Morning Miso & Curry Fries

It's always unfortunate when a great dish gets type-cast, but there are few tear-jerkers more depressing than the case of miso soup. This broth is rich in culture (both historical and microbial) and is one of the best hangover cures. But the way Americans stereotype miso as a cheap sushi appetizer and an alternative to salad, is criminal. Here, we spruce it up and drink it like morning tea, with a plate of oven crispy curry fries--oil being the next best hangover cure.

Curry Fries
4 sweet potatoes (or yams)
1/4 cup. canola oil
4 Tbs. curry powder

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees while you prep. Peel the potatoes, leaving some skin for texture and cut each in half once. Add taters to a large, boiling pot of slightly salted water. Boil for 8-10 minutes, making sure the potatoes remain a bit crunchy, then strain and run under cold water for a minute to cool.

Once cooled, cut the sweet potatoes in long strips--makes large-cut fries--and toss them with the curry powder in a large bowl. Once evenly spiced, coat a baking sheet with the oil and spread the fries out. Shake to coat evenly with oil. Shove them in the oven for 20-30 minutes (or until crisp) tossing occasionally.

Miso
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bulb ginger, minced
1 white onion, chopped
2 cups edamame (soy beans), shelled
4 Tbs. canola oil
4 Tbs. miso paste
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. sesame oil
6 cups water
4 green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Mix the sesame and canola oil in a medium sauce pan and place on medium heat. Sauté ginger, garlic and white onion for 5 minutes, covered. Then add the soy and rice wine vinegar, letting it cook off for 3 minutes. Add all of the miso paste, and add the water in slow increments, stirring to help it dissolve. Let it simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

Right before serving, add edamame (not frozen) and cook for 1 minute. Then remove from heat, dish into small soup cups or mugs, and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Beverage: Water
Soundtrack: George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh