Sweet & Sour Asian Stew

Sweet & Sour Stew with Chicken & Veggies

Easy Recipes You Must Know to Eat Well and Impress Your Friends, Part 2


Here’s a so-easy, so-scrumptious, always impressive Asian stew that can become a staple quickie meal for you and your lucky loved ones. The secret to this recipe is that you need to keep a few items on hand all the time—items you might not always have in your pantry. (I do because I am a confessed foodie--I buy toasted sesame oil and mirin by the gallon!). Make sure you have ginger root and rice vinegar, for instance.

1/3 cup Soy Sauce (shoyu) Do NOT use that pathetic watered down stuff that's advertised as "low sodium" soy sauce. What a crock! It's just soy sauce with water added—and for the same price. Buy regular soy sauce and add your own water, or simply use less soy sauce.

2/3 cup Water—more if needed

2/3 cup Mirin (if you don’t have mirin sweet rice cooking wine, you can substitute an equal amount of Sake plus two tablespoons of sugar)

3 tablespoons Rice Vinegar (Do not substitute another kind of vinegar—this must be rice vinegar! Rice vinegar is great to have around—it turns regular short-grained rice into sushi rice. It makes a lovely, light salad dressing all by itself—especially good with tomatoes and/or cucumbers. Rice vinegar RULES!)

6 slices Ginger Root (roughly peeled, but don't fuss too much over it)

6 cloves Garlic, crushed

4 pounds of Chicken Thighs or Legs, or Pork Chops, Bone-in. Be sure to choose meat WITH bones—meat is always more tender and juicy if cooked with bones. Boneless meat cooked in stews can become dry and stringy. Bones RULE! You could also make this dish vegetarian by using 1” cubes of Tempeh or Firm Tofu. If you opt for tempeh or tofu, add a tablespoon of sesame oil or vegetable oil to add umami, meat mouth-feel.

2 or 3 cups Vegetables of your choice, cut in bite-sized pieces: Carrots, Mushrooms, Green Beans, Potatoes, Rutabagas, Celery, Parsnips, Soybeans (edamame, shelled), Celery, etc.

1. Throw everything in a sturdy pot. Let simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking. 
2. Pick out the ginger pieces and any bones, and then serve over white rice. Ladle the delightful saucy sauce onto the rice too. Accept praise and admiration for your gourmet cooking efforts graciously, without divulging the secret that this recipe was obscenely easy to concoct.

Anti-Cancer Turmeric Yummy Foods

My girlfriend was diagnosed with cancer. Her physician told her to eat more turmeric. Turmeric, also sometimes spelled tumeric. The bright, yellow-orange powder you find in the spice section of your grocery store. Or better yet, in bulk at Indian grocers. Also known as curcumin and now used in many beauty and health food products. She asked me how to use turmeric--what foods to put it in. As a confessed lover or turmeric--I even go by the penname, Tumerica, based on the spice--that was an easy one. I rattled off three or four recipes.

More recently, my husband was "prescribed" by his dermatologist (Dr. Madelene Heng, who is also a genius inventor) to use a skin product called Psoria-Gold, which contains--you guessed it--turmeric (curcumin).

All of this got me thinking. It turns out the reputed health benefits of turmeric are astounding. Here are just a few:

• Antibacterial
• Prevention of cancers
• Liver detoxification
• Slowing of Alzheimer's disease
• Anti-inflammatory
• Slowing of multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Increased fat metabolism
• Anti-arthritic
• Increased wound healing

Turmeric sounds so healthy, you'd think someone was making it up--as close to a panacea as the Earth has ever known. But don't take my word on it--do a little research. If even part of what turmeric is reported to do is true, then it's worth it.

As to the flavor of turmeric, it is similar to mustard--slightly bitter, warming and bright in the nose. Turmeric comes most often ground, unlike coriander, cumin, and ginger, the other common curry spices. It's hard to find whole turmeric, which is a root that looks a lot like ginger and is in the ginger family. Turmeric tastes better cooked in with savory flavors than it does by itself.

If you don't have turmeric in your spice cabinet, I recommend you add it to your shopping list right away and start working it into soups and stews and pilafs as soon as you can.

