The key to fine miso cookery is not to overpower dishes with a strong miso taste, but to integrate the more subtle aspects of miso color and flavor in a gentle balance with other ingredients. For example, when making miso soup, the use of a kombu, shiitake, kombu-bonito, or vegetable stock helps achieve a full, rich flavor with considerably less miso than you would need if you boil vegetables in plain water and rely on miso to supply all the flavor. The latter method usually results in either an overly salty soup or one that is watery, bland and unappetizing. With respect to color, bright summer vegetables such as sweet corn or yellow squash and lightly cooked greens floating in the beautiful yellow to beige colored broth of light, sweet miso soup is appealing in warm weather, whereas the earthy tones and hearty flavor of dark miso soup with chunky root vegetables and wakame or kale is pleasing during the colder months.

Certain general rules can be applied when cooking with light, sweet misos, such as opposed to dark, salty ones. The light color, sweet taste, and creamy texture of sweet miso is suggestive of its application in American-style cooking: it is an excellent dairy substitute. For example, try a little sweet miso instead of milk, butter, and salt in creamed soups, and with tofu and lemon or rice vinegar in place of sour cream for dips and spreads.

To realize the full potential of sweet miso, explore its uses in salad dressings and sauces. Sweet miso and naturally brewed rice vinegar create a delicious tartness that is both refreshing and cooling. Known as su miso, this combination has a long history in Japanese cuisine. Blended with your choice of other ingredients such as oil, onion, dill or other herbs, rice syrup, tofu and tahini, sweet miso and rice vinegar complement each other perfectly in American style dressings, dips and sauces.

In contrast, dark, saltier misos combine nicely with beans, gravies, baked dishes, and vegetable stews and soups. For a simple and delicious fall or winter vegetable dish, try adding sweet chunky vegetables such as winter squash, carrots, or parsnips to sautéed onions, steaming them in 1/4 inch of water until just tender, then seasoning with dark, long-aged rice or barley miso thinned in a little water or stock just before the end of cooking. Try dark miso in thick soups using root vegetables such as burdock, carrots, and daikon. A lentil casserole seasoned with dark miso warms the body and supplies plenty of high quality protein. Although dark misos are not as versatile as light varieties, traditionally made, unpasteurized dark miso makes nutritious, flavorful and satisfying miso soups that you can enjoy every day in fall, winter and spring without ever becoming tired of them. Once the weather becomes warm, we prefer to combine a dark and a light miso when making miso soup.

Mixed with sweet, tangy, or pungent ingredients such as mirin, rice syrup, rice vinegar or fresh ginger, dark miso can be used in refreshing sauces. Remember that dark miso is stronger in taste than sweet miso, so use it sparingly.

Both dark and light misos are suitable for certain special uses. In general, miso is a good choice when you are looking for a salting agent, digestive aid, or tenderizer.

As a salting agent, miso supplies much more in terms of flavor and nutrition than plain salt without salt's harshness. When substituting miso for salt, add approximately one level tablespoon of any sweet, light miso or two level teaspoons of dark, salty miso for one-quarter teaspoon salt.

The powerful enzymatic action of unpasteurized miso is a natural digestive aid and tenderizing agent. In the digestive system rniso enzymes aid the body's own resources in breaking down complex food molecules. Foods such as beans, tomato products, and raw tofu may cause digestive discomfort. Miso helps balance and digest these foods.

For the same reason that miso aids digestion, it is also a great natural tenderizer. When used in marinades its enzymes break down the complex molecules of vegetable fiber and animal protein into more readily digestible forms. At the same time its flavor penetrates the marinating foods.

For many people making the transition to natural foods, there is a problem of interesting other family members. For families with a commitment to healthful eating, cooking for guests who are not accustomed to this way of eating can be a challenge. Miso helps bridge this gap. It brings a depth of savory flavor and a satisfying complexity to simple fare.

Yield: 4 Servings

8 Mitoku Donko Dried Mushrooms caps
6 cps hot water or stock
1 Sweet potato (12oz), peeled, cut in 1/2" dice
1 Leek, trimmed, washed, and thinly sliced
1 Zucchini, cut widthwise into 1/4" slices
4 cps stemmed kale leaves, cut crosswise into 1/2" strips
6 tb Mitoku Hatcho Miso or to taste
6 tb Mitoku Mikawa Mirin or a little less cream sherry
8 oz Mitoku dried udon or other pasta
10oz tofu (pref extra-firm or firm silken)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed thinly sliced

Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup hot water or stock in a bowl until soft, about 20 min. Stem the mushrooms and cut each cap in quarters, reserving the soaking liquid. Bring 4 qts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Place the mushroom soaking liquid and remaining stock in another large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sweet potato and leek and simmer for 3 min. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and kale and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 2 min. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the miso, mirin, and honey or sugar. Stir until all the miso is dissolved. Correct the seasoning, adding miso or honey or sugar to taste; the broth should be highly seasoned. The recipe can be prepared ahead to this stage. If preparing ahead, don't boil the water for the noodles. Just before serving, cook the noodles in the boiling water until tender but not soft, about 3 min for fresh noodles, 8 min for dried. Drain the noodles in a colander. Stir them into the broth with the beef or chicken and sliced scallions. Cook the noodles until thoroughly heated, but do not let the broth boil; you'll destroy some of the nutrients in the miso. Serve at once.

High-Flavor, Low-Fat Pasta by Stephen Raichlen ISBN 0-670-86581-8

1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
4 tablespoons Mitoku Hatcho miso
3 tablespoons spring water
1 tablespoon mild-flavored honey
1 teaspoon Mitoku Virgin Sesame Oil
1 medium-sized eggplant, peeled and diced small
2 tablespoons Safflower Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated fresh ginger
8 green onions, both white part and green, sliced
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or 1 small dried red pepper, crumbled, seeds removed

Steam the peas for 5 to 10 minutes, to taste. Refresh under cold water and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the miso, water, honey, and sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan and add the eggplant. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and ginger and saute another 10 minutes, stirring. Add the miso mixture and continue to stir-fry for another 3 to 5 minutes, then add the onions and papper flakes or crumbled pepper and cook, stirring, until the onions and eggplant are tender. If necessasry, add a little more oil or 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Add the snow peas, toss together well, head through, and serve over hot, cooked grains.

Adapted from: The Spice of Vegetarian Cooking, by Martha Rose Shulman