Dining with the Chef (2012) : 4x17

Our theme this episode is "soaking." We'll be making a shojin ryori (vegan Buddhist monk dish) called ganmodoki tofu fritters, simmered for plenty of flavor. The dish starts with carefully strained tofu, with shiitake mushrooms, carrot, lotus root, and ginkgo nuts added, and finally nagaimo yam added before forming it into balls and frying until golden brown. Ganmodoki fritters are delicious on their own, but today we'll be simmering them in a flavorful soup made with kombu kelp. We'll also be making jade-simmered eggplants by half-peeling eggplants in strips, then frying them in oil, and finally soaking them in a kombu kelp dashi to let them soak up the rich, delicious flavor. We'll also talk about the history of shojin ryori, a traditional Japanese form of cooking practiced by Buddhist monks, designed to minimize food waste and to make vegetables look and taste like fish or meat.