mirukashi

SALON

RECIPES FROM MIRUKASHI

SEASONAL RECIPES from MY TABLE
to YOURS

A taste of mirukashi

Sweet, savory, sometimes boozy, always seasonal. These are some of the flavors we're enjoying in Mirukashi these days.

Get the recipe ›

In the season of ume shigoto, plum work, this simple, fruity cordial is the simplest. Sugar and fruit merge to become an intoxicating elixer that pairs well with everything, sparkling water, champagne, and even the boozier spirits.

SWEET ELIXER

UME
SYRUP

Get the recipe ›

In the heat of summer when the rising temperatures send us into a stupor, I sip ice cold green tea all day long. It cuts through the haze and restores vigor to the day.

COLD TEA

ICE BREWED SHINCHA

Get the recipe ›

A silken tofu sauce is draped pillow-like over marinated cold cherry tomatoes in this lightly savory staple on my summer table.

SAVORY SUMMER

TOMATO
SHIRA-AE

Get the recipe ›

Grilled to melt-in-the-mouth perfection, peeled, dressed, and garnished with scallion and katsuobushi flakes. Simple, elegant, and delicious, the trifecta that defines good food as we ease into early autumn and slowly return to meatier fare. 

MEATY VEGETABLES

GRILLED NASU EGGPLANT

Get the recipe ›

It starts and ends with rice and all the variations in between come down to knowing how to cook the perfect pot of rice. 

A SOULFUL STAPLE

PERFECT POT
OF RICE

Get the recipe ›

Ripe persimmons hang like jewels on leafless branches in November. It's a jolly sight, a burst of color in a season when the green of warmer times has faded. The sweet fruit mixed with mildly bitter chrysanthemum greens is. a bright spot on an autumn menu.

AUTUMN IN A BOWL

PERSIMMON & CHRYSANTHEMUM

Get the recipe ›

The broth is hot and soothing, the flesh of the turnip light and sweet, filling without sitting heavy in the stomach. It’s a delicate dish, perfect for this season of easing into winter. Warming to the core it chases away the evening’s chill, leaving you flushed but not so very full.

HEARTY AND SOOTHING

SIMMERED TURNIPS

get the recipe ›

Festive persimmons ripen just in time for the holidays. In a season when we set the table with more substantial fare, this salad  is a lovely and lively compliment.

PERSIMMON & CHRYSANTHEMUM GREENS SALAD

WINTER FRUITS AND GREENS

GET THE RECIPE ›

I find yuzu intoxicating but it too often comes in whispers, a sliver here, a little zest there. Here it headline a sorbet that chimes as loud as church bells to proclaim the season. 

YUZU CINNAMON SORBET

seasonaL SWEETS

Get the recipe ›

Yuzu and hinoki bitters give this classic American cocktail a wa (Japanese) flair. Designed for chilly evenings spent byt the fireplace, the flavor of autumn chestnuts cozy up to winter yuzu.

seasonal drinking

WA MANHATTAN

Get the recipe ›

When the weeping plum tree blooms, its cascade of blossoming branches becomes a fountain of flowers. Their fleeting fragrance and pale pink color are captured in a syrup to use in cocktails, sodas, and desserts, 

DRINK YOUR FLOWERS

PLUM BLOSSOM SYRUP

Get the recipe ›

Just as the soil sends forth new sprouts and shoots in spring, the ocean grows it's own fresh tender spring greens. Wakame comes to market delicate, soft and delicious in March. Paired with new sweet onions and fried whitefish, this salad is a delight.

OCEAN SPROUTS

WAKAME
SUNOMONO SALAD

Get the recipe ›

While chawanmushi egg custard can be made year round, i particularly love it in April when preserved cherry blossoms and the first tender leaves from my sansho tree make become a micro-seasonal painting on a pale yellow canvas.

a kitchen staple

SIMPLE SILKEN CHAWANMUSHI

Get the recipe ›

Though often served in Japan as an early course in the meal, I enjoy these mildly sweetened fresh peas at the end as a light and refreshing early summer dessert. 

Vegetal Desert

SWEETENED FRESH PEAS

Gather

  • 1 kg green ume
  • 1 kg rock sugar
  • 100 ml rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 L glass jar

Prepare

  1. Day 1: Remove stems with wooden skewer or toothpick.
  2. Rinse, drain and dry ume.
  3. Freeze overnight.
  4. Day 2: Wash jar well and disinfect with freshly boiled water or by wiping with a high proof alcohol.
  5. Layer ume and rock sugar in the jar.
  6. Add vinegar.
  7. Close and set in cool, dark place.
  8. Rock the jar each day until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  9. Leave for 3 weeks, rocking occasionally to keep ume submerged.
  10. Remove ume. Store spent ume in the refrigerator to use for sorbet, jam, or bake into a cake.
  11. Store syrup in a cool dark place for 3-6 months.
  12. Strain out the fruit and store each in separate jars.
  13. Use syrup in drinks and eat sweet fruit as is.

Gather

  • 8 grams excellent shincha
  • 8 cubes of ice
  • 1 tbsp cold water

Prepare

  1. Place tea leaves in small glass cup or container and cover with ice.
  2. Sprinkle cold water over ice.
  3. Let sit at room temperature until all of the ice has melted.
  4. Strain the tea into a cup (try to get every last drop of tea) and enjoy.
  5. For a second cold brew, cover the spent leaves with 300ml of cold water and steep in the refrigerator overnight.

