Every time I made dried sardines, they'd stick. One day, I sprinkled in sake, as instructed on the package of sardines, and voila! It didn't stick.As long as you sprinkle sake in Step 5, the sardines will not stick! If you forget to do this, they'll all stick together in one clump. Recipe by Eizansumire

These are delicious!My daughters can't put their chopsticks down, since they make a perfect complement to sake, neither can I!One serving for our new year's osechi is not enough, so I always make these three times!The key to this recipe is the thickness of the sauce. If it's too watery, the sardines won't become crispy enough, but if it's too thick, it won't coat the sardines. It should be just thick enough that you can see the bottom of the pan when you scrape it. For 4 to 5 servings. Recipe by Cake to pan no sensei

I always make a ton of my favorite kazunoko every year.Taste the kazunoko after soaking them in water to test the saltiness. Since they are marinated with kombu, the longer they marinate, the tastier they get. These have a subtle flavor, so leftovers will go well in a salad or in a Japanese side dish. For a versatile and easy-to-make amount. Recipe by LaLaHappy1

I always grilled shrimp, but they tend to toughen. So I decided to simmer them.If you simmer too long the shrimp will become tough, so blanch them first to remove the odor, and after simmering the shrimp in the combined seasonings, leave them to absorb the flavor. I held back on the saltiness so adjust with light soy sauce to taste. Recipe by purelife

This is one of my mother's basic osechi (New Year's feast) recipes. I love this, so I always make this for osechi.If you dust the meat rolls with flour before cooking them, the flour it will thicken in the sauce, so that it coats the meat better.You can use any kind of vegetable you like in the middle of the rolls! They're delicious made with celery. Recipe by Rikaminto

This is just a simple dish that I made with store-bought pickles.If you don't have enough sauce, feel free to top it up with soy sauce, mirin or cooking sake. If you find it too rich, then you can dilute it with hot or cold water. Alternatively, you could add diluted mentsuyu instead. If you aren't using store-bought pickles, finely slice the kombu and dried squid and then carry out the same steps as in the recipe.Salmon roe also makes a delicious addition to this dish. Recipe by Yuuyuu0221

These kuromame are not too sweet, and even work as a side dish. I used to soak the beans overnight in water, but realized they'd absorb the flavor of the seasonings better if soaked in the seasonings instead. Through trial and error, I reduced the simmer time and eliminated the process of adding water to simplify this recipe.The beans will take on a glossy sheen if you add rusty nails, but this is optional (I didn't in the top photo).The cooking time depends on the beans; allow between 1 to 3 hours. (I cooked these beans for 2 hours in Le Creuset cookware, removing the lid for the last 15 minutes to cook off the liquid). Recipe by Umemikkii

My mother told me that dried persimmon taste great with daikon namasu pickles, so with the yuzu from my garden and flavorful dried persimmons, I made some daikon namasu.I'm posting it here for my own record.This tastes good if you make it during the day and serve it at night, but it's even better after a day, once the dried persimmon absorbs the juices. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days if stored in a tight resealable container. For 4 servings. Recipe by Ponie

This is a delicious wintertime simmered dish. It's great in special occasion bentos for sports festivals or picnics, too.Prep the vegetables properly. Bamboo shoots added to the mix would be delicious, too. Please cut the vegetables anyway you like. The key is to add the meat at the very end. For 4 servings. Recipe by Taunbi-

I modified a recipe that my mum taught me and used a food processor.For Step 1, if you peel the skin off the sweet potatoes thickly, the kinton will look better when it's done.For Step 3, the more broth that you add, the smoother the kinton will taste.For Step 4, for people who like a stickier kinton, add a larger amount of syrup and a smaller amount of sugar.For Step 5, the kinton will firm up as it cools so please don't cook it down too much. Recipe by Yuuyuu0221

My mother's recipe, to which I used to refer, was less satisfying because it called for a certain amount of water but actually required the occasional addition of water. So, to avoid that extra step, I increased the amount of water considerably. Blending brown sugar into the white sugar will give it a light and yet rich taste.My recipe doesn't call for additional water later in the cooking process, but if the simmering water level becomes lower than the beans, then add water. Old beans -- harvested more than six months before use -- may take up to twice as long to become tender. Recipe by Raby

It's our family custom to make our osechi New Year's feast every year.Since I make osechi every year, to increase my repertoire, I reference department store brochures and prepare dishes resembling the items from famous high-end Japanese restaurants.Since sea bream roe is fragile and may break apart while simmering, be gentle with it. Try not to agitate it too much with chopsticks or any other utensil. Recipe by Momora