Chirashi-zushi (traditional Japanese rice dish)

1 cup Japanese rice (dry amount)

3 tablespoons sushi-no ko (sweet sushi powder)

5 dried (dehydrated) shiitake (Japanese mushrooms)

½ cup shiitake broth (see below)

Two yards of kampyo (type of packaged pasta-like gourd available at Japanese groceria)

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon katsuo-dashi

3 eggs, scrambled with 1 tbsp. sugar and a little salt, fried, then thin sliced (used as a topping)

5 tablespoons slivered red pickled ginger (topping)

5 tablespoons slivered dry nori (topping - nori is dried seaweed in sheet form)

4 tablespoons sakura denbu (optional sweet codfish topping)

Cook rice (see instructions). Meanwhile soak dried shiitake in a saucepan with ½ cup water for about 30 minutes. Also while rice is cooking wash kampyo with a little salt then rinse with water. After shiitake is soft, add kampyo, sugar, katsuo-dashi, and 2 tbsp. soy sauce. Cook on medium heat 10-15 minutes. Squeeze liquid out of the shiitake and kampyo. Save shiitake and kampyo, but dispose of the liquid in the pan. Slice shiitake thin. Cut kampyo into ½ inch pieces. Mix cooked rice and sushi-no ko, cooling with a hand fan to about 100 F while mixing. Mix in shiitake and kampyo. Can top with sweetened egg, red ginger, nori, and sakura denbu. Serves 4.

Recommended Japanese groceria, Boston area: Kotobukiya, in Porter Exchange Bldg., 1815 Mass. Av. (rt 2A), Cambridge. Park in rear on Roseland St., off Mass. Av., and enter back of building. (617) 354-6914