Dashi

For Japanese cooks, dashi is a universal solvent that ends up in all manner of sauces, soups, and stews. Once you get a hold of the requisite ingredients—which keep well—dashi is by far the easiest and quickest of all broths to make. You bring kombu (dried giant kelp) to a simmer in water, pick it out with tongs, and add a handful or two of dried bonito flakes. Bonito is a tunalike fish that the Japanese dry and smoke until it has the texture of wood and looks like an overripe banana. Tradi