Joy of Noodles

The Chinese new year will be upon us soon and what better way t celebrate that with noodles. There;'s nothing like pulled noodles that are mixed with a variety of meats and veggies. Not only that they're versatile on their own or gracing a warm generous bowl of broth. What a perfect way to bring in the year of the Rabbit.

Yesterday's New York Times Dining section had an excellent article plus recipe about noodles. The piece was written by Times regular Julia Moskin and explored all different types of this Asian specialty. We American s are used to just the lo mein which means tossed preferably in a wok . However la mien noodles are gaining in popularity. The phrase translates into pulled and the noodle making process is not unlike making pizza dough. There is a lot of stretching and pulling to create a fine kind of Asian pasta not unlike tagliarini. . The noodles should have crunch and texture ad a sort of chewiness, Imagine a very tough spaghetti that snaps in your mouth . Noodle shops have been around for 1,000 years in China and haven't really changed over the centuries.

The noodles are not just plain tasting, like pasta. Some are seasoned with fresh chilies , cumin and Szechuan peppercorns for fire and bite. There are also blander egg noodles and ones that are made with an ash called peng. these produce a more tender noodle thanks to the alkali that interferes with the gluten. The noodle dishes have all sorts of meats and veggies along with spices in them. Popular ones include chicken ginger and cabbage. other have ingredients like winter squash and along with radishes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and mushrooms. Red pepper and fresh ginger are always used as is cardamon and star anise.

Next week is the year of the Rabbit It's time to celebrate the new year and welcome in prosperity. it's also time to enjoy the best of Chinese noodles. They're a great way of welcoming in the holiday!