Osechi day 1 and day 2, 2021 元旦と２日の御節

While the Sushitaro osechi lasts, the only “cooking” I have to do is to arrange the items and, as need, warm some of them up using either microwave or toaster oven and, of course, (this is the most strenuous part) open a bottle of sake.

The below was the first sampling. I tend to go for our favorites first. "Kazunoko" 数の子 herring roe, steamed sea urchin むし雲丹, roasted wagyu beef 和牛ローストビーフ are among them.

Here are three of our favorites; smoked oyster 牡蠣燻製 (left lower), karasumi botarga 唐墨 which is lightly toasted and wonderful cured "sawara" mackerel 鰆喜寿司.

This is the second plate;  in the center next to the ikura is monkfish liver terrine 鮟肝豆腐 which is really good.  I put wasabi and soy sauce on the red and white fishcake 紅白蒲鉾 before enjoying.

The yellow ball is soy sauce marinated egg yolk with walnut embedded in the center 黄身胡桃. The texture is really great. Next to the egg yolk on the right is "Koji-pickled Boston mackerel" 鯖麹漬. This is also a great dish with crunchy cubes of either daikon or radish. 

This was the evening of January 2. This time I served in Tsugaru-nuri bento boxes 津軽塗弁当箱 as I did other years. All came from the Sushi Taro box except the small bowl on the upper left.

How many different delicacies are in this box! Of course left lower corner is the karasumi, again lightly toasted.

This is my only contribution. Red radish and cucumber “sunomono”  酢の物, my version of daikon namasu, slices of octopus leg topped with ikura.

This is delicately seasoned in Kyoto-style. I briefly microwaved just to take the chill off.

Although each item is small, there are so many of them; the total was quite filling. We could get used to this.