Here are a few dishes you can toss turmeric into, enjoy eating, and do your body a flavor, er, favor.

Pimp My Pilaf OR Turmeric Rice Pilaf (Add 2 tablespoons each butter and ground turmeric to one and a half cups jasmine rice, 1 teaspoon chicken stock concentrate, and 2 cups water. Cook until absorbed, around 20 minutes.)

Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Curry Stew (Turkey or other Meats)

Cauliflower Curry Soup (Cold or Hot)

Lentil Stew (Coconut Lentil Curry)

Curried Shish kebabs (Lamb or Other Meats)

Curried Meatballs

Curried Deviled Eggs (Add turmeric, cumin, coriander, and mayonnaise to the cooked, mashed yolks and pipe back into the sliced hard-boiled whites.)

If you have suggestions for incorporating turmeric into foods, please let me know and I will post them!

Seaweed Demystified

Kelp, kombu, wakame, nori, laver, hijiki, dulse--what are all these sea greens? How do you tell them apart, and most importantly, what do you do with them? I lived in Japan for five years, so got a lot of exposure to nori, kelp, and hijiki, but dulse, for instance is more of a Canadian/European food, so is less familiar. Here's a seaweed primer—for you and for me.


NORI

The seaweed you are probably most familiar with is the one that goes in some sushi dishes: nori, or toasted laver. Highest in protein, nori makes a tasty and crispy snack. You can easily purchase packs of nori at almost any grocery store, but be careful of the Enjoy By date--nori goes stale quickly and isn't as fun to eat when not crispy


KELP
There many kinds of edible kelp, and among those, the three biggies are wakame, kombu, and arame.

Wakame

Wakame is also fairly familiar as it is often served in miso soup. Tender, delicate, and delightful, wakame is the spinach of sea vegetables. It's also easy to work with. Throw a small amount of dried wakame into a hot beverage and poof!--in a minute or two, your wakame is ready to eat. Kids like wakame because it's fun to grab--slightly squirmy. Wakame has the most calcium of sea veggies, so it's a good one for anyone who is lactose intolerant or who restricts or does not consume dairy products.

Kombu

Kombu is thick and comes in flat sheets. ALL kombu arrives with a light white dusty substance--just part of the gig. Usually in making kombu for Japanese soup stock base, the cooked kombu is thrown out before serving. But my family likes the mild taste and slight chewiness of kombu, so I slice it into thin slivers and put the kombu back in the soup after cooking it. Definitely a healthy food, kombu is a power house of minerals and vitamins. One only needs to use a little--a four-inch piece in a six-person serving of soup is plenty, so the package takes a while to use (and lasts seemingly forever).

Arame

Even for seaweed fans, arame is not a huge favorite. It's brownish rather than green and has a slight sliminess. If you know of good ways of incorporating arame into your diet, do let me know. I have lots to learn about it.


HIJIKI

Hijiki is almost black and is firm strands with a stongish, oceany flavor. I'm not sure what to do with hijiki, other than to serve it in seaweed salads. My family turns their nose up at this healthy vegetable, so I don't get to eat it often.



DULSE
Although not yet popular in the US, dulse has been around as a staple health/snack/fiber supplement in Canada, Ireland, and Iceland. Dulse has every trace element we humans need in order to thrive. Have a sluggish thyroid? Dulse will help you out.

For the Love of Parsnips

Parsnips. One of those odd, under-loved, and let's admit it, humble vegetables. If we even know what they are, we might mutter something like, "Oh, those--aren't they white carrots?" At least this is true in the States. In the UK and other European countries, parsnips have much more of a culinary impact. In fact, for hundreds of years, parsnips were more popular--and better known--than the more common potato. Humans have been eating parsnips for more than 2,000 years. Rich in nutrients (vitamin C and folate among them) and said to help lower blood pressure as well as aid in recovery from colds, you could certainly eat parsnips as a health food.

