How to make sukiyaki

Sukiyaki beef is available at an Asian market. Or ask your regular butcher to slice some sirloin very thin.

Shirataki noodles are made of devil's tongue yams and are available in Japanese stores. Asian noodles do not contain egg, and once were denied the "noodle" label, and were called "alimentary paste."

Rinse. Setsuko also cuts them with scissors so they aren't so long.

Setsuko couldn't tell me the English name for these greens. She said they come from a type of mum.

Soak dried shiitakes in warm water for an hour or two. Leave them whole, but pinch off the tough stems.

Setsuko sets the electric skillet at medium and puts in a dollop of vegetable oil. She doesn't measure anything.

Brown some of the beef first.

Put in some sake, some soy sauce and some sugar (or mirin). Taste as you go. The broth, too.

Add some tofu cubes.

Shirataki / yam noodles go in a mound in the middle, absorbing the flavors and keeping the beef and tofu on their own sides of the skillet.

Crowd in the greens, mushrooms, sliced bamboo shoots, and green onions. Let each ingredient steep in its own neighborhood so people can fish out their favorites. Replace goodies as you go.

Taste broth and add sake, mirin, soy sauce as necessary. Drink any reserved sake!