280173 Sat Oct 08 19:17:40 -0700 2005 6 31 Home Cooking 0 1487683 My miso is never *perfect* even though I've been experimenting with it for months. anyone want to give me any advice as to the kind of Miso to use? Any miso recipes would also be greatly appreciated. thanks!Essie Sat Oct 08 19:17:40 -0700 2005 0 Essie 1 1487700 It may not be your miso but your dashi (soup base). Make sure that your dashi is rich with flavor. The easiest to use are instant dashi packs. To upgrade, you can now find prepackaged tea bags filled with kombu (seaweed) and katsuo (dried, smoked bonito fish flakes). I much prefer this. For a vegetarian version, using good quality kombu, let it sit in cold water overnight and voila. Once you have made a good dashi, you can start considering miso. There are three bases for miso; mugi (barley), mame (soybeans), or kome (rice). Each of the three offer different flavor profiles. You will have to experiment and see which best suits your palate. You can always blend your miso as well. My preferences change throughout the year. I lean towards the lighter versions in the summer and heartier, more rustic versions in the winter. You can put whatever you want in miso soup. Any vegetable, seafood, meats, tofu, seaweed, mushrooms. Personal favorites include the slimy nameko mushrooms, kabocha squash or sweet potatoes, and tiny clams. For a hearty miso soup, consider making tonjiru. Pork, gobo (burdock root), carrots, konnyaku, and potatoes. Garnish with green onions and shichimi. Store your miso in the freezer. They will keep longer. Happy Eating! Sun Oct 09 02:11:20 -0700 2005 1487683 0 Yukari 2 1487707 "To upgrade, you can now find prepackaged tea bags filled with kombu (seaweed) and katsuo (dried, smoked bonito fish flakes). I much prefer this." Any particular brand you recommend, especially for the katsuo? I'm going to start hunting these down . . . I always leave them out since I don't have it at hand... Thanks for the info, Yukari -- your posts are always very helpful! Sun Oct 09 07:30:02 -0700 2005 1487700 0 pitu 3 1487714 Hmmmmm...brands? I am in Tokyo and am still experimenting and trying different brands. Do you have a few types available in your market? If you do, consider yourself lucky! Curious, what brands you have. Where do you live? Sun Oct 09 10:34:57 -0700 2005 1487707 0 Yukari 4 1487721 NYC - I was trying to get prepared before I hit the markets . . . there are quite a few places that sell imports to hipster Japanese kids in the East Village, and then there's New Jersey . . . actually, I'm hoping one of the giant pan-Asian markets in Brooklyn will have them. For the dashi, do you use one teabag of kombu to one teabag of bonita? Anything else added? Sun Oct 09 13:22:02 -0700 2005 1487714 0 pitu 5 1487733 Not sure about NYC but here in Toronto most well-stocked Korean grocers carry these Japanese staples-usually at knockdown prices, too. Sun Oct 09 18:39:51 -0700 2005 1487721 0 Ronin 5 1487738 I will use one or the other, not both. Kombu for more delicate stocks and the bonito/kombu (usually blended in one tea bag) for heartier soups. I did most of my shopping at Sunrise Mart in St. Mark`s. The staff there were not very helpful (not friendly?), but location was convenient for me living in Chelsea. Mitsuwa in Fort Lee is ideal if you can get over there. I would pick up good quality kombu - and cut a square, about 2 inches x 2 inches and let is infuse over night. Also, pick up some of the dashi packs that are tea bags filled with kombu and bonito. Cheers, Yukari Sun Oct 09 20:05:04 -0700 2005 1487721 0 Yukari