But why eat them other than because of their availability and healthiness? Well, If all you've experienced of Patinaca sativa is the rubbery, ancient roots sold by most American grocers and tasting nothing incrementally different from soggy cardboard, then it's small wonder. Ah, but a freshly pulled parsnip is another thing altogether--honestly, like a completely different vegetable. I found this out when my husband, the garden and landscape genius, handed some parsnips to me, earth still clinging to them. I mustered little enthusiasm, until I actually bit into a tender morsel of licorice-butter parsnip. A potato, a carrot, fennel--all of those flavors are in a fresh parsnip. Mildly sweet (think, jicama sweetness level) and with a definite anise undertone, fresh parsnips are simply DIVINE.

What to do with parsnips:

Peel, cut into chunks, cut out any woody or dark areas, and toss them into . . .

—any soup or stew. Unlike carrots, parsnips maintain their flavor longer under the duress of liquid cooking.

—a roasting pan, dotted with butter, and then bake at 400 for 30 minutes--stirring occasionally--for a full-on savory treat (you can also drizzle on a bit of honey or maple syrup for added fun).

—a steamer with a bit of water (can also be sliced). Dress as you like and serve as a hearty side dish.

Homemade for the Holidays, Part 4: Best. Peppermint Bark. Ever.

If you go to your local membership warehouse this time of year, you will surely see tins of peppermint bark, festively wrapped, with ginormous pricetags. Sure, who can resist peppermint bark? Even those of us who don't care for hard candies. Peppermint bark says Happy Holidays in every way—that minty smell, the bonus chocolate, the odd little red and white trapezoids. But once you have made peppermint bark yourself—or tasted homemade peppermint bark—you will scoff as you walk by those displays. For if there is ever anything worth making at home, it is surely peppermint bark. Easy, fast, fun for kids to help with, and much less expensive than store-bought. Did I mention that homemade peppermint bark will knock your hideous Christmas socks right off your feet? It's crazy-good—with a couple of easy tricks, that is.

You will most certainly hear, "This is the best peppermint bark I've ever tasted." The lavish quantities of chocolate make this bark thicker. And the peppermint extract makes it refreshingly slightly sassy.

Peppermint Bark for Gift-Giving

2 12 oz. packages white chocolate chips
8 oz. peppermint candy (stick, candy cane, or puffy)
1 pound artisinal milk chocolate (great sources for bulk chocolate are Fresh & Easy and Trader Joe's)
1 pound artisinal dark chocolate
2 to 4 teaspoons peppermint extract

1. Just as in the preparation for Pistachio Bark (Homemade for the Holidays, Part 1), line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Unlike for pistachio bark, you will make peppermint bark upside-down. That is, white chocolate first, and then dark chocolate on top. The reason why is those crushed peppermint candy bits will tumble all over the place if not squished into the white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate chips in the top of a double-boiler (or use a stainless steel bowl on top of a pot with some boiling water in it). Stir to mix.
3. While the white chocolate is melting, crush the peppermint candies. Either the candy cane style, the stick style, or my favorite, the puffy style. (Put candies in a plastic resealable bag and whack with a rolling pin or gently with a hammer). The crushed candies do not need to be tiny—rough and varied is perfect.
4. Pour the crushed peppermint candies onto the parchment paper and drizzle on the melted white chocolate. Now, this is a bit tricky—use a chopstick to swirl the white chocolate out to the edges of the baking sheet and try to mix the peppermints evenly without mixing them all in. That's the hardest part. It's smooth sailing from there.
5. Allow to cool in the refrigerator or freezer while you melt the dark chocolate and  milk chocolate together, using a double-boiler or the "bowl on top of pot of boiling water" trick again.
6. While the chocolate is melting, pour in two teaspoons peppermint extract. This kicks it up a notch. If you want to go all crazy on peppermint, you could always increase the amount of peppermint extract up to four teaspoons —but go easy—taste test as you go. Too much might make the chocolate bitter. Start with two and go from there. Mix to disperse the mintiness (is that a word?).
7. When the white chocolate layer is firm, drizzle on the darker chocolate later. Smooth as evenly as you can, and let firm.
   
