i. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp from the center of the kabocha.

ii. Lay your squash on a stable cutting board and use a sharp knife to shave off the tough green skin in downward strokes.

iii. Once peeled, chop the flesh into large, irregular chunks.

i. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (356°F). Toss bread cubes with olive oil, salt, dried herb mix, and melted butter. Fold in thin ribbons of tender kabocha peel.

ii. Spread in a single layer and bake on an upper rack for 10 minutes until golden and crisp.

i. While we wait for the oven, melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion turns translucent and sweet but not browned. Stop just before golden.

ii. Stir in the kabocha chunks with another pinch of salt. Toss for 1-2 minutes to coat in butter and start softening the surface. Seasoning now helps the squash absorb salt evenly later and prevents flat tasting purée.

iii. When the edges start to break, add water.

iv. Cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until the pumpkin crushes easily with a spoon. Keep the bubbling gentle to preserve color and a fresh, sweet aroma.

v. If liquid reduces too fast, add a splash of hot water to maintain a shallow “just-covered” level.

i. Take the pot off heat and blend with a blender (or immersion blender), starting low and moving to high, sweeping the head across the pot to catch fibers.

ii. When smooth, add cold unsalted butter and blend 20-30 seconds more to micro-emulsify for gloss and body.

i. If you want the kind of texture that makes guests ask “Did you really make this at home?”, pour your blended soup through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois into a clean pot.

ii. Use the back of a ladle or spoon to press the puree through, leaving behind any lingering fibers or skin fragments. Yes, it’s an extra dish to wash, but the payoff is soup so smooth it coats a spoon in a glossy, unbroken ribbon.

i. Return the soup to a clean pot and stir in heavy cream and milk (you can use half and half if it’s available). Warm gently over low heat until steamy and slightly thickened, but do not boil.

ii. Add another pinch of salt and a sprinkle nutmeg. Set the heat to low and let the soup barely simmer, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Once dairy enters the pot, high heat is your enemy. Boiling causes the milk proteins to curdle and the cream to separate into greasy puddles. Keep it at a lazy simmer.

iii. Turn off the heat and dissolve white miso. Make sure to taste test at this point!

i. Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Crack white pepper over the surface, scatter a handful of those kabocha-skin croutons on top, and finish with a pinch of chopped fresh parsley for a pop of green against the orange.

Start by heating a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and your mix of mushrooms (maitake, enoki, and shiitake) to the pan.

Cook everything together, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to develop a slight golden color and the aroma of garlic fills your kitchen. Don’t rush this step! Letting the mushrooms caramelize a little really brings out their savory depth.

Once you see those beautiful golden edges on your mushrooms and smell the garlic, add salt and give everything a gentle stir. The salt helps draw out any remaining moisture while enhancing the natural flavors.

Mix soy sauce, miso paste, sake, and mirin together in a small bowl, then pour it into the pan.

Give it a mix and once the mushrooms are evenly coated, cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low for 4 minutes of steam-cooking.

After 4 minutes, remove the lid and turn off the heat.

Add black pepper and butter, stirring everything together while the residual heat melts the butter into a glossy coating.

Spoon the mushroom mixture generously over bowls of hot rice. Drizzle a bit of toasted sesame oil on top for aroma, then finish with sliced green onions and crispy fried onion bits for crunch.

Yes, it’s that easy!

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Pat the bone-in chops dry, then use a fork to pierce the surface every ½ inch on both sides. Give the fat edge a few extra pokes, then run the tip of your knife between the fat cap and the meat to snip any silver skin.

Pound the pork so that its thickness is approximately 2cm. This will tenderize it and help your pork pieces cook evenly.

Halve the asparagus, cut the carrots into batons, and trim the stems of the shiitake mushrooms. I also like to cut a decorative star on the cap of the mushroom, but this is optional.

To make the marinade, whisk together awase miso, light brown sugar, sake, mirin, sesame oil, grated apple, ginger, garlic, and water beforehand until combined so that the marinade is attached to the ingredients evenly.

Scoop the chops, shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, and carrots into a zip-top bag with the marinade. Press out the air and massage until every nook is coated.

Lay the bag flat in the fridge for about 4 hours.

Apple’s malic acid plus ginger’s protease soften muscle fibers, while koji-based enzymes in miso tackle collagen!

Line a sheet pan with parchment, lay the miso-marinated chops in the center, and scatter the shiitake, asparagus, and carrot sticks around them in a single layer.

Slide the tray into a 250°F (120°C) oven and roast for 35 minutes. The vegetables will soften and start to pick up a light tan edge-perfect groundwork for the high-heat finish coming up next.

When the 35-minute roast is done, crank the oven up to 425°F / 220°C. While you wait for it to reach the higher temperature, you can sear the pork.

Pour some neutral oil into a large frying pan, then heat it over medium until it’s nice and hot. It’s important not to overcrowd the pan, so if you don’t have a large enough pan you can sear each pork chop individually like I did.

It’s important that the pan is preheated thoroughly, since we only want to brown the surface, not cook it any further.

Once the pan is fully heated, sear the first side for a full minute, flip, and sear the second side for another minute.

Finish by tipping the chop onto its side and sear the fat, rotating until the edges are nicely browned.

Transfer the chops to a plate and tent loosely with foil for 10 minutes. This short break evens out the internal temperature and lets the juices thicken and settle back into the meat.

Your oven should (hopefully) be preheated by now, so return the tray of vegetables back to the oven for another 8-10 minutes until the shiitake caps blister, asparagus tips bronze, and carrot edges look candy-sweet.

Unwrap the chops, put the roasted vegetables next to them, and add a finishing touch: shichimi for a little heat, a bit of yuzu zest for some brightness, or finely chopped shiso leaves for a fresh boost.

Other great toppings include toasted sesame, ground sansho, or any citrus zest you like.

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Begin by combining water and kombu (dried seaweed) in a large pot to make the base stock. Allow to steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

This steeping time allows the kombu to release its natural umami compounds without becoming bitter.

While the kombu is soaking, prepare all the vegetables, salmon and other ingredients.

• Tofu: Large cubes
• Carrots: Rounds
• Onions: Sliced
• Shiitake mushrooms: Stems removed
• Leeks: Diagonally sliced and decorated (if you like)
• Potatoes: Peeled and thickly sliced
• Cabbage: Roughly cut

Preparing everything before cooking ensures a smooth cooking process!

After 30 minutes, place the pot over medium heat. Watch carefully – when small bubbles begin to form, but before it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to low and remove the kombu. Add sake, mirin and soy sauce to complete the base stock.

Place the ingredients in the pot in layers, starting with the items that will take the longest to cook: place the harder vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, on the bottom, followed by the cabbage and mushrooms, then the seafood on top.

Increase the heat to medium-high and once the broth is bubbling, cover and cook continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the root vegetables are fork-tender and the salmon is cooked through.

Once the vegetables are tender, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Using a miso strainer or fine-mesh sieve, slowly add the miso paste to the broth, stirring gently to incorporate.

Add butter just before serving to enrich the broth.

Portion into individual serving bowls, and sprinkle a bit of sansho pepper if you have it.

After enjoying the main ingredients, cook the udon noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and add to the remaining broth for a satisfying finish to your meal.

The concentrated broth creates a flavorful noodle dish!

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Heat up a medium-sized pot on medium and add some oil. Once it’s hot, add the pork belly and sprinkle with salt.

Cook it until the meat starts to brown and release its fat. This initial browning is what will create a foundation of flavor for the soup.

Throw in all the vegetables except for the konnyaku and aburaage, along with another dash of salt. Give it a stir-fry for about 2 minutes, making sure the vegetables are all coated in that tasty pork fat.

Pour in the dashi stock and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 7 minutes.

Now, add the washed konnyaku and aburaage to the pot. Turn the heat down low and let it simmer for about 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Use a miso strainer (or a fine-mesh strainer) to gradually dissolve the sake lees and miso into the soup. This will help you avoid lumps and get a nice, smooth consistency.

