Miso soup

The ingredients for this can be found in a Japanese grocery store. Serves 4-6.

4 C cold water
4 small (1-1/2-inch long) dried fish
1/2 C bonito flakes (dried fish flakes)
1/3 to /2 C light miso
3 to 4 T C dark miso
4 to 6 oz soft tofu (such as Mori-Nu Silken), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2-3 green onions, sliced
Optional: Enoki mushrooms, radish sprouts, kim chee
Dash cooking sake

Bring water and dried fish to a boil. Add bonito flakes and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Strain stock and keep warm. In a small bowl, very slowly stir some of the stock into the miso until you have something with a runny consistency and no lumps. Stir this back into the remainder of the stock, but do not bring it to a boil, or it will become bitter.

To serve, put tofu, enoki mushrooms, and kim chee, if using, in each bowl and ladle the hot soup over. Garnish with green onions and radish sprouts.