Sweet potato tempura with soy-dashi dipping sauce

Mix equal parts all purpose flour and cornstarch, two cups each, a tablespoon of baking powder and a little pinch of salt; store the dry mix and take out about a cup and a half.

Slice sweet potato into quarter-inch slices.

For the dipping sauce, dissolve about a teaspoon of hon dashi in about half a cup of water; combine about 85% dashi, 10% mirin and 5% shoyu to a mild sweet, salty, savory balance.

Add vodka and cold soda water to the dry mix and mix minimally; leave it lumpy, like thick lumpy paint.

Coat the slices thinly and lower them into the oil; they should puff and sputter at once.

Drizzle extra batter from the fingers over them for crunchy bits.

Keep them moving with oil flowing over the top until crisp but pale blonde; remove.

Make the batter fresh right before frying; restaurant rule was no older than 10 minutes.