Tamago gohan (literally "egg rice")—rice mixed with a raw egg—is Japanese comfort food at its simplest. Start with a bowl of hot rice, then break an egg into it. Season it with a little bit of soy sauce, a pinch of salt, and a shake of Aji-no-moto, a Japanese brand of pure powdered MSG. (Like most Japanese people, I have no hang-ups about eating MSG.) Whip it up with a pair of chopsticks until the egg turns pale yellow and foamy and holds the rice in a light, frothy suspension, somewhere between a custard and a meringue.

It's one of my favorite recipes of all time, and something that can be made in minutes.