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Ise Lobster Umani, Thistle-Cut Winter Melon, Shikishi-Cut Kabocha, Sea Bream Roe and Shiitake Simmered Together, and Brussels Sprouts

This simmered assortment (takiawase) is actually a chilled simmered dish. I tried topping it with a jelly made from a rich, flavorful dashi.

Smoked Pacific saury

Conger Eel Rolled in Green Chili, Grilled with Kagura Nanban Miso

The kagura nanban used in the grilled dish, conger eel rolled in green chili and grilled with kagura nanban miso, is a thick-fleshed chili pepper…

Autumn mackerel vinegar-cured with vinegar miso, kombu-cured scallop with egg-yolk vinegar sauce, seared cuttlefish with plum-flesh vinegar sauce

In place of sashimi, I made dishes meant to be eaten without soy sauce. For the autumn mackerel su-jime, the mackerel is firmed with a heavy coating…

Butterfish Daitokuji-yaki, butterfish spring-green grilled, butterfish new-ginger grilled

For the grilled course's butterfish Daitokuji-yaki, a wheat-gluten bread named for Daitoku-ji temple is reconstituted in a seasoned soaking liquid…

Monkfish liver with boiled whitebait, topped with a grated garnish, grilled dried whitebait and sea urchin

Vinegar-Miso Dressing

As for the appetizer course's vinegar-miso dressing: since some women guests are averse to miso, I mix in a seasoned vinegar beforehand so the dish…

Turban shell and rapeseed blossoms with wasabi

For the turban shell and rapeseed blossoms with wasabi, store-bought pickled wasabi is pressed through a sieve, then lightly tossed with a light soy…

Snow crab deep-fried in a paper-thin wrapper

For the fried course's snow crab in a paper-thin wrapper: boil the snow crab and remove the meat. Rehydrate bamboo shoot and peel it into a long thin…

Persimmon cup with first ice, baby eggplant and arrowhead bulb, tree-ring salmon and yuba roll

For the fried course's persimmon cup with first ice: hollow the persimmon into a cylinder and sear it once with a torch — this brings out more…

Turnip and shark fin egg custard, shrimp tsukune with usugaki garnish, cod roe wrapped in yuba, shrimp-shaped taro simmered to soak

For the simmered-dish course's shrimp tsukune, I make it twice a year — once when new spring onions come in, and once in autumn when the firm…

Pike conger mixed vegetable salad with plum sauce, grilled sea urchin flower crown, fragrant grilled avocado, fish-bone jelly, seared baby abalone, white asparagus with jade sauce, sansho-leaf miso, mock whale pork, black sesame sauce

For the appetizer's hamo chigusa salad, I mix in mountain yam cut into small dice with ten to fifteen kinds of chopped vegetables such as myoga…

Sea Bass Wrapped and Grilled with Summer Vegetables

For the grilled course's sea bass wrapped and grilled with summer vegetables, we made what would be called a tomato stew in Western cooking, wrapped…

Fragrant tea-grilled autumn assortment, tilefish rough-wave grilled, abalone butter-grilled, shrimp-shaped taro and quail moon rings, king crab, seared pike conger

The grilled course's fragrant tea-grilling follows the magnolia-leaf grilling method. Because direct heat can sometimes cause the leaf to catch fire…

Roe-bearing sweetfish kombu roll, spiny lobster simmered in the shell, tofu skin fried and simmered, autumn eggplant simmered in wine

For the simmered course's autumn eggplant simmered in wine, the eggplant is first color-simmered to preserve its hue. The seasoning is kept light…

Snow crab, grated turnip steamed dish

Pacific saury persimmon-leaf sushi

Sea urchin and lotus root twisted fritters

The sea urchin and lotus root twisted fritters are made in the twisted-fritter style, a dish designed with the visual interest of no two pieces…

Autumn mackerel cured in apple vinegar, seared-and-blanched tuna, chicken tenderloin cloud-dragon roll

Since this is a study session, I wanted to deliberately propose 'sashimi' of a kind that stands in for raw fish — for the work-efficiency benefit of…

Salted whole salmon and Danshaku potato, wrapped and baked

The grilled dish aramaki-zake, a salted and dried whole salmon traditionally served at New Year's, and Danshaku-imo wrapped and baked is essentially…

Ise lobster peony-style simmered, peony-leaf-cut winter melon green-simmered, shino-cut mountain asparagus white-simmered, water-ripple-cut eggplant color-simmered, sweet whole carrot gently simmered

Abalone Steamed Matsumae-Style, Flounder and White Gourd Polka-Dot

For the vinegared dish abalone steamed Matsumae-style, the abalone is prepped, topped with a round slice of daikon, sprinkled with sake, wrapped in…

Black Abalone

For the black abalone, abalone and daikon are placed together in a vacuum-sealed bag and steamed as is. This creates what is essentially a…

Conger Eel Tōji-Maki, Simmered Duck Loin, Ginger-Simmered Rolled Shrimp

For the simmered course, the conger eel tōji-maki (a yuba-wrapped preparation named for Tōji temple) is wrapped in the green outer leaves of round…