• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Turn off the heat, cover, and gently reheat at a simmer, just before serving with pie.

Makes approximately 1½ cups

SLURPY PAN-ASIAN NOODLES

Hang up the phone, put down the carry-out menu, and make these seriously chops-licking noodles instead. You’ll probably have to duke it out over who gets lunch leftovers (if there are any left in the wok). By no means is this dish authentically Chinese or Japanese, but a tribute to both cuisines, incorporating ingredients and flavor combinations that have become favorites in my own kitchen. This is a one-pot meal, with ample slurping ops for four to five servings, but you can easily halve the amounts for two-plus eaters.

KITCHEN NOTES: The recipe calls for udon noodles, thick wheat-flour Japanese noodles that come in 8-, 9-, and 12-ounce packages and are available in most conventional supermarkets and Asian groceries. Weigh or measure out the noodles before cooking. While you’re out shopping, look for Shaoxing rice wine, from China.

Gluten-free option: 100 percent buckwheat noodles.

Make It a Meal

Is your appetite bigger tonight than anticipated? Consider a versatile side to round out your plate. Mix-and-matching encouraged! See Make It a Meal sidebar on page 26.

INGREDIENTS

16 to 18 ounces udon noodles

⅔ cup soy sauce

8 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine,

or dry sherry, sake, or

vermouth

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 (2 x 1-inch) hunk fresh ginger,

peeled and minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

½ fresh chile pepper of choice,

seeded and minced (optional)

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

Cook the noodles in at least 8 cups of boiling water. The noodles will be ready in 8 to 9 minutes. Don’t overcook; they will get really mushy and gross. Drain and rinse under running cold water. Set aside.

Measure the soy sauce and set aside 2 tablespoons. In a small bowl, combine remaining soy sauce, rice wine, and hoisin sauce. Stir until the hoisin is dissolved.

In a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the ginger, garlic, and chile pepper (if using), stirring with a wooden spoon to keep from sticking, about 30 seconds.

Add the carrots and pepper (which take a bit longer to cook than the bok choy), and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

A total of approximately 10 cups

of quick-cooking veg; my

suggestions follow:

2 to 3 medium-size carrots,

peeled and cut into 2-inch

matchsticks

2 red, orange, or yellow bell

peppers, seeded and julienned

6 bunches (about 6 cups) baby

bok choy, thoroughly rinsed

and sliced into 1-inch pieces

(Larger bok choy or another

kind of choy is perfectly fine;

the baby choy yields the

mildest and most tender

results, in my opinion.)

Other veg options: chopped green

beans, snow peas, shredded

cabbage, small broccoli

florets, thinly sliced

mushrooms

1 tablespoon gomasio

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Optional garnishes: 3 chopped

scallions and ¼ cup chopped

cilantro

Add the bok choy, and with tongs, toss to mix with the other vegetables; it will shrink quickly and soften. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Season the vegetables with remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the gomasio. Transfer to a medium-size bowl.

Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and heat over medium heat. It will quickly come to a lively simmer. Add the drained noodles, and with tongs, coat with the sauce. Gently stir the mixture until the noodles are hot, at least 2 minutes.

Return the vegetables to the wok and stir everything together until well combined. Drizzle with sesame oil, and if using, top off with your desired garnishes.

Serve immediately while hot.

Makes 4 to 5 servings

Wild Cards Menus for All Seasons

The following four menus are appropriate at any time of the year, whenever you’ve got a hankering. Although seasonal variations are offered, the choice is all yours.

Pizza Night with DIY Dough and Seasonal Toppings

PIZZA DOUGH

When I asked my pal Jim if he’d like to try out my recipe