The Washington Post had a big feature on Miso today. Here's the links:

Miso Goes Mainstream
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Apr27.html

Miso Backgrounder
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Apr27.html

Miso Will Stir You . . . [recipes]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Apr27.html

Miso Guide [products]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Apr27.html

Ian


Here's the recipes:

Miso Will Stir You . . .

Wednesday, April 28, 2004; Page F05

When cooking with miso, the trick is to use a little at a time, because
its extreme saltiness and paste-like consistency can easily overwhelm a
dish. Soups can turn puckery salty. Vinaigrettes can turn to glue.

To blend miso into a hot liquid, place the miso in a container and ladle
in about 1 cup of the liquid , stirring or whisking until combined.
Slowly return the mixture to the pot and stir to combine.

Do not subject miso to heat above a bare simmer if you wish to preserve
the live enzymatic activity.

Miso Soup

4 servings

There are as many miso soups as there are mothers in Japan. Most
Japanese prefer whatever soup they grew up on, whether it was plain,
with tofu, wakame and clams or slivered scallions.

A general rule of thumb is for every cup of liquid, add no more than 1
tablespoon of miso. For a more flavorful effect, use a darker miso. For
a less miso-y flavor, add a splash of soy, sake or mirin.

4 cups Dashi (recipe follows)

3 to 4 tablespoons miso (preferably 2 tablespoons red and 2 tablespoons
light miso)

11/2 tablespoons mirin, cooking sake or soy sauce (optional)

VARIATIONS:

Toasted sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallions, watercress, blanched
sugar snap or snow peas, cubed tofu, seaweed or pretty much anything
else you would want in soup

In a pot over medium heat, heat the dashi but do not boil. Remove from
the heat.

Place the miso in a bowl. Pour about 1/2 cup of dashi into the bowl and,
using the back of a wooden spoon or a fork, mix until the miso is
incorporated into the liquid. Pour this mixture back into the pot and
stir to combine. Taste and, if desired, add mirin, sake or soy sauce to
taste. Add any remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Serve
immediately. (The miso causes the soup to become cloudy after it sits
for a few moments. This is okay.)

Ingredients are too variable for meaningful analysis.

Dashi

Makes 16 cups

This relatively mild dashi recipe is the base for the smoked mussel miso
soup served by chef Koji Terano at Sushi-Ko in Glover Park.

16 cups water

6-by-8-inch piece kombu*

4 cups bonito flakes*

In a large pot, heat the water and kombu until it almost but not quite
comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and, using tongs, remove the
kombu. Add the bonito flakes and set aside, uncovered, for about 15
minutes. The bonito should sink to the bottom of the pot. Strain,
several times if necessary, until the broth is clear. It is ready to
use. (May refrigerate the dashi, although it will lose its flavor after
1 day.)

*NOTE: Kombu is dried seaweed. Bonito flakes are dried, shaved bonito
fish sold in pouches.

Ingredients are too variable for meaningful analysis.

Miso-Marinated Cod

4 to 6 servings

The marinade results in a caramelized crust and a slightly salty, almost
toffeed flavor. The salt in the miso cuts the sweetness and begins to
cure the fish, effectively firming the texture.

Many subtle variations of this marinade exist, though it was first made
popular in America by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa of Nobu restaurants. This
rendition is adapted from "Essentials of Asian Cuisine" by Corinne Trang
(Simon & Schuster, 2003).

1/2 cup light miso (preferably sweet white miso)

3 tablespoons sake

3 tablespoons mirin

1/3 cup granulated sugar

21/2 pounds black cod, cod, mackerel or orange roughy

In a bowl, whisk together the miso, sake, mirin and sugar.

Cut the fish into 12 equal pieces. Place the fish in a dish large enough
to contain the pieces in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the fish
and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48
hours, turning the fish occasionally for a total of 4 to 6 times.

Adjust the oven rack to the center position; it should be 6 to 8 inches
from the broiler. Preheat the broiler. Line the broiler pan with foil.

