Japanese fare

How difficult is it to choose a dish from a culture that celebrates food as much as the Japanese! There are a number of "typical" Japanese dishes but I chose Udon for my first foray into their food culture. Udon is extremely simple-not many ingredients- and the flavor of the ingredients is subtle instead of explosive, but every ingredient is identifiable and stands alone. 

Udon actually refers to the thick, milled wheat noodle typically used in a hot soup - of which there are regional variations. I used the simplest recipe I could find and was still impressed with the complex flavors it brought. 

Instructions:

Bring 5 c water to a boil and add a 3x5 piece of dashi and 1/3 c bonito flake. (I have a tough time finding bonito flake at times in my town and have heard that you can use dried shiitake mushrooms as a substitute. They have a totally different flavor but kind of a similar flavor "level" in this soup.) After about 5 minutes, strain your broth to remove the flake and dashi. Add 2-3 Tbsp dark shoyu, 1 c chunked kabocha squash, and a nice bundle of enoki mushrooms. Simmer until squash is tender- about 10 minutes. 

In the meanwhile, prepare udon noodles according to the package instructions. Usually, bring water to a boil and add noodles. Boil 10-13 minutes and then strain and rinse under cold water. 

Place noodles in a bowl and arrange the hot ingredients. Top off with hot broth and garnish with thinly sliced scallions.