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* * * In Japan, the electric griddle is often associated with home parties where many people gather to enjoy “yakiniku” (grilled meat) or “okonomiyaki” (a pan-fried dish made of batter, cabbage and other ingredients) but it's actually something you can use daily. “Basically, you can use it just like a frying pan,” says Hidemi Sato, who oversaw the cooking science aspect of this week’s recipe, a “chanchan”-style dish that is local fare originating in Hokkaido's fishermen’s towns. Griddles also have features that frying pans lack that allow you to set the temperature and als...

* * * To cap off our series on enjoying traditional Japanese cuisine in a more casual manner, we present using “iriko” (dried baby sardines) as a seasoning. It is often difficult to use up all the iriko one buys for making dashi stock alone, but this recipe should help you handily solve that problem. It will renew your understanding of the power of small sardines that can be just as tasty as meat. Ryohei Hayashi, the Kagawa-born chef who grew up eating iriko of the Seto Inland Sea, supervised the cooking aspect of the recipe, and suggests that we try to “see familiar ingredients in a ne...

Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals). *

Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals). * * * The last entry in our series on mastering seasonings from around the world focuses on balsamic vinegar. The sweet-and-sour seasoning made from grapes whose birthplace is Italy varies in flavor and price mainly depending on the length of its aging process. Balsamic vinegars that are matured over long periods are thick, sweet and offer a rich aroma like prunes. Ones with short aging periods are thinner and sour and suited for dressings. This week, we'll introduce a way to slowly reduce the se...

Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals). * * * Are there ingredients or seasonings you want to master but feel they are out of reach? Nam pla was one of those seasonings for this reporter, and it was unclear whether the bottle would ever get used up. But with overseas travel and dining out so difficult these days, this is a good opportunity to try your hand at an exotic meal with seasonings you don’t normally buy. Nam pla is a Thai fish sauce made from anchovies. Its characteristic smell is not to everyone’s liking, but do not let t...