On the last day of my recent trip to Kyoto, I took a cooking class. It was in the home of Emi Hirayama, born and raised in Kyoto, and she taught our small group of three about the food she's known her whole life. The week was full of new and memorable dishes and flavors, but it was Emi and her class that taught me the true essence of home cooked food passed down within generations of Kyoto-bred families, a style also known as obanzai ryori. This recipe is Emi's take on a common Japanese dish of blanched spinach with sesame dressing, and for me, it embodies Japanese cuisine: seasonal and balanced, subdued but beautiful. And, I'd be willing bet, is tasty enough to win over the biggest of spinach skeptics. <br />Search food52 for Hiroko Shimbo's recipe for dashi stock, or use Emi's version below.

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