Text 19511, 127 rader
Skriven 2014-11-17 05:11:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JANIS KRACHT
Ärende: fat 296
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 > Simple for me is fat, garlic, hot pepper, and just maybe
 > a little tomato or meat (or soy and/or oyster sauce for
 > that Asian touch) to up the umami factor. Onions to kick
 > things up just a notch if they are on hand.
 JK> That's more energy than I (sometimes) care to throw out there <grin>
 JK> but it sounds similiar to what I often do over here as well.   Thinking

May sound complicated, but I seldom spend more than
10 minutes to prep and cook such an impromptu
snacky meal.

 JK> of "fat", a slight rim of sesame oil on some asian soups is nice as
 JK> well. 

True, with the accent on the slight. I used to like sesame
more than I do and used it by the tablespoonful - now a few
drops in a serving is more than enough.

 > Though with your bacon, onion and
 >> hot pepper, I'd most likely also add 1/2 cup or so of pasta water and
 >> simmer for a bit.

For me, 3 or 4 tablespoons tops.

 > I used to do the water trick until it came out that
 > the more al dente a pasta is, the lower its glycemic
 JK> With al dente preparation, I still use some of the pasta water in some
 JK> recipes, don't you?

Very occasionally. But then unlike Italians I am not
accustomed to (though I do enjoy them) creamy textured
sauces. I prefer dishes with unincorporated oil.

 JK> Here's a really neat article about why reheating pasta is better for
 JK> your Glycemic index.
 JK> " Cooking pasta and then cooling it down changes the structure of the
 JK> pasta, turning it into something that is called "resistant starch".
 JK> It's called "resistant starch" because once pasta, potatoes or any
 JK> starchy food is cooked and cooled it becomes resistant to the normal
 JK> enzymes in our gut that break carbohydrates down and releases glucose
 JK> that then causes the familiar blood sugar surge.

From what I've read, if you never cook the pasta fully,
that ensures the glycemic hit is low. The new research
is kind of interesting (it sounds to me like voodoo,
but if I can get a more chemically sensible explanation
than the label "resistant starch," maybe I'll believe it) 
but the truth remains that fresh pasta has a nicer
texture than reheated pasta.

 JK> Does sheep's milk affect you in the same way that cow's mild does,
 JK> requiring one of your pills?  Over here, parmesean is a no-no for my
 JK> daughter because it is made with cow's milk, but she can tolerate
 JK> pecorino because it's made with sheep's milk.

Sheep cheeses may contain somewhat less lactose than
cow's, but they are never (early articles got this
wrong) fully lactose-free. My system's sensitivity
varies - sometimes I can eat up to a tablespoon or
two of aged cheese without needing my pills, but
as some of the echo has witnessed, sometimes I can
tell that there's a trace of the stuff, just by
the way my bowel reacts. Since the hospitalizations,
though, my bowel isn't reacting much at all, which
is kind of weird.

 JK> ===Spicy Dan Dan Noodles===
 JK> 2 tbsp. oyster sauce

That's quite a lot - I've never seen that much oyster
sauce in a recipe of this kind.

 JK> 4 tbsp. peanut satay sauce (I use the Dynasty brand version, which can
 JK> typically be found in the Asian section of supermarkets)

That's a cheat, but I cheat even worse, using Skippy or
Peter Pan, about that same amount.

 JK> 1 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns (optional, but well worth it!)

And that's overkill if you use fresh untreated ones. A
teaspoon maybe. It is true that this spice was banned in
the US for a while (it harbored some weird pest) until
they came up with a treatment that kills the bugs but
also mutes the flavor, and it is possible that this
recipe refers to the irradiated, heat treated, or whatever
it is version.

Here's another interpretation, vegetarian, that is still
overkill on the flavors but with a balance way skewed
toward the sesame. It omits the Szechwan pepper, as that
was a banned substance at the time of publication.

DAN DAN NOODLES
Categories: New York, Chinese, main, pasta, vegan
Serves: 4

8 oz thin fresh Chinese wheat noodles
10 ts sesame oil
1/2 c sesame seeds
1 1/2 Tb minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, white part minced, green part thinly sliced
1/2 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 c water
3 Tb soy sauce
2 1/2 Tb rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tb sugar
2 ts Chinese chili paste or hot bean paste (or to taste)
1/2 ts black pepper

Cook noodles in 4 qt rapidly boiling water until tender, 4-5
min. Drain in colander, rinse with cold water, and drain
again. In bowl, toss noodles with 1 ts sesame oil. Refrigerate.

Lightly toast sesame seeds in dry skillet. Process 5 Tb seeds,
ginger, garlic, white scallions, peanut butter, water, soy sauce,
vinegar, sugar, chili paste, pepper, and remaining oil. Process
until smooth. Sauce should be highly seasoned and pourable.
Refrigerate.

Divide noodles among 4 bowls, and pour sauce over them. Sprinkle
scallion greens and remaining sesame seeds on top.

Steve Raichlen: NY Times 9-1-99
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