Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  4             pieces  mochi
  1              sheet  nori seaweed -- cut 1" x 6" strips
                        sancho pepper -- garnish
                        *** TARE YAKI SAUCE ***
  2 1/2           cups  sake
  1 1/2           cups  mirin -- * see note
  2               cups  brown sugar
  4               cups  japanese soy sauce
     1/2           cup  tamari soy sauce
  1              small  onion -- chopped
  4             cloves  garlic -- chopped
  1              piece  fresh ginger -- chopped, 2 inch
                        -- piece
  1              small  apple -- chopped
  1                     orange with peel -- chopped
  1              small  pear -- chopped
  1              small  leek -- chopped

Preparation:

Make the tare yaki sauce: Combine in a medium pot all the tare yaki sauce ingredients. Bring everything to a boil and cook until the mixture is reduced by 20 percent. Strain into a large jar. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 months. Preheat the barbecue to medium-high heat or turn on the broiler and adjust the oven rack to 6 inches beneath the heating element. Brush the mochi with a little oil. Grill or broil for 3 minutes on each side, or until it is puffed and golden. Dip the mochi in tare yaki sauce and then wrap one of the nori strips around each piece. Sprinkle with a little bit of sancho pepper and serve.

Nutritional Information:

1487 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 366g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 8183mg Sodium