Nerimono no shionuki / desalinating fishcakes

Desalinating fishcakes? What???
I did not know you can desalinate fishcakes until I read Karushio Reshipi [Lightly Salted Recipes], an eye-opening cookbook by the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center.
Fishcakes generally contain a high amount of sodium, and I had simply thought that we should limit consumption or avoid them all together.

A simple process of boiling fishcakes for 1-2 minutes and letting them sit in the same water for some time can eliminate most of their sodium.

Moyashi to kamaboko, burokkorii no kuki nibitashi / bean sprouts, fishcake and broccoli stems simmered in light broth

Make this and see if others can tell what the light green vegetable is. Juicy and crisp like asparagus, broccoli stems are great in any dish. With the addition of moyashi bean sprouts, this nibitashi has a pleasant texture you can sink your teeth into. As with other moyashi dishes, this also takes just a few minutes once you start cooking. Quick, easy, and tasty.

Ozoni / New Year's Day soup with rice cakes

Ozoni or zoni varies by region and family. Soup ingredients reflect regional specialties. Mochi rice cakes can be grilled squares (more common in Eastern Japan) or boiled rounds (more common in Western Japan). The ozoni I grew up with in Uozu in Toyama Prefecture consists of gobo burdock root, carrot, konnyaku yam cake, kamaboko fishcake, yakidofu broiled tofu and grilled fukuragi young yellowtail. My mom also added iwashi no surimi, or ground sardines. The rice cakes were round when we got them from my grandmother in nearby Unazuki (she also made miso and umeboshi pickled plums for all her kids and grandkids until her health deteriorated), then changed to squares after we started to buy mochi from shops, and they were boiled with a large sheet of kombu kelp.

Yellowtail is one of shusseuo [lit. "fish that moves up through the ranks"] which change (Japanese) names as they grow; shusseuo are thought to bring good luck. The Japanese names for yellowtail at different stages vary by region, except for the name of the fully grown fish, buri.

Shungiku to yaki-kamaboko no gomadaregake / garland chrysanthemum and grilled fishcake topped with sesame dressing

Select young, tender shungiku leaves for an airy and light result. The grilled fishcake gives body to this quick side dish.

Kamaboko, tofu, mitsuba no tamagotoji / fishcake, tofu and mitsuba in light broth with egg

A tender combination of kamaboko, tofu and egg. Mitsuba adds a slight bitterness and fresh aroma.

Kamaboko kazarikiri -- tazuna / rein-cut fishcake

Another simple decorative cut for kamaboko.

Kamaboko kazarikiri -- musubi / knot-cut fishcake

Red (pink) and white kamaboko formed into a knot is a wish for good luck.

Chapuche / japchae stir-fried vermicelli and vegetables

A tasty companion of assorted vegetables. Great for parties and potluck, too.

Fuki to kamaboko no nimono / Japanese butterbur and fishcakes in broth