Gather

  • 16-20 small cherry tomatoes (for 4-5 people)
  • 2 c. dashi
  • 2 tbsp sesame paste
  • 2 tbsp white miso
  • 1 cup softest tofu you can find
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • a splash of light soy
  • sea salt
  • yuzu zest or other fragrant citrus zest

Prepare

6-24 hours ahead of time:
  1. Wash tomatoes and remove stems.
  2. Boil water and blanch tomatoes for 30 seconds, then plunge in cold water.
  3. Remove skins and soak in lightly salted dashi.
  4. Store marinating tomatoes in refrigerator until ready to use.


30 minutes before the meal:
  1. Drain tomatoes.
  2. Add sesame paste and white miso to a clean bowl and mix with a whisk.
  3. Add soy and mix.
  4. Add tofu and whisk until creamy.
  5. Add salt to taste.
  6. Arrange 4-5 cherry tomatoes per person in small bowls.
  7. Just before serving, drape tofu dressing over the tomatoes. 
  8. Shave lime zest on top of each.


Gather

  • 2 Japanese eggplants (about 350g)
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • 2 tsp katuso dashi
  • 2 tsp light soy
  • a dollop of wagarashi Japanese mustard (optional)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (light or dark to taste)
  • a pinch of katsuobushi flakes

Prepare

  1. Mix dashi, soy, and wagarashi in a bowl.
  2. Score the skin of each eggplant vertically 5 or 6 times.
  3. Roast over a medium-high flame, turning and repositioning until the whole eggplant is equally grilled and the flesh is very tender.
  4. Place eggplants on a cutting board and peel immediately.
  5. Cut each whole eggplant into 2cm sections down the length.
  6. Arrange in a serving bowl.
  7. Drizzle with sesame oil.
  8. Top with a pinch of katsuobushi flakes.
  9. Spoon the sauce over everything.
  10. Top with scallions and another pinch of katsuobushi flakes.
  11. Serve immediately.

Gather

  • 3 c. Japanese short grain rice
  • 3 c. water

Prepare

  1. Measure rice into a clean bowl, fill with water, swirl quickly and drain immediately.
  2. Repeat several times until water runs mostly clear. Set aside to drain in a strainer for 15 minutes.
  3. By now the rice should have lost most of its transparency and be turning opaque white. Add the  rice and water to a rice cooker or heavy enameled cast iron pot and swirl to mix.
  4. Let soak 15-20 minutes.
  5. If using a rice cooker, cook according to instructions. If using an enameled cast iron pan, cover with lid and place on high heat.
  6. When you see steam escaping from under the lid, set a timer for 2 minutes.
  7. After 2 minutes on high, reduce heat to low and cook for another 12 minutes.
  8. Turn off flame and leave as is for 10 – 15 minutes. Don’t open the lid!
  9. Wet a rice paddle or wooden spoon and fluff the rice without damaging the grains.

Gather

  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (or any fragrant citrus)
  • 1 bunch (8-10 stems) chrysanthemum greens
  • 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp light soy
  • salt to taste

Prepare

  1. Boil enough water to blanch the greens.
  2. Prepare the citrus juiceUse a peeler to remove the thick persimmon skin.
  3. Cut it into wedges and then smaller bite sized chunks.
  4. Coat the persimmon with half of the yuzu juice and set aside.
  5. Quickly blanch the washed greens and plunge them into an ice bath.
  6. Squeeze the water out and cut into 2cm lengths.
  7. Wring out excess water and coat them with the rest of the yuzu juice.
  8. Combine with the persimmon.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of light sesame oilAdd 1/2 tsp of light soy and salt to taste.
  10. Toss and mound in a lovely bowl

Gather

  • one turnip per person with greens
  • a bit of salt
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • slivers of yuzu rind

Prepare

  1. Cut off stems and roots and wash well.
  2. Reserve a few of the smallest leaves (2 per turnip) for garnish.
  3. Cut thick peels from stem top to root tip in sections around the turnip until you have a faceted turnip.
  4. Place peels and peeled turnips in enough water to cover.
  5. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer until the turnips are soft but not mushy. (Check with a toothpick.)
  7. Place cooked turnips flat stem side down each in their own dish.
  8. Strain broth and discard peels.
  9. Reheat broth and flavor with salt and a tiny bit of light soy to taste.
  10. Blanch turnip leaves and arrange on top of cooked turnips.
  11. Add a few slivers of yuzu peel to each arrangement and spoon a bit of broth over each. 

Gather

  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (or any fragrant citrus)
  • 1 bunch (8-10 stems) chrysanthemum greens (or spinach)
  • 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Prepare

  1. Boil enough water to blanch the greens.
  2. Prepare the citrus juiceUse a peeler to remove the thick persimmon skin.
  3. Cut it into wedges and then smaller bite sized chunks.
  4. Coat the persimmon with half of the yuzu juice and set aside.
  5. Quickly blanch the washed greens and plunge them into an ice bath.
  6. Squeeze the water out and cut into 2cm lengths.
  7. Wring out excess water and coat them with the rest of the yuzu juice.
  8. Combine with the persimmon.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of light sesame oilAdd 1/2 tsp of light soy and salt to taste.
  10. Toss and mound in a lovely bowl

Ingredients

For Cinnamon Syrup
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups beet sugar
  • 8 grams crushed cinnamon stick

For Sorbet
  • 8-12 yuzu
  • 3 cups cinnamon syrup
  • 1 cup water
  • mint leaves for garnish

Directions

For Cinnamon Syrup
  1. Add sugar and water to a saucepan and heat slowly while stirring. 
  2. When just at a boil turn off heat, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.
  3. Add cinnamon and let cool completely.
  4. Strain cinnamon. 

