Nabeyaki-Udon #CooktheBooks
It has been an embarrassingly long time since I participated in our Cook the Books group. Not because I haven't been reading. I read all the time. It's my evening cool-down and stress relief. I just haven't been reading the assigned books. That stops this month!
On the Page
The October-November 2026 Cook the Books selection is The Kamogawa Food Detectives by author Hisashi Kashiwai and translator Jesse Kirkwood. The funny thing: I have had this book on my Kindle to read library for quite awhile. It took me recognizing that I could participate in this #CooktheBooks session to move it to the top of my queue.
In The Kamogawa Food Detectives, clients seek out the diner to help put a dish to their memories of a dish. Often someone will see the cryptic ad in a food magazine that reads, simply, "We find your food." A phone call to the editor and the person finds themselves on their way to the unmarked restaurant on a narrow backstreet in Kyoto.
At the diner, they will find Nagare, a retired, widowed police detective, and Koishi, his daughter who conducts the client interviews and helps cook. Nagare uses the skills he employed as a detective to source ingredients and make the dish for the client. As an example, one client wants to savor the udon that his late wife cooked one last time before he remarries; another client wants to eat the mackeral sushi that was a balm to his childhood worries.
In the Bowl
I was inspired into the kitchen from the very first chapter: Nabeyaki-udon. When asked for the dish on his mind, Hideji says, ‘Nabeyaki-udon. You know, vegetables and chicken simmered with udon noodles..... Now, I don’t mean to harp on about Nami, but she really does know how to cook. Not just Japanese food – though you should see the nikujaga stew or the seasoned rice she cooks up! No, when it comes to non-Japanese stuff – curry, say, or hamburger steaks, she puts the pros to shame. Makes her own gyoza and steamed buns too. I have nothing at all to complain about. It’s much better than you’d get in some lousy restaurant! The thing is, though, her nabeyaki-udon just doesn’t quite hit the spot.'
‘It’s not just the dashi stock. See that shiitake you’ve got there? Chieko would take a batch of them, dry them out in the sun, rehydrate them, and then boil them down with soy and sugar. That way, when you bite into them, you get that wonderful burst of umami.’
I didn't dry them in the sun; I used my oven! But they were a delicious addition to my bowl of soup.
Ingredients
Umami Shiitakes
5 to 6 mushrooms per person
olive oil
sesame oil
soy sauce
Also needed: baking sheet, parchment paper, shallow lidded glass container
Udon per serving
1-1/2 cups dashi or other stock
1-1/2 Tablespoons mirin
2 Tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
1 teaspoon dark brown miso paste
2 ounces pan-fried boneless pork chop, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, peeled and thickly sliced
4 to 5 medium umami shiitake mushrooms
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into thick coins
2 ounces sweet potato, peeled and cubed (I used a purple sweet potato)
1 serving udon noodle, cooked half length of time as in the instructions right before adding to the broth (I used regular udon noodles for the boys and gluten-free udon noodles for Jake)
1 large egg
2 ounces kamaboko (fish cake), thinly sliced
1 baby bok choy, halved
Also needed: chives, hichimi togarashi and/or furikake for serving
Shrimp Tempura
8 large prawns, shelled and deveined with tails on
1 cup flour
1 egg
200 milliliters sparkling water
canola oil and sesame oil for frying
Procedure
Umami Shiitakes
You should make these ahead of time to let the flavors meld together. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Trim any woody stems from the shiitake mushrooms and place the mushrooms stem side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Roast for 30 minutes. Once roasted, place the mushrooms in a shallow glass container. Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. Let stand overnight. If the mushrooms aren't completely submerged, turn them in the marinade a few times every couple of hours.
Shrimp Tempura
Pour oil into a large pot, to about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch depth adding about 1 teaspoon sesame oil for each cup of canola oil. Heat until a small drop of water into the oil causes it to sputter and spit.
Batter
Make sure all of your ingredients are cold. Place the flour and egg in a mixing bowl. Pour in the sparkling water and gently mix with chopsticks. You don't want to over-mix. When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip the skewered shrimp in the batter, letting the excess drip off before placing it in the oil.
Fry until golden and remove from the oil. Transfer the tempura to a paper towel-lined platter to remove the excess oil.
Udon
Heat the dashi over medium heat. As soon as it starts boiling, add the mirin and soy sauce. Bring back to a high simmer. Whisk in the miso paste. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, and sweet potato. Simmer until the carrots and sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Add the udon and pork, followed by the egg, kamaboko, and bok choy. Cover and cook for a minute or until the egg is cooked to your desired doneness. Turn off the heat.
Serve immediately at a table. Enjoy with a little sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, if you like.
A Dreamy Clouds Pairing
Most of the dishes also included a sake pairing or at least a mention of a pairing. ‘Fancy sharing some sake while we watch it fall?’ ‘Ooh, I know just the right one for that,’ said Koishi, extracting a bottle from the fridge. ‘Ah, Setchubai. “Plum Blossoms in the Snow”. Perfect, and not just because of the name. It’s a little sweet, but it’ll go very well with the hotpot. Kikuko would have loved it,’ said Nagare, looking fondly in the direction of the altar.
I couldn't find a bottle of 'Plum Blossoms in the Snow' but I did get my hands on a bottle of 'Dreamy Clouds.' You can read about a Sake Tasting we did in Berkeley on D's graduation weekend. I learned so much about sake brewing and tasted brews that were completely new to us!
I discovered that this was only the first in a series. I can't wait to track down the sequels. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am grateful it was assigned for Cook the Books! That's a wrap on my official post for this #CooktheBooks, but I did end up making a few other dishes. I will share them soon. Stay tuned!
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