Our theme this episode is blanching. Sashimi is a popular Japanese dish best known as fresh seafood, sliced and served raw with soy sauce. In this episode, though, we'll be serving blanched sashimi on a bed of shira-ae sauce made of tofu, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and more, to dip and enjoy. For our side dish, we'll be making bamboo shoots with powdered bonito. When shaved into flakes, dried bonito is a crucial ingredient in the dashi stock at the heart of Japanese cuisine. We’ll also be using powdered bonito, sprinkling it on at the end to provide even more of its delicious flavor.