For Sorbet
  1. Wash yuzu well.
  2. Zest 2 full yuzu, set zest set aside, cut yuzu in half and juice.
  3. Continue juicing remaining yuzu until you have 3 cups.
  4. Add juice and zest to cool cinnamon syrup.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz single barrel bourbon (or 0° alternative)
  • 1 oz Caperitif vermouth (skip for 0°)
  • 1 oz chestnut liqueur
  • 10 drops hinoki bitters
  • 10 drops yuzu bitters
  • 1 large yuzu peel, for garnish

Directions

  1. Add ice to a lowball glass. 
  2. Add syrup, vermouth, bourbon, and stir. 
  3. Add the bitters and stir to combine. 
  4. Express the juice of the yuzu peel, then drop in.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups freshly picked open weeping plum blossoms
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup beet sugar

Directions

  1. Gently wash blossoms by floating in water and pressing under a few times.
  2. Drain gently and spread out on a clean cloth to dry a little.
  3. Prepare simple syrup by dissolving sugar in water.
  4. Place drained blossoms in sterilized jar.
  5. Pour warm (not hot) simple syrup over the blossoms. 
  6. Secure lid and gently roll to immerse blossoms in syrup.
  7. Let sit 48 hours in cool place. Roll 2-3x a day to mix.
  8. Strain out blossoms and store syrup in a sterilized jar.

Gather

  • 2 c. roughly chopped fresh wakame
  • 3/4 c. fresh onion sliced thinly, soaked and drained
  • 2 tbsp chidorisu (a gentle rice vinegar)
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbs sesame oil
  • 1.5 tsp fresh sansho berries (or 1 tsp dried sansho powder)
  • 2 tbsp chirimenjako (small whitefish)

Prepare

  1. Toss wakame and onions together and dress in vinegar and soy.
  2. Arrange in a serving bowl.
  3. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet and set aside.
  4. Heat sesame oil in the same skillet over med-low heat.
  5. Add the sansho berries and chirimenjako and stir continuously (if using sansho powder, add with sesame seeds in next step).
  6. When the chirimenjako and sansho have crisped up, remove from heat and add the sesame seeds.
  7. Spoon this hot mixture atop the dressed wakame and onions and serve.

Gather

  • 1/3 c. lightly beaten eggs
  • 3/4 c. katsuobushi dashi
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1/2 tsp light soy
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 kinome fronds
  • 4 serving dishes (a size to hold about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)

Prepare

  1. Prepare a steamer that will fit all of the serving vessels and set water to boil.
  2. Combine eggs, dashi, sake, and soy and mix gently.
  3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve coaxing the egg whites through with a rubber spatula.
  4. Add salt to taste and mix.
  5. Divide evenly into serving vessels.
  6. Set the filled dishes in the steamer and turn the heat down low for a very gentle boil.
  7. Cover with a lid but leave the lid slightly ajar for steam to escape.
  8. Steam until the custard is just set (after 10 minutes check with a toothpick or by jiggling a bit…).
  9. Remove from steamer.
  10. Garnish and serve warm or chill for 2 hours and serve cold.

Gather

  • 1 c. shucked fresh green peas
  • 1.5 c. water
  • 1.5 tbsp light brown sugar 
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • pinch of salt

Prepare

  1. Rinse peas and drain.
  2. Add to a small pot with water, sugar, soy, and salt.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the peas are soft.
  4. Let cool to room temperature and stir occasionally to evenly season the peas.
  5. Chill in the refrigerator.
  6. Serve chilled in a small bowl with a bit of the syrup drizzled over them.

Get the recipe ›

Though often served in Japan as an early course in the meal, I enjoy these mildly sweetened fresh peas at the end as a light and refreshing early summer dessert. 

Vegetal Desert

SWEETENED FRESH PEAS

Get the recipe ›

In the season of ume shigoto, plum work, this simple, fruity cordial is the simplest. Sugar and fruit merge to become an intoxicating elixer that pairs well with everything, sparkling water, champagne, and even the boozier spirits.

SWEET ELIXER

UME
SYRUP

Get the recipe ›

In the heat of summer when the rising temperatures send us into a stupor, I sip ice cold green tea all day long. It cuts through the haze and restores vigor to the day.

COLD TEA

ICE BREWED SHINCHA

Get the recipe ›

A silken tofu sauce is draped pillow-like over marinated cold cherry tomatoes in this lightly savory staple on my summer table.

SAVORY SUMMER

TOMATO
SHIRA-AE

Get the recipe ›

Grilled to melt-in-the-mouth perfection, peeled, dressed, and garnished with scallion and katsuobushi flakes. Simple, elegant, and delicious, the trifecta that defines good food as we ease into early autumn and slowly return to meatier fare. 

MEATY VEGETABLES

GRILLED NASU EGGPLANT

Get the recipe ›

It starts and ends with rice and all the variations in between come down to knowing how to cook the perfect pot of rice. 

A SOULFUL STAPLE

PERFECT POT
OF RICE

Get the recipe ›

Ripe persimmons hang like jewels on leafless branches in November. It's a jolly sight, a burst of color in a season when the green of warmer times has faded. The sweet fruit mixed with mildly bitter chrysanthemum greens is. a bright spot on an autumn menu.

