When the dough roughly triples in size, divide it into 8 portions and shape into small rolls. Cover with towel again and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees.

Place the rolls on a baking sheet and let them rise again for 30 minutes.

Using your finger, wet the top of the rolls with water and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Bake for 12–15 minutes.

This recipe is from one of those community cookbooks from the Hawaii Soto Mission in Oahu. I’ve had several recipes tagged, but haven’t found motivation to cook from it until now. There aren’t any photos, which is a little fact I’ll have to overlook if I’m to scarf down yummy Hawaiian food like this.

Shoyu Chicken
Adapted from Hawaii Soto Mission Cookbook
Makes about 12 servings

5 lbs. chicken thighs
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup shoyu
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard

In a small pot, combine tomato sauce, sugar, shoyu, rice vinegar, and dry mustard and bring to a boil. Place the chicken thighs in a large pot and pour the sauce over the thighs. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour, partially covering with a lid.

The dried anchovies are used to make the stock and taken out of the soup once it comes to a boil. I found out later that I was supposed to tear off the head and stomach before adding the anchovies to the pot because they turn the broth bitter. I didn’t mind, but next time I’ll have to give it a try.

Milk Misoshiru with Kabocha
Adapted from きょうのお料理 2008年10月号
Makes 4 servings

5.5 oz kabocha, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 sheet abura age
2 inches kombu
0.35 oz dried anchovy
1 1/4 cups milk
2 1/2 Tbsp. miso

Fill a medium pot with 1 3/4 cups of water, the kombu, and anchovy and set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the abura age in a bowl and pour some boiling water over it. This will help rid the flavor of excess oil in the abura age. Let it sit for a few minutes and—very carefully—squeeze lightly, then cut into 1/4 inch slices crosswise.

Put the pot of water over medium heat and once it begins to boil, remove the kombu. Add the kabocha in the pot and boil until it’s cooked. With a slotted spoon remove the anchovies and add the abura age.

In a separate pan, heat the milk and set aside. In the medium pot, dissolve the miso and add the warm milk. Be sure to taste the level of miso since salt levels vary. Once incorporated, it’s ready to serve.

The meal comes together super quick, so pair it with a simple salad and it’s perfect for a weeknight. I used linguine, but the original recipe calls for fettucine.

Shiitake and Bacon Alfredo
Adapted from ケンタロウのおかずの王様
Makes 2 servings

4 dried shiitake
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 strips of bacon, sliced in 1/2 inch strips
between 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
7 oz. fettucine

Start by reconstituting the dried shiitake. Boil around 1 cup of water and pour over shiitake in a bowl. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until soft. Remove from water (be careful, it’s hot!) and gently squeeze some of the liquid out. Trim the tough stems and slice into 1/4 inch strips.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat and add the garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant increase the heat to medium-low and add the bacon and the shiitake. Cook until the bacon has slightly browned. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt an pepper and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook fettucine according to package directions and add to the pan with alfredo sauce. Mix well until the pasta is well coated and serve.