This cold sesame noodle dish is one of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants. My family recipe is simple, made with readily available ingredients. It's a great blank canvas for adding all sorts of leftover proteins. I have made the dish with shredded roast chicken and duck, as well as sliced pork and beef. Sesame paste, often referred to as tahini, can be found in health food stores or the international foods aisle of your supermarket. If you can't find it, try unsalted 100 percent pure peanut or almond butter, which will give you different, but equally tasty, results.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6

　　1 pound fresh thin Chinese egg noodles, or 10 ounces fresh or dried ramen

　　1/4 cup rice vinegar

　　3 tablespoons sesame paste, almond butter, or peanut butter

　　3 tablespoons soy sauce

　　2 tablespoons honey

　　1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

　　1 teaspoon or more chili-garlic sauce

　　2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

　　6 springs fresh cilantro, stems trimmed

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles until tender yet firm, about 2 minutes for fresh Chinese noodles, 10 seconds for fresh ramen, and 3 minutes for dried ramen. Drain the noodles and shock in ice-cold water. Drain again.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, sesame paste, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and chili-garlic sauce until smooth. Add the noodles and toss well to distribute the sauce evenly throughout. Garnish with the scallions and cilantro and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

　　From Noodles Every Day: Delicious Asian Recipes from Ramen to Rice Sticks by Corinne Trang. Text copyright © 2009 by Corinne Trang. Photographs copyright © 2009 by Maura McEvoy. Published by Chronicle Books.