Sybaritica

Simmered Enoki Mushrooms

Simmered Enoki are extremely easy to prepare and make a terrific side-dish for rice. They keep for days and are handy to have on hand.

There are many ways to prepare Simmered Enoki Mushrooms. The recipe here is derived from the basic Japanese traditional method for making this dish, but it adds a few twists. Chinese Rice Wine replaces the more common Mirin, and butter replaces the more common cooking oil for a nice depth of flavor and richness…

Agedashi Tofu with Kakejiru

Agedashi Tofu is a Japanese classic featuring fried cubes of tofu braised in a Dashi-based broth, here enhanced with Soy Sauce and Mirin.

An Agemono dish in Japanese cookery is one in which the main ingredient is deep-fried. Age dofu (or tofu) is any preparation of deep-fried tofu, while Agedashi Tofu is cubes of the fried bean curd served in a dashi-based sauce. Here, as is often the case, the sauce is essentially a Kakejiru (or dashi, soy, mirin blend) lightly thickened with cornstarch.

Broccolini with Sesame Miso Dressing

Broccolini with Sesame Miso Dressing is inspired by a common Japanese way of dressing spinach and other cold greens. Simple yet great.

The basic dressing in question is made by toasting sesame seeds then grinding them to a paste along with a little sugar and mirin, sake and soy sauce, but, here, I have made a few twists on the classic theme.

Two Basic Japanese Seasoned Vinegars

The Two Basic Japanese Seasoned Vinegars, known as Nihaizu and Sanbaizu, are used in a wide variety of dishes. and can be varied to taste.

Nihaizu and Sanbaizu are sometimes as marinades, or the bases for dipping sauces, but are primarily used as dressings for the Japanese salad type preparations known as ‘Sunomono’. The basic forms for each are extremely simple and can be varied in any number of ways to suit personal needs and tastes.