8. Break into smaller pieces, wrap, and distribute, while chuckling smugly to yourself about your cleverness. 

Notes:

• This recipe makes a hefty quantity—4 pounds. Granted, that's a bucket load of candy--but, you will be giving this away, won't you? Don't eat the whole thing yourself—seriously!
• Michael's craft stores are a great source for candy wrapping accessories. I recommend the food-safe cellophane bags, but you could get fancy and use special boxes or tins. However you choose to package your delectables, be sure to use food-safe tissue (also available at Michael's) or wax paper. If you have to use plastic food wrap directly, eventually, your candy will taste like plastic. At least first wrap in food-safe tissue or wax paper and then wrap in plastic food wrap.
• Peppermint bark made this way will not go stale or bad because there is no ganache, e.g., we didn't add cream or butter. You start with solid chocolate and you end with solid chocolate. Just wrap enough to keep other food flavors away and to seal in the good minty flavor. Also freezes beautifully.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles 

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Homemade for the Holidays, Part 2: You CAN Make Your Own Curry Powder—and Authentic Curry

What's the best curry powder? Why, it's the one you can make from scratch at home! Don't settle for some store-bought version that's been sitting on a shelf for lord-knows-how-many years. And many of those are too salty or too spicy or both. Real curry powder is neither. 

To completely clarify, what Indians use when making curry is not actually curry powder (which is apparently a British adaptation), it's garam masala. Garam masala is a mixture of ground, dried spices that can be added to other dishes--a spice blend that gives a short-cut to curry. Most Indian families, I believe, make their own garam masala or at least add their own equivalent spices when making curries. But you can, by buying whole bulk spices and using a coffee grinder, make your own garam masala—and your own curry—easily. Remember--feel free to create your own variations. Enjoy!

The spice blend garam masala is such a beautifully fragrant and amazing thing to create—and so easy—that I have listed it here as one of the perfect "Homemade for the Holidays" gifts that you can create.

Preparation
Gather your spices (you can buy bulk spices online cheaply, or, if you are lucky enough to live near an Indian grocery store, that's even better) and assemble them in a large bowl. Toast them in a non-stick or heavy iron pan (such as Le Creuset) by stirring them lightly over medium heat (with NO oil). Toast just until your kitchen becomes fragrant and the spices turn a slightly darker shade—not until everything is crisped! Let cool and grind in small batches. (See Storage below.)

Garam Masala Powder

• 1/4 cup black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons cardamom pods
• 1/2 cup coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup cumin seeds
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• A few cloves
• 2 tablespoons of fennel seeds
• Turmeric to taste (usually turmeric comes in pre-ground format. It's rare to find it fresh and even more rare to find it dried whole. So for this one ingredient, you'll probably be using it ground. Turmeric is an known anti-cancer agent, so I try to add turmeric as often as I can to many dishes!)

There are dozens of other spices you can add: fenugreek, curry leaves (I use this for fish curry only), asafetida, etc. But if you start with the most important ones: black pepper, cumin, and coriander--you won't go wrong.

Storage
Grind into a powder and store in glass jars or some other container that will not impart a flavor to your powder (better to avoid plastic if you can, as your spice blend will eventually taste like plastic). I like those glass jars with the rubber seals and the flip-top lids--you can get at Cost Plus World Markets, Michael's, or a gourmet store such as Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table. Also, SKS Bottle & Packaging has the best selection of anywhere I have seen. Then, simply label and decorate your little jar of spices and present as a lovely homemade gift.

How to Turn Garam Masala into Curry
When making your actual curry, always start with the roux. Use butter or ghee, large quantities of grated ginger root and garlic and pureed onion (blend these in a blender with a small amount of water, if desired). Cook and stir until the mixture turns light caramel color, and then add your other ingredients (meat, veggies, garam masala that you made, etc.). Use several tablespoons of your garam masala in your curry roux mixture and ENJOY! Don't be stingy with your powder—it takes a lot of spices to make a good curry! Cook only until the mixture tastes melded (e.g., you don't detect raw onion flavor and the meat is cooked through). You cannot make an authentic curry without starting from a roux. Just throwing in garam masala does not a curry make (oh, how few Western chefs understand this point).

