In a small mixing bowl, prepare the dipping sauce: Pour the broth or water over the sugar and stir to dissolve, Add soy, wine, ginger and oils, and stir well. Add lemon juice or rice vinegar (more or less to taste) and divide the sauce among 8 small individual dishes. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. PLace 8 salad plates in the oven to warm. Place a rack over a baking sheet, and set aside. Use a vegetable peeler to peel stripes of skin form the eggplant, leaving on several narrow strips of skin. Halve the eggplant lengthwise and cut it into 1/4" slices.Wash the slices, pat dry and place on one end of a large platter. PLace the rest of the prepared vegetables on the platter. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, heat 3" of oil over medium-high heat while you prepare the batter. In a large mixing bowl, add the yolk to the water and mix well. Stir int he baking soda; then, sift the flour in and stir with a wooden spoon. Using chopsticks or wooden tongs, dip the vegetables in the batter a piece at a time, moving each piece around to coat well. Maintaining oil at 375 degrees, fry the vegetables a serving at a time - 2 pieces of eggplant, 2 snow peas, 2 mushroom halves, 1 slice sweet potato and 1 slice bell pepper - flipping them after 1 minute. Fry on the second side another minute or until lightly golden. Remove pieces with a mesh strainer tot he prepared baking sheet to drain. Strain any bits of batter or vegetables from the oil, repeat the process withthe second serving. When all the serving is placed in the oil, remove the first batch from the rack to a warmed plate in the oven. Repeat with remaining servings. Place a dish of dipping sauce on each plate of tempura vegetables, and serve immediately.

cook evenly. Snow peasa, mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus and sweet potatoes are traditional ingredients in Japan, but you can use carrots, bell peppers, string beans, cauliflower or onion rings as well.