Japanese comfort food

I inherited a lot of japanese ingredients from my friend Jennifer who is moving back to the US next week. Her mother is Japanese and arrived to visit with a suitcase full of wakame, roasted sesame seeds, and roasted barley tea. I don't know a lot about Japanese cooking but I love it!

Yesterday, I used some buckwheat soba noodles that I had and made a little sauce of Dashi, bonito flakes, mirin, and soy sauce. I threw some wakame in there and some of the sesame seeds. It was a bit salty but very satisfying.

This morning, I wanted something warm and soothing but needed some protein. I cooked up some rice in the rice cooker she gave me and soft boiled an egg. I put the boiled egg on top of some of the rice in a soup bowl and poured miso soup on top. I threw in a little dot of wasabi for the broth and then put some smoked salmon in the bowl. I finished it off with a pre-packaged japanese mix of sesame seeds, nori, and some crunchy things that I have no idea what they are.

It was fantastic.

Japanese food is delicous but quite salty. I think I need to get some cabbage and mushrooms in the house so I can add some texture. I"m looking forward to exploring Japanese cuisine this winter!