As many cooks know, dashi is a fundamental Japanese cooking stock. Made easily from a few simple ingredients, it's the basis for miso soup. The addition of ginger in Ming's Master Dashi Broth results in a dashi that is remarkably smoky without being overpowering. Rock Shrimp with Miso Risotto and Spinach is Ming's reworking of the classic Italian risotto using Japanese ingredients. In his Miso Soup with Tofu and Nori, traditional miso soup is enhanced with a hint of ginger for spiciness and garnished with crisp nori seaweed — the perfect warm broth for a cold winter afternoon. Ming then prepares one of the most familiar Japanese meals, Beef and Onion "Sukiyaki" — Dashi flavored stir-fried beef with vegetables (and sometimes noodles). To learn the endless uses Dashi has in the Japanese kitchen, Ming visits Chef Ting Yen of Oiishi Sushi in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Latin chef Aaron Sanchez then joins Ming in the studio to demonstrate the cultural versatility of Ming's master recipes by making Caldo de Pescado con Dashi y Jalapeno Amor — a wonderful fish stew.
