Zaru Soba (Cold Soba)

[zhemao]

It was a pretty hot day today here in SF. So what better way to cool down than with some cold soba noodles? For this dish, the buckwheat noodles are eaten cold with some dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

• Buckwheat soba


• Soy sauce


• Rice wine


• Sugar


• Garlic


• Scallions


• Sesame oil


• Chili oil

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil on high heat and then add the noodles.


2. Turn the heat to medium and boil until the noodles are thoroughly cooked.


3. Transfer the noodles to a washing bowl. Reserve the cooking water. We'll use it later for the sauce.


4. Fill the washing bowl with cold water, mix the noodles with your hands, pour out the water, refill and repeat. Keep doing this until you've cleaned off the slimy starchiness on the surface of the noodles.


5. Drain the water thoroughly and then lay the noodles on the serving plate in small bundles.


6. For the sauce, mix together a quarter cup each of soy sauce and rice wine and a tablespoon of sugar.


7. Finely chop a clove of garlic.


8. Chop a scallion root.


9. Pour a bit of sesame oil into a non-stick pan and turn the heat to medium.


10. Add the garlic and scallions. Stir until the garlic begins to brown.


11. Pour in the sauce mixture and a ladleful of soba water.


12. Once the sauce comes to boil, turn off the heat and pour it into a bowl.

And that's it. To enjoy your zarui soba, take some noodles with your chopsticks and dunk it into the sauce before slurping it up (the noodles, not the sauce). After you've finished the noodles, you can dilute the remaining sauce with the soba water and drink it as a broth. The sauce is fairly flexible and you can add whatever condiments you want. Some ideas are minced ginger, lemongrass, chili pepper, chili oil, and/or toasted sesame seeds.

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Shrimp Pad See-Ew

[zhemao]

If you've ever been to a Thai restaurant, you've probably seen this dish. The main ingredients are flat rice noodles and Chinese broccoli. I tried making a version with shrimp and it turned out nicely.

Ingredients:

• Flat rice noodle


• Gailan (Chinese broccoli)


• Carrots


• Egg


• Tiger shrimp


• Garlic


• Lemongrass


• Scallions


• Soy sauce


• Dark soy sauce


• Oyster sauce


• Sugar


• White pepper


• Rice wine


• Corn starch


• Salt


• Vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Soak the noodles in hot water to soften them up. After soaking, they should be very flexible but still have a tough texture.


2. Take 2 or 3 stalks of gailan and wash them thoroughly in cold water.


3. Slice the stem of the gailan into thin pieces. Then chop the leaves into larger pieces.


4. Peel a carrot and chop half of it into thin slices. Put the rest of the carrot away.


5. Peel and finely chop a clove of garlic


6. Chop a bit of lemongrass (this isn't strictly necessary but adds a nice tangy flavor)


7. In a bowl, mix a tablespoon each of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Then add half a tablespoon of sugar.


8. Peel the shrimp and rinse thoroughly in cold water.


9. Pat dry with a paper towel and then sprinkle on a bit of salt.


10. Marinate the shrimp with a bit of rice wine and then dust with a tablespoon of corn starch.


11. Add a bit of oil to the pan and put it on medium heat.


12. Add the shrimp to the pan and let it cook on one side until pink.


13. Flip the shrimp over and cook the other side until pink.


14. Stir the shrimp and continue cooking until every part of it has turned color.


15. Remove the shrimp and set aside.


16. Clean the pan and wipe it dry. Then add a spoonful of oil and turn the heat to medium high.


17. Add the garlic before the pan gets too hot. Stir until it starts to brown.


18. Crack an egg into the pan. Break the yolk and then gently stir.


19. Once the egg solidies but before it has fully set, toss in the lemongrass, carrots, and gailan.


20. Stir so that the gailan leaves get evenly coated with oil.


21. Pour in your sauce mixture and stir.


22. Once the gailan leaves wilt, dissolve any sauce left in the bowl with some water and pour it in.


23. Toss in the noodles and stir. Add additional water if necessary.


24. Sprinkle some white pepper over the noodles and stir.


25. Reduce the heat to medium low and let the noodles cook in the slowly reducing liquid.


26. Once the liquid is almost gone, throw in 4-6 pieces of cooked shrimp and some scallion leaves.


27. Turn the heat back to medium high and then stir until the liquid has completely evaporated.


28. The last step is to toast the noodles to get some of that distinctive charring. Just let the noodles sit without stirring for a few seconds. Then stir and let sit again.


29. Once you think there's enough char, turn off the heat and serve.

And there you have it. The flat rice noodles will have a nice chewy texture, and the burnt soy sauce will add a nice smokey flavor that is offset by the tanginess of the lemongrass.

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