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles 

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Homemade for the Holidays—Part 3, Chocolate Truffles

Sure, there are chocolate bon-bons—those chocolate candies with mystery ingredients inside. But hard-core chocolate aficionados prefer truffles. Chocolate inside, chocolate outside—all the more chocolate to enjoy. But don't settle for the standard-issue truffles—go for the gusto by making your own—and then wrapping your delectable creations in food-safe tissue paper, placing in and an elegant box, and tying all with a festive ribbon. You have a perfect and elegant hostess gift or gift for a loved one that says, "Enjoy and be happy" with both heart and pleasure in the mix.
 
Homemade Truffles
Homemade truffles will not look as glamorous as ones you might find at a chocolatier, but they will be made with love—by you, and are therefore far more wonderful. Again, dress your creations up in elegant wrapping (Try Nashville Wraps online and Cost Plus World Market [to check store locations], and Michael's for wrappings for homemade food gifts) and deliver with pride.

Here's a quick and simple recipe—the results will astound both you and the object of your affections. Plus, there will be plenty left over to take to work and amaze everyone there. Enjoy! Recipe makes about five dozen 1" truffles.

1 pound bar of artisanal bittersweet baking chocolate. (Do not use chocolate chips—your truffles will not taste authentic. Search for gourmet bulk baking chocolate, like Ghirardelli or Callebout or Scharffenberger or Valrhona. Trader Joe’s and Fresh & Easy both have wonderful Belgian 72% cacao content bulk chocolate for $4 a pound--can't beat that!)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla (You can also substitute liqueurs, such as Chambord, Limoncello, or my all-time favorite, Grand Marnier, but rest assured, your truffles will not taste alcoholy—the liquor blends in perfectly and acts just like vanilla, only with a twist. Your truffles will be safe for children to consume. Vanilla has as high an alcohol content as the equivalent amount of liqueurs, so your call. If using liqueur and you DO want to taste the alcohol, you can UP the content of liqueur to as much as 4 tablespoons--but no more than that or it will make your ganache flabby.)

Shredded unsweetened coconut or chopped, unsalted nuts to roll truffles in. I recommend pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts. Our family favorite is unsweetened coconut, which you can find at Indian stores or in gourmet or health food stores such as Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. If you can find only sweetened coconut, well, it will still be delicious, but unsweetened is more sophisticated. If you use nuts, make sure to get unsalted.)

Half-fill a pot with water. Place a bowl (or another pot) over the boiling water (thus creating a double-boiler, if you don't have one). Melt the chocolates in the upper bowl, stirring to mix the chocolate (taste, if desired). When the chocolate is melted, add in the butter, vanilla (or liqueur) and mix thoroughly. Add in a dollop of heavy cream, stirring it in well before adding another dollop. When the cream is well–mixed, remove the chocolate, cover the bowl, and refrigerate it for several hours or until the mixture is firm enough to hold its shape (you may need to refrigerate overnight).

Spread out a sheet of parchment paper on the counter (or plastic wrap). Scoop up about a tablespoon of the chocolate and roll into a 1" ball, rolling between your hands to make a nice rounded shape (like making meatballs). Roll the truffle in a plate with the coconut or chopped nuts to coat the outside evenly. Place the coated truffle on the parchment paper. Continue in this way until all the chocolate is gone (be sure to sneak a few for taste-testing and quality assurance).

Ganache in makeshift double boiler

These simple truffles get such rave reviews, I’ve actually been offered money for them (one dollar each!). Have also made $43 selling them at our school's bake sale using around $10 worth of ingredients. The secrets are using the high-cacao content artisinal chocolate. That and the subtle coconut and the fancy liqueur make these truffles a to-die-for gift.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles 

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Homemade for the Holidays: Part 1—Pistachio Bark

Pistachio Bark—Easy Homemade Gift

Remember when we were little and many families used to make homemade Christmas and holiday gifts to exchange? Rum cake, the dreaded fruit cake, truffles, fudge, homemade jellies, potpourri? Ever want to thumb your nose at big box stores and, well, go all old school on 'em and make your own holiday gifts? Well, you can. And some of the make-your-own holiday gifts I'll be telling you about are so simple, any kid with a bit of supervision can make (others will take a few more steps and be trickier). I'll be featuring homemade gifts over the next few weeks--ones that have worked for us in the past.

