Sauteed bamboo shoots

Have you ever seen fresh bamboo in the store like this?

Probably not, I would guess.  This is the first time I've really noticed it so I guess it's possible I've seen it in Chinatown before.  But we found this in a grocery store in the Flushing Chinatown, rather than in Manhattan or Brooklyn.  If you can't find it whole like this, you may be able to find peeled bamboo soaked in water in a bucket somewhere in a Chinatown or Asian grocery store.  And if you can't find that, then go ahead and used canned bamboo but blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes first to get the canned taste out.  Try to use canned bamboo shoot tips though, which are basically what's pictured above but peeled.  They are more tender and better than the canned sliced bamboo.

Saute sliced bamboo with onions and garlic and a touch of rice vinegar for a tasty veggie side or main dish and serve with rice of your choice.

Broiled eggplant with miso glaze

So I've been cooking up vegan dishes lately and have been using miso in a lot of different ways.  Here's a nice miso glaze you can use on a variety of vegetables or tofu and works great on broiled eggplant.

This recipe will probably make more miso glaze than you need - try it on other roasted vegetables like roasted carrots or kabocha or other squash.