What is?

There is an assumption that dashi must be made from kombu and bonito. Research reveals that shiitake dashi is not uncommon and is part of the Japanese cooking arsenal. In looking at the traditional Italian gnudi we wondered about the way they are cooked. Gnudi, the delicate filling of a ravioli without the pasta, can be a chef's Achilles heel. Getting gnudi right, delicate, full flavored, and with enough structure to hold their shape is difficult. Finally, it dawned on us, why not use a form or a support to shape gnudi during the traumatic cooking process.? The first question led to the second, why should we boil delicate gnudi in water if there was a way to keep the flavor in the dumpling itself. So, as with all questions, we tried something different. We wrapped our swiss chard-ricotta gnudi in plastic wrap and poached them to hold the shape and keep all the flavor in the dumplings. We chilled the gnudi once they were cooked and then gently warmed them to serve the dish. We paired our newly shaped gnudi with sun dried tomato and porcini dashi. The final dish added roasted king trumpet mushrooms and small leaves of swiss chard to create a satisfying and elegant vegetarian dish.