First up, I'll start with the easiest, tastiest, most-satisfying gift that anyone can make. I guarantee this gift will be well-received. Even if you don't prefer sweets, this gift is gorgeous and it's a sure-thing for bringing to the office and sharing or for hostess gifts for those numerous holiday parties that spring up. Looks like you spent a fortune or a long time crafting. Shhh. Your secret is safe with us.

Super-easy Pistachio Bark

• 1/2 pound artisinal dark chocolate (Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy both sell wonderful bulk Belgian chocolate bars for about $4 a pound)
• 1/2 pound artisinal milk chocolate
• 1 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips (if you can find artisinal white chocolate, get that instead--I have a hard time finding good bulk white chocolate)
• 1 1/2 cups shelled salted roasted pistachio nuts (again, Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy have great ready-to-eat pistachios)

1. Melt the dark and milk chocolate together on the top of a double-boiler. If you don't have one, fake it with a stainless steel or other heat-proof bowl atop a pot of boiling water (the bowl must be larger than the pot rim in order to work--you don't want a wobbly bowl).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper as the wax will melt and you'll be eating it. Get parchment paper in the baking section of any supermarket.
3. Add 3/4 cup (half) of the pistachios to the melted chocolate and stir them in lightly.
4. Pour the chocolate-nut mixture on the parchment paper, spreading it out until it's no more than 1/4" thick (it will be irregularly shaped—no worries).
5. Put in the freezer or the refrigerator to firm slightly.
6. Melt the white chocolate on the top of the double-boiler or using the pot of boiling water and bowl trick, noted above.
7. Remove the baking sheet and drizzle the white chocolate lightly across the surface of the dark chocolate. Do not mix it in.
8. Here is another trick: to make the white layer look beautiful, get a chopstick and lightly slide it across and back and forth over the surface of the white chocolate to make delicate swirl patterns. Try to cover as much of the dark chocolate to the edge as possible--but DO NOT work the white chocolate in. Use a light touch.
9. Sprinkle on the last 3/4 cup (the remainder) of the pistachios and refrigerate or freeze until firm. 
10. Break the pistachio bark into irregular pieces. Wrap in cellophane food gift bags and package decoratively, as preferred.

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Homemade for the Holidays Series

Part 1: Pistachio Bark

Part 2: Curry Powder (Garam Masala)

Part 3: Chocolate Truffles 

Part 4: Peppermint Bark

Miso Soup Demystified

Quick—how do you make miso soup (miso shiru)? Do you think it involves adding miso paste to water? That's what I thought too, back when I first moved to Japan. And I could not figure out why my miso soup didn't taste like the miso soup I was served in restaurants and homes. It was missing that savory something . . . When I finally got my hands on an English-language cookbook (one I still rely on today, 20 years later: Keiko Hayashi's, Try It, You'll Love It, available used on Amazon.com), I found out the secret missing ingredient. Not tofu, not wakame seaweed, although those are essential too. No, what was missing was dashi. Dashi is a soup stock based on fish and the heavy seaweed called kombu. Dashi is to Japanese cuisine what chicken stock is to western cuisines. It goes in too many dishes to count. If you can make dashi, you can make not only authentic miso soup, but also many more Japanese dishes, ramen broth, and other soups and stews (nimono). Dashi is home base and all it takes, to play ball is having the ingredients on hand.

First, go to an Asian grocery store or look in the Asian foods section of your supermarket. Buy a packet of kombu (or konbu) seaweed. It's thick, flat strands of very salty, unappealing-looking seaweed. The flavor is mild, though, and it adds a bit of thickness (kombu must be rinsed and cut to fit before use). Kombu is also super-healthy and will not spoil.

Also, buy a pack of bonito flakes. Bonito is a tasty, savory fish with a big flavor. It's shaved or flaked and packaged in miso soup individual packets--or in larger packets. Known as katsuo in Japanese, and katsuobushi for the flaked bonito. Why use bonito specifically? Well, you need a fish base and bonito flakes are an easy, no fuss way to get it.

