Part 59 (1/2)

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 cloves garlic minced

teaspoon salt

teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

2 acorn squashes, seeded, peeled, and cut into

-inch chunks

2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, seeded, and sliced into thin (not paper-thin) slices roughly 1 inch long

4 cups vegetable stock

1 (15-ounce) can adzuki beans, drained and rinsed about 1 cups)

About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Mushrooms:

4 ounces fresh s.h.i.+takes, sliced in half (about 1 cups)

2 teaspoons peanut oil

teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

PREHEAT A large stockpot over medium heat. Saute the onions and peppers in the oil for about 10 minutes, or until the onions just begin to brown.

Add the ginger and garlic, and saute for 1 more minute. Stirring often, add the salt, five-spice, acorn squash, and pear, and cook for another minute before adding the vegetable stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer briskly for about 20 more minutes, or until the squash is tender.

Puree half the soup, using either an immersion blender or by transferring half the soup to a food processor or blender, processing, and pouring it back into the rest of the soup (don't forget, if using a blender or food processor, to let the soup cool a bit so that the steam does not compress in the processor and hurt you).

Add the adzuki beans and lime. Cover and simmer over low heat just until the beans are heated through, 7 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms: Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oils and saute the mushrooms for about 7 minutes, until they are soft. Mix in the soy sauce and stir constantly until it is absorbed (about 1 minute).