shiitake mushrooms

Kombu Shiitake Dashi (Kelp & Shiitake Mushroom Stock)

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Dashi, the basic stock of Japan, is also one of the building blocks of Japanese cuisine.  There are several different types, the most classic being dashi made with katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes) and kombu (dried kelp), which I’ve written about before.  But if you don’t eat fish, there are still several stock options available […]

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How to Make Spicy Mushroom Miso Ramen

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Today marks the end of the Mushroom Masters, so to celebrate such a fun month I’m here to hold your hand and prove just how easy it is to make my recipe for Spicy Mushroom Miso Ramen.  It’s officially fall, so you are out of legitimate excuses for not making soup.  Come jump on my […]

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Tori No Mizutaki—Chicken & Vegetable Hot Pot

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Tori No Mizutaki—Chicken & Vegetable Hot Pot Makes approximately 6 servings Recipe Notes: If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, you can use your favorite mushrooms instead.  For a heartier meal, serve this nabe with steamed rice or noodles. 8 cups water 1 large piece of kombu (about 30 square inches) (optional) 4 boneless, skinless chicken […]

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Miso Soup with Clams, Shiitake Mushrooms, & Wakame

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Miso Soup with Clams, Shiitake Mushrooms, & Wakame Makes 4 servings 4 cups dashi 1 pound clams 4 tablespoons miso paste 2 tablespoons prepared wakame* 3 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1. Bring the dashi to a simmer in a medium-size pot over medium high heat. 2. Reduce the heat to low, add the clams, […]

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Quail Eggs Benedict Pagodas

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Quail Eggs Benedict Pagodas Makes 8 “Pagodas” Yaki-onigiri: 1 cup cooked Japanese rice salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1. Cut a large square of plastic wrap and rest it over a measuring cup.  Lightly spray the plastic wrap with the water, and then sprinkle it with a bit of salt (the water helps the salt […]

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Noriko’s Chirashi Sushi

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Chirashi Sushi Makes 4 – 6 servings 12 inches kampyo 2 large dried shiitake mushrooms 1.25 inches lotus root 1/2 carrot, sliced into thin matchsticks (not quite julienne but close!) 10 ounces dashi 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 ounces sushi vinegar (if you don’t have sushi vinegar, use 3 […]

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Chef Hiro Sone’s Niku-Jaga

Memory is a powerful tool, especially when it comes to food.  I recently got a cookbook called Cooking from the Heart, a book put together by the organization Share Our Strength.  The book features recipes from one hundred of the country's well-known chefs.  The book is wonderful. Usually I love cookbooks with lots of pictures–I […]

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