AUTUMN IN A BOWL

PERSIMMON & CHRYSANTHEMUM

Get the recipe ›

The broth is hot and soothing, the flesh of the turnip light and sweet, filling without sitting heavy in the stomach. It’s a delicate dish, perfect for this season of easing into winter. Warming to the core it chases away the evening’s chill, leaving you flushed but not so very full.

HEARTY AND SOOTHING

SIMMERED TURNIPS

get the recipe ›

Festive persimmons ripen just in time for the holidays. In a season when we set the table with more substantial fare, this salad  is a lovely and lively compliment.

PERSIMMON & CHRYSANTHEMUM GREENS SALAD

WINTER FRUITS AND GREENS

GET THE RECIPE ›

I find yuzu intoxicating but it too often comes in whispers, a sliver here, a little zest there. Here it headline a sorbet that chimes as loud as church bells to proclaim the season. 

YUZU CINNAMON SORBET

seasonaL SWEETS

Get the recipe ›

Yuzu and hinoki bitters give this classic American cocktail a wa (Japanese) flair. Designed for chilly evenings spent byt the fireplace, the flavor of autumn chestnuts cozy up to winter yuzu.

seasonal drinking

WA MANHATTAN

Get the recipe ›

When the weeping plum tree blooms, its cascade of blossoming branches becomes a fountain of flowers. Their fleeting fragrance and pale pink color are captured in a syrup to use in cocktails, sodas, and desserts, 

DRINK YOUR FLOWERS

PLUM BLOSSOM SYRUP

Get the recipe ›

Just as the soil sends forth new sprouts and shoots in spring, the ocean grows it's own fresh tender spring greens. Wakame comes to market delicate, soft and delicious in March. Paired with new sweet onions and fried whitefish, this salad is a delight.

OCEAN SPROUTS

WAKAME
SUNOMONO SALAD

Get the recipe ›

While chawanmushi egg custard can be made year round, i particularly love it in April when preserved cherry blossoms and the first tender leaves from my sansho tree make become a micro-seasonal painting on a pale yellow canvas.

a kitchen staple

SIMPLE SILKEN CHAWANMUSHI

Gather

  • 1 c. shucked fresh green peas
  • 1.5 c. water
  • 1.5 tbsp light brown sugar 
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • pinch of salt

Prepare

  1. Rinse peas and drain.
  2. Add to a small pot with water, sugar, soy, and salt.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the peas are soft.
  4. Let cool to room temperature and stir occasionally to evenly season the peas.
  5. Chill in the refrigerator.
  6. Serve chilled in a small bowl with a bit of the syrup drizzled over them.

Gather

  • 1 kg green ume
  • 1 kg rock sugar
  • 100 ml rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 L glass jar

Prepare

  1. Day 1: Remove stems with wooden skewer or toothpick.
  2. Rinse, drain and dry ume.
  3. Freeze overnight.
  4. Day 2: Wash jar well and disinfect with freshly boiled water or by wiping with a high proof alcohol.
  5. Layer ume and rock sugar in the jar.
  6. Add vinegar.
  7. Close and set in cool, dark place.
  8. Rock the jar each day until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  9. Leave for 3 weeks, rocking occasionally to keep ume submerged.
  10. Remove ume. Store spent ume in the refrigerator to use for sorbet, jam, or bake into a cake.
  11. Store syrup in a cool dark place for 3-6 months.
  12. Strain out the fruit and store each in separate jars.
  13. Use syrup in drinks and eat sweet fruit as is.

Gather

  • 8 grams excellent shincha
  • 8 cubes of ice
  • 1 tbsp cold water

Prepare

  1. Place tea leaves in small glass cup or container and cover with ice.
  2. Sprinkle cold water over ice.
  3. Let sit at room temperature until all of the ice has melted.
  4. Strain the tea into a cup (try to get every last drop of tea) and enjoy.
  5. For a second cold brew, cover the spent leaves with 300ml of cold water and steep in the refrigerator overnight.

Gather

  • 16-20 small cherry tomatoes (for 4-5 people)
  • 2 c. dashi
  • 2 tbsp sesame paste
  • 2 tbsp white miso
  • 1 cup softest tofu you can find
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • a splash of light soy
  • sea salt
  • yuzu zest or other fragrant citrus zest

Prepare

6-24 hours ahead of time:
  1. Wash tomatoes and remove stems.
  2. Boil water and blanch tomatoes for 30 seconds, then plunge in cold water.
  3. Remove skins and soak in lightly salted dashi.
  4. Store marinating tomatoes in refrigerator until ready to use.


30 minutes before the meal:
  1. Drain tomatoes.
  2. Add sesame paste and white miso to a clean bowl and mix with a whisk.
  3. Add soy and mix.
  4. Add tofu and whisk until creamy.
  5. Add salt to taste.
  6. Arrange 4-5 cherry tomatoes per person in small bowls.
  7. Just before serving, drape tofu dressing over the tomatoes. 
  8. Shave lime zest on top of each.


