ah japantown..i miss you so

I was wandering my old neighborhood japan-town yesterday. God I miss it so much. I will write more about the supermarket soon. I buy something new every-time I go there and there is still so much to try. One that intrigued me was shumai stuffed with edamame, of course HAD to try them, on the way home I read the label and found it was made with something called "lizardfish paste". Now there is something to fuel the imagination. I wish i could draw, so i could create a lizardfish.

After being turned away at the bathhouse there (life is so tough for me). I consoled myself by recreating the meal that kept me somewhat healthy through many code-athons when I worked at home. It is infinitely adaptable, and amazingly delicious.

There are two things that i keep in the pantry for this meal: Red Clam Miso Dressing and Soba Noodles. Red Clam miso dressing is pretty much the only dressing I buy in a bottle. It is creamy without being cloying or oily. It has a savory, gentle and yet surprisingly fresh taste. AND you can buy it at a lot of supermarkets. I have found though that I like to use 1/3 acid, like rice vinegar or lime juice with it. It cuts the fat and richness.

Soba noodles I am sure everyone is familiar with. I love them because they taste so rich and toothsome and yet are healthier than regular Italian pasta, plus they cook super fast.

Japantown nostalgia salad

• Soba noodles
• Red Clam miso dressing
• Rice vinegar or lime juice.
• any vegetables you have left over. I like broccoli and red peppers.
• Scallions or red onion
• cilantro
• Tofu or Frozen shelled edamame or cooked chicken.
• a bonus if you have japanese pickles

1. start boiling water about as much as you would for the same servings of pasta.
2. cut up vegetables.
3. when water has boiled throw in soba noodles. if you are using frozen edamame put that in now. Throw any of the hard veggies like broccoli or carrots into the pot after a minute or so.
4. drain the pasta and veggies after 5 minutes. Then cool with running water or ice bath.
5. in a bowl put rest of veggies and cooled pasta and veggies. Toss with 3 parts Red clam miso dressing and 1 part vinegar or lime juice(I use about 2 tablespoons and two splashes of vinegar for each s), I put Sriracha in at this time but I can never give up any excuse to use sriracha. God damn you rooster!!!!

There you go. It all took 15 minutes. easy peasy.