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Boy’s Day or Kodamo No Hi, is today and traditional foods served today usually symbolize strength, growth and prosperity. Sekihan, or mochi rice, mixed with regular short grain rice with azuki or red beans are a usual dish for auspicious occasions.

Kashiwa mochi are rice cakes filled with mashed azuki beans or sweet bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves, which represent the hope for a long life and thriving family line because old oak leaves do not fall until new ones grow.

Chirashi sushi may be served with a variety of sashimi slices and other seafood.

Clear clam sou or ushio-jiru, is served symbolizing the clams joined of two shells.

Children may prefer chirashi sushi over sekihan because of the variety of seafood. Chirashi sushi means “scattered sushi” with seasoned rice on the bottom topped with sashimi shrimp, egg and shiitake mushrooms.

Chirashi Sushi

Serves 4

4 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

Salt

When the rice is hot, you must season it. Mix the rice vinegar and sugar together to dissolve the sugar.

Add salt to the rice and then pour the seasoned rice vinegar onto the hot rice. Mix gently. The rice should have a glossy look to it.

Toppings that are placed on top of rice:

Sashimi-grade tuna, sliced into sashimi slices

Superior grade salmon, not farm raised

4 cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined

4 dried shiitake mushrooms, simmered in shoyu, sugar and dashi

1/2 cup lotus root, boiled, simmered with the mushrooms

Snow peas, blanched or cucumber, sliced

Ikura or salmon roe

Sliced egg roll

To make eggs roll:

Mix together and whisk vigorously:

4 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons ichiban dashi

1 tablespoon sake

1 tablespoon sugar

Fry in a special Japanese egg roll pan, adding a thin layer, cooking it and then rolling it until you form an even roll of egg.

Slice it into 3/4 inch place one on each chirashi

Making a brunch for Mom?

Why not make a chocolate babka? Just remember the total time to rise and chill the dough is 12 hours so maybe you can start on Saturday.

Chocolate Babka

Serves 6 to 8

Dough:

1-1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 tablespoons warm water

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 large egg yolk plus one whole egg

1-3/4 cups bread flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for brushing

Combine the yeast and warm water in a bowl of a standing mixer; set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, sour cream, egg yolk and 1/3 cup bread flour, beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until combined. Gradually beat in the remaining 1-1/4 cup bread flour, scraping the bowl as needed, to form a wet dough, about 4 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high; add the whole egg, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beat until incorporated. The dough will be very wet.

Brush a large bowl with butter; transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size; about 1-1/2 hours. Stir the dough to punch it down. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Generously flour a sheet of parchment paper. Pat the dough into a square on the parchment, then roll out into a 11-by-15 inch rectangle. Slide the dough and parchment paper onto a baking sheet and brush of the excess flour. Cover and chill until firm enough to shape, 1 to 2 hours.

Filling:

1/2 cup blanched almonds

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Pulse the almonds and granulated sugar in a food processor until fine. Add the butter, egg, rum, vanilla, cinnamon and almond extract; pulse until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Streusel:

6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, beaten

Mash the confectioners sugar, all-purpose flour and butter in a bowl with a fork until clumpy. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Butter an 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border; spread with chocolate. Starting from a short side, use the parchment to tightly roll up the dough, brushing off the excess flour. Pinch the ends of the roll, then twist several times. Fold the twist in half so the ends meet. Twist the folded dough again and place into the pan. Cover with buttered parchment; let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with the streusel. Bake until the bread is golden and springs back when pressed, 60 to 70 minutes. Loosen with a knife, then let cool in the pan for one hour. Unmold onto a rack to finish cooling

Happy Boys and Children Day and Happy Mother’s Day!

Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.