Gather

  • 2 Japanese eggplants (about 350g)
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • 2 tsp katuso dashi
  • 2 tsp light soy
  • a dollop of wagarashi Japanese mustard (optional)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (light or dark to taste)
  • a pinch of katsuobushi flakes

Prepare

  1. Mix dashi, soy, and wagarashi in a bowl.
  2. Score the skin of each eggplant vertically 5 or 6 times.
  3. Roast over a medium-high flame, turning and repositioning until the whole eggplant is equally grilled and the flesh is very tender.
  4. Place eggplants on a cutting board and peel immediately.
  5. Cut each whole eggplant into 2cm sections down the length.
  6. Arrange in a serving bowl.
  7. Drizzle with sesame oil.
  8. Top with a pinch of katsuobushi flakes.
  9. Spoon the sauce over everything.
  10. Top with scallions and another pinch of katsuobushi flakes.
  11. Serve immediately.

Gather

  • 3 c. Japanese short grain rice
  • 3 c. water

Prepare

  1. Measure rice into a clean bowl, fill with water, swirl quickly and drain immediately.
  2. Repeat several times until water runs mostly clear. Set aside to drain in a strainer for 15 minutes.
  3. By now the rice should have lost most of its transparency and be turning opaque white. Add the  rice and water to a rice cooker or heavy enameled cast iron pot and swirl to mix.
  4. Let soak 15-20 minutes.
  5. If using a rice cooker, cook according to instructions. If using an enameled cast iron pan, cover with lid and place on high heat.
  6. When you see steam escaping from under the lid, set a timer for 2 minutes.
  7. After 2 minutes on high, reduce heat to low and cook for another 12 minutes.
  8. Turn off flame and leave as is for 10 – 15 minutes. Don’t open the lid!
  9. Wet a rice paddle or wooden spoon and fluff the rice without damaging the grains.

Gather

  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (or any fragrant citrus)
  • 1 bunch (8-10 stems) chrysanthemum greens
  • 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp light soy
  • salt to taste

Prepare

  1. Boil enough water to blanch the greens.
  2. Prepare the citrus juiceUse a peeler to remove the thick persimmon skin.
  3. Cut it into wedges and then smaller bite sized chunks.
  4. Coat the persimmon with half of the yuzu juice and set aside.
  5. Quickly blanch the washed greens and plunge them into an ice bath.
  6. Squeeze the water out and cut into 2cm lengths.
  7. Wring out excess water and coat them with the rest of the yuzu juice.
  8. Combine with the persimmon.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of light sesame oilAdd 1/2 tsp of light soy and salt to taste.
  10. Toss and mound in a lovely bowl

Gather

  • one turnip per person with greens
  • a bit of salt
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • slivers of yuzu rind

Prepare

  1. Cut off stems and roots and wash well.
  2. Reserve a few of the smallest leaves (2 per turnip) for garnish.
  3. Cut thick peels from stem top to root tip in sections around the turnip until you have a faceted turnip.
  4. Place peels and peeled turnips in enough water to cover.
  5. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer until the turnips are soft but not mushy. (Check with a toothpick.)
  7. Place cooked turnips flat stem side down each in their own dish.
  8. Strain broth and discard peels.
  9. Reheat broth and flavor with salt and a tiny bit of light soy to taste.
  10. Blanch turnip leaves and arrange on top of cooked turnips.
  11. Add a few slivers of yuzu peel to each arrangement and spoon a bit of broth over each. 

Gather

  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (or any fragrant citrus)
  • 1 bunch (8-10 stems) chrysanthemum greens (or spinach)
  • 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Prepare

  1. Boil enough water to blanch the greens.
  2. Prepare the citrus juiceUse a peeler to remove the thick persimmon skin.
  3. Cut it into wedges and then smaller bite sized chunks.
  4. Coat the persimmon with half of the yuzu juice and set aside.
  5. Quickly blanch the washed greens and plunge them into an ice bath.
  6. Squeeze the water out and cut into 2cm lengths.
  7. Wring out excess water and coat them with the rest of the yuzu juice.
  8. Combine with the persimmon.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of light sesame oilAdd 1/2 tsp of light soy and salt to taste.
  10. Toss and mound in a lovely bowl

Ingredients

For Cinnamon Syrup
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups beet sugar
  • 8 grams crushed cinnamon stick

For Sorbet
  • 8-12 yuzu
  • 3 cups cinnamon syrup
  • 1 cup water
  • mint leaves for garnish

Directions

For Cinnamon Syrup
  1. Add sugar and water to a saucepan and heat slowly while stirring. 
  2. When just at a boil turn off heat, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.
  3. Add cinnamon and let cool completely.
  4. Strain cinnamon. 

For Sorbet
  1. Wash yuzu well.
  2. Zest 2 full yuzu, set zest set aside, cut yuzu in half and juice.
  3. Continue juicing remaining yuzu until you have 3 cups.
  4. Add juice and zest to cool cinnamon syrup.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz single barrel bourbon (or 0° alternative)
  • 1 oz Caperitif vermouth (skip for 0°)
  • 1 oz chestnut liqueur
  • 10 drops hinoki bitters
  • 10 drops yuzu bitters
  • 1 large yuzu peel, for garnish

Directions

  1. Add ice to a lowball glass. 
  2. Add syrup, vermouth, bourbon, and stir. 
  3. Add the bitters and stir to combine. 
  4. Express the juice of the yuzu peel, then drop in.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups freshly picked open weeping plum blossoms
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup beet sugar

Directions

  1. Gently wash blossoms by floating in water and pressing under a few times.
  2. Drain gently and spread out on a clean cloth to dry a little.
  3. Prepare simple syrup by dissolving sugar in water.
  4. Place drained blossoms in sterilized jar.
  5. Pour warm (not hot) simple syrup over the blossoms. 
  6. Secure lid and gently roll to immerse blossoms in syrup.
  7. Let sit 48 hours in cool place. Roll 2-3x a day to mix.
  8. Strain out blossoms and store syrup in a sterilized jar.

