Pickled Shiitakes

• 2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms
• ½ cup soy sauce - I used a particularly thick mushroom soy sauce I picked up from the Asian grocery store, but any variety will work; use tamari for a gluten free version
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 piece (3 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coins

Put the mushrooms in a bowl or a pot, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes.. Reserving one cup of the soaking liquid, drain the mushrooms and slice them into pieces about ¼ inch thick.

Combine the mushrooms, soaking liquid, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil; reduce it to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the contents cool down to room temperature.

Place the contents of the pan into a jar and store sealed in the refrigerator. Serve with any Asian dish, rice or noodle bowl, or even just over rice.

• Yields: 1 quart
• Preparation Time: About an hour, plus chilling