I’ve made versions of these crispy, delicate little fried cabbage pancakes at restaurants and in my very own home, where they are a breakfast staple. I’ve often watched my mom bulk them up with canned salmon and loads of the week’s forgotten vegetables. We’d eat them over bowls of hot grits or rice. To me, they are reminiscent of okonomiyaki (loosely translated as “grilled as you like it”), a popular savory pancake from southern Japan. I like to drizzle Spicy Sorghum-Miso Mustard (page 110) over them.
This recipe began as a “serves one person” kind of thing. I had half a container of mushrooms, one onion, and one kid who had to eat before a late soccer practice. Looking for something fast that would fill her up but not weigh her down, I threw the mushrooms into a hot skillet and cooked them until they got crispy, and then scanned my fridge to figure out what might add something unexpected. Let me just say that the solution to this quandary in my house is almost always miso paste. Just a spoonful, thinned out with hot water, was all I needed to add that sweet-and-salty hit and win over my unsuspecting athlete . . . and eventually the whole family. Definitely opt for red cabbage when pickling—you’ll want its texture here. Serve these tacos with white rice that’s been tossed with lime juice and chopped cilantro.
The sweetness of the miso balances the complexity of Hazy Little Thing IPA’ s bitter notes. The apples compliment the beer’s fruit forward flavor, while the caramelization of the pork enhance its malt characters.
I firmly believe that pasta is one of the love languages of the world. I’m going out on a very long limb here and saying this may be my favorite recipe in the book. (But don’t quote me after I’ve had a few miso chocolate chip cookies. I’ve got a thing for miso, okay?!) This. Carbonara. Is. Everything. It’s melt-in-your-mouth, ultra-umami creaminess in every tender bite. This is what you NEED to make if you’re trying to impress someone. It requires less time to make than it will take you to get yourself primped for the date. I can’t wait to hear how your night goes after this one.
Miso sets these brownies apart from the pack.
The real secret to these cupcakes, which were once ranked the city’s best by New York Magazine, is miso.
Salmon with a simple miso sauce.