Sup!

I don't know if every week will be themed, but this week seems to (at least for me) revolve around noodles. Specifically, cold noodles. In this issue we'll talk about navigating cooking substitutions, the best cold noodle situation on the planet and some mushrooms that you should be grilling like, yesterday. Cold noodles, for me, are separated into two distinct categories: noodles purposely served cold (or room temp), and noodles which were once warm and are now very likely being slurped straight from the container, by me, while I stand over the sink. I hold space in my heart for both these things. 

Leftover cold noodles go where rice* falls short - they stay pliable and delightfully chewy. But let's focus on the purposefully cold noodles. As we move towards warmer months, especially as social distancing continues, I find myself drawn to refreshing (but still substantial) dishes that beg to be eaten outside or at least by a window. Being outside feels like a luxury right now and I want to luxuriate in it. However, I am currently quarantining after a routine contact tracing test yesterday; it's amazing how big and small this inconvenience feels right now. But rest assured, as soon as I can be back outside (socially distanced), I'll be out there eating cold noodles under the warmth of the sun. 

*I would never put any disrespect on rice's name. Rice is my desert island food and my constant companion, but we're allowed to recognize shortcomings in those we love! This is an excerpt from my forthcoming rice-based self-help book, "Rice to the Occasion."

I know you might not have access to all the ingredients in this recipe right now, so I want to use it as an opportunity to talk about substitutions. If you were to ask me (and it's not clear that anyone actually did), I would tell the ability to suss out good substitutions is a key part of moving confidently through your kitchen. I think it helps to split choices into two categories: 1) choose a replacement that most closely mimics the purpose of the original ingredient, or 2) pivot to something totally different that will go well with the flavors of the dish. I've listed some of the ingredients from this recipe below (the full list can be seen on this Instagram story highlight) along with recommended substitutions to help give you an idea: 

a note on Asian pears they are firm when ripe, light brown skinned and in more produce sections than you'd think (sometimes by the pears, sometimes by exotic fruit)

a note on gochujang it can now be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores, it's a red paste

a note on extra sauce use it on a sandwich or quesadilla, stir it into rice, get creative!

Fish sauce is a key part of nuoc cham, the dressing used for bun. If you're nervous about trying it, I encourage you to give it a try - but not all brands are equal. Fish sauce should taste briny like fish and the ocean, but it shouldn't be 'fishy'. Red Boat is my favorite and it's popular for a reason. Three Crabs, Megachef and Squid are also good, easy to find options. Don't be confused by the names, all three are made with anchovies. 

I know I said cold noodles, but these are more room temperature. Rice noodles, kind of like rice, get a little too crunchy when they are chilled too much. Once you pull these out of the hot cooking water, run them under cold water to remove excess starch and prevent over-cooking. This will bring the noodles to room temp, perfect for serving. If you have leftovers, rewarm them in the microwave slightly or let them sit out for about 30 minutes before eating.

Cook Like a Local, Chris Shepherd's new-ish cookbook is a love letter to Houston food culture and has an entire chapter dedicated to one of my favorite ingredients on the planet, fish sauce. It's one of the five books I brought with me upstate to isolate. Highly recommend!

I love to grill and quite frankly, if you have safe access to a grill right now, you should absolutely be using it to cook some roasty toasty food (including these shrooms, of course). "But Rachel! I do not have a grill and now I'm deeply sad!" That's okay, these mushrooms can be made indoors on a cast iron or grill pan (or really whatever pan you've got). The sugar in the marinade will help coax out some charred edges even if you don't cook these over live fire. You just might have to crank up the burner a little higher!

Eat these mushrooms in a noodle bowl (duh), on a salad, over rice or straight off the skewer.

Feel free to make more of this glaze-y marinade for any other vegetables you've got on deck to grill. Try it out and report back!

If someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you'd like to subscribe, click here | If you missed last week, here it is | If you've run out of muffin liners, these pepperoni-lined corn muffins might be your next bake | I've been drinking wild fermented hard cider from a nearby orchard (my favorite is Firefly) and they ship!| A friendly reminder that everyone should have this tool in their kitchen for melty garlic and fluffy parm

Until next week ya noodles,