Gather

  • 2 c. roughly chopped fresh wakame
  • 3/4 c. fresh onion sliced thinly, soaked and drained
  • 2 tbsp chidorisu (a gentle rice vinegar)
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbs sesame oil
  • 1.5 tsp fresh sansho berries (or 1 tsp dried sansho powder)
  • 2 tbsp chirimenjako (small whitefish)

Prepare

  1. Toss wakame and onions together and dress in vinegar and soy.
  2. Arrange in a serving bowl.
  3. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet and set aside.
  4. Heat sesame oil in the same skillet over med-low heat.
  5. Add the sansho berries and chirimenjako and stir continuously (if using sansho powder, add with sesame seeds in next step).
  6. When the chirimenjako and sansho have crisped up, remove from heat and add the sesame seeds.
  7. Spoon this hot mixture atop the dressed wakame and onions and serve.

Gather

  • 1/3 c. lightly beaten eggs
  • 3/4 c. katsuobushi dashi
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1/2 tsp light soy
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 kinome fronds
  • 4 serving dishes (a size to hold about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)

Prepare

  1. Prepare a steamer that will fit all of the serving vessels and set water to boil.
  2. Combine eggs, dashi, sake, and soy and mix gently.
  3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve coaxing the egg whites through with a rubber spatula.
  4. Add salt to taste and mix.
  5. Divide evenly into serving vessels.
  6. Set the filled dishes in the steamer and turn the heat down low for a very gentle boil.
  7. Cover with a lid but leave the lid slightly ajar for steam to escape.
  8. Steam until the custard is just set (after 10 minutes check with a toothpick or by jiggling a bit…).
  9. Remove from steamer.
  10. Garnish and serve warm or chill for 2 hours and serve cold.

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While chawanmushi egg custard can be made year round, i particularly love it in April when preserved cherry blossoms and the first tender leaves from my sansho tree make become a micro-seasonal painting on a pale yellow canvas.

a kitchen staple

SIMPLE SILKEN CHAWANMUSHI

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Though often served in Japan as an early course in the meal, I enjoy these mildly sweetened fresh peas at the end as a light and refreshing early summer dessert. 

Vegetal Desert

SWEETENED FRESH PEAS

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In the season of ume shigoto, plum work, this simple, fruity cordial is the simplest. Sugar and fruit merge to become an intoxicating elixer that pairs well with everything, sparkling water, champagne, and even the boozier spirits.

SWEET ELIXER

UME
SYRUP

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In the heat of summer when the rising temperatures send us into a stupor, I sip ice cold green tea all day long. It cuts through the haze and restores vigor to the day.

COLD TEA

ICE BREWED SHINCHA

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A silken tofu sauce is draped pillow-like over marinated cold cherry tomatoes in this lightly savory staple on my summer table.

SAVORY SUMMER

TOMATO
SHIRA-AE

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Grilled to melt-in-the-mouth perfection, peeled, dressed, and garnished with scallion and katsuobushi flakes. Simple, elegant, and delicious, the trifecta that defines good food as we ease into early autumn and slowly return to meatier fare. 

MEATY VEGETABLES

GRILLED NASU EGGPLANT

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It starts and ends with rice and all the variations in between come down to knowing how to cook the perfect pot of rice. 

A SOULFUL STAPLE

PERFECT POT
OF RICE

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Ripe persimmons hang like jewels on leafless branches in November. It's a jolly sight, a burst of color in a season when the green of warmer times has faded. The sweet fruit mixed with mildly bitter chrysanthemum greens is. a bright spot on an autumn menu.

AUTUMN IN A BOWL

PERSIMMON & CHRYSANTHEMUM

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The broth is hot and soothing, the flesh of the turnip light and sweet, filling without sitting heavy in the stomach. It’s a delicate dish, perfect for this season of easing into winter. Warming to the core it chases away the evening’s chill, leaving you flushed but not so very full.

HEARTY AND SOOTHING

SIMMERED TURNIPS

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Festive persimmons ripen just in time for the holidays. In a season when we set the table with more substantial fare, this salad  is a lovely and lively compliment.

PERSIMMON & CHRYSANTHEMUM GREENS SALAD

WINTER FRUITS AND GREENS

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I find yuzu intoxicating but it too often comes in whispers, a sliver here, a little zest there. Here it headline a sorbet that chimes as loud as church bells to proclaim the season. 

YUZU CINNAMON SORBET

seasonaL SWEETS

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Yuzu and hinoki bitters give this classic American cocktail a wa (Japanese) flair. Designed for chilly evenings spent byt the fireplace, the flavor of autumn chestnuts cozy up to winter yuzu.

seasonal drinking

WA MANHATTAN

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When the weeping plum tree blooms, its cascade of blossoming branches becomes a fountain of flowers. Their fleeting fragrance and pale pink color are captured in a syrup to use in cocktails, sodas, and desserts, 

DRINK YOUR FLOWERS

PLUM BLOSSOM SYRUP

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Just as the soil sends forth new sprouts and shoots in spring, the ocean grows it's own fresh tender spring greens. Wakame comes to market delicate, soft and delicious in March. Paired with new sweet onions and fried whitefish, this salad is a delight.

