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By Root 666 0

The result is that cooking no longer has to be complicated to be interesting and unusual. What’s common to a home cook in Mexico, Greece, or Thailand may be exotic to us; what’s new is that the ingredients are sold at supermarkets, and the expertise needed to put them together is available in cookbooks like this one.

Thus the recipes here not only provide great weeknight dinners. They will change the repertoire of experienced cooks while demonstrating contemporary cooking basics and teaching home cooks how to develop the sixth sense that comes with experience.

Again, it all starts with simplicity, which is not a compromise but a treasure.

SOUPS

NEARLY INSTANT MISO SOUP WITH TOFU

COLD TOMATO SOUP WITH ROSEMARY

TOMATO-MELON GAZPACHO

ASIAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP

EUROPEAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP

COLD PEA SOUP

PEA AND GINGER SOUP

EGG DROP SOUP

STRACCIATELLA

AVGOLEMONO

GARLIC SOUP WITH SHRIMP

PROSCIUTTO SOUP

VICHYSSOISE WITH GARLIC

THE MINIMALIST’S CORN CHOWDER

CLAM CHOWDER

CLAM STEW WITH POTATOES AND PARSLEY PUREE

LEMONGRASS-GINGER SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS

CREAMY MUSHROOM SOUP

PAN-ROASTED ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH TARRAGON

CABBAGE SOUP WITH APPLES

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

POTATO AND ONION SOUP

PUMPKIN SOUP

BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP WITH HAM AND GREENS

CARROT, SPINACH, AND RICE STEW

ROASTED CHESTNUT SOUP

CURRIED SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH APRICOT

CHICKPEA SOUP WITH SAUSAGE

WHOLE-MEAL CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, CHINESE STYLE

RICH CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP WITH GINGER

MUSHROOM-BARLEY SOUP

NEARLY INSTANT MISO SOUP WITH TOFU

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 15 MINUTES

“REAL” MISO SOUP is a little more complicated than this quick version, which begins with dashi, a basic Japanese stock made with kelp (kombu) and flakes of dried bonito (a relative of tuna). Although dashi has definite character and is easy enough to make, it is a light stock, pretty much overpowered by the miso anyway. So I just whisk or blend a tablespoon of miso into a cup of water and put my energy into turning the soup into a meal, adding cubed tofu and a couple of vegetables at the last moment. If you don’t find tofu alluring, you might throw some shrimp or boneless chicken into the soup, where either will cook in a couple of minutes.

The only trick lies in getting the miso to dissolve properly, creating a smooth, almost creamy soup rather than a lumpy one. But this is in fact a snap: you just whisk or blend the miso with a few tablespoons of hot water before adding the rest of the liquid. Any cooking from that point on must be gentle to preserve the miso’s flavor and aroma.

⅓ cup dark or other miso (see Note)

½ pound tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes

¼ cup minced carrot

¼ cup minced scallion

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to low, then mix about ½ cup of the water with the miso in a bowl or blender; whisk or blend until smooth. (If you have an immersion blender, the fastest and easiest tool here, carry out this operation in a tall measuring cup.)

2. Pour the miso mixture back into the hot water and add the tofu and carrot; stir once or twice and let sit for a minute, just long enough to heat the tofu through. Add the scallion and serve.

NOTE

Buy traditional, unpasteurized, even organic miso, which is common enough, inexpensive enough (it’s tough to spend more than $8 on a pound of miso), and better than quick-made miso, which is comparable to quick-made Parmesan or quick-made wine. All miso has a long shelf life, keeping for at least several months in the refrigerator with little or no loss of quality. Traditionally, thick, dark brown hatcho miso is used to make soup, but the lighter varieties, which are more often used to make dressings and sauces, are fine too.

COLD TOMATO SOUP WITH ROSEMARY

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 15 MINUTES, PLUS TIME TO CHILL

GOOD TOMATOES ARE bursting with potential. The difference between consuming a tomato out of hand and slicing it, then sprinkling it with a pinch of salt and a few drops of olive oil, is the difference between a snack and a dish. And the great thing about tomatoes is that