Souffle Cheesecake is a popular cheesecake sold at western-style dessert shops in Japan. As you can guess from the name, it is a light and airy soufflé-like dessert as opposed to dense and thick American cheesecake. Soufflé Cheesecake is not overly sweet, as with other Japanese cakes, but it still has a good enough cheese flavor to be called a cheesecake.
Atsuage is deep fried Tofu that you can use without any breaking or using batter. Atsuage is an important ingredient in Japanese cooking, especially in Nimono (boiled and seasoned vegetables and meat). Because it is made of Tofu, it is healthy plant-based protein, but it has a little more body and deeper flavor from being fried in oil.
Wasabi Dressing is a Soy Sauce-based salad dressing with a kick of Wasabi flavor. It can add an instant Japanese flavor just by drizzling over your ordinary salad or vegetable dishes. Most of us outside Japan don’t have access to fresh Wasabi root, and are likely to use Wasabi paste in a tube, or a powder form that is simply mixed with water to make a paste. These are both perfectly fine here. The amount of Wasabi for the dressing is up to your taste. Some brands are spicier than others, so adjust how much to use to your taste. We have often used the dressing with salad greens, deep fried lotus roots and Kabocha squash, but also boiled or grilled vegetables would do well. Wasabi Dressing is so easy to make, it only takes a matter of minutes and brings a dish in a new direction.
Doria is a Japanese western-style rice casserole dish with a creamy white sauce. It looks very similar to baked Gratin. It doesn’t seem to be much like a Japanese food, but Doria was created in Japan, and it is a very popular dish loved by the young and old there for a long time.
Kenchinjiru is a clear soup with a lot of vegetables. This meatless but hearty hot soup is a great dish in colder weather, and perfect to serve a big crowd for various gatherings in fall and winter. There is a lot of cutting involved, but it is quite easy and simple to make.
Tako (octopus) Sausage is a sausage cut to look like an octopus and is often seen in children’s Bento lunches. This fun and cute dish is a favorite for kids, but tastes good enough for adults too.
Chicken Katsu is chicken fillet breaded with flour, egg, and Panko (bread crumbs), then deep fried, just like Tonkatsu. It is a comfort food rather than a healthy Japanese food, but if you use cuts like chicken breasts or tenders instead of thighs, it can become a little lighter fare. Nonetheless, Chicken Kastu is a delicious and satisfying main dish for dinner.
Spicy Tuna Hand Roll is a Sushi hand roll filled with chopped raw tuna seasoned with hot sauce. It is more of an American-style Sushi than traditional Japanese Sushi, yet it has become one of everyone’s favorites and a staple item on the menu at Japanese restaurants in the US today.
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Miso Eggplant and Shishito Peppers is a small side dish and goes very well with your steamed rice. It is very quick and easy to make in the last minutes, when you want to add one more vegetable dish to your meal.