OCEAN SPROUTS

WAKAME
SUNOMONO SALAD

Gather

  • 1/3 c. lightly beaten eggs
  • 3/4 c. katsuobushi dashi
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1/2 tsp light soy
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 8 kinome fronds
  • 4 serving dishes (a size to hold about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)

Prepare

  1. Prepare a steamer that will fit all of the serving vessels and set water to boil.
  2. Combine eggs, dashi, sake, and soy and mix gently.
  3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve coaxing the egg whites through with a rubber spatula.
  4. Add salt to taste and mix.
  5. Divide evenly into serving vessels.
  6. Set the filled dishes in the steamer and turn the heat down low for a very gentle boil.
  7. Cover with a lid but leave the lid slightly ajar for steam to escape.
  8. Steam until the custard is just set (after 10 minutes check with a toothpick or by jiggling a bit…).
  9. Remove from steamer.
  10. Garnish and serve warm or chill for 2 hours and serve cold.

Gather

  • 1 c. shucked fresh green peas
  • 1.5 c. water
  • 1.5 tbsp light brown sugar 
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • pinch of salt

Prepare

  1. Rinse peas and drain.
  2. Add to a small pot with water, sugar, soy, and salt.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the peas are soft.
  4. Let cool to room temperature and stir occasionally to evenly season the peas.
  5. Chill in the refrigerator.
  6. Serve chilled in a small bowl with a bit of the syrup drizzled over them.

Gather

  • 1 kg green ume
  • 1 kg rock sugar
  • 100 ml rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 L glass jar

Prepare

  1. Day 1: Remove stems with wooden skewer or toothpick.
  2. Rinse, drain and dry ume.
  3. Freeze overnight.
  4. Day 2: Wash jar well and disinfect with freshly boiled water or by wiping with a high proof alcohol.
  5. Layer ume and rock sugar in the jar.
  6. Add vinegar.
  7. Close and set in cool, dark place.
  8. Rock the jar each day until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  9. Leave for 3 weeks, rocking occasionally to keep ume submerged.
  10. Remove ume. Store spent ume in the refrigerator to use for sorbet, jam, or bake into a cake.
  11. Store syrup in a cool dark place for 3-6 months.
  12. Strain out the fruit and store each in separate jars.
  13. Use syrup in drinks and eat sweet fruit as is.

Gather

  • 8 grams excellent shincha
  • 8 cubes of ice
  • 1 tbsp cold water

Prepare

  1. Place tea leaves in small glass cup or container and cover with ice.
  2. Sprinkle cold water over ice.
  3. Let sit at room temperature until all of the ice has melted.
  4. Strain the tea into a cup (try to get every last drop of tea) and enjoy.
  5. For a second cold brew, cover the spent leaves with 300ml of cold water and steep in the refrigerator overnight.

Gather

  • 16-20 small cherry tomatoes (for 4-5 people)
  • 2 c. dashi
  • 2 tbsp sesame paste
  • 2 tbsp white miso
  • 1 cup softest tofu you can find
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • a splash of light soy
  • sea salt
  • yuzu zest or other fragrant citrus zest

Prepare

6-24 hours ahead of time:
  1. Wash tomatoes and remove stems.
  2. Boil water and blanch tomatoes for 30 seconds, then plunge in cold water.
  3. Remove skins and soak in lightly salted dashi.
  4. Store marinating tomatoes in refrigerator until ready to use.


30 minutes before the meal:
  1. Drain tomatoes.
  2. Add sesame paste and white miso to a clean bowl and mix with a whisk.
  3. Add soy and mix.
  4. Add tofu and whisk until creamy.
  5. Add salt to taste.
  6. Arrange 4-5 cherry tomatoes per person in small bowls.
  7. Just before serving, drape tofu dressing over the tomatoes. 
  8. Shave lime zest on top of each.


Gather

  • 2 Japanese eggplants (about 350g)
  • 2 scallions chopped
  • 2 tsp katuso dashi
  • 2 tsp light soy
  • a dollop of wagarashi Japanese mustard (optional)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (light or dark to taste)
  • a pinch of katsuobushi flakes

Prepare

  1. Mix dashi, soy, and wagarashi in a bowl.
  2. Score the skin of each eggplant vertically 5 or 6 times.
  3. Roast over a medium-high flame, turning and repositioning until the whole eggplant is equally grilled and the flesh is very tender.
  4. Place eggplants on a cutting board and peel immediately.
  5. Cut each whole eggplant into 2cm sections down the length.
  6. Arrange in a serving bowl.
  7. Drizzle with sesame oil.
  8. Top with a pinch of katsuobushi flakes.
  9. Spoon the sauce over everything.
  10. Top with scallions and another pinch of katsuobushi flakes.
  11. Serve immediately.

Gather

  • 3 c. Japanese short grain rice
  • 3 c. water

Prepare

  1. Measure rice into a clean bowl, fill with water, swirl quickly and drain immediately.
  2. Repeat several times until water runs mostly clear. Set aside to drain in a strainer for 15 minutes.
  3. By now the rice should have lost most of its transparency and be turning opaque white. Add the  rice and water to a rice cooker or heavy enameled cast iron pot and swirl to mix.
  4. Let soak 15-20 minutes.
  5. If using a rice cooker, cook according to instructions. If using an enameled cast iron pan, cover with lid and place on high heat.
  6. When you see steam escaping from under the lid, set a timer for 2 minutes.
  7. After 2 minutes on high, reduce heat to low and cook for another 12 minutes.
  8. Turn off flame and leave as is for 10 – 15 minutes. Don’t open the lid!
  9. Wet a rice paddle or wooden spoon and fluff the rice without damaging the grains.

