A symphony of flavors: chili sauce, orange zest, edamame, fermented black beans, ginger paste, soy sauce, shallot, garlic, and sesame oil. (Disregard that spoonful o' miso. It crept in somehow!)

We decided to microplane our orange, but you could also peel the zest and cut it into thin strips.

Sesame oil joins soy sauce and mirin. Triple threat!

Always so tidy when a recipe asking for zest uses the juice, too.

Add the chili sauce and then give it all a stir. We'll return to this mixture later.

Merrill precisely minces a shallot like only a culinary school graduate can.

We used fermented black bean paste -- if your beans are whole, give them a rinse before adding.

Ginger adds a spicy note to the fermented black beans, shallots, and garlic.

Stir to thoroughly coat the shallots and garlic with the fragrant black beans and ginger.

While we mixed up the sauces, the edamame quickly simmered on the stove.

On to the wok! Use a high-temperature oil like canola or grapeseed.

Things got pretty steamy after we added the edamame. Keep it all moving so it cooks evenly.

When blistered spots start to appear on the edamame, add the shallot mixture to the wok.

Be patient -- the shallots should be crispy and brown before moving on.

Now's the time to add the orange zest. (At this point, your kitchen should smell incredible.)

The soy mixture goes in last. The liquid will pool in the bottom of the wok, so be sure to toss the edamame well.

You want to cook it down until the sauce becomes a glaze that just barely clings to the beans -- almost there!

Syrupy, browned, and ridiculously flavorful.

Serve to eager guests. (Be sure to save some for yourself.)

Easy as 1, 2, 3: just heavy cream, white miso paste, and sugar.

Pick a large, heavy saucepan to prevent burning or splattering while the caramel simmers.

In goes the water -- you're already nearly done.

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, no stirring required. Do keep an eye on it, though: an unwatched caramel will scorch!

When you reach a "deep golden brown," it's time to pull the caramel off the heat.

While stirring, quickly pour the heavy cream into the hot caramel.

Whoosh! Don't worry -- keep whisking and it will all straighten out.

With the caramel sauce smoothed out, it's time to add the miso paste. Whisk vigorously to dissolve it.

Add instant umami to your desserts -- or just eat it from a spoon.