Crave reader Suzanne Uratani alerted me to this great appetizer. It’s from food blogger Melissa Chang, who loved the taste when served this pupu in izakayas (bar restaurants) in Japan. It makes perfect sense. Bar owners want to send out a dish that shows you are welcome, but don’t want to fill you up so you will still order food. Shio kyabetsu fits the bill. Shio means salt in Japanese and kyabetsu is the Romanized word for cabbage. It is an inexpensive vegetable and the seasonings for this are usually on hand: sesame oil, dashi (soup) stock powder, fresh garlic, black pepper and salt or salted dried seaweed strips. Served the first night, it is crunchy and satisfying. The next day, it is a bit softer and marinated. Either way, it is a wonderful way to eat more vegetables.

Easy Salted Cabbage (Shio Kyabetsu)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head cabbage (about 4 cups when chopped)

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1/2 teaspoon konbu dashi or other dashi powder

• 1/3 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/3 teaspoon salt, omit if adding Shiofuki konbu

• Black pepper to taste

• Optional: .96-ounce packet Shiofuki konbu (dried salted seaweed strips)

Directions:

Cut half of the cabbage into 1/2-inch strips and half into 1/2-inch chunks. Place in a bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix together well and serve. Refrigerate, if serving the next day. Later it will be flavorful, but not as crunchy. Makes about 4 cups.

Lynette Lo Tom is the author of A Chinese Kitchen, Back in the Day and Yum Yum Cha: Let’s Eat Dim Sum in Hawaii. Send your easy recipes to her: lynette@brightlightcookery.com.