On the Noodle Road
Page 39
Elsewhere, David Wilson and Yasemin Uyghurmen of the Ritz-Carlton arranged a respite on the road. In the United States, Karl Squitier, Ed Cornelia, Corky White, Gus Rancatore of Toscanini’s, and Ana Sortun of Oleana helped with initial thinking about the project. Joan and Mario Soncini helped with introductions and research.
Friends East and West provided support before, during, and after the long journey. I’d like to thank Adrienne Mong, Yun-Yi Goh, Leslie Chang, Peter Hessler, Jenny Chio, Michelle Garnaut, Evan Osnos, Sarabeth Berman, Tom and Peggy Simons, Ed Gargan, Tang Di, Barbara Demick, and Mayling Birney.
In Chengdu, I’d like to thank the U.S. consulate community, in particular Kerryn Sullivan and Dusadee Haymond, and Kim Dallas.
Editor Becky Saletan deserves enormous praise—again. From the initial book proposal to the final product, Becky focused the material, gave me ample space, tweaked and edited with care, and encouraged me throughout. Becky, you’re a true editor and friend. Also at Riverhead, I’d like to thank Glory Plata and Jynne Martin. And I appreciate the ear and enthusiasm of my agent, Flip Brophy. Chris Calhoun helped sell the book.
I am indebted to my colleagues at Black Sesame Kitchen. Wang Guizhen and Zhang Aifeng accompanied me on my travels before resuming their work at the kitchen. Candice Lee kept it running in my absence and has enthusiastically supported my endeavors. Michelle Tang, who took over operations, also deserves enormous praise for her hard work and for juggling a multitude of tasks with grace. I’d also like to thank Cai Yuejin and Chef Wang for their efforts and contributions, and Larissa Zhou for her work in Beijing and beyond.
Finally, I’d like to thank my family: Caroline and David for traveling with us and for allowing me to write about them with humor; and Mom, Dad, and James for their love and care all these years. Thank you, Sierra, for blessing us with your existence and exuberance. And last, I give my deepest gratitude to Craig, who inspired this journey with his gift of a pasta class and his willingness to support me in even the most challenging of endeavors. Husband aside, he is also my best friend, trusted editor, favorite travel companion, and co-conspirator in the adventures described in this book. May we have many more journeys in our future.
Chengdu, China
March 2013
index of recipes
Narrowing down my list of recipes for inclusion in this book was painful. I encountered so many delightful and unique dishes in my travels that the process reminded me of what the Italians said when I asked them to name their favorite dish. “That’s like making us choose our favorite family member!” they said.
All the recipes have been adapted to an American kitchen. As much as possible, I have retained ingredients and methods that keep them rooted in their place of origin but, as I’ve learned on my travels, recipes—whether they be noodles, pilafs, or meze—evolve in different settings, adapting to new climates, geography, and culture.
Noodles are at the heart of many of the recipes. Making noodles is not difficult; if you know how to make pie crust, you can master noodles. But because noodle making is unfamiliar to many Americans, I have uploaded videos demonstrating the process to my website, www.jenlinliu.com, where additional recipes gathered on my journey can also be found.
Most of the noodle and pasta recipes can be made with all-purpose flour—I recommend King Arthur brand. Special blends of “pasta flour” that include semolina and/or durum wheat flour can be substituted, although they will yield a stiffer dough.
The only special equipment you’ll need for making noodles is a rolling pin and a large, sturdy surface that is clean and dry. I came across three kinds of rolling pins in my travels. The first was the simple, handle-less Chinese rolling pin, about one inch in diameter and about a foot long. The second, which I saw in Central Asia and Italy, was more similar to a typical American rolling pin with handles, about two inches in diameter and a foot long, not counting the handles. The third, found all across the Silk Road from China to Italy, was a baton about one inch in diameter and three feet long, used by true pasta experts. My personal preference is a Chinese rolling pin, which is easier for most amateur cooks to manage and can be found in most Asian supermarkets and on websites like Amazon.com.
Buon appetito!
CHINA
Chef Zhang’s Hand-Rolled Noodles/Andrea’s Pasta
Arrabbiata Sauce
Chef Zhang’s Pork Belly Sauce
Chairman Wang’s Dumplings with Lamb-and-Pumpkin Filling
La Mian (Chinese Hand-Pulled Noodles)
Hand-Pulled Noodles in Beef Soup
Mian Pian (Noodle Squares with Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Spicy Tomato Sauce
Chuchura (Uighur Wontons)
CENTRAL ASIA
Gyulchetai (Kyrgyz Noodle Squares with Vegetables)
Samsa (Uzbek Baked Dumplings)
Manti (Uzbek Steamed Dumplings)
Antica Bed-and-Breakfast Plov
IRAN
Chelow (Persian Rice)
Gormeh Sabzi (Lamb and Kidney Bean Khoresht with Fresh Herbs)
Fesenjun (Chicken in Walnut-and-Pomegranate Sauce)
Tah-Cheen (Baked Saffron Rice with Chicken and Barberries)
Bagholi Polow (Dill and Fava Bean Pilaf)
Saffron Fried Chicken
TURKEY
Su Borek (Turkish Lasagna)
Karnıyarık (Split-Belly Eggplant)
Rose Borek (Phyllo Dough Stuffed with Leeks, Cheese, and Honey)
Kadınbudu Kofte (Lady’s Thigh Kofte)
Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Manti (Turkish Dumplings)
ITALY
Orecchiette
Orecchiette Con le Cime di Rapa (Orecchiette with Turnip Tops)
Ragù (Bolognese Pasta Sauce)
Lasagna Bolognese
Cheese Tortellini with Sage-Butter Sauce
bibliography
A few sources were particularly helpful in piecing together the culinary history of pasta and noodles. Pasta: The Story of a Universal Food by Silvano Serventi and Françoise Sabban, translated by Antony Shugaar (New York: Columbia University Press, 2002), provided a wealth of information about China and Italy. The “pasta,” “noodles,” and “reshteh” entries of Alan Davidson’s Oxford Companion to Food (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006) gave a broad perspective on the staple from East to West. Another valuable source was Paul D. Buell and Eugene Anderson’s A Soup for the Qan: Chinese Dietary Medicine of the Mongol Era as Seen in Hu Szu-Hui’s Yin-Shan Cheng-Yao: Introduction, Translation, Commentary and Chinese Text (London; New York: Kegan Paul International, 2000). Bai Jianbo, Russell Zanca, Aylin Öney Tan, and Najmieh Batmanglij also provided information on the noodle traditions across the Silk Road through phone and e-mail interviews. The Marco Polo quotations come from Everyman’s Library’s The Travels of Marco Polo, translated by W. Marsden (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008), the most readable version of his diaries.
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