Recipe: Cold sesame noodles 66

Total time: 2 hours

Servings: 6

Note: Use fresh, young ginger and garlic and put them through a garlic press. Black vinegar, shaoxing wine, cellophane noodles and wasabi powder can be found at Asian markets. You will have some of the broth left over; serve it at the table in a small bowl.

Peanut sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon pressed ginger root

1/2 teaspoon pressed garlic

1 Thai chile

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

6 tablespoons sesame oil

6 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Melt the sugar in a small, nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring in the ginger, garlic and Thai chile the last minute of cooking. Transfer to a blender with the peanuts and the sesame seeds. Add the sesame and peanut oils to process to a smooth paste. Season with the salt and cayenne and set aside. Makes 1 cup.

Broth

1/2 cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup black vinegar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 small dried red chile

1 cinnamon stick, crushed with a mallet

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1. Combine the soy sauce, black vinegar, rice vinegar, sugar and wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro, red chile, cinnamon and coriander seeds. Steep 45 minutes, then strain and set the broth aside.

Assembly

5 ounces cellophane noodles (bean threads)

1/4 cup wasabi powder

9 tablespoons sugar

Thinly sliced cucumber, apple and green onions, for garnish

Bean sprouts, for garnish

Minced crystallized ginger, for garnish

1. Pour 1 quart of boiling water over the noodles in a bowl and let stand 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Combine the wasabi powder with the sugar in a small bowl and add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of water and toss with a fork to form coarse nubbins. Set aside.

3. To serve, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the broth into 6 serving bowls. Add noodles to each, then top with 1 teaspoon of peanut sauce and the garnishes. Sprinkle the wasabi nubbins around the perimeter. Toss before eating.

Each serving: XXX calories; XXX mg. sodium; XX mg. cholesterol; XX grams fat; XX grams saturated fat; XX grams carbohydrates; XX grams protein; X.XX gram fiber.