It would be daunting to try to serve a whole Japanese meal. And why should you? Fusion is the way we cook and live today.

Almost all American foods adapt to Japanese seasonings, including chicken, beef, pork and most vegetables. Begin to explore flavors with side dishes that fit well into Western meals.

On one trip to an Asian grocery store, and for not too much cash, you can assemble a pantry of Japanese seasonings. Even Giant Eagle carries most of them. But a great place to go is the Tokyo Japanese Food Store on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside (412-661-3777).

You'll need Japanese soy sauce (never Chinese); medium-colored miso paste; rice vinegar, which is mildly sour and not as sharp as wine or malt vinegar; mirin, sweet sake for cooking; and sake, Japan's most traditional alcoholic beverage.

Look in the freezer cases for edamame; the salty boiled soy beans make a good appetizer with drinks. And at the produce bins, buy garlic, scallions, ginger root and vegetables. Seek pickled ginger and ready-made seaweed with salad.

The Japanese prefer fresh fruit for dessert, but a last bite of a sweet is not customary. They eat their sweets and confections at tea time. Americans serving a Japanese-style meal can make dessert of ice cream, custard, creme brulee or cakes on the plain side.

For cooking ideas, take a look at these easy-to-follow cookbooks:

"Japanese Light" by Kimiko Barber (D.K. Publishing, $25).

"Simple Japanese, with East-West Flavors" by Silla Bjerrum (Alhambra Editions, $19.95).

"Asian Noodles" by Nina Simonds (Hearst Books, $21).

"Washoku" by Elizabeth Andoh (Ten Speed Press, $35).

Just published: "Let's Cook Japanese Food! Everyday Recipes for Home Cooking" by Amy Kaneko (Chronicle Books, $22.95) is written by "a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey" who married into a Japanese family.

Also just out is the 25th anniversary edition of "Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art" by Shizuo Tsuji (Kodansha International, $45).

-- Marlene Parrish