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Asian black bear

For the simmered course we used tsukinowaguma. The name Tsukinowaguma alone makes an impression — guests take an interest in it, and it livens up the…

Ark shell wrapped in hosta shoot

For the vinegared course, the ark shell wrapped in urui: boil the urui and dip it into a lightly seasoned agar mixture once it has cooled somewhat…

Ukeiri Tofu; Clam

This is the soup course. Ukeiri tofu is an original dish of the Mito domain; the fish used can be anything -- sea bream, flounder, or otherwise. As…

Abalone simmered until tender, paddy-grown Japanese parsley grilled with pine nuts, assorted spring wild greens, grilled young sweetfish with vinegar dressing, deep-fried and simmered sea bream roe

The first course is abalone simmered until tender. It's a standard dish, but abalone really is the thing for summer. I didn't discard the innards --…

Pike Conger Dusted with Yoshino Kuzu

Next is the soup course. For the pike conger dusted with Yoshino kuzu, I bone-score the hamo, dust it with Yoshino kuzu starch, and finish it in…

Persimmon cup, reins-pattern vinegared dish, yuzu cup, almond tofu

The namasu served in the persimmon cup is arranged so the daikon and carrot resemble reins (tazuna), hence tazuna namasu. For the persimmon vinegar…

Edamame Tofu, Inro-Style Stuffed Preparation

The soup course is edamame tofu inro. After setting it in a rectangular setting mold, cutting the tofu into thin slices with a knife is quite…

Chicken-stock blend broth

To about 2.7 liters of water — 1 shō 5 gō — add 1 kg of well-cleaned chicken carcasses and about 20 g of kombu, and simmer gently until reduced to…

Fushimi Tofu

For Fushimi tofu: place thick deep-fried tofu in lukewarm water with baking soda dissolved in it, and rub it by hand until the surface turns smooth…

Oyster and Napa Cabbage Roll

The oyster and napa cabbage roll is another dish well suited to large-quantity cooking. Kinu-kōya is made by blending koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu)…

Conger eel, pine-bark-style tofu, and more

For the anago matsukawa tofu, the conger eel is grilled with tare sauce (tare-yaki), trimmed to match the length of the tofu, and quartered…

Tilefish wrapped in daikon, hosho-style, in a fresh yuba pureed soup

Baby turnip stuffed inro-style

As for the simmered oyster tofu: fold finely sieved oysters into a tamago-dōfu (savory egg custard) base, steam it, and let it absorb the flavor —…

Freeze-dried tofu and fern shoots, simmered in layers

For the simmered koya-dofu and zenmai Hakata-ni: I press tofu firmer than an earlobe, add a little rich soy milk, and mix in just a touch of mirin…

Fat greenling kuzu-tataki

For the soup course's fat greenling kuzu-tataki, the fat greenling is filleted, boned, and split into two thin fillets so it resembles cherry blossom…

Shonai Hot Pot: Cod Dongara-Ni

A local specialty dish, even fit for entertaining guests. It wears a company-ready face, yet is an unpretentious, comforting flavor.

Tenkabu Turnip, Winter Yellowtail

Grilled Sesame Tofu

Soy Milk Broth, Ise Lobster in White Snow

The three-flavor chakin tofu is made by kneading kabocha squash, purple sweet potato, and sesame together in equal proportion with the sesame — the…

Tortoiseshell-style simmered softshell turtle

In keeping with the moon-viewing season, this plays on the idiom "the moon and the softshell turtle" (tsuki to suppon — things that resemble each…

Flounder, ark shell clam, and a sea urchin roll with Daigo tofu skin, a specialty of Ibaraki

Freshly ladled tofu skin, nori-wrapped roll, wasabi, seasoned soy dipping sauce

Small Sea Bream Wrapped in Okara and Deep-Fried

Dried kinko sea cucumber with white sesame-tofu vinegar dressing