Another well-know method to get fish base is to use dried sardines, known as niboshi (warning: niboshi have eyeballs and bones and a strong smell--this may freak you out a bit) and soak them in water and then strain.

I prefer bonito flakes. They smell good and taste great--plus you can use katsuobushi in other dishes (it's great on cold tofu, for instance).

With the secret dashi ingredients in your cabinet, along with miso, tofu, shiitake mushrooms and green onions (optional), and wakame seaweed, you are ready to roll with authentic miso soup. If you buy dried shiitake and bulk miso paste, you'll have all the miso soup ingredients except for fresh tofu on hand and ready--they don't go bad years.

Authentic Miso Soup

6 cups water

1 four-inch piece kombu, rinsed

6 tablespoons miso, white or red

1 10-ounce package silken tofu, cut into half-inch cubes

1 tablespoon wakame seaweed

1/2 cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi, shaved roasted skipjack tuna)

Optional Ingredients

3 to 5 shiitake black mushrooms, stems discarded and sliced thinly, optional
Thinly sliced green onion tops, optional (can cut with scissors)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

Boil the water and add the kombu to the pot to soak. Pour the katsuobushi into the pot and let everything boil for a few minutes. Remove the kombu and strain out the katsuobushi, so that all you have left in the pot is a clear broth. Add in the cubed tofu and shiitake, and then boil for a few minutes. Turn off the burner, and get a soup ladle and a spoon handy. Put half of the miso into the soup ladle. Add in some of the soup and use the spoon to mush it and stir it until all the miso lumps are dissolved and you have a thick slush. Add this to the soup and do the same for the last half (making sure there are no lumps in the soup--miso lumps are salty!). Lastly, add in the wakame and serve (the wakame expands before your eyes--cool!).

If you need to reheat miso soup, do so slowly--you do not want to cook the miso, as it will lose flavor. Miso soup is great for breakfast the next day--add in a beaten egg and stir just to cook. Hearty and yummy!

Notes: 

• You can vary the size of this recipe as you like--the rule of thumb is one tablespoon of miso per one cup of water (8 oz.) 
• Also, most miso soup is served with thin slices of raw green onion floating on top. I don't usually bother with the green onions because I prefer onions cooked better than raw, but feel free to experiment with it, keeping the quantity small until you see what works for you. The onions should be a minor side flavor and not domineering.
• If you to want to add other ingredients--clams, muscles, carrots, daikon, potatoes, etc., be sure to cook the ingredients, set aside, and then add them to the finished miso soup. Sounds crazy, but again, once you "cook" miso, some of the beneficial bacteria and the flavor is lost. 
• We love kombu in our house, so I often remove the cooked kombu. slice it into thin strips, and add that back into the soup for extra body.

Don't Throw out That Turkey Carcass! Transform It Instead! (Turkey Curry)

Got a half-gnawed turkey carcass squatting in your refrigerator? Had your fill of plain old turkey meat by now? Running out of inspirational recipes for how to disguise those Thanksgiving leftovers? Well, here's a delicious innovation, and no one you serve it to will notice it's recycled turkey meat: Turkey Curry. If you are thinking curry is too much trouble, you've got a good point, although I've got a solution for you. And if you think curry consists of merely tossing in some curry powder, you are missing out on the ecstasy of real homemade curry.

To make turkey curry, I've included some shortcuts—good shortcuts that won't compromise the delightful fragrance and savoriness of curry. Shortcuts that will make your curry come to life sooner but will still allow you to create an authentic curry.

Curry that is meat-based consists of three basic steps: Rousing the Roux; Spicing It Up; and Picking the Bones. Usually with homemade, authentic curry you will sauté the roux until it turns golden brown before adding it to your curry. My biggest cheat is this: pour the roux ingredients into the pot and let the stew itself cook the roux. (This cheat saves about 15 minutes.)