Add the light soy sauce and stir gently to combine. Taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.

Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls and top with freshly chopped green onions.

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i. Pour the dashi, prepared vegetables, and glass noodles into a medium pot and bring it just to a boil over medium-high heat, then drop to a gentle simmer-about 85-96℃ (185-205°F).

i. While the soup base heats, combine all the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a spoon or your clean hands to gently fold everything together until just combined. You’re aiming for a cohesive mixture, not an overworked paste.

ii. Maintain that simmer (just a few lazy bubbles should pop at the surface) and slide in the meatballs one by one. Use two tablespoons (one to scoop, one to nudge) to form the meat mixture into roughly one-inch balls, then carefully lower each one into the simmering broth.

Work quickly but don’t rush. Dropping them from too high can splash hot liquid or cause the meatballs to break apart on impact.

iii. Cover and simmer gently until the meatballs are opaque and springy, about 5-7 minutes.

i. Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso using a mesh strainer or a ladle, pressing until no lumps remain. Keep it below a boil to preserve aroma and complexity.

I used a 50/50 blend of red and white miso, sometimes labeled “yellow miso” in English.

i. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each bowl gets a fair share of meatballs, vegetables, and noodles. Finish with chopped green onion, a light drizzle of toasted sesame oil, and a twist of black pepper; serve steaming hot.

Cut the carrots and potatoes into bite-sized chunks.

Give the potatoes a five-minute soak in cold water to get rid of any excess starch.

While you’re waiting for the potatoes, heat a small pot of water. Once boiling, blanch the snowpeas for 1 minute, then drain and set aside for later. You can cut them in half once they’re cool enough to touch, then use them as a garnish at the end.

If you’re looking for a quicker option, you can just add the raw snow peas directly to the dashi (soup) with the other vegetables. While blanching makes for a nicer presentation and texture, both methods work perfectly well.

Once soaked, put the drained potatoes and carrots in a microwave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high (600W) for about three minutes to partially cook them.

This step is to speed up the cooking process and save time. If you don’t have a microwave, you can parboil the vegetables in a pot of boiling water or use a steamer to steam them instead.

Tip: I don’t recommend boiling the potatoes directly in the dashi as this can make your soup cloudy and starchy.

In a large pot, mix together the dashi stock, the parboiled carrots and potatoes, and the mushrooms.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the vegetables are softened to your liking.

While the broth is warming up, heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of the salmon fillets with a little salt and fry them until they’re nicely browned on both sides, which should take about 3 minutes per side.

Once cooked, take them off the heat. Ideally, try and time this so that the salmon is ready at the same time as the soup.

Once you’re happy with the vegetables, turn off the heat and mix in your miso paste.

Split the soup between the serving bowls. Now, add the seared salmon fillets and blanched snow peas. Top each bowl with a small slice of butter and a dash of freshly ground black pepper.

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Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little sesame oil. Fry the minced garlic and Japanese leek until they release their aromas.

Next, add the sake and mirin to the pan and stir to combine.

Now, mix in the miso paste and chili powder, stirring all the while.

Cook until the mixture thickens, then remove from heat. It’s important to get the paste to the right consistency so it’s easy to fill the onigiri, and so they don’t become soggy.

If using a mold: Lightly salt the onigiri mold to enhance flavor. Add 50-60 grams of rice (half the total amount per onigiri) to the mold, creating an indentation in the center for the filling.

For hand-shaping: Wet your hands with cold water and sprinkle with salt to prevent sticking. Take the full amount of rice for one onigiri and flatten it on your palm.

For molded onigiri: Spoon the garlic miso mixture into the indentation in the center of the rice. I use about 1/2 a tablespoon per rice ball.

For hand-shaped onigiri: Place the filling in the center of the flattened rice.

Mold method: Add the remaining rice on top of the filling. Use the mold lid to firmly press and compact the onigiri.

Hand method: Gently fold the rice over the filling, encasing it completely. Shape into a triangle using your palms, ensuring the filling stays securely inside.

Wrap each onigiri in a strip of nori seaweed. For the best taste and texture, serve immediately.

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