Instructions: Nabemono dishes other than sukiyaki and shabu-shabu are cooked in a donabe pot - a special earthenware dish made from clay that can be used directly over a flame or in the oven. It retains heat well and distributes it evenly. This pot can be used to prepare hundreds of nabemono combinations or beautiful casseroles of any ethnic background. A Dutch oven or a braising pan are alternatives.

Kim chee nabe is a Korean-influenced dish that is now trendy in Japan. The spiciness adds zip to this healthy hot pot.

2 1/2 quarts water
1 tablespoon bonito flakes
1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups kim chee, preferably Japanese style 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast and chicken thigh pieces, cut in 1- to 2 inch chunks
2 Japanese naganegi long onions (cut on the diagonal)

12 fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/4 head of napa cabbage (roughly 2 cups large chunks)

1/2 bunch of the Japanese herb shungiku (edible chrysanthemum leaves)

1 block firm tofu, 14 ounces
1 cup bottled ponzu sauce (soy/citrus)

1 cup bottled goma dare sauce (sesame)

Steamed rice to accompany the meal

Prepare a dashi stock by boiling 2 1/2 quarts water and then adding 1 tablespoon bonito flakes. Boil 2 minutes. Strain stock into another large stainless steel pot to remove the bonito flakes (or into the donabe pot if you have one). Bring to a low boil and add the kim chee, tasting it as you go to suit your taste - the more you add, the spicier it will be. Reduce heat and keep simmering on the stove.

Rinse vegetables and herbs, cutting them into bite-sized chunks. Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes. Prepare two identical platters of these items, one for each side of the table.

Set your table with the tabletop burner, 2 small bowls for each guest (put 1/4 cup ponzu sauce in one, 1/4 cup goma dare sesame sauce in the other), platters of food, bowls of rice, chopsticks, and an extra plate for each person.

Fifteen minutes before dinner time, add all of the chicken to the simmering broth and transfer it to the tabletop burner. Bring to a low boil. Once everyone is seated, and the chicken is cooked through until no longer pink, diners can begin cooking vegetables, tofu and the shungiku in the kim chee broth. Dip the cooked food in the sauces as desired.

Variations: Thinly sliced pork loin may also be used. Add it to the broth at the same point as the vegetables.

The base stock can also be made using a 3-by-6 inch sheet of kombu seaweed in lieu of bonito flakes.

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