Gather

  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (or any fragrant citrus)
  • 1 bunch (8-10 stems) chrysanthemum greens
  • 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp light soy
  • salt to taste

Prepare

  1. Boil enough water to blanch the greens.
  2. Prepare the citrus juiceUse a peeler to remove the thick persimmon skin.
  3. Cut it into wedges and then smaller bite sized chunks.
  4. Coat the persimmon with half of the yuzu juice and set aside.
  5. Quickly blanch the washed greens and plunge them into an ice bath.
  6. Squeeze the water out and cut into 2cm lengths.
  7. Wring out excess water and coat them with the rest of the yuzu juice.
  8. Combine with the persimmon.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of light sesame oilAdd 1/2 tsp of light soy and salt to taste.
  10. Toss and mound in a lovely bowl

Gather

  • one turnip per person with greens
  • a bit of salt
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • slivers of yuzu rind

Prepare

  1. Cut off stems and roots and wash well.
  2. Reserve a few of the smallest leaves (2 per turnip) for garnish.
  3. Cut thick peels from stem top to root tip in sections around the turnip until you have a faceted turnip.
  4. Place peels and peeled turnips in enough water to cover.
  5. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer until the turnips are soft but not mushy. (Check with a toothpick.)
  7. Place cooked turnips flat stem side down each in their own dish.
  8. Strain broth and discard peels.
  9. Reheat broth and flavor with salt and a tiny bit of light soy to taste.
  10. Blanch turnip leaves and arrange on top of cooked turnips.
  11. Add a few slivers of yuzu peel to each arrangement and spoon a bit of broth over each. 

Gather

  • 3 tbsp yuzu juice (or any fragrant citrus)
  • 1 bunch (8-10 stems) chrysanthemum greens (or spinach)
  • 1 ripe Fuyu persimmon
  • 1 tbsp light sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Prepare

  1. Boil enough water to blanch the greens.
  2. Prepare the citrus juiceUse a peeler to remove the thick persimmon skin.
  3. Cut it into wedges and then smaller bite sized chunks.
  4. Coat the persimmon with half of the yuzu juice and set aside.
  5. Quickly blanch the washed greens and plunge them into an ice bath.
  6. Squeeze the water out and cut into 2cm lengths.
  7. Wring out excess water and coat them with the rest of the yuzu juice.
  8. Combine with the persimmon.
  9. Add 1 tbsp of light sesame oilAdd 1/2 tsp of light soy and salt to taste.
  10. Toss and mound in a lovely bowl

Ingredients

For Cinnamon Syrup
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups beet sugar
  • 8 grams crushed cinnamon stick

For Sorbet
  • 8-12 yuzu
  • 3 cups cinnamon syrup
  • 1 cup water
  • mint leaves for garnish

Directions

For Cinnamon Syrup
  1. Add sugar and water to a saucepan and heat slowly while stirring. 
  2. When just at a boil turn off heat, stir again to completely dissolve sugar.
  3. Add cinnamon and let cool completely.
  4. Strain cinnamon. 

For Sorbet
  1. Wash yuzu well.
  2. Zest 2 full yuzu, set zest set aside, cut yuzu in half and juice.
  3. Continue juicing remaining yuzu until you have 3 cups.
  4. Add juice and zest to cool cinnamon syrup.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz single barrel bourbon (or 0° alternative)
  • 1 oz Caperitif vermouth (skip for 0°)
  • 1 oz chestnut liqueur
  • 10 drops hinoki bitters
  • 10 drops yuzu bitters
  • 1 large yuzu peel, for garnish

Directions

  1. Add ice to a lowball glass. 
  2. Add syrup, vermouth, bourbon, and stir. 
  3. Add the bitters and stir to combine. 
  4. Express the juice of the yuzu peel, then drop in.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups freshly picked open weeping plum blossoms
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup beet sugar

Directions

  1. Gently wash blossoms by floating in water and pressing under a few times.
  2. Drain gently and spread out on a clean cloth to dry a little.
  3. Prepare simple syrup by dissolving sugar in water.
  4. Place drained blossoms in sterilized jar.
  5. Pour warm (not hot) simple syrup over the blossoms. 
  6. Secure lid and gently roll to immerse blossoms in syrup.
  7. Let sit 48 hours in cool place. Roll 2-3x a day to mix.
  8. Strain out blossoms and store syrup in a sterilized jar.

Gather

  • 2 c. roughly chopped fresh wakame
  • 3/4 c. fresh onion sliced thinly, soaked and drained
  • 2 tbsp chidorisu (a gentle rice vinegar)
  • 1 tsp light soy
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbs sesame oil
  • 1.5 tsp fresh sansho berries (or 1 tsp dried sansho powder)
  • 2 tbsp chirimenjako (small whitefish)

Prepare

  1. Toss wakame and onions together and dress in vinegar and soy.
  2. Arrange in a serving bowl.
  3. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet and set aside.
  4. Heat sesame oil in the same skillet over med-low heat.
  5. Add the sansho berries and chirimenjako and stir continuously (if using sansho powder, add with sesame seeds in next step).
  6. When the chirimenjako and sansho have crisped up, remove from heat and add the sesame seeds.
  7. Spoon this hot mixture atop the dressed wakame and onions and serve.