焼きそば（やきそば）
Stir-fried Soba Noodles

Soba (buckwheat noodles) symbolizes long life because of its long shape.

Therefore, soba is eaten on New Year's Eve (31st December ) with the wish for a life as long as noodles in the coming year.


Ingredients (serving for 4)

1. Cook noodles according to the package instructions, drain and rinse well in cold water to remove excess starch.
   
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add onions, garlic and carrots and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
   
3. Add pork, capsicum, and cabbage into 2) and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
   
4. Add noodles, sake and soy sauce into 3) and stir-fry till noodles are heated through.
   
5. Pour tonkatsu sauce or steak sauce into 4) and stir-fry for 30 seconds and serve hot.
   
6. Garnish with pickled ginger, green seaweed flakes and dried bonito flakes.

鮭茶漬け（さけちゃづけ）
Grilled Salmon with Rice and Green Tea

In November, the weather gets colder, and red and yellow leaves appear on trees throughout Japan. People go out to autumn foliage viewing spots. Viewing the autumn leaves is one of the people's favourite pastimes during this season. At the same time, this is the season to enjoy blessings from the sea like cod, blowfish, oyster and salmon.


Ingredients (serving for 4)

1. Soak shredded leek in a small bowl of water for 10 minutes and drain well.
   
2. Cook rice.
   
3. Put salmon, dashi powder, mirin and soy sauce in a bowl. Toss well and then marinate for 30 minutes. Place on a lightly greased, aluminum-lined grilling tray. Grill each side of the salmon under a preheated broiler for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
   
4. Cool 3) and flake with a fork.
   
5. Divide rice into 4 medium-sized bowls.
   
6. Put 4), 1) and nori cut into thin strips onto rice in each bowl equally and gently pour hot green tea. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve immediately.

1. Remove the hard fin part near the fish tail and the gills from the belly of the fish. Make a slit along the belly of the fish and carefully remove the innards.

   Wash and pat dry with paper towels.
   

2. Make 2-3 shallow lengthwise slits on both sides of the fish to ensure even cooking.

   Rub salt on both sides of the fish and place under a preheated broiler or on a barbecue grill. Cook each side for 4-5minutes or till golden brown.
   

3. Serve each fish with a mound of grated radish drizzled with a little soy sauce and lemon wedges.
   

1. Soak seaweed in cold water for 5 minutes or until reconstituted. Drain and set aside.
   
2. Cook noodles according to instructions on package.
   
3. Drain 2) and rinse well in cold water to remove excess starch on the surface. Divide into 4 medium bowls.
   
4. Put 1), leek and red pickled ginger in equal portions into 3). Arrange this on top of the noodles and crack an egg into the centre of each bowl if desired.
   
5. Put dashi powder in water, mirin and soy sauce into a saucepan. Stir and boil.
   
6. Pour 5) immediately over noodles, and put some seven-spice pepper powder, if desired.

1. Wash and cut strawberries.
   
2. Combine strawberry puree and flour together in a bowl and mix till soft dough is formed then roll the dough into small balls.
   
3. Drop 2) into boiling water in a pan and boil for 2-3 minutes.
   
4. Transfer 3) into cold water to cool.
   
5. To serve, add 4), fresh strawberries, some whipped cream in a serving bowl and top it off with ice-cream.

冷やっこ（ひややっこ）
Hiyayakko (Cold Tofu)

How to prepare

1. Soak leek in a small bowl in cold water for 10 minutes and drain.
   
2. Drain tofu and pat dry on paper towels, and cut into 4 equal pieces.
   
3. Divide ginger and leek into 4 equal portions and place on top of tofu.
   
4. Drizzle soy sauce over tofu and serve with bonito flakes on the side.

竹の子ご飯（たけのこごはん）
Takenoko Gohan

1. Cut bamboo shoots into small chunks and boil for 10 minutes, then put into cold water.
   
2. Cut chicken leg into bite-size chunks and boil for 2-3 minutes, then put into cold water.
   
3. Put some hot water over abura-age to remove excess oil, squeeze dry and slice thinly.
   
4. Combine soy sauce, sake and salt in a measuring cup and fill with chicken stock up to the “2 cups” mark on the measuring cup.
   
5. Wash rice and rinse well.
   
6. Put 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 into rice-cooker to cook.
   
7. Add chopped spring onions after the rice is cooked and serve while hot.

はまぐりの味噌汁（みそしる）
Miso Soup with Clams

1. Place clams in a bowl, scrub with a brush to clean, then rinse.
   
2. Soak 1) in cold water for 10 minutes, drain, rinse well and set aside.
   
3. Put water in a large saucepan and bring to boil.
   
4. Add shiitake mushrooms and dashi powder into 3), and simmer for 15 minutes covered with low heat. Thereafter, increase heat to medium, add clams and cook for 2-3 minutes covered or until shells open slightly. Discard shiitake mushrooms and any clams that do not open.
   
5. Lower heat and put miso paste into 4) and stir until miso melts.
   
6. Just before serving, put mitsuba to garnish.
   
   

1. Wash rice and leave it for about 30 minutes before cooking.
   
2. Mix tuna, mayonnaise and white miso in a separate bowl.
   
3. Remove seeds from preserved plum.
   
4. Divide rice into 8 equal portions, wet your hands and form each portion of rice into a ball before making a deep hole in the centre with your finger.
   
5. Fill 4 of the rice balls with tuna and 4 with ume, then carefully shape each rice ball into a triangle, making sure to enclose the filling.
   
6. Cut nori sheets lengthwise into strips large enough to encase each rice ball. Stand the flat end of the rice triangle in the centre of each nori piece, then lift both sides of each nori sheet to wrap each rice ball and serve.
   

ちらし寿司（ちらしずし）
Chirashizushi

1. Prepare sushi rice.
   
2. Put dashi soup, mirin, soy sauce and sugar (2 tablespoons) in a pan.
   
3. Add shiitake mushrooms into 2) and simmer till the liquid is gone.
   
4. Cool 3) and slice them thinly.
   
5. Beat eggs and add sugar (1 tablespoon) and pour one scoop of egg mixture into a frying pan and make a paper-thin omelette.
   
6. After making few of 5), cut them into thin strips.
   
7. Cut cucumber into thin strips.
   
8. Put 1) in a bowl or a large plate and spread 5), 6) & 7).
   
9. Place raw tuna or sliced salmon and boiled shrimps on 8).
   

巻き寿司（まきずし）
Rolled Sushi

1. Wash the rice and start cooking half an hour later
2. Once the rice is cooked, transfer it into a bigger container. Sprinkle some sushi-no-ko over the rice and mix well while fanning it to cool.
3. Place a sheet of nori on the makisu (bamboo sheet) and spread some rice on it, leaving some space on the other side of nori.
4. Put ingredients on (3) and roll it from one side to the other.
   

お雑煮（おぞうに）
Japanese mochi (rice cake) in soup.

1. Cut chicken thigh into small pieces.
2. Put dashi soup stock, chicken, carrot, and shiitake mushroom into a pot and bring to boil.
3. Skim off foam that comes up to the surface.
4. Turn down the heat to low, and add sake, soy sauce into pot and cook for a few minutes.
5. Meanwhile, grill mochi till softened.
6. Add mochi, kamaboko or naruto, spinach and sliced leek into pot and cook for 1-2 minutes.