This delicious recipe sounds complicated but it's really quite easy once you've assembled the ingredients. It works great as an appetizer or as an excellent accompaniment to grilled chicken or steak.

Cook's note: Chinese cabbage, or hakusai, is a pale leafy cabbage prized throughout Asia for its sweet flavor. When buying, look for compact, weighty heads with pearly white ribs and leaves that are a pale to medium shade of green.

5 outer cabbage leaves, either round or Chinese cabbage
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
2-inch piece of carrot, washed and peeled
5 green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 cake firm tofu
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
wooden toothpicks

Simmering Liquid A
1 cup dashi (see recipe link below)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar

Tofu mixture
2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Simmering Liquid B
2 cups dashi
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

2 tsps grated fresh ginger

1. Soak mushrooms in warm water until soft (about 1 hour). Prepare bonito stock (see recipe link at right).

2. Blanch cabbage leaves in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and cool. Set aside fifth leaf and reserve for later. Pare off a bit of the thick vein on the outside bottom third of each remaining leaf to make rolling easier later on. Lightly sprinkle the inside of each leaf with flour.

3. Drain mushrooms. Combine ingredients for Simmering Liquid A in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Finely dice mushrooms and carrots and add to simmering liquid. Continue to simmer until liquid is nearly absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Drain well.

4. Blanch green beans in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Slice beans diagonally into 1/4-inch slices and set aside.

5. Slice tofu cake into quarters. Pulse in a blender or food processor for five seconds. Add all ingredients for Tofu Mixture and pulse for an additional five to ten seconds until a a smooth paste is formed.

6. Transfer tofu mixture to a small bowl and stir in carrots, mushrooms and green beans. Whisk egg in a small bowl and add to mixture.

7. Place the fifth cabbage leaf at the bottom of a large saucepan (this will prevent cabbage rolls from sticking during cooking). Place a portion of the tofu mixture in the center of each of the remaining four cabbage leaves. Fold bottom of each leaf over mixture, then fold sides inward and roll up to form a compact, neat package. Secure with toothpicks.

8. Place cabbage rolls seam side down in saucepan, keeping rolls spaced and well apart. Combine ingredients for Simmering Liquid B and pour over cabbage rolls. Cover with lid and simmer over medium heat until nearly all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

9. Remove cabbage rolls from pan, arrange on a serving platter and cover with tin foil to keep warm. Add a tablespoon of corn starch to the remaining liquid in the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until dissolved. Spoon sauce over cabbage rolls. Sprinkle with grated ginger and serve warm.