Miso

Pale lager beer adds the mellow flavors of barley, hops, and malt to a rich vegetable stew.

Olive oil–poached garlic gives tofu a deep, mellow flavor, while miso and vinegar provide a cheese-like tang.

Japanese eggplants are quick-roasted in the oven, then brushed with a sweet miso sauce for an extremely tender and satisfying entrée.

Delicately flavored white miso paste stands in for fish sauce in this classic Southeast Asian starter.

Poke (pronounced po-kee) is typically made with raw fish. This version uses portobello mushrooms seasoned with arame, a dried seaweed, to give it the flavor of the sea. Serve warm or chilled over a small bed of mixed organic greens.

These scrumptious potatoes offer a crisp crust and a creamy interior that’s packed with flavor. They can easily be wrapped and reheated in the oven later in the week for a make-ahead meal.

The sauce here is the sort of fusion you might expect if a Southeast Asian peanut sauce met a Middle Eastern tahini in Japan.

“Japanese curries are thickened like gravy and much more simple in flavor than those of Thailand,” says Trang.