Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir

by Ruth Reichl

SPICY CHINESE NOODLES ••• ½ pound Chinese noodles, dried egg noodles, or spaghetti Peanut oil ½-inch-long piece of fresh ginger 2 scallions 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons Chinese black bean paste with garlic 1 tablespoon Chinese bean paste with chili ½ pound ground pork Sesame oil Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente (the time will vary with the type of noodle). Drain, toss with a half tablespoon of peanut oil, and set aside. Peel and mince the ginger (you should have about two tablespoons). Chop the white parts and slice the green parts of the scallions. Mix the sugar and the two kinds of hot bean paste, and set aside. Heat a wok until a drop of water skitters across the surface. Add a tablespoon of peanut oil, toss in the ginger, and stir-fry for about half a minute, until the fragrance is hovering over the wok. Add the pork and white scallions and stir-fry until all traces of pink have disappeared. Add the bean sauce mixture and cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Stir in the green scallions and noodles and quickly toss. Add a drop of sesame oil and turn into two small bowls. This makes a perfect snack for two.