Oyako donburi is not beautifully presented, minimalist, designer Japanese cuisine. It's comfort food; a real-world, everyday family dinner that can be made in a single pan in less 45 minutes, start to finish. We don't make it much during the summer, but it's a great winter/icky weather dish.

My daughter very precisely measured out ingredient for her version as a homework assignment. But the beauty of oyako donburi is that it's very forgiving. You can very easily throw in a few extras, (or not), as long as you have the basic ingredients--chicken, eggs, shoyu, some kind of onion, and ideally, some sort of mushroom.

Click here for the recipe and have dinner tonight.

Make-ahead Mushroom Gravy = 
                                            Thumbs up if you like mushrooms
Mixed reviews here. Very, very popular with the pro-mushroom constituency, not so much with the non-fungi fans. Uses porcini (re-hydrates), crimini and fresh shiitake. Chicken broth and a lot vermouth for a little sweetness.

Upside is that it is a beautiful color and consistency, and definitely easier to do than post-baked turkey pan drippings style gravy. I'll try this again and go lighter on the porcini mushrooms and more onions.

Click here for the recipe I used for Thanksgiving, but be sure to check the notes for a few ideas for changing it up a little.