Here is how you transform your sorry turkey carcass into a gourmet treat—with ease:


Rousing the Roux
Peel two medium onions and cut into large chunks (no need to cut onions pretty or small—these are going in the blender). Peel 10~12 cloves of garlic (if you are using crushed bottled garlic, use about 2 tablespoons). Peel about 2 inches of fresh ginger root (do not substitute ginger powder—it is NOT a good cheat). Chop coarsely. Add the onion, garlic and ginger root to the blender and pour in about a half cup of water—enough to help puree the veggies. If you like a hot-spicy curry, add seeded hot peppers to the roux--jalapenos work beautifully. If this is to be served to a family, skip the peppers, though—black pepper (which you will add later on) is enough to give your curry a little bite. (You can also serve finely chopped peppers on the table, so guests can add in as they like.) Blend on high until the roux is a nice slushy consistency—like that of a snow cone (this is cheat #1—pureeing the roux in the blender saves time over chopping small and grating the ingredients). Pour the roux into a large sturdy stew pot (a four- or five-quart pot).


Spicing It Up
In the stew pot, place the turkey carcass and any stray pieces of sliced turkey meat you have. If the turkey is too large for the pot, crack it around the ribs and break it into two large pieces. You MUST use the bones to make this work. Why is it essential to use the bones? Because bones, my dear, are the crucial part of any truly wonderful meat-based soup or stew. Bones lend a depth and irresistibility to your savory dish that cannot be achieved otherwise. Plus, meat that clings to the bones is the most tender and succulent. Make friends with stew bones—they are a blessing for any savvy cook. Add a few cups of water—enough to provide a base for the curry (about 1 inch in the pot) but not too much—you don't want your curry to be watery. Pour in the slushy roux you just made. Add three or so tablespoons of butter (butter is essential too—there's not much fat in turkey).

Lastly, add in your curry spices: 2~3 tablespoons of ground cumin; 2~3 tablespoons of ground coriander; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric; 1 tablespoon of cardamom (if you have it); a teaspoon of ground fennel (if you have it). Out of all the curry spices you can use, the two essential ones are Cumin and Coriander—these are necessary to make your stew taste like curry. Others are simply good to add (like turmeric and fennel and cardamom) but not crucial. If you are using curry powder, add about 6 tablespoons or more. Newbies to curry-making are always surprised at how much spice goes into a curry. Release your inhibitions—curry takes LOTS AND LOTS OF SPICE. Be bold. It'll be okay—you will not over-spice it. Herein lies cheat #2: you are adding in pre-ground spices, rather than toasting and grinding your own spices. (Sometime when you have enough time and are feeling adventurous, see How to Make Your Own Curry Powder for the most wholesome and flavorful curry powder that you create yourself—it makes wonderful gifts, too.)

Simmer (a low boil—not a roiling boil) the turkey, spices, roux, and butter with the top off the pot—so you can watch the curry and make sure it doesn't stick; so you can stir it occasionally to mix the bones around; and so you can add water if necessary. Let simmer for about one hour. Sure, your turkey meat has already been cooked. You won't be cooking the meat, you will be cooking the roux (cheat #3), and you are simmering to maximize the flavor from the bones. When the turkey is ready, the meat will be falling off the bones. Taste the sauce and add enough salt to make it ecstatically scrumptious—expect to use about a tablespoon or so. (I recommend Vege-sal vegetable salt. Kosher salt is also yummy.)


Picking the Bones
This is the hardest and most time-consuming of the steps. But you can do this too. Just pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on some loud music, and hum along. You are magically transforming an unwanted turkey carcass into a pot of love, so be joyful. Turn off the curry. Scoop out the large pieces of turkey carcass and transfer them to a large cutting board. Let cool until you can safely touch them. Pick off any desirable pieces of meat that still cling to the bones and add that meat back to the pot. Discard the rest. Continue scooping, cooling and then picking until all the bones and stray inedibles are removed, discarding the flotsam and adding back the good stuff as you go along. While working, chop up the large pieces of meat so they will be easy to eat—nothing should be larger than an inch or so.

When you are finished picking out the undesirables, you will have a pot of delightful, savory, stewy, fragrant curry. The consistency of the sauce is a light slush—not too thick, not too thin. There should be plenty of bite-sized turkey bits. And you will be a turkey-transformation hero.