Yamagata Dashi 山形だし

One of my addictions this time of year is Yamagata dashi. Simply finely chopped seasonal vegetables, mainly cucumbers, eggplants, and okra. It is best on a bowl of rice, but also on many other dishes like on boiled octopus (photo above) or over tofu (photo below).

Yamagata dashi is refreshing, especially on hot summer days when it is in season. It is a local dish from Yamagata where my mother is from.

If you are not keen on making it at home, it can be purchased at most supermarkets in August and into early September. The photos above are from the package above. It's a bit salty for my taste and is very easy to make at home.

Yamagata Dashi
1 eggplant
1 cucumber
4 okra
1 myoga
3 green shiso leaves
1 Tablespoon natto kombu
soy sauce, as needed

Mix the natto kombu with a bit of soy sauce and set aside. Finely mince the eggplant, cucumber, myoga, and shiso. Mix the natto kombu with a spoon until it's a bit sticky and then add the minced vegetables. This is the basic Yamagata Dashi and for me this is exactly as I like it. Simple is best. Optional additions include minced ginger, mirin, sake, dashi, ichimi togarashi (dried red chili pepper), katsuobushi, or toasted white sesame seeds.

Best over a bowl of steaming rice as in this photo. I suggest making it in small batches as the aroma of the myoga and shiso are best as soon as it's cut. The fresh vegetables also showcase their texture when it's freshly made.

Other serving suggestions include serving it with somen or soba, mixed with a light vinaigrette and used as a salad dressing.

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き

I have an aunt in Osaka and almost every time that I visit her we make okonomiyaki. It's a local favorite. There is something very satisfying about this savory pancake. Piping hot, filled with cabbage, crusty bits on the edge but moist on the inside. I also find the toppings of mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce, aonori, and katsuobushi irresistible. 

It is very easy to make at home. Recently I have been making this dish about once every two weeks. Not as the main dish in our dinner but as a side dish. If I am by myself I have it as a simple one plate lunch.

The ingredients are usually items already in the house so it is something I can pull together at the last minute.

The name itself, okonomiyaki, means "as you like it" and "grilled". You can put whatever you want into these savory pancakes. Most often I put in bacon and some cheese. Other favorites include canned tuna, sausages, or kimchi.

If you don't have bottled tonkatsu sauce at home a homemade version is quickly made with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce (see below).

This is also a fun dish to make for a casual dinner party if you have a hot plate that you can put in the middle of the table and people can cook around it. Ice-cold beer seems to be the best partner for this dish.

Okonomiyaki

(makes two)

110 grams flour

2 eggs

3 grams dashi powder (I usually put in powdered chicken stock)

1/2 tsp salt

60 cc water

1/4 cup ground yamaimo (optional, will make the okonomiyaki tender)

1/2 kg cabbage, cut into thick squares (about 1/2 inch)

dried shrimp (the tiny ones) - optional

vegetable oil

toppings: (as you like)

bacon

cheese

squid

scallops

canned tuna

nira (garlic chives)

green onions, finely chopped

whatever you like!

sauce:

mayonnaise

tonkatsu sauce (I usually do about 3 parts ketchup 1 part Worcestershire sauce)

garnish:

aonori

katsuobushi

Scramble the eggs in a big bowl and add the water, dashi (or chicken stock) and salt. Slowly incorporate the flour.

Add the julienned cabbage and dried shrimp (optional). 

POINT: Cut the cabbage into about 1/2 inch squares. Be careful not to cut it too thin or chop too finely or you will lose the texture you need to have a firmly shaped pancake.

Heat a saute pan and add vegetable oil.

Pour a large amount of batter into the pan. (I usually make one pancake per 10 or 12 inch saute pan.) Cook over medium heat until the bottom starts to brown. Add the toppings you like to the top of the pancake before you flip it over like bacon, cheese, etc. Flip the pancake and cook until it browns. 

Move to your serving platter. Top with tonkatsu sauce, mayonnaise, aonori, and katsuobushi.

As we usually eat these with chopsticks I will cut the okonomiyaki into slices like pizza. 

Also, we often do a Korean version (pajeon) with lots of nira (garlic chives) and kimchi. For a topping sauce for this I'll use tobanjan (spicy miso) or kochujan (chili paste).