Peanut Butter Mochi

3 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (16 ounce) box mochiko (sweet rice flour)
Katakuriko (potato starch), for dusting

Filling
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey

To make filling, combine peanut butter and honey; refrigerate until firm, a few hours or overnight.

Bring water to a boil; add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add mochiko a little at a time, stirring constantly.
Continue stirring over medium heat until lumps are dissolved.

Place dough on a surface dusted with katakuriko.
Allow to cool slightly.
Sprinkle with more katakuriko and knead a few times until smooth.
Form into a log.

Pinch off a 1 1/2-inch piece of dough and flatten into a circle. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
Fold edges around filling and pinch to seal.

Makes about 2 dozen mochi.

Variations: For strawberry mochi, coat strawberries in koshi-an (sweet bean paste), then wrap in mochi dough.
Add red food coloring to the boiling water if desired to turn the dough pink.
For chocolate-peanut butter mochi, substitute chocolate sauce for the honey in the filling, or wrap a chocolate Kiss in the filling.

Cold Noodles with Dipping Sauce (Soba)

1 (8 1/2 ounce) package soba granules (buckwheat noodles)
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon hon-dashi (dashi granules)
1 scallion (with top), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon water

Cook noodles as directed on package; drain.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Heat water, soy sauce, sugar and hon-dashi to boiling; remove from heat.
Cool; stir in onion and gingerroot.
Mix wasabi powder and water to a paste.
Divide noodles among 8 small bowls.
Pour soy mixture into 8 small dipping bowls.

Serve with wasabi paste.
Stir small amounts of wasabi paste into soy mixture to taste.

Seafood and Vegetables in Broth (Yosenabe)

1/2 (3 3/4 ounce) package cellophane noodles
4 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed chicken broth
2 broth cans water
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
8 ounces cod or haddock fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces Chinese pea pods
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 mushrooms, sliced
4 scallions (with tops), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Dipping Sauce

Cover cellophane noodles with hot water.
Let stand 10 minute; drain.
Cut into 2-inch lengths.
Heat chicken broth, water and carrots to boiling in Dutch oven; reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Stir in noodles and remaining ingredients except Dipping Sauce.
Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer until shrimp are pink and fish flakes easily with fork, 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve with small dishes of Dipping Sauce.

Yields 6 servings.

Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion (with top)
Dash of red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients.