Hakusai (Chinese Cabbage) Soup

Hakusai (Chinese Cabbage) Soup Inspired by a cooking magazine, "Lettuce Club" I seldom buy cooking magazines, because they are rather expensive but usually all I want is just one (or two at the most) recipe(s) per magazine. But when I visited my parents' house the other day, I got to the train station too early in the morning and I needed something to kill time. So I chose this latest issue (Jan. 25, 2009) of "Lettuce Club," hoping to find some good ideas to use up hakusai (Chinese cabbage) which I often end up wasting some. What caught my eyes in this soup recipe was the interesting combination of soup seasonings: instant Chinese chicken soup stock, miso (fermented soybean paste), soy milk, grated garlic, sesame seeds and red pepper. But when I actually tasted the soup, I found it a little too much for me... I'd like it much lighter. Maybe less garlic or less soy milk next time? The idea of putting meat between the layers of the cabbage was really nice, I would say. (Too bad, the above photo doesn't show much of the meat. I used ground pork.) I ate up a quater of hakusai at once and wanted more, even though the soup was not my favorite. Tomorrow night I'm going to visit my hometown again to try the data card there and to help mom with another tea ceremony event. Wish me luck.