Oden

from Joan Bailey, former farm intern now living in Japan

1/2 cup dashi*

1/2 cup soy sauce*

3 cups water*

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup mirin or sake

Half a daikon, chopped into inch size pieces

One carrot, chopped into medium-sized pieces

One medium onion, roughly cut

Three small potatoes, cut into medium-sized pieces

Two medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into medium-sized pieces**

Tofu, cut into bite size chunks or the inari tofu skins cut into bite size chunks

*I did this by sight. I aimed for a middle brown color - not too light, not too dark - which makes it, well, subjective.

**This is NOT a Japanese recommendation. I just did it and liked it, but when I tell my Japanese friends they look a little...shocked.

Start heating the first five ingredients and give them a stir to make sure the sugar dissolves well. Chop the others and pop them into the pot of simmering brew. I tend to put in the things that take longer to thoroughly cook - carrots, potatoes, daikon, sweet potatoes - sooner rather than later. Bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer. Or, if like me, you then quick run out to the sento for a hot bath on a cold night, just turn it off and let it steam. Reheat when you return, dish it up onto a handful of mizuna and chomp away