One of my favorite comfort foods is vegetable tempura. I grew up in Hawaii where there is an abundance of good Japanese restaurants and whenever I go back, one of the first meals I have is tempura. For me, there is nothing better than light, crispy-fried veggies (the shrimp is good, too) dipped in warmed dashi-based sauce that has been adorned with grated daikon (radish) and fresh ginger. I love tempura on its own, over rice, or in udon. The star of the tempura show for me is the battered Japanese pumpkin or kabocha. There is usually only one piece in a batch of tempura and it is the one that my siblings and I always fought over when we were little. We learned to develop a discerning eye lest we confuse a fried carrot or sweet potato slice for the coveted kabocha. To me the sweet, creaminess of the kabocha lends itself perfectly to the tempura preparation. Now that I am adult, I love being able to save that crisp-tender kabocha all for myself. (I always set it aside and eat it last.) Recently, my family and I went out to dinner at our favorite Japanese restaurant here in Portland, Ore.—Sushi Cafe K—and I ordered tempura and asked for extra kabocha. They were more than happy to oblige and you can see the results in the photo. Hands off! They're all for me! ...Okay, you can have one.
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