Random Musings

Fresh stuff, it should be in the fridge at a Chinese or Japanese shop. I prefer white miso, which is actually a yellowy colour but is definitely lighter than other misos. For a single serving, I use a heaped cutlery spoonful. Mix it in the bowl with a little water to make the paste thinner. Put your veggies (e.g. one carrot in matchsticks and a section of sliced leek) in a pan with just enough water to cover, add fresh udon or ramen noodles when the veg are nearly cooked, and put the whole lot into the bowl with the miso (which is why you don't want too much water). Add some diced tofu and sesame seeds, make sure the miso is mixed in, and there we are. The reason you're not boiling the miso is because apparently it destroys its little enzymes or something, and boiling the tofu makes it rubbery whereas if you add it in at that stage it's enough to heat it through. I get lovely fresh tofu from my local Chinese supermarket. You can also put a bit of wakame on to soak at the start and add that in at the end too. The whole thing takes a few minutes. That's how I do it, anyway; there are loads of recipes online.