Japanese

After making this flavorful dressing in the processor, we give it a whirl in the blender for the smoothest texture. Crisp iceberg lettuce stands up best to this thick dressing. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 15 min

Horenso No Goma Miso Ae Some miso varieties are quite salty, but the Saikyo shiro miso called for in this sauce has a sweet, caramel-like taste.

We topped these rolls with a combination of plain tobiko (flying-fish roe) as well as seasoned and wasabi-flavored tobiko and golden whitefish caviar. The specialty tobiko and caviar are available from the mail-order source given below.

Brown rice is not traditionally used for sushi in Japan, but since it's such a healthy whole grain, we've decided to bend the rules. You'll have leftover vegetables, which are great for salads. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

"Recently, I had dinner at the super-romantic Shadowbrook Restaurant in nearby Capitola," writes Holly M. Sharps of Menlo Park, California. "To get to Shadowbrook, you have to take a cable car down a hill. The restaurant is on several levels and has spectacular views of the ocean — not to mention great food. The salmon was absolutely delicious." The sake- and soy-based ponzu sauce is traditionally a Japanese dipping sauce. Here, it’s used to baste the fish as it cooks.

Brewed green tea is a delicious, aromatic broth for scallops in this refined rendition of Japan's ochazuke, or "tea rice." The comforting soup-like dish evolved from using hot tea to rinse out rice bowls at the end of meals. Serve this as a light lunch or as an appetizer, followed by teriyaki-marinated chicken or salmon and some steamed Asian greens.

Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills is as famous for its cooked Japanese fish dishes as it is for its stellar sushi. This scallop dish is a perfect example.

Can be prepared in less than 45 minutes.

Wasabi powder is fiery-hot, so adjust the proportion in the butter according to your heat tolerance. An Asian noodle salad from the deli, blanched sugar snap peas sprinkled with sesame seeds, and a bakery lime tart would be cooling additions to the menu.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. A popular Japanese sauce perks up the grilled shrimp. For side dishes, garnish purchased sesame noodle salad with chopped green onions and peanuts, and put out a plate of carrot and celery sticks. As long as the coals are hot, grill slices of fresh pineapple, then top them with vanilla ice cream and shredded coconut.

Soybeans in the Pod Sweet, delicious young soybeans, which appear fresh in markets in Japan throughout the summer (they are available frozen in the U.S.), make great hors d'oeuvres. They are packed with protein and fun to eat-the slightly fuzzy green pods tickle your lips as you gently suck the beans into your mouth. Provide bowls for the empty pods. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At Aqua, the sea bass is presented with shrimp tortellini in lobster consommé.

Serve the salmon with steamed rice tossed with shelled edamame (fresh green soybeans). Market tip: Choose wild Alaskan salmon, which is abundant and well regulated. Farmed salmon is controversial; salmon farms pollute wild salmon habitats and spread disease to wild salmon stocks.