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Thin Kuzu-Thickened Broth: Softshell Turtle and Millet Manju

For the soup course, since there was a time when millet and buckwheat were the staple foods in Shinshu, I made a softshell turtle (suppon) and millet…

Chrysanthemum Salad

The Shinshu salmon used in the chrysanthemum salad is a hybrid with no distinct male or female, crossed between kokanee (beni-masu) and brown trout…

Soba tofu

As for the soba tofu, when people say 'Shinshu soba,' they usually think of soba noodles, a buckwheat dumpling, or a steamed soba preparation, but…

Chestnut and Walnut Salad

For the appetizer course's chestnut and walnut salad, the area around Komoro and Tomi, near Karuizawa where I currently work, is called 'the village…

Deep-fried pufferfish

For the vinegared course's deep-fried fugu, I coat the pufferfish in potato starch and egg yolk and deep-fry it to a golden color, in a style named…

Yuzu Cup, Flavor-Grilled Cod

For the grilled course's flavor-grilled cod, cod milt paste is often paired generously with white sauce, but I use only a hint of it, mixing in fresh…

Ise lobster steamed in glutinous rice

I plated the simmered course boldly, in the style of an autumnal arrangement, as though gathered together by the wind. For the Ise lobster steamed in…

Clear Soup: Steamed Sea Bream and Turnip

I made it as a clear soup relying on the ingredients' own flavor rather than dashi, but since I thought it might taste a bit fishy together with the…

Celebration: Pine, Bamboo, and Plum

For the steamed sea urchin warm-smoked with pine, I place cherry-wood chips, sugar, and pine needles in a wok, set a wire rack over them, cover with…

Red-and-white herring roe

For the appetizer's red-and-white herring roe: I marinate the herring roe (kazunoko) in two different bases — a Saikyo miso, sake-lees, and…

Fortune Milt, Poured and Sprouting

For the celebratory dish of fortune milt with sprouting greens: I line the vessel with kuzu-thickened ponzu, pour tiger pufferfish milt over it, and…

Crane's-egg taro, bamboo shoot shaped as a longevity turtle, zodiac-themed kombu roll

The conger eel head in the sweet-simmered dish carries the idea that 'this sweet-simmered stock is based on bonito dashi, but I also use dashi drawn…

Sea Bream Grilled with Its Own Roasted Entrails

For the celebratory course's dried, ceremonial abalone strip: I peel the abalone into somewhat thick sheets using the rotary-peeling technique, then…

Hagoita-shaped mochi with shrimp fish-paste dumpling

The broth for the New Year's mochi soup is made by simmering pheasant carcass and vegetables into a stock, reducing it thoroughly until clear, then…

Okina Taro with Sweet-Shrimp Shiokara

For the okina yam with sweet-shrimp shiokara: I cut Japanese mountain yam into somen-noodle-thin strands, then toss it with sweet shrimp shiokara…

Fragrant Dace Simmered with Plum

For the fragrant dace simmered with plum: the faint bitterness of dace evokes the scent of early spring, so I have it shipped in from Kumamoto every…

Seven Herbs and Walnuts Dressed in Fuku Ginjō Sake-Lees Pickle

For the amuse-bouche's seven herbs and walnuts dressed in Fuku Ginjō sake-lees pickle, the dressing combines ginjō sake lees with a small amount of…

Celebratory Sake

The celebratory sake is pheasant sake. This pheasant-shaped sake flask holds three small pieces of pheasant tenderloin. Pheasant and sake pair…

Fugu and bamboo shoot, snowflake-fried; fugu and angelica shoot, egg-yolk fried; fugu and udo, scale-style fried

Round kiritanpo, sixteen-grain kiritanpo

For the hot course's sixteen-grain kiritanpo, I used the sixteen-grain rice blend that has recently become popular for its health benefits. It's…

Grilled daikon cup, sea bream kimono-style roll, mustard-grilled beef, tsu-curled shrimp, daruma-shaped burdock, sea urchin-grilled scallop

For the celebratory course's grilled daikon cup: I simmer the daikon, brush it with salad oil or olive oil scented with yuzu, then grill it, fill it…

Saikyo-style broth with white camellia dumpling

For the white camellia dumpling, I combine shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) with grated Japanese mountain yam in equal parts, then loosen the dough…

Oboro-Style Broth, Winter Cod Hōsho Roll

For the oboro-style broth, I dry shaved kombu in a low oven or microwave without scorching it, then grind it into a powder. For the clear-soup…

Pinecone-cut squid, two-color egg terrine, bamboo-cut celtuce, chilled plum jelly, sunrise bottarga, bell-shaped arrowhead bulb, kumquat cup, twisted sushi roll, black soybeans

This was plated on a hagoita paddle carved from balsa, a soft wood. For the pinecone-cut squid: score the squid in a pinecone pattern, shape it into…