I wish I could cook a hot pot for everyone in Japan

I want to cook for all the people displaced, for all the people who have lost family and friends, for the people with no shelter. I want to give them comfort and strength and nourishment.

Since it is still quite cold in the worst hit regions, I would cook hot pot. Hot pot, or Nabe Hot Pot, is a Japanese comfort food and one-pot meal that is very soothing in cold weather. Japanese eat hotpot all winter long. It is a wonderful dish that goes back hundreds, possibly thousands, of years. Easy to put together. Incredibly delicious, rich, hearty and sustaining. Eating hot pot always warms me up and makes me feel wonderful. You may be familiar with shabu-shabu, which is a hot pot cooked at the table. There are many kinds of hotpot, shabu-shabu is only one of many.

Here are is a recipe for salmon miso hot pot, the most hearty and soothing variety to me. To everyone in Japan I want to say: take comfort, all is not lost, you have many friends all over the world, we want to help.

Warm, Soothing, Wonderful Miso Hot Pot with Salmon

broth

4 cups dashi

1/2 cup white miso

1/4 cup mirin

1st layer

1 large onion, sliced

2 small idaho potatoes, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1/2 head green or savoy cabbage, cut into bite size chunks

2nd

2 oz harusame, or bean thread noodles, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

1 package tofu, cut into 8 pieces

6 oz shitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

third

8 oz salmon filet, sliced, with skin on or off as to your preference

final layer

4 scallions, sliced

8 oz baby spinach leaves

Prepare the broth by combining the dashi, miso and mirin in a bowl. whisk to blend.

Start layering your pot. first place the onion slices, then potatoes and cabbage. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the pot boils, cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Allow pot to simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and place the tofu, softened bean thread noodles and sliced shitakes on top of the previous ingredients, this time keep the like ingredients clustered together, rather than scattering them over the pan. This will keep the dish very neat looking and beautiful when it comes time to serve. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes more. Now add in the salmon and cover. Lift the lid frequently and poke the salmon into the liquid, to allow for even cooking. The salmon will take about 5 minutes more of simmering. Now finish the dish by adding a clump of spinach and the scallions in the center. Allow to simmer 1 to 2 minutes more as you press the spinach into the pot.

To serve, bring the entire pot to the table and allow everyone to ladle their favorite ingredients into their bowls.

Dear Japan! The events of the last week, the triple disaster:earthquake, tsunami, nuclear damage, have left us devastated. It is hard to believe things can deteriorate so quickly, so unavoidably. And yet, you are such a strong and resilient country, you have recovered many times before, from the Kanto quake which destroyed Yokohama and half of Tokyo in 1923, to the devastation of WWII. I have great faith in the Japanese people to come back better, stronger than before. Please help Japan if you can.

shrimp asparagus spinach stir fry

this is a dish i've been returning too often, now that the spring asparagus is in, with it's very thin, grassy stalks. perfect for this dish. this is based on a thai/vietnamese stir fry traditions, but i invented it myself. the prep work takes about 20 minutes but the cooking takes less than 5. so fast. great for a weeknight dinner. kind of want to eat this a couple of nights a week at this point, it is so fast and easy, yet full on flavor.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

serves 4

marinate the shrimp for 20 minutes while you chop the other ingredients:

1lb peeled and deveined shrimp

1.5 TBSP fish sauce

1.5 TBSP grated palm sugar (could substitute brown sugar or honey or agave nectar here, but i do love palm sugar in this)

1 TSP minced cilantro stems

place shrimp in a bowl, add in the fish sauce, palm sugar and cilantro stems. stir several times to coat the shrimp in the mixture. set aside.

1 large bunch thin-stalked asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths

1 large bunch scallions cut into 2 inch lengths

2 cups of baby spinach leaves (4-6 oz)

1 large shallot, minced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 TBSP minced cilantro stems

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup of water

to finish the dish

1 cup of cilantro leaves

juice of 1 lime

get your wok nice and hot. sizzling hot. add in the oil and the garlic/cilantro stems/shallot and shrimp quickly. dont stir for a minute while the shrimp sizzles and sears on one side. then stir. now add in the asparagus. stir again. add in the 1/2 cup of water and cover for 1 minute. maybe 2. until the asparagus is tender/crisp and bright green. add in the spinach and scallions. stir fry for 1 minute. it should be done now. add in the lime juice and cilantro leaves and stir one more time to combine. serve at once with some fluffy jasmine rice. guaranteed deliciousness.

winter fruit bowl

making lots of noodles, stir fry and soup these days. more on that soon. how are you? it's march, isn't that marvelous? only seventeen days until spring. see you soon. xo, g

green stir fry with mushrooms and chicken (or tofu)

if you are trying to add more green to your diet, and most of us are, this dish is a delicious way to start. a mixture of green vegetables including broccolini (sometimes called broccolette) baby bok choy, zucchini, kale, scallions, mushrooms and chicken breast, it is fast and heartwarming, any time of year. other greens such as chard, spinach, broccoli, chives, pea shoots, snow peas, long beans, or various asian greens would be excellent here. creativity only enhances this dish. use what you like.

green stir fry with mushrooms and chicken (or tofu)

1lb boneless skinless organic chicken breast, thinly sliced across the grain

1 TBSP cornstarch or potato starch

2 tsp dry sherry

1 tsp soy sauce

4 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup stock or water

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large bunch broccolini or broccolette (cousin to broccoli, edible stalks, sweet flavor)

chopped into 1 inch pieces, stalks included

3 baby bok choy, sliced

1 zucchini, diced

small bunch of kale, stems removed, leaves stripped and chopped

1 bunch scallions, chopped into 1 inch pieces

8 oz mushrooms, cremini or shitake, trimmed and sliced

1 TBSP fermented black beans (optional, available at asian grocery stores)

steamed rice to serve.

slice chicken and place in a bowl with the cornstarch and sherry and soy sauce while you prepare the veg. chop away and set up your ingredients near the wok so you can work quickly once the heat is on high.

next, heat the wok. once hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and mushrooms. stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes. remove from wok and set aside. next the greens, return the wok to high heat, add another TBSP olive oil, the green veg except for the scallions, which will go in at the very end after the chicken or tofu). saute for 1 minute, add 1/2 cup broth or water, stir for another 2 minutes. reserve with cooking juices in a bowl or plate to the side. now for the meat or tofu. return wok to high heat. add 2 TBSP olive oil to the pan, add in the garlic and stir around for a few seconds, then the chicken, allow to sear briefly, then stir and turn until opaque. add in the veg, stir briskly, add the scallions and fermented black beans if using. combine, taste for flavor, then serve immediately with steamed rice. delicious mixture of salty, crunchy, sweet, savory, and green.

tofu can easily be substituted for the chicken. no need to use sherry or cornstarch in this case. slice a 16 0z block of tofu into 1 inch by 1/2 inch pieces and saute at the end with the garlic. add in the soy sauce with the scallions at the end if needed. just as delicious.

great pad thai at home

not only is it possible to have great pad thai at home. it isn't very difficult. and, it tastes better than most restaurant pad thai. the ingredients may not be as familiar to you as they are for pasta or other stir fries, but once you wrap your head around this dish, it is really simple and fast. i've been making pad thai for 15 years and at first it seemed daunting, unfamiliar, now it is a piece of cake. like everything worth doing, it takes a bit of practice, but even your earliest efforts will be delicious. it is the pursuit of the ideal that keeps it interesting, you get to make it just the way you like it best.

pad thai

serves 4

first off you need to assemble the ingredients.

1 lb dried rice noodles, there are so many different varieties, i like linguine thin noodles best, make sure they are not expired, they don't last forever.

4 TBSP olive oil

1 egg for each serving

3/4 large shrimp per serving, shelled and deveined

2 shallots, minced

4 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

1/4 cup minced cilantro stems

1 lb block medium firm tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces

2/3 cups bean sprouts, washed and drained

6 scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths and then sliver lengthwise

1 TBSP finely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

seasoning sauce

1/2 cup tamarind paste, easy to find in most stores now, make sure it has only two ingredients: tamarind and water no added sugar, etc.

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar or palm sugar or honey or agave nectar

1 TBSP rice vinegar

you will develop your own mix over time that is a little sweeter, tarter, or saltier than this one, to your preference

to serve

1 cup cilantro leaves

2 limes in wedges

notes

1.you can only make two servings at one time in a wok, for additional servings, you have to wipe clean the wok and cook again, otherwise it will become unwieldy and possibly soggy. i find this kind of fun. i make two servings twice with these ingredients, so for each batch, use only half.

2. for the tamarind, sometimes in asian grocery stores it comes ready made in a jar, sometimes it is dried into a firm paste. if it is in a firm paste you must place it in some water and heat on the stove until it dissolves in the water, then let it cool and strain it. i actually prefer thai taste's jarred version here, i can only get it at an asian grocery store so i often use the other but i find i like the flavor a little better. you can also buy fresh tamarind and peel off the crisp outer shell and scrape the pulp off the seeds. then mix with water and heat over the stove until dissolved as for the dried paste.

3. step number one is make your seasoning sauce. cook the ingredients in a small pan until hot, taste to adust the tart, salty, sweet balance. i like mine on the tart side. it should have a rich complex flavor. this important flavoring sauce will go into the wok just after the noodles, it flavors them and keeps them moving in the pan rather than sticking to it.

4. soak the noodles in very hot water. different noodles soften at different rates, you have to get to know your brand of noodles. some are done soaking in 5 minutes, some need 20. usually around 10. after soaking they will not be soft enough to eat, but will be soft enough to stir fry. soft and pliable. drain and reserve.

5. chop the shallots, garlic, cilantro stems.

6. rinse the shrimp. cut the tofu. chop the scallions. chop the peanuts. cut the lime wedges. de-leaf the cilantro. get the eggs out of the fridge and assemble everything near the stove.

7. congratulations, now you are ready to begin.

heat your wok. once hot, add in the 2 or 3 TBSP olive oil, and half of the shallot, cilantro stems, garlic. cook on high heat for 2 minutes. add in half the cut tofu. cook for 2 minutes more. push to one side, now add in 2 eggs. make sure there is enough oil to keep them from sticking. scramble lightly. now add half the noodles stir briskly and add in half the seasoning sauce and the peanuts. stir to combine and cook until the noodles are tender enough to be delicious (varies according to noodle type anywhere from 1 minute to 6 minutes, check until done). once tender, push them aside a bit and add in the shrimp. cook for 1 minute and turn them over until they are light pink. now add the bean sprouts and scallions. toss to combine. taste. add in half the cilantro leaves and serve with a lime wedge and additional cilantro leaves.. now, repeat. go ahead and try this. it is a cooking adventure not to be missed. very filling, a little unusual, and delicious. love it.