Remove the fish from the miso mixture, scraping as much of the mixture
from the fish as possible. Discard the marinade. Broil the fish until it
turns dark golden. Turn the fish and broil until the fish flakes easily
and is opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes total, depending on the
thickness. Serve hot.

Per serving (based on 6): 185 calories, 34 gm protein, 7 gm
carbohydrates, 1 gm fat, 81 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 195 mg
sodium, 0 gm dietary fiber

Citrus-Miso Vinaigrette

1 serving

In this low-calorie, versatile vinaigrette, miso replaces both oil and salt.

Drizzle it over tender young lettuces, steamed asparagus or a salad of
cooked chicken on sliced avocado.

From Nigella Lawson's "How to Eat" (John Wiley & Sons, 2002).

1 teaspoon light or yellow miso

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse-grain mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey, or to taste

Juice from 1 orange (about 4 tablespoons)

In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.

Per serving: 53 calories, 1 gm protein, 12 gm carbohydrates, trace fat,
0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 249 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber

Wilted Greens With Miso-Tamarind Sauce

2 to 4 servings

Miso lends a barely perceptible but tangible savory flavor to this
robust, bitter warm salad dressing. The dressing has a more substantial
flavor and texture than a vinaigrette and can stand up to hearty greens.

Adapted from "The Bold Vegetarian Chef" by Ken Charney (Wiley & Sons, 2003).

Several handfuls of baby spinach, watercress or mizuna leaves or 1 head
hearty bitter greens, such as radicchio or endive, cleaned and very
coarsely chopped

1 firm but not hard pear, preferably Bosc

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon red or barley miso

1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate

1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

1/4 cup water or vegetable stock

Rinse the greens and, if necessary, coarsely chop the leaves. Place in a
large bowl; set aside.

Cut the pear into quarters and remove and discard the stem and core. Cut
each quarter lengthwise into 2 or 3 slices.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the pear
slices and cook, stirring only occasionally, until browned on both
sides, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off any
oil or juices in the skillet.

In a medium bowl, combine the maple syrup, miso, tamarind, garlic,
ginger and water or stock and whisk until smooth. Pour it into the
skillet and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until
the dressing begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.

Immediately pour the hot dressing over the greens and toss gently until
they are well coated and slightly wilted. Working quickly, divide the
greens among individual plates and top each salad with a few pear
slices. Serve immediately.

* NOTE: Tamarind paste is the sweet-tart concentrated fruit of the
tamarind pod that is sold in bricks of compressed paste. Do not
substitute tamarind juice.

Per serving (based on 4): 104 calories, 1 gm protein, 10 gm
carbohydrates, 7 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 124 mg
sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber

Miso Rice Porridge

4 servings

This creamy, honeyed porridge is an alternative to oatmeal.

From "Stop the Clock! Cooking" by Cheryl Forberg (Avery, 2003).

1/2 cup long-grain brown rice

21/2 cups plain soymilk

11/2 tablespoons light miso

2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger root (optional)

Rinse the rice under cool water until the water runs clear.

In a large saucepan, bring the rice and soymilk almost to a boil. (Do
not boil.) Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring
occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 50 minutes. Not all of the
liquid will be absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the
miso, honey and, if desired, ginger. Taste and adjust the amount of
honey accordingly. Serve hot or cold.

Per serving: 231 calories, 6 gm protein, 42 gm carbohydrates, 4 gm fat,
0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 450 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber

Miso and Peanut Butter Sandwich: Kids won't even notice miso's presence.
Put a glob of peanut butter in a bowl, add 1 to 2 teaspoons miso and
stir to combine and spread the mixture on bread or toast. If desired,
add a drizzle of honey or a thin layer of jam. For a milder flavor, use
a mellow or sweet white miso; for a saltier flavor, use brown rice or
barley miso.

© 2004 The Washington Post Company

More info about miso:
http://www.soya.be/what-is-miso.php