Oshinko

• One 2-pound head of Napa cabbage
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
• 1 small dried chile, seeded and minced
• Good-quality soy sauce, optional

1. Trim the cabbage of hard parts and discard any discolored leaves; chop the rest into pieces no bigger than 2 inches along any dimension.
2. Toss in a nonmetal bowl with the salt and chile.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and a plate that will fit inside the bowl; weight the plate as well as you can with cans, a rock, or a resealable plastic bag filled with water.
4. Let sit, unrefrigerated, for a day or longer, tossing the cabbage occasionally and draining liquid as it accumulates.With each passing day, the cabbage will become softer and more translucent; you can eat it at any stage.
5. When it reaches the stage you like, refrigerate.
6. Serve as a small side dish, with or without soy sauce.
7. You can treat an assortment of vegetables the same way.
8. Combine, for example, thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly sliced carrots, and peeled and thinly sliced turnips.
9. Eggplant, onion, and radish (especially daikon), all peeled and thinly sliced, are also good.
10. You can also add trimmed and chopped scallions, peeled and thinly sliced garlic, and/or a few slices of peeled fresh ginger to the mix.

head of, coarse salt, chile, soy sauce

